Free The Truth About Kadenburg by T. E. Ridener

Arnold knew his sister
wasn’t well. She needed help. If he could have reached into her body and
absorbed her pain, he would’ve done it in an instant; but instead he was
helpless and by the end of the night, Caroline was gone. He tucked his niece
into his large bed and kissed her forehead as his mind reeled with questions
and concerns. The cubs clung to their mothers always-it was their nature to do
so. How was he supposed to take care of this baby on his own?
    “You’ll be okay, Presley,” he murmured as
he laid down beside of her and stroked her cheek with a single fingertip.
“It’s you and me now, Kid.”
    Twenty four years. It had been
twenty four years since Arnold had seen his sister. He didn’t have the
slightest clue of where she lived or what she was doing, but his concern for
her had shifted to Presley when she was legally placed in his custody by the
state of Tennessee. Caroline had abandoned the child and Arnold did his best
to channel the role of Mother and Father.
    Did he have regrets? Of course he had regrets.
Sometimes he regretted not revealing Presley’s true nature to her, but a part
of him was terrified she’d end up like her mother. He was afraid she’d fall in
love with another ursithrope and have her heart ripped out. Apparently Goult
women couldn’t survive heartache.
    Like that human Tim was any better, he thought
bitterly as he pulled over to the shoulder of the road and put his truck in
park. He sighed as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, attempting
to clear his mind. If he could just catch her scent…
    “Hey, have you-”
    Arnold jumped in his seat as he turned his head to see
Lorcan standing near the driver’s door. He smacked his open palm against the dashboard
as he swallowed his heart back down into place.
    “Scare the bajeezus out of someone, why don’t you,
Lorcan?” He asked with a frown. He glanced from the left to the right before
lifting a brow. “Where the heck did you even come from?”
    “Sorry,” Lorcan murmured as he scratched the scruff
against his chiseled jawline. “I figured you might need some help tracking her
down so I followed you.”
    Arnold rolled his eyes as he let out a low breath and
glanced in the rearview mirror. That damn Chevelle was parked right behind him.
His pulse was still racing at an uncomfortable speed. He’d been so distracted
with his worry for Presley that he hadn’t sensed Lorcan’s approach-what a
stupid thing to do. He knew better than to let his guard down at any given
time.
    “I think I can handle it,” Arnold replied stubbornly as
he gazed straight ahead once more. “She can’t get too far.”
    “Well, I’m pretty positive that’s the same thought I
had last night when I found out she was involved in Jim’s wreck,” Lorcan
remarked as he leaned down to rest his forearms against the window frame. “She
was almost three miles away from the scene when I found her.”
    Goosebumps rose on Arnold’s heated skin as he tried to
imagine what that ordeal must’ve been like for Presley. He’d spoken briefly
with Jim on the phone and learned of why she was in his jeep in the first
place. He was grateful that Jim had given her a ride, but he was disappointed that
Presley gave in to a habit he’d been so confident she could kick. There was a
part of him that knew, deep down, her breakup with Tim involved more than she
was telling. Sometimes it bothered him that she didn’t trust him more.
    “I guess we can start with the woods,” Lorcan
suggested.
    “I don’t think she’d be going into the woods anytime
soon,” Arnold disagreed with a shake of his head. “Would you go back into the
woods after coming face to face with a massive wolf that tried to eat you?”
    Lorcan slowly shook his head before he responded. “If
I was a girl who was brought up to believe she was just an ordinary human
being? No.”
    Arnold stared at the younger male in disbelief. What
gave him the right to make that comment? Who