She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. We’ve got wolf blood, remember? I’ll be healed before you know it.”

Forcing a smile to her lips, she watched him. He stared at her as if he had doubts, but suddenly a piece of toast started burning and he quickly returned to breakfast.

She watched him, wondering why she didn’t know much about him.

“What have you been doing these past three years?” she asked.

He glanced back at her. “Learning what I need to in order to succeed my father. There’s a lot more to learn than merely taking the role of leader.”

“Like what?”

“Democracy, patience, not killing people for petty squabbles.”

“Really?” she asked.

“You’d be surprised. I don’t know, I guess being part of a pack, I naturally assumed everyone was civilized.”

“And now?”

“And now I know being in a pack with civilians close by, we’re always on our guard. The tensions can run high.” He finished dishing up their breakfast and she got to her feet, following him into the dining room.

“What else have you been doing?” she asked.

“Learning the family business. I don’t know if you’re aware, but my family owns several factories in town, and my dad also has several stocks and shares. It’s how he’s able to invest in the pack. They always come first, I mean, after my mom and us. But she’s always by his side, helping him.”

“Nelle is a lovely woman,” she said. She’d met his mother a few times during the three years she’d tried to be as far away from him as possible.

Lucas sat opposite her. “She’s been worried about this. Us.”

“Why?”

“I told her everything,” he said. “Dad knew I hurt you in high school. He didn’t ask for the details, but Mom, I told the absolute truth to. For a few weeks, maybe even a month, she wouldn’t talk to me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She didn’t realize she’d raised a cruel son, and knowing the shit I did upset her.”

“Oh.”

He nodded. “She was angry at me for risking so much. She told me repeatedly that mates didn’t come around often. I’d always done everything to make my parents proud, you know? That was the first time I’d ever upset them or let them down.”

She wanted to ask about the book. All the pictures.

“I … It was hard,” she said. “Staying away from you. I fought it all the time. Being in the city helped a lot. There were so many distractions that it helped not to think about you at all.” She scooped up some tomatoes and took a bite. “When I came home, though, I was sure I could feel you all the time. I figured it was because you lived there.”