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Meara didn’t reply

She didn’t adjust well to change Moving froo to the untae was inevitable for the lupus garous Meara had been lucky they hadn’t had tothe fact that once they reached eighteen, they aged only a year for every thirty

“Where are we going?” she asked, staring out theat the vast ancient pines that would soon suffer the fate of their steadfast companions

“To Oregon Uncle Basil called earlier thisto Florida The cabins on the Oregon coast are ours now”

“Florida? Are there any of our kind there?”

“Real red wolves on St Vincent Island off the Panhandle of Florida”

“Real red wolves?” Meara snorted “I didn’t think he likedit up with red wolves, period But real wolves?”

“He said he found a pack of gray lupus garous near the Everglades”

She shook her head “So what’s he going to hunt there? Alligators?” She let out her breath “I don’t want to on seacoast”

Hunter didn’t respond It didn’t matter where they went Unless it was back to their home in the woods, she wouldn’t be happy Not until she had ti as the last time

Hunter finished his shower at Uncle Basil’s hoon seacoast, but couldn’t get the ss still burned Nothing had gone as he’d planned Not only was Meara refusing to speak with him—as he expected—but his people had mutinied as well

As soon as he joined his uncle in the living rooet any better Not the way his uncle gave hi look

Once Hunter assured himself Meara couldn’t hear them from the laundry room, he settled on the leather couch “So what didn’t you tell me when you offered this territory for my pack?”

Uncle Basil sat on his suede recliner, looking like he had aged ten years since the last tier, his beard shaggier, his amber eyes tired Which meant his uncle must have had some real trouble

“You have a problehbors has been taking pictures in our woods It wouldn’t do for her to catch you shapeshifting I tried to buy her out, but she won’t budge First her grandparents, and now she and her brother live in the house about twelve miles south of us on the coast You’ll need to er Of course, if your pack doesn’t return from where they’ve scattered, it’ll be just you and Meara enjoying the area in your fur coats But when you lease the cabins to other grays, the risk will becoreater Up until recently, the place has been a safe haven for them, but this woman…” Uncle Basil shook his head

Hunter knew damn well his uncle normally wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate her if she could expose their kind for what they truly were “You mean, the wo in response, Hunter swore under his breath “You couldn’t do it, and that’s why you’re retiring?”

His uncle avoided looking at him

Hell, as if Hunter didn’t have enough troubles to contend with “All right I’ll take care of it Are you going to have supper with us before you leave?”

“I already ate Got a ticket on the next flight I left a couple of salmon steaks out for you Place is stocked with food so you won’t have to shop for a while” Uncle Basil stretched his six-foot-two fra these old bones Hips are bothering ht have so to do with it”

Then he leaned forward “Your ed to keep the pack safe all these years Your people will return Give them time Just be sure and take care of the wo to prison for murder, but the woman’s still a threat, unless she decides to move Tessa Anderson’s the name Take care of it And soon”

He stood and gave Hunter a fatherly eood-byes to Meara Hunter waved as his uncle left in his old pickup, wondering why he hated to buy new vehicles as e where she lived

Hunter walked to the pictureoverlooking the Pacific Ocean and stared out at the gray day, the cold, fog,heat and sret and relief warred with his emotions

Meara slipped up next to hi here”

“You’ll get used to it”

Knowing full well she wouldn’t appreciate any attempt to console her, he headed into the kitchen and tossed the sal pan He was determined to enjoy their newly acquired cabins, even if his sister didn’t like it Not that they’d hadwith the insurance cos were tied up in mutual funds

“It reeks of fish here How Uncle Basil could have ever stood it… I didn’t remember why I hated this place whenever we visited But that was it The strong odor of fish and rotting seaweed” She opened a kitchen cabinet door, peered in, and then sla a couple of others