ChangingPaths Read Online Free Page B

order of protection to keep him out of their lives.
    It wasn’t until Tom threatened Rain again that she knew the
cops couldn’t, wouldn’t help. He always found a way to get back at them, at
her. That coupled with the fact that she felt certain Rain was going to be able
to shift had been the inducement to get her back to the res and her Pack. Rain
needed Pack. She needed someone to help her through her first shift, if that
was her fate and that someone couldn’t be either of her parents. Not only was
he too dangerous and crazy to be responsible for their daughter, Tom was also
one of the Moon-Denied.
    “We’ve put that behind us, Aunt Willow. Though he’s recently
tried to get in touch with us Tom hasn’t been a welcome part of our lives for a
long time. He tried to…I gave him a chance to try to be a dad when she was
eight. That was a mistake.”
    Willow’s sage nod and sad eyes told her that she understood
all the unsaid things. “Does he know you’ve come home?”
    “We don’t have any contact with him. It took me too long to
get clear of him and get his parental rights revoked. I don’t care where he is.
I came back for Rain. She needs…she needs Pack.”
    “Showing signs, is she?”
    “Other than the typical mood swings and teen angst? Oh yes.
Her appetite has increased by more than half but she doesn’t gain any weight.
She’s not sleeping much and when she does sleep she’s restless. She’s having
what she calls ‘weird’ dreams but she won’t tell me about them.” Both women
glanced toward the living room and as though feeling their regard Rain turned
to look at them. Rolling her eyes, she got to her feet.
    “Do you have Wi-Fi out here or is this place as lame as the
last motel we were in?”
    “I don’t even have a computer, child.” Aunt Willow laughed
at the expression on Rain’s face but Harmony frowned. She’d already dragged
Rain thousands of miles from what she considered home, she hadn’t even thought
about everything they’d be giving up. Honestly she’d thought life on the res
might have improved since she’d last been here.
    “If you want to get on the internet you have to go to the
tribal council building or the lodge. They do have it at the school you’ll be going
to and a lot of the kids from the res hang out in town after school.”
    “Well, can I go for a walk or something? I don’t want to sit
around here while you two talk.” The “about me” went unspoken but Harmony saw
it in her clouded eyes.
    She shook her head, prepared for the firestorm to follow,
even as Willow put a hand on her arm. “Let her go.”
    Facing the teen, Willow folded her arms and assumed what
Harmony had always thought of as her “wise old lady” face. “You stay on the
paths around the cabin. Don’t venture too far into the woods. You’re not
familiar enough with the area. Don’t want you to wander off and get lost like
some pup might. There’s a sweat lodge at the back of the property. Don’t go
beyond it. And come back before it gets too dark, I’m too old to be tripping
over that uneven ground looking for you tonight.”
    Rain rolled her eyes and left, closing the front door loudly
behind her. It wasn’t a full slam, because she knew that would get her in
trouble, but it was darn close. Harmony sighed as her aunt sat back down and
patted her arm again. “She can’t get into too much mischief out back, child.”
    “Really? Seems as if I remember meeting a certain guy right
outside that sweat lodge about sixteen years ago.”
    “Yes, but that was a special occasion. If you remember, your
grandfather was hosting a celebration then, everyone from the res was here as
well as those from outside of the Pack. Tonight most everyone’s in town or at
the lodge.” There was no need to guard their speech now. Rain wasn’t in the
room any longer.
    “Speaking of which, why aren’t you there? You missed the
Gathering and you’ve been with us most of the day today. Won’t the