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Chapter 80
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2022-03-23 00:27:28Mom makes Zara and me eat a few more bites of our food, and we head back to our seats. As we make our way down the aisle, more pack members growl or snarl at us. Guards promptly remove them and help us keep moving.
For the afternoon session, the Luna Regent leads the proceedings. Her voice is beautiful, but doesn’t give me the odd sensation it had before.
She calls Alpha Williams to the stand and the lawyers question him for over an hour. He has nothing productive to say, but I am acutely aware that he keeps looking over my shoulder at Zara.
Before they dismiss him, the Luna a question that he seems prepared for. “Alpha Williams, why do you believe these seven guard trainees tried to attack Rocky?”
“Hanlon’s Razor.” He says with confidence.
The Alpha Regent sits forward. “Forgive my ignorance, Alpha Williams. What the Hell is Hanlon’s Razor?”
“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” Alpha Williams no
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Zara is quiet when we leave the pack house and on the ride home. She perks up a little over takeout Thai food for dinner, but then excuses herself to the living room.I let her work and go to my office to read some of her journal, like she asked me to. The entries don’t seem to be in chronological order. Whatever page she opened to, is where she would write, giving the entries a sense of urgency. Some of her writings are dark and disturbing. Not like the Zara I know or love at all. This is beyond the walls she described trying to crush her. It’s like she has resigned herself to the shadows they have created, just waiting until the day they fall. I try to imagine the mind of someone who could write about hurting themselves, but I can’t, especially not her.As I flip through the pages, reading bits and scraps of paper that Zara has haphazardly pasted into the book. One scrap has my name on it. The surrounding words were random, mixed in with odd glyphs
Last Updated : 2022-03-23The Sigma's Reluctant Mate Chapter 82
When I wake up in the morning, I reach out my arm to pull my mate to me, but Zara isn’t there. I open my eyes to confirm what I already know, then sit up quickly and look around for her. The bathroom light is off and her scent is faint in the room. “Rocky, where did she go?” I jump out of bed and throw the bedroom door open. I try to swallow down the panic. “To get ready, I think.” But he doesn’t sound too sure of himself. I run down to Zara’s room and knock on the door. “Zara? Are you in there, Pocket?” I listen closely, but there is no answer. Her scent is stronger here, so she must be inside. I crack the door open and peek in. The bathroom is dark, but the bedroom light is on. I step in and look around. There is a minute sound in the closet. Shit. “Zara? Are you in there?” I approach the closet door and open it slowly. She is crouched down in her usual hiding spot behind the shoe boxes, trembling under a blanket, hoping to go unseen
Last Updated : 2022-03-24The Sigma's Reluctant Mate Chapter 83
Mom and Dad meet us in the parking lot of the pack house. I get out of the Range Rover and walk around to help Zara, but she tries to make a break for it before I get there. Dad deftly catches her by the waist and kneels on one knee, bringing her down to sit on his leg. “It’s alright, young lady. You don’t need to run. We’re here for you. Wherever your wolf thinks you need to go, that won’t help you. Not today at least.” Dad strokes Zara’s back to calm her, still holding her tight around the middle with his other arm. “We are going to be sitting right behind you. No one’s gonna mess with you.” “O-okay. Okay. Let’s go now while I have Lavender under control.” She stammers, shivering with tears in her eyes. Mom takes her hand and I take the other before Dad loosens his grip on her. We meet Mike just inside the doors to the pack house and let one of the Regent guards escort us to the front of the courtroom. “You’re going to be fine, Pocket.” I kiss her forehead
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I try to stand up, but Mom and Dad pull me down. Mom hisses at me. “Keller, wait until you get permission.” “Let me go! I need to get to Zara. She needs me.” I try to escape their grasp when I see her shivering under the table. I can feel her fear and it’s overwhelming. What is it doing to her? “She can’t do this anymore. It’s too much! I need to get to her. Zara, hold on, Pocket. I’m coming.” The Luna Regent stands up and nods to the guards, who Rocky believes are the ranked wolves in disguise. She motions with her hand to the other guards, who all move without being given direction in a well-rehearsed maneuver. Two of them remain in front of the Regents, facing the audience, while the rest position themselves around Zara and Mike’s table. “Keller Joseph Marshall,” I hear the Luna Regent’s voice say my name, “you may collect your mate. Based on what we’ve seen so far, we can proceed without her. Someone will advise you when it’s time to bring her back for ou
