**BOOK THREE**
Still grieving the loss of his mate, twenty-four-year-old Tatum Knowles isolated himself from the rest of his pack. With the strength of both his pack and himself being questioned by those around them, the last thing Tatum planned to...
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"I'm just saying, maybe there is some truth to his words."
"Spare me the lecture," I told Eli. "I'm not leaving when there are people here who are trying to cause harm and hiding in plain sight."
Eli and I were currently sitting outside in the backyard of my house. It had been two days since I returned and in those two days, everything seemed to go to hell.
"But who are they after, Nixon? You!"
"Which is exactly why I should be here."
"You make no sense," Eli shook his head. "Nolan's not going to let this go, you know."
Nolan didn't bother hiding the fact that he disagreed with my desire to remain in the pack. We'd spent the whole day arguing over it when I returned. And while I understood him, I wasn't going to run with my tail between my legs because I got a little hurt. I was the alpha of this pack and they would know that.
"He'll get over it in time just like he always does. It's Nolan we're talking about; he'll be pissed for a few days, rant to Roan, then he'll come back being his normal self. Don't overthink it."
"You didn't see how he acted when you disappeared though," Eli said quietly. "He was a mess, Nixon. The only reasons he managed to keep himself together were because of Roan and for the sake of the pack. He didn't want to cause panic."
I sighed. "He's another reason I can't leave, Eli. What if whoever attacked me goes after him? You know Nolan isn't a fighter and I wouldn't put it past some people to try and attack him if they learned that I was gone. He needs me here."
"He needs you alive. He'll be okay if you're gone for a little while. Roan and I will be there by his side. So will Gamma Atlas, you know this. Think about yourself, Nixon. You seem to always forget that."
"We're done with this conversation."
"Nixon—"
"Enough, Eli," I cut him off sternly. "I've said no, now drop it."
Eli frowned but he didn't argue with me. After being friends for years, he knew when enough was enough and it was time to back down.
Standing up, I stretched my body before entering the house through the back door. Many people said that a person's home was a representation of themselves, but that wasn't the case for me. Maybe it was because I barely ever spent time inside of it, but the walls were completely bare. There wasn't a photo in sight and the furniture looked practically untouched — just like it had been when I first moved in.
