Carly
Carly would have preferred it if he'd slapped her. The gut punch of that revelation was so painful that she would have pulled away, except for his grip on her arms. "What?"
"It wasn't your brother," Kiernan said quickly. "It was probably your father. Or even your grandfather."
"Are you sure?" Jenny asked.
Kiernan nodded.
"This is my family you're talking about. We're farmers for God's sake." If it was true, and Kiernan clearly believed it was, Carly had to admit, she was glad Matthew hadn't had anything to do with it. But she still felt sick. "Oh my God. How-how can you even bear to touch me?"
"You're my mate," Kiernan said. "Whether you decide to accept me or not, you're still my mate. I could never hurt your family. I know you love them. Even if your father is an asshat."
Carly gave his collarbone a light slap. It was all she could do with his grip on her. Otherwise, she might have punched him in the arm. "How can you joke?! Oh my God, this is just... oh my God..."
"This is one of those laugh or cry situations," Kiernan said, bending his head and kissing her arm. "I prefer to laugh at Fate's little ironies today."
From the stinging behind her eyes, Carly decided her way of dealing with Fate's little ironies was going to be to cry.
As though he'd sensed it, or perhaps smelled it, Kiernan pulled Carly into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "It's not your fault, and I don't want you to feel bad about it. And Matt had nothing to do with it. I'm not mad that he shot me. Okay, maybe a little peeved, but he was just doing it because he wanted to be a good brother to you. All this going on around you just means there are a lot of people in this world who care about you. Especially me."
Her family couldn't be involved. They just couldn't. But Carly also knew Kiernan wasn't lying. He truly believed her family were the—monsters. What was she supposed to think?
Carly was not a crier by nature, but this? This was just too much. She burst into the heavy sobs of one who only had a good cry once every half decade. "Jesus, what is happening to my life?"
"I'll get some tissues," Jenny said, and made herself scarce.
Kiernan spoke softly in her ear, little reassurances and sweet nothings. It was the rumbling in his chest that was truly comforting, though, and allowed Carly to pull it back together by the time Jenny returned. "Thanks," Carly said when Jenny handed her the box. She grabbed a couple and dabbed her eyes and face. "God..."
"I think maybe it's time to get dressed and get to bed," Jenny said, her voice soft and kind.
"I have an overnight bag in the car," Carly said. "Oh my God... this is all so surreal."
Jenny squeezed Carly's shoulder. "It'll feel better after a good sleep and some long talks."
Carly felt a little less miserable at her friendly touch.
"You don't have to take us there. I remember where it is," Kiernan said.
Jenny's eyes became unfocused for a moment. "Sean is already there. He's parked himself on your pullout sofa." Jenny winced at Kiernan's expression.
"He did say he was supposed to watch me," Carly pointed out, feeling bad for Jenny. "Don't shoot the messenger." She hadn't even noticed Sean had left during her crying jag.
Kiernan dropped his chin onto Carly's shoulder. "I'm not even in on the mindlink anymore?"
"You did leave," Jenny said. "Alec hasn't accepted you back."
"He's really pissing me off," Kiernan grumbled. "And I can watch my own mate in my own house, I don't need help with that."
"Which part of 'he hasn't accepted you back' didn't you understand?" Jenny asked. "You might as well be a lone wolf. You're going to have to work very hard to get back into his good graces, brother."
Carly didn't know that they ought to be putting much effort into getting in that asshole's good graces, but she didn't say so. She changed the subject. "So, the house we're going to, is it yours as well?"
"No, it's Kiernan's. I live here in the lodge, and my family home is where my mother currently lives," Jenny said. She gave Kiernan an apologetic look. "Alec says you can't stay there right now."
Carly blinked. "I thought your parents were dead."
"Oh," Jenny said. "No, Kiernan's parents are dead. He stayed with us from thirteen on up, until he left."
"It's complicated." Kiernan scooped Carly onto the floor. "Let's go get your bag."
"Rob moved your SUV into the parking lot," Jenny said.
Kiernan nodded and took Carly's hand. "Thank you. We'll take it from here."
* * *
Kiernan
Once they had Carly's things, Kiernan led her to his family home. Every step he took was weighted with dread. He hadn't been back there since his parents' funeral almost twenty years ago. Alec knew this. Kiernan decided this must be part of his punishment.
"You don't look so good," Carly said. She was holding his left hand as they walked down the path, his injured arm. His right arm was occupied by her bag, slung over his good shoulder, which he'd insisted on carrying.
