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Chapter 53
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2022-02-27 00:02:54“Now what, Lavender?” I blink tears out of my eyes. Lavender stopped running when we got to a local human park. She found a park bench near soccer fields so I could sit down and catch my breath.
“Well, it sounds like we should stay with Keller until you can really search and find a room that doesn’t have the insurance requirement. I think we need to make sure it’s somewhere wolves from the pack can’t find us?” She puts in her two cents.
“Yeah. I hate that plan, but I think you’re right. It could take a while to find a room since I don’t have references. We don’t really have another choice other than living in the woods. It’s getting too cold for that.” I frown with defeat.
We sit in silence for a while, watching teams practice. I don’t want to go back to the penthouse. Not yet. I just want to sit with my thoughts. Every time I turn around, another piece of my life falls apart. If I just sit here, maybe I can avoid doing more damage.
“Do you think you’
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Keller’s POV “Zara, can you hear me?” I pat her cheeks, but she is out like a light. “She’s barely strong enough to feel her own emotions, Keller. She can’t handle yours, too,” Rocky scolds me. “Why are you being so mean to our mate?” “I wasn’t trying to be mean. She wouldn’t believe me, so I thought I could show her,” I sniff back the tears as I pick her up and take her to her room, “I know I screwed up, Rocky. I thought I could fix things if I told her she could leave. I didn’t realize it would make it worse.” I lay Zara down on her bed and sit on the edge, watching her sleep. What the Hell is wrong with me? How do I make this right? Why can’t I just make a stupid decision? She thinks I’m messing with her; toying with her emotions. That’s the last thing I want. I want what’s best for her. Obviously, this isn’t it. As much as I don’t want to lose her, I need to be realistic. I can’t keep stringing her along. Even if I accept her, I don’
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“Dad, things around here are… deteriorating. Fast.” I pace in my room with my phone up to my ear. “Zara is not okay. I bought two weeks, but after that, I think she’ll be gone with the wind.” “You need to convince her to stay, Keller. Williams is dragging his feet, but the Alpha Regent’s people called our lawyers about Rocky. They understand the connection between the attacks. We are trying to work it out so Zara doesn’t need to be present for her safety, but it’s not looking good.” Dad sounds exhausted. “If Zara isn’t there to testify… well, I don’t think it will be good for anyone if Zara isn’t there.” “Dad, at this point, I’m not even worried about what would happen to me. If I go to prison, then I will deal with the consequences of my actions.” I flop back on the bed and rub my fingers over my forehead. “I can’t keep hurting her.” “Keller, is there more going on than just legal problems? You sound really stressed out.” Dad’s voice is still tired, but he s
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I stay out of Zara’s way while she goes through notes and website searches. I hear her talking to herself, but it seems harmless. She spreads her papers out over the sofa and coffee table, going back and forth, examining them carefully. She scribbles furiously in her notebook and puts the papers in distinct orders around the room. I bring her a glass of apple juice and dinner while she works. I go into her room and clean things up to help her out. As I pick up her clothes, I find a man’s blue pinstripe dress shirt. I hold it up and examine it. I’m pretty sure it’s mine. How did she get it? Rocky flashes an image of me using it to cover Zara in a pink bra to remind me of how she got it. I feel sheepish about the way I acted, but I can’t help but smirk at the memory. After a couple of loads of laundry, vacuuming, and fresh linens on the bed, Zara’s room looks a lot more like she usually keeps it. I look around and find a perfect spot on the dresser to put t
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The sound of the lock turning wakes me up. I wrap my arms around Zara tighter and growl until I smell Mom’s scent. “Oh, my Goddess. The wall…” she whispers loudly from the hallway. “Keller? Where are you, Honey?” “Living room,” I send her a mind link, “Zara’s sleeping. It’s been a rough day, Mom.” Mom comes into the living room and sees Zara on my lap. She tilts her head and gives me a sympathetic look. When she looks around the living room, her look changes to one of concern. “What happened?” Her words ring in my head. “Which part?” I blink sleepily and yawn. “Well, your father told me about the walls, but I did not know it was… that.” She points to the hallway, then motions around the living room. “What is all this?” “She was trying to figure out what the wall scribbles mean. Then she got frustrated and started crying. Then she admitted she went to see her mom. Her mom told her she can’t come home, and that she’s adopted.” I
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Mom is already up in the morning, sitting at the breakfast bar with an espresso and half a bagel. “How were things last night?” I sit next to her and lean my head on her shoulder. “Well, there’s a lot going on in that sweet head of hers.” Mom sets her cup down and pats my head. “I think you’re right, though. Not accepting her is taking a toll.” “So what should I do? I want to accept her, but not just because she’s in a bad spot. I want her to know I mean it. It seems like accepting her is the last thing either of us needs.” I steal a bite of her bagel and set it back on her plate. “I don’t know. No matter what I do, I end up hurting her. “ “We should have a date for the hearing today. Our legal team has explained to the Alpha Regent’s people that things are escalating and we need their help more urgently than originally thought.” I don’t know how she can sound so calm right now. “After the hearing, Zara her down and explain. Hopefully she’ll understan
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Zara’s POV In the morning, Amy comes into my room with apple juice and smooths down my hair to wake me up. My eyes feel puffy and Lavender is trying to take away a headache. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Keller had to take care of some work things, so you and I will get to spend the day together.” Her voice is soft as looks at me with worry. “We need to go shopping for you today. Why don’t you get freshened up? I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” “Okay,” I take her hand in mine and bow my head to her, “Amy, thank you for staying last night. I-it means a lot to me.” “Zara, I know you feel very alone, but I assure you, you’re not. Keller is here for you and so are Phil and I.” She pauses and scratches her head. “Jensen and Skylar will come around. I wouldn’t hold out a lot of hope for their mates.” “Did Keller tell you what happened when I saw my mom?” I swallow my tears back. “He did, and if I’m going to be very honest, it was
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Amy takes me to a large department store where several pleasant saleswomen help me find clothes. I try to look at the tags to see how much everything costs, but they won’t let me. I try on outfit after outfit, coming out of the dressing room each time. Amy gives a yes or no to each one. The sales woman pick out a navy blue dress for my trial and a white sweater with a light blue skirt to wear for Keller’s. Amy looks more somber when she sees them but approves of both. They find blush colored ballet flats that don’t look like they’re from the children’s department, which Amy agrees will have to do for now. After a couple hours of shopping, I have more than enough clothing to last me for the next six months. Amy picks up a new winter coat for Keller. When we finish shopping, we go to a small cafe for lunch. I order a cup of tomato soup. Amy nudges my arm and adds a grilled cheese for me. I scrunch up my nose, but my mom would have done the same thing. When the food act
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Keller’s POV “I-I can stay with her, Mom.” I watch Zara while she grimaces and talks in her sleep. Mom and I have both tried to wake her up, but it was a useless effort. She woke up for a moment and said something about finding a solution and fell back asleep. Whatever she’s dreaming about, it’s upsetting her and it’s painful to watch. “I don’t want to leave her.” “Keller, if I can feel your anxiety, imagine what she is going through right now!” Mom’s tone changes as she becomes protective of Zara. “Go take a walk.” “Mom-“ I stand up and feel myself take a step back. After twenty-two years, I know what comes next. ‘Take a walk’ is Mom’s warning that Lily isn’t happy. In a flash, Lily comes to the surface, throwing an arm across Zara’s body. Her eyes turn black, and she snarls at me with long fangs. “Get. Back.” “Okay, okay! I get it, Lily!” I raise my hands up and back out of the room, closing the door behind me.
Last Updated : 2022-03-04
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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
