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Back Claws and Crochet Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. Cover
  2. Untitled
  3. CLAWS & CROCHET
  4. NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  5. CONTENT WARNING
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58. Epilogue
  64. EPILOGUE
  65. VISIT FOLK HAVEN
  66. SEDUCED BY A SELKIE
  67. NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  68. ALSO BY LAUREN CONNOLLY
  69. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My heart breaks for my little sister as she stares pleadingly at our mother.

But Rebecca Jameson is nothing if not stubborn. The muscle in her jaw stands rigid as she keeps quiet.

Roderick was right. Her pride is more important than my happiness. She can’t separate Zoey from Selena.

And I have a choice to make.

I thought the solution to all my problems was having Zoey stay in Pine Falls with me. That my life would be complete. Everything would be perfect.

But that won’t be the case with my mother here.

The obvious option is my original plan—moving to Denver. But that still leaves my mother unpunished. It means never returning to Pine Falls again because there is no way I would come back here without my mate.

Still, I know that no matter how furious I am with my mother, I cannot fathom the idea of fighting her.

My mind settles on the only option left. The idea of it eats away at me, makes me feel selfish.

In that moment, Zoey tightens her arms around my waist, and I glance down at her. There’s a bruise on her forehead, scratches on her face, all from her fall. But despite how those must hurt, she still gazes up at me with trust. With love.

And I realize that I deserve to be selfish. My love for Zoey has never hurt anyone, which means we’re in the right. I glance at my older brother, holding his eyes as I speak my choice.

“Exile.”

55

ZOEY

Warner’s bed is super comfortable, especially when lying face down on it. The comforter smells like him. Pine needles and fresh snow. I think if I were to be smothered to death, this is the best material to use to get the job done to send me away from this world peacefully.

Downstairs, the Jamesons are working out the details of exiling their mother.

All because of me.

The rational part of my brain reminds me that it’s not technically my fault. I’m not the one who started this secret feud. It’s not even like I demanded revenge when I found out Rebecca was behind my life’s little miseries.

And I certainly didn’t ask for her to be exiled.

But if I had never come to this town, there would be no reason for Rebecca to leave it.

I considered taking Warner up on his original offer of moving to Denver with me. Wouldn’t that fix everything? We would be out of Pine Falls and therefore safe from Rebecca’s revenge, and she wouldn’t have to leave her home and her children.