Bella's POV
"Mommy, where did you take Tara today?"
Leah's small voice pulled at my attention as she wrapped herself around my legs. I was crouched down, carefully securing the protective pendant around Zack's ankle with steady fingers.
The incident with Tara had taught me a painful lesson about vigilance. Yet I knew these pendants would spark Parker's curiosity again. He would wonder why I still insisted the children wear them now that their parentage was no longer a secret between us.
I had devised a solution. The ankles would be less noticeable, and I had prepared my explanation. I would tell him that concealing their wolf abilities was necessary for when we eventually returned to my territory. Too much attention from the wrong people could become dangerous.
"Mommy, she told me she was with Uncle Parker today."
