River's POV:
I smiled at Mari at her easy reply. It was becoming more natural and faster each time. It made me so happy. Lola tilted her head slightly at my pure joy over a simple response. To a wolf, those words were as easy as breathing when you found a mate. She had no way to know that Mari had struggled to feel and accept our bond. As nice as it was to see Lola though, I felt an odd sense of foreboding. I opened the door for Mari and gave Lola a look. Once the door was shut, we stepped away from the car a bit. I lowered my voice, so Mari couldn't hear.
"Why exactly are you here? Don't lie to me this time." It had been years, but she still had the same tell. Her mouth twitched at the corners when she lied. I had all but forgotten about it until I saw it in the rearview mirror when she