"I'll be fine in a couple of days. Werewolf healing," Kiernan said. "It'll be like I was never shot at all."
"Even with the silver?" Carly asked.
Kiernan shrugged. "Maybe there'll be a scar, I'm not sure."
"What does silver do exactly?" Carly asked.
"It burns. It also keeps us from shifting." Kiernan fell silent again.
Carly was chewing her lip. He'd begun to understand it as a sign of indecision. If he were feeling better, he'd have thought it was cute, but right now, with his parents' home on the horizon, he wasn't in the mood. "Are you sure the bag's not too heavy?" she asked him at last.
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Kiernan looked down at her, expecting she meant to start the argument all over again. The genuine concern in her eyes, however, made him relent. "It's not the bag. It's where we're going." Realization dawned on her face. "You haven't been home since your parents died. Duh, she said that."
"And Alec won't let me go back to Jenny's family home," Kiernan said.
"Would it be better for you if we really did stay in this basement place?" Carly asked. "I mean, how bad can it be?"
"The basement is more of a dungeon," Kiernan explained.
"Oh." Carly chewed her lip again. "Well, I mean, as long as it has a mattress or cots or bunkbeds or something..."
It warmed Kiernan's heart that she'd be willing to endure the basement, whatever its accoutrements, to keep him from having to return to his childhood home. He squeezed her hand. "No. I needed to do this at some point, and I'm just glad I'm doing it with you."
Carly gave an honest reply. "I'm still pissed off at you, you know."
"I know," Kiernan said. "Doesn't change facts."
They arrived at the end of the path, where a cheerful log cabin already had warm lights on inside. Kiernan could see Sean in the kitchen, making himself a sandwich through the open shades. The interior had split log paneling on the walls, and the floors were wood as well. The furniture was rustic, and there was a stone fireplace opposite the sofa, which was now pulled out into a bed.
As far as Kiernan could see from the outside, everything was as he'd left it, minus the family curiosities and knickknacks. He wondered if his parents' room was the same. He'd emptied his own room when he left, and the pack had graciously stripped the rest and put it in storage for him. Now, it might as well be a real resort cabin, empty of anything identifying except the people in it.
"It looks nice," Carly said, and Kiernan realized he'd been standing, frozen, for some time.
"Thank you. I've always thought so." Kiernan took a deep breath, then led Carly to the front door.
The door opened before Kiernan even put his hand on the knob. "Oh good, you're here," Sean said. "You hungry? They stocked the fridge."
Kiernan looked at Carly. "Are you hungry?"
"Mostly tired." Carly had a point. It was now past 3 AM after all.
"I'll get you set up in my parents' room," Kiernan said. He turned to Sean. "There's still furniture in my room, right?"
"Dunno, man, didn't check," Sean said. "I kind of figured with her being your mate and all..."
Carly's hand tightened in his, and Kiernan turned his attention back to her. "You okay?"
"You're just asking that now?" Carly said, and her laugh was a little hysterical.
Oh crap. "We'll talk in the morning. Or whenever you wake up. I promise," Kiernan said.
Carly shook her head.
"You want to talk now?" Kiernan hazarded.
"Stop putting words in my mouth!" Carly said. "I was going to say I want you to stay with me. But don't think you're getting lucky, Mister. I just trust you more than... all this other crazy shit going on around me right now."
"Fair enough," Kiernan said. "Want me to take the floor?"
Carly sighed. "No. I just... feel better when you're close to me, okay?"
For the first time since he'd been shot, Kiernan's wolf perked up a bit. "That's hopeful," he rumbled with a slight smile.
"Don't get any ideas," Carly warned again.
"I won't," Kiernan said. "We've got too much we need to talk about. And we're both wrecked anyway. Just sleep."
"Just sleep," Carly repeated, cementing the idea. Then she frowned and looked at Sean. "Hey, if there's another bedroom, why are you taking the pullout?"
"It's between you and the door," Kiernan said before Sean could answer.
Carly threw up her hands in disgust. "Honestly." She started stomping off in the direction of the kitchen.
"Hallway to the left," Kiernan called after her.
Carly changed direction, muttering under her breath about werewolves being assholes.
"You know we can hear you with that werewolf hearing of ours, right?" Sean chuckled.
"In that case, fuck you!" came the shout down the hall.
Sean clapped Kiernan on the shoulder. "She says the sweetest things. You're a lucky man."
"Don't I know it," Kiernan said with no irony at all.