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I give Zara a gentle kiss, then take her hand and knock on the door so the guard will escort us to the front. Three angry looking girls are sitting at the table with Alpha Williams and his legal team. Mike is on the other side, furiously making notes. He holds up a paper that says ‘We’ve got this!’ in large scribbled letters as we walk in. “No need to stop to see your lawyer, Miss Wilson. You and your mate can come up to the witness stand.” The Luna Regent gestures to the witness seat up front. “Mister Marshall, we ask that you please refrain from speaking while Zara is on the stand. Unless it is necessary, of course. You are just here to give her support so she can complete her part of the trial.” “Yes, Luna Regent. Thank you so much for making this concession for us.” Zara and I both bow deeply and make our way to the chair. Zara grips my hand tightly while I sit in the chair next to her. Mike lets the pack lawyer question Zara first. “Zara, are you feeling
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From behind us, I hear Mom and Dad approaching. I turn and see them hand in hand, smiling. “Well? What did they say?” I can’t help but be impatient. “Sorry, my boy. You heard the Luna Regent.” Dad shrugs and tilts his head toward Zara. “Zara, get in the car, please. I need to speak to my parents.” I open the door and help her in, not giving her a chance to argue, and close the door. “Okay? Spill.” Mom pulls me away from the car to make sure Zara won't hear. “They are being banished. They have tonight to collect their things. Mark said will go with them so he can stay with Sylvie. The Regents are providing names of other packs that may accept them for a probationary period. None of them are ever allowed to come into contact with Zara again or they will go to prison.” “We never have to worry about them again.” My heart skips a beat at the news. “I think the Luna Regent didn’t want Zara to feel guilty for the fate of those girls.” Mom fro
Last Updated : 2022-03-27The Sigma's Reluctant Mate Chapter 87
I send a mind link to Zara. “Pocket, I need you to take Estelle to your room and lock the door. Right now.” “Why? Who’s here, Keller?” Even through the link, Zara sounds like she is panicking. “I think its the Regent guards. Lock the door behind you. Wait for me and stay quiet.” I say with a firmer tone. There is another knock on the door. Behind me, I hear Zara and Estelle running down the hall. “Just a moment!” I try to control the snarl in my voice. When I hear the door to Zara’s bedroom close and lock, I crack the front door open. “Can I help you?” Three large werewolves who were part of the Regents’ security team during the trials are standing in the anteroom. “Mister Marshall. The Luna Regent would like to speak with your mate.” “Those are my friends!” Rocky relaxes when he sees the men. “Be nice to them.” “I’m sorry?” I stand straight, surprised at the guard’s statement. “The Luna Regent. She would like to speak with Mis
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Estelle looks at me from the sofa, clearly confused and a little annoyed. “Kell, what’s he talking about? Zara can’t have two mates, can she?” “I don’t think he’s talking about Zara.” I think about it for a moment, then look back at Tyree. “That’s impossible, bro. She’s human. Humans have chosen mates.” He stares at Estelle for an uncomfortably long time, forcing himself to not move from the spot. He finally pulls his eyes away from Estelle and looks at the Luna Regent. “What do I do?” “What’s with you guys finding your mates in every corner of the earth except for our pack?” The Luna rolls her eyes in an exaggerated, playful manner, not seeming to be concerned that her werewolf guard found a human mate. “Reggie, can you please get the Alpha up here to help with this? Milo, take Tyree to the anteroom and calm him down. Estelle Renee Barker, if you wouldn’t mind, find a place to sit that will reduce your scent, please. A bedroom or office, maybe? Just until we can
Last Updated : 2022-03-28
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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
The Sigma's Reluctant Mate Chapter 198
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
