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"I’m half shifter," she reminded him

He waved that away "You’re not like theree with Dad, packs aren’t much different from cults--hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them are Satanic"

"I went to Phoenix Pack territory today"

"You did what?" He thumped his bottle down on the bar "Frankie, what the fuck were you thinking?"

Shocked at his outburst, she blinked "Brad--"

"One of theirs killed your mom, my sister How can you let the with a shifter was a bad idea I warned her that they weren’t like us, that she wouldn’t fit there She wouldn’t listen She got caught up in the fantasy of being surrounded by a pack and having someone completely devoted to her who’d never betray or harm her Well, that was a load of shit, wasn’t it?"

"Brad--"

"Now you’re going to get caught up in that sa sense" He bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose Finally he looked up "I love you, Frankie You’re hter to irl who can make her own decisions But this?" He shook his head "I can’t condone this"

Well, that got her back up "I’ you to condone it," she said stiffly "I don’t need you to"

His jaw hardened "Well, that puts hed, tired She didn’t want to hurt hirooman--had to justify what she did and seek permission for her actions

"Doesn’t it matter to you that this will kill Marcia and Geoffrey?"

"Brad, I’ve never been able to please theo that it was pointless to try But you go run to them with tales of my treachery if you feel you have to It’s not like they won’t find so for a long moment "I won’t tell them I’m happy for them to never, ever knoon’t breathe a word about it, but you have to promise me that you’ll stay away frooes, Frankie"

Her wolf snarled at that "Does it?" she asked evenly

"You don’t need theood for you Now promise me you’ll stay away from theh "You’ve let me down here, Frankie What’sshot he shoved his beer aside and stalked out So, yeah, she went ho pissed off

Her sleep was short and restless, so she didn’t wake up in the best rinding that she was forced to take a break fro, Frankie’s mood turned even more sour

As such, it really was not the best time for her to have lunch with Marcia and Geoffrey, especially since she et the cold shoulder, but it seemed cowardly to , braced for the cold shoulder Oddly, they acted normal, as if their heated conversation with her had never occurred Brad seery, because he was also his usual self

It should have been a relief It wasn’t It was irritating, because it felt like they’d dismissed the conversation as if it were unimportant As if her pain were uni table in the i rooround Talk was light and shallow--s at work Of course, Frankie wasn’t classed as "employed" in their book, so it wasn’t a conversation she could really join

The lunch was nothing like her , no life to the occasion And that was kind of sad

Once they’d eaten dessert and moved to the parlor, Brad pulled her aside and whispered, "I’ave a slight shrug "Forget it" But she wasn’t truly feeling so forgiving

"Really, I’irl I just hat’s best for you and--"