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Chapter 24
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2022-02-11 03:55:22“Mom? Are you home?” I mind link her when I pull up to the house.
“Out in the garden, Honey,” her voice sings sweetly in my head, “Why are you here?”
I make my way to Mom’s vegetable garden. She is pulling carrots out of the ground and putting them in an enormous basket. “I can’t make time to stop and say hello to my mother without getting questioned?”
“You know I didn’t mean it like that, Honey but it’s true. You never stop by during the week. Did your meetings go okay this morning?” She looks at me with concern.
“Oh yeah. We should expect some big donations in the next couple of months from both companies.” I give her a convincing nod.
“Is there anything you can’t do?” She flicks dirt at me playfully.
“I can’t keep Rocky in check,” I squat down next to her, taking a serious tone. “I had to block him, Mom.”
“Oh Keller! I’m so sorry to hear that,” she tilts her head and looks at me remorsefully, “How long
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I get off the elevator to the penthouse after eleven p.m. and find two male wolves are in the anteroom.“Who the fuck are these two?” Rocky snarls.“Dude, don’t start. Seriously. Just don’t,” I shake my head, already frustrated with his temper since I unblocked him, “I’ll handle this.”“Can I help you two with something?” I step forward, but don’t make a move toward my front door.“Hi, you’re Keller Marshall, right?” The taller one steps up to shake my hand.“Yeah, I’m Keller.” I look at his hand, but don’t reach out to shake it. “Only guests I approve of are supposed to be up here and I didn't give anyone approval for you.”“We’re just trying to find our friend. Her name is Zara Wilson. She’s been missing for a couple of weeks and we’re worried about her. Do you know her?” He holds up his cell phone to show me a picture of Zara standing in front of a field of sunflowers. Her long
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“What if you accept me and we just keep it a secret?” She shakes her head and her brow furrows. “Zara, no. I won’t do that. You shouldn’t be anyone’s secret.” I frown, regretting that I have made her feel this way. “You deserve so much better.” “When I was growing up, my parents told me the Moon Goddess gives everyone what they deserve. They said that’s why she made me smart and not strong. Because I deserved to be a werewolf who could find solutions for problems in our community. That’s why I worked so hard in my science classes. So I could help people.” Tears slide down her face and her voice cracks. “I-I was wrong. The Moon Goddess didn’t bless me with anything. She tricked me. She turned everyone who loves me against me and even took my home away. I won't ever be anything to anyone, Keller. Hell, not even the guy destined for me wants to be with me. I didn’t believe it before, but I do now. The Goddess hasn’t blessed me. She curs
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Zara’s POV Keller slams my door and runs down the hall. A couple minutes later, I hear the water from his shower running. I sit in shock on my bed, trying to figure out what I did wrong. “Lavender, what just happened? What changed his mind? He wanted to be with me, then he didn’t, right? Did it seem like that to you? That wasn’t my imagination?” I ask, dumbfounded. “I don’t know what that was. It certainly felt like he was enjoying himself,” Lavender says, but it sounds more like a question than a statement. “I guess he is more confused that I originally thought.” I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on homework tonight, so I pick up my books and laptop off of my bed and put them away. Keller’s shirt smells just like his rosemary and basil scent. I don’t want to take it off. After what just happened, I don't think he's coming back for it tonight, so I'll just leave it on. Since I’m going to be
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I smooth down my uniform shirt while I wait for my bagel to come out of the toaster. I only got a little sleep, but I will wait until I get to the diner to have a cup of coffee. Keller’s coffee machine seems pretty fancy. I don’t want to figure it out twenty minutes before my shift starts.Oh! I almost forgot, I have a glass of apple juice in the fridge. I open the door and bend down to reach in when I hear a female voice behind me.“Look, Janice. Maid service! Can I get an omelette please? Ham and green peppers. Janice, what do you want?” The voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard.I stand upright and look at her. She has curly brown hair in a disheveled ponytail. Her gold dress is long sleeve, but backless. It's so short, it almost doesn’t cover her butt. I look around the room. Who is she talking to? When did Keller get a maid?“Oh, maybe she only speaks Spanish, Leslie.” A girl with short, fake blond
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The library is not as busy Saturday as it is during the week. It makes it easy to find a table where my back is to a wall, making it easier to see if there is any danger I need to hide from. I wander away from the table to find a couple of reference books. When I come back, Keller is sitting in my seat. He jumps up and grabs the books from me, setting them on the table in a neat pile. “Are you following me?” I whisper loudly at him, not hiding my anger. I cross my arms in front of me, trying to show my frustration without making a scene. “Are you avoiding me?” He gives me a smirk but when he sees I’m not amused, his face drops, “Zara, look, I didn’t realize you were in the kitchen when I told those girls to leave this morning.” “Keller, if you think the problem here is that two bimbos thought I was your maid, you need to think a little harder,” I hiss at him. “Now, please leave me alone. I have a lot of work to catch up o
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“Are you okay, miss?” The driver looks at me with concern. “Did you get into a fight? I can call campus police for you.” “No ma’am. I’m okay. It was dark out and I took a tumble down the library stairs.” I clear my throat, making up a story as quickly as I can. “Nothing an ice pack won’t cure once I’m home.” She nods, but I feel her watching me as I find my seat. I try my best to hold my arm against my side to avoid anyone noticing the blood seeping into my shirt. Once I find a seat, I open the selfie camera on my phone to see how bad the damage is. The entire side of my face is swelling, with dark bruises forming. My teeth feel wiggly when I press my tongue to the side of my mouth. The blood vessels in my eye broke, making my entire eyeball appear bloody. “I’m trying to heal you as fast as I can, Zara,” Lavender says. “It’s just a lot at once for me. I’m sorry.” “It’s okay, Lavender. It could be worse.”
