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things because they think they are protecting them.” Nevan leaned against Dani’s legs. “From what I understand, your parents…um…well, they have issues.”
    “My father is alive?”
    Ana rubbed Nigel’s back, hoping to soothe him. “I believe it is why your mother sent you here.” She paused, letting him soak in the new information. “Do you know where Felix would have taken your mom?”
    “No. The witch…she looked like Mom.”
    Why the hell is he so calm? Ana would be pacing or climbing the walls. Hell, she too had recently found out who her real family was, and she was still trying to absorb everything. But she had Kieran to help her. “Nigel, I’ll find your mother. I promise you, Felix will pay for all his sins.”
    Fury burned slowly through her veins. The Alpha of Onyx would pay. Soon.
     
    ****
     
    Keeping secrets in Ashwood was like hiding cookies from the cookie monster. It just wasn’t possible.
    It took exactly twenty minutes for Blaine to show up. Then three minutes later, Jared pounded on the door. Jerking it open, Kieran growled low. “Remember, this is my house.”
    The muscles in the jaguar’s temples flexed. Without speaking, Jared gave a short, quick nod. Kieran moved aside, then stuck his head out the door to see if anyone else was walking down the sidewalk. Shaking his head, he shut the door and faced the small crowd gathered in his living room.
    Blaine glared at Jared. “I told you to stay home.”
    Jared’s focus wasn’t on Blaine but on the fifteen-year-old kid sitting on the floor in front of the fire. Nigel had showered and changed into some clothes he had inside the backpack he’d carried with him. When the older jaguar stepped closer to the kid, Ana blocked him with a snarl.
    “That’s close enough.”
    “Kieran, remove your female.”
    If this were a different situation, Kieran would have laughed. However, Jared was on edge. Kieran could feel the other man’s pain and anger. Beside him, Nevan rose and shifted from foot to foot.
    “Jared, have a seat. There is a lot more going on here than you realize.” Kieran tried to reason with the jaguar, but it was no use. Jared was fixed on getting to Nigel.
    “Jared.” Blaine’s husky, growled out command only made Jared twitch slightly.
    Ana relaxed her shoulders and held her hands up, palms facing Jared. “Please. You must calm down. You’re frightening Nigel.”
    Jared shifted his focus to Ana. Kieran fisted his hands, ready to pounce if the male laid one hand on her. On the heels of that thought, Jared gripped Ana’s arms and glared.
    Before Kieran could move, Nevan was in front of him, palms on his chest. “He’s not hurting her. We all have to calm down in order for Jared to rein in his emotions.”
    The Empath was right, but damn, it was hard not to kick Jared’s ass for touching Ana. If you’d have claimed her, you’d know how she was handling it . Kieran raked his fingers through his hair. He was an idiot. He needed to come clean with her, tell her all his secrets about his dark past and hope she’d still want him.
    That way, they could both move forward. Whether it was with each other or on different paths was unknown. And it scared the shit out of him to think about her walking away.
     

Chapter Eight
     
     
    Jared stared into Ana’s grey gaze as her power washed over them. Flashes of the past, her past, ran through his mind like a bad movie strip. Most of the images flew by too fast for him to process, but his mind recognized a few. Sable was in the forefront of Ana’s memories. The two of them were close, maybe closer than most biological sisters.
    Suddenly, pain ripped through his head, but for once it wasn’t his. Ana screamed as a memory surfaced, and Jared drew her into a hug, cradling her head and wishing he could take it away.
    Ana had been attacked and bitten by a mutant when she was about Nigel’s age. Sable had killed the beast before it killed Ana.
    Slamming down his shields, Jared cut