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Gidge's mouth curves slightly.

Hunter drags a hand down his face while the alpha finally releases him. "They're too old for you."

Autumn's expression doesn't change. "I'm nineteen, not twelve."

"You're my sister."

"And you're my brother, not my keeper."

Hunter flinches like she put her hands on him.

Autumn's voice softens, but she doesn't back down. "You sent me here to be safe. I found more than that. I found my pack."

The word settles over the yard.

Pack.

Hunter looks at the four of us like he'd rather be anywhere else.

Too bad.

Behind us, Peter starts yelling again. His timing is almost impressive, as every head turns toward the sound.

The whole reason they're here comes roaring back into the yard, loud and impossible to ignore. Gidge's face changes first. The softness she had for Autumn disappears like someone flipped a switch, and the men behind her shift with it.

Hunter's eyes narrow. "Is that him?"

Autumn's chin lifts.

"Yeah."

Suddenly, everybody remembers there's a much bigger problem tied up in the shed. And judging by the way Acid smiles, Peter's day is about to get a whole lot worse.

Chapter

Fifty-Four

Clint

Hunter looks like he's trying very hard not to kill me.

The right side of my jaw throbs every time I move it, and I'm pretty sure it's going to bruise badly by morning. But considering the circumstances, I can't honestly blame him for the punch.

Well, I can, but I understand it.

Finding out your little sister was sent to Montana for protection and accidentally found a pack with three cowboys, isn't exactly information most people process gracefully.

Gidge lets out a sharp whistle, and all of us snap our attention to her.

"Before we go deal with Mr. Loud and Soon-To-Be-Dead, we're handling this situation, first."

Hunter immediately scowls.

"Gidge."

"No."

The single word stops him cold.