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Keller’s POV Every breath is the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced while Rocky tries desperately to heal me. Holding Zara against me feels like it might be the only thing keeping me conscious. I try to focus on her and away from the pain that is making my entire body throb. She leans heavily against me, but something feels off. I know she must be in pain too, but she also feels like she is intentionally distancing herself from me. “Zara, there are shorts in the back seat. Can you please get them for me?” I ask into her shoulder. “We should go upstairs.” I feel her nod and slide off my lap, being careful not to touch any of my cuts. She rummages in the back seat until she finds the shorts and lets me use her as support while I get them on. “I tried calling you,” she says timidly as tries to hold me up. “Oh, Pocket, I’m so sorry.” I wrap my arm around her shoulder, using her f
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“Phil, get back here.” Mom grits her teeth when Dad storms off. She looks at the camera with a panicked expression, “Just a minute, Honey.”After a few crashing sounds in the background and listening to Mom chastise at Dad for losing his temper, they both come back into the frame. Dad smooths back his hair and looks above the camera, taking deep breaths, while he calms himself down.“So let me get this straight. Mom already told me you took in this girl because she was having trouble with some male wolves in the dormitory.” He crosses his arms in front of himself. “Tonight, you were picking her up on campus and you saw her being attacked by one of Williams’ trainees?”“Yes. He was wearing a trainee uniform, had his claws in her arm, and he was about to forcibly mark her.” I can’t help but snarl at the memory.He looks serious at the additional details and continues to confirm that he understands the
Last Updated : 2022-02-15
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“Zara, first, I want you to know that your parents loved you. They had no choice when they left you and they never stopped trying to find you and get you back.” Tyree’s tone differs from what I’ve heard from him before. It’s more apologetic and compassionate, like a father trying to make his child understand another point of view. “Tyree, how could I possibly believe that?” Zara holds her hand up to stop him. “They left me on the steps of the pack house. I wasn’t even a week old. They didn’t want me.” “It’s not true, Zara. I promise you it’s not true. Your father’s name is Scott Eklund. Your mother is Sondi. They came here because the Alpha from Emerald Mountain banished them. They were seeking asylum, and it was granted.” Tyree sits back and sighs. “From what I understand, your father attacked the pack’s Beta, trying to defend Sondi. Your mother said she never had a problem with the Beta and barely knew him. Your father had issues with mental illness. He was paranoid and refused to
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“First and foremost, thank you all for being here today. I’m going to keep my portion short.” Jasper stands at the podium, now tenured in speaking in front of crowds, looking comfortable to address the room. He pulls out a notecard from his jacket pocket and glances down at it. “There is someone very special I would like to introduce you to. She’s not only the lead scientist for the Sigma Project, she is the mastermind behind the medication that has made this whole thing possible.” Jasper looks into the wings and gives Zara a thumbs up. I feel her take a deep breath under my hands. “This talented woman completed her undergraduate degree and masters in biochemistry, and she’s almost finished with her doctorate all in just over six years. On top of that, she is now the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate ever. In chemistry and in medicine. Friends, she’s the hardest worker in the room, by far the smartest person you will ever meet, an incredible mother, and one of my closest friends. Oh and
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“Hey guys, your flight was okay?” Tyree meets us at the doors of the Blood River pack house and ushers us inside. “I know the ride from the airport can be a killer.” “It was great. Thanks, Tyree.” Jasper shakes his hand. “We are all looking forward to this afternoon.” “Uncle Tyree!” Orli runs up to her favorite person and hops to be picked up. “Dillon and I went to kindergarten! I got to show the teacher that I know my alphabet.” “I heard! Did you listen to your teacher?” He holds Orli in his massive arms and gives her a kiss on the cheek. She nods with a shy smile and leans back. “Look at my dress! Daddy says today is special, so I wanted to look pretty. And tomorrow I get to wear my flower girl dress. So I got two pretty dresses to wear.” “Oh, my Goddess.” He smooths down the front of her dusty blue dress. “You are always pretty, baby girl, but this dress makes your eyes look EXTRA blue.” Orli giggles and leans her head on his shoulder, perfectly content to stay with him as lon
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The longer Zara takes the sigma serum, the more I notice differences. She isn’t taller or stronger, but some days it seems like it. She handles stress better and doesn’t shy away when she has to speak with people she’s not familiar with like she would have in the past. She almost never has a flight or fight response anymore. It’s refreshing to see her handle life with more confidence and less anxiety and fear. Katie is also doing much better with the new version of the serum than the first one. Instead of putting her on medications, they increase her therapy to once a week. Besides learning how to read with ease, Katie also observes things she never had before. Traffic patterns, the way birds fly together in the sky, the layout of the grocery store, things most people take for granted. She seems to see for the first time. As with all things, with the good comes the bad. Zara starts to have more bad days. A lot more bad days. Mom and Dad take shifts to monitor her while Estelle and
