"I don't know." I shrugged.
Anything was possible.
"How's Bay?" I asked, changing the subject.
James rubbed the back of his neck and let out a heavy sigh.
"She's Bay," he said before dropping his hand. "She's still trying to break every rule, to prove she doesn't care."
That sounded just like her. I had known her all her life. My earliest memories of her were as a small girl following us around wanting to be included. She had a problem with authority, which had grown worse over the years. Most werewolves integrated into the pack life well but not James' sister. She fought every aspect of her supernatural life.
I could see the underlying worry in his eyes. It was always there when he spoke about his younger sister.
"Maybe she'll calm down when she finds her mate," I said, trying to ease his fear.
"Good luck to that guy," James said, shaking his head. "He's going to need it."
She would be a handful no matter who her mate was. I had been told mates were chosen to suit each other. It would be interesting to see who ended up with her one day.
Bay hadn't always been this way. When she had been younger she had been a happy, carefree little girl. But growing up in a household where boys were put above girls had changed her. It didn't take a shrink to figure out why Bay was the way she was. The difficulty was figuring out how to fix it. James had tried his best to make up for the lack of recognition and praise but he couldn't fix a fundamental flaw in his family.
It wasn't something James really spoke about. We were best friends and that meant I saw what happened in his household. James had spent most of his teenage life covering for her and trying to keep her out of trouble but he could only do so much. Now she was an adult she would be held accountable for her actions. He couldn't cover up for her anymore.
Perhaps that was the problem. Maybe she needed to take responsibility for her actions to learn she couldn't keep doing what she was. I felt sorry for him. To humans it wouldn't be a big deal but for werewolves it was a serious matter. Her inability to fit into the life of a werewolf living in a pack could lead to her expulsion and a dangerous life as a rogue.
"I'm just scared that no matter how hard I try, she just isn't made for pack life." He had expressed his deepest fear.
"You have to trust there is a path for her."
He continued to stare at me.
"I really hope so," he said. "I want her to find a place where she belongs. Even if it isn't here with me."
It would be tough for him to let her go so she could live the life she was meant to. Loving someone meant you wanted to do your best to keep them safe. But sometimes it meant letting them go, even if it scared you.
"Don't worry, it will all work out," I said.
He looked down at the stain of red in the grass.
"How's Lillian?" I asked, trying to veer the subject away from his troubled sister.
The transformation in his features was instant. His face was more relaxed and his eyes softened slightly.
"She's good," he answered. The smile that tipped his lips made me a feel pang of jealously. Lillian had grown up with us and they had discovered they were mates just after she had turned sixteen. From the time they had touched and mated, they had been inseparable.
Their situation had been very different than mine. Why did mine have to be so hard? Why couldn't it have been as simple as touching Crystal to discover we were meant to live our lives together? Feeling frustrated, I ran my hand through my hair. I was still trying to find her and I had no idea where she was or why she was running.
Nothing like your mate making a run for it to make you question everything you had grown up thinking about mates and the destiny it entailed.
James reached out and put his hand on my shoulder.
"You will find her," he said with a confidence I couldn't feel. "And when you do, you'll find out the reason behind her actions."
I wanted to believe him, to believe there was a valid explanation for all of this, but it was difficult.
"So how is your sister doing?" he asked.
Scarlett. The thought of her brought a smile to light.
