Page 10 of Shattered

“When you met Riley, Holly had only been gone a few weeks,” Mackenzie said. “We were all still in a state of shock.”

“The Sheriff we see all over the news now, he’s your...” Suzy hedged.

“Uncle,” Riley answered.

“Whoa,” Gretchen whispered. “I have so many questions.”

Riley tilted her head. “You mean, you don’t hate me?”

The girls shook their heads. “Never. It sucks you had to lie, but we get it.”

Riley relaxed. “I think I can handle it from here, dad.”

Mackenzie grinned. “Yeah, I think so, too.” He stood. “If you need anything, I’ll be right down the hall.”

“Thanks, dad,” she said with a smile.

Mackenzie ambled out of Riley’s room with a grin on his face as he listened to part of their conversation.There’s something we’ve been meaning to tell you, too, Riley, your dad is so hot.His daughter groaned. Well, at least Riley had her friends back, and right now, Mackenzie would take it as a win.

Chapter Two

Aurora glanced at Abby as they drove toward Keeley’s house. The little girl beside her, stared out the passenger window. Her niece was different. Almost as though a piece of her mother, Aurora’s sister, lingered within Abigail. “Did you have a good day at school?”

Abby nodded. “I did, mumsy. We had a party.”

“You did? What kind?”

“A Halloween party,” Abby answered. “We read books and went around to all the classrooms to see their decorations, and we had a costume parade.”

“Wow, sounds amazing.”

“It was. I like Mikey, he dressed up as a pirate,” she said.

Aurora frowned. There’d been no way to pay for or make a costume for her niece. Since she’d begun the three-week mandatory training to be a dispatcher, she hadn’t been able to work in the grocery store. Thankfully, the instructional time had been a paid training. Downside, the Sheriff’s Department paid a per-diem rate of fifty dollars per day. She knew when she went to work full-time, her hours would make up the difference, but getting to that point...well, she worried.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t get you a costume this year,” Aurora said.

“It’s okay, mumsy. I’m already wearing my costume.” Abby smiled at her.

She narrowed her eyes. “You are?”

“Uh huh, only humans can’t see it.” Abby grinned.

“Oh? Can shifters see it?” Aurora prodded.

“Uh huh. Miss Keeley, too. Only, I don’t think she understands yet.” Abby shrugged.

Not weird at all.“Well, I think the shifters being able to see it, is pretty awesome and the best costume ever!” Aurora turned off the main road onto the lit-up dirt road. Twinkling orange and purple light strands were hung from small posts guiding them toward Keeley and Kalkin’s home. Already, there were multiple cars parked along the side of the house. People sat at picnic benches enjoying several bonfires, while others made their way inside. Light flickered and danced along the fence surrounding the backyard. As they crept closer, Halloween music drifted out and away from the house. Keeley really knew how to throw a party.

“That’s a lot of people, mumsy,” Abby said, licking her bottom lip.

“It is. We’re meeting everyone tonight.”

Abby’s eyes grew round. “Everyone?”

“Well, I guess all the important people of the pack/pride,” she answered.

“We are?”

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