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“You’re sure you feel okay?” Zara is already sitting on my lap, but I take her face in my hands and look her in the eye. I look her over and give her a quick peck on the cheek. “You don’t feel warm or anything?” “I feel fine, Keller. I just took the serum fifteen minutes ago.” She covers my hands with hers. “It takes a couple hours for it to get into my system. Right now I’m just exhausted. We intentionally added a light sedative to this version, and it was a later night than I was expecting. If I had known you planned to stay at a hotel instead of going home, I would have packed a bag.” “I’ll know better for next time.” I nuzzle her cheek and settle into the recliner. “You tell me if you feel weird at all. Even a little bit.” “I will, sweetheart.” She leans her head against my shoulder and places her hand on my chest. I slide my hand over hers and interlock our fingers. It makes me smile to feel the ring on her finger. I look at Jasper, who has Katie in his lap as well. He has
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“Keller, it’s safe now. It’s taken a few months, but it’s perfect. Estelle and I are sure of it.” Zara hands Orli a piece of banana while she tries to convince me it’s time for her to take what she now calls the sigma serum one point one six. “Zara, I don’t know how many times I can tell you. I’m not okay with it.” I adjust the position of Dillon’s little fork and help him scoop macaroni and cheese onto it. I look up at Zara to see if she’s paying attention. She takes a sip from her glass of juice and sets it down, then places her hands on the counter and drums her fingers impatiently. “Keller-” “Zara.” I feel my mood darken as I glare at her. “Keller, I feel like a broken record. I would be a hypocrite if I said it’s fine for other sigmas, but too dangerous for me.” She wipes Orli’s mouth with a bib and hands her a sippy cup. “We know the women who have met their mates have different body chemistry now. We’ve made adjustments to the sigma serum accordingly. It’s just another leve
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I thought it was going to be difficult to get Zara to pull out of the study, but it wasn’t. She was more worried about what could have happened to Orli and Dillon and everyone else she loves and cares about. Two days after the incident, she goes to the lab to speak to the other volunteers to let them know why she has pulled out, but promises them they will still get to see her all the time because she is going to be working directly with Estelle. Katie, on the other hand, won’t be deterred. Even after we explain that she and Zara could have died, she insists she wants to keep going. Jasper is miserable, but puts on a brave face for her. He spends lunch with her every day and comes home to mope. Zara and I try to cheer him up and even help him take care of Mister Happy and Midnight. Mom takes over nanny duty while Katie is away. “Zara, it’s only been a month. Are you sure taking all nine girls all the way to Cozy Up is a good idea?” Jasper stops her from leaving the lab to let the gi
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My body feels heavy and Zara’s weight gets pulled off of me, forcing me awake. “What happened? Is she okay?” Someone drained the water out of the tub. Mom has Zara wrapped in a towel, holding her like a baby in her arms. Estelle is next to her, checking Zara’s temperature. “It’s fine, Honey. Her temperature has been normal for an hour. We’re going to put her in bed. I brought you a change of clothes. Come out when you’re dressed.” “Ace is on his way to check on our baby girl.” Estelle lets Mom take Zara out of the room and sits on the edge of the tub. She unfolds a towel and hands it to me. “Are you okay?” “I will be once I know she is.” I wipe my face and chest. “Before she passed out, she said more carrots and less love. Lavender was relaying the message.” Estelle purses her lips and nods. “Yeah. We had talked about that before the study but went with the more potent formulation. I’m going to get a batch of the other one started as soon as I get back to the lab.” “If she’s okay
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“Keller will grab Zara. I’ll grab Katie’s top half, just grab her legs. Stop her from kicking if you can.” Les motions how Jasper should try to hold on to Katie. “We’ll take her to the nursery bathroom.” “How do we know who will come out first?” Jasper looks at me and back at Les. Les gives Jasper a sweet smile. “Oh, darling, so innocent. Wolf mentality.” “Wolf mentality?” He looks at me for help. “Wait, how do we know they didn’t turn into wolves? Shift. How do we know they haven’t shifted?” “Their wolves have an advantage to use their senses but stay in human form right now.” Les tugs at her braided ponytail. “They can open doors, push elevator buttons, call for help, things like that.” “Zara is freaking out because her pup is gone. Katie is going to protect Zara to give her a chance to find her baby.” I put my ear to the door. “Katie will make sure danger is out of the way.” “Katie sees Zara as more dominant than she is in the pecking order of your family dynamic. So yes, she
