Chapter 72
JENNY The boys were awake when I got back. The omega, a kind soul, had taken charge of the boys. She had put on a film for them, a rare treat, and left as soon as I returned. I expressed my gratitude and closed the door behind her. Turning around, I couldn’t help but be struck by my boys’ resemblance to Josh. They have the same coloring, eyes, and hair, a constant reminder of our love. I shake my thoughts away and move closer to the bed. Both boys looked at me and smiled. “Mummy,” they chorused, which made me laugh slightly. I loved when they did that. “Boys,” I said, taking a seat on the bed. Both had many questions about what was happening, especially asking where Josh and Leah were. I had to make a white lie to them, saying she needed someone to help her back in her house, and since she wouldn’t speak to me, their dad went with her. It seemed like a legitimate response since they knew about Leah and even had heard how much she didn’t like me. I knew they would find out, but when they told me last night, it all came flooding back harder than it should. But as the saying goes, children can see and hear everything, even if they don’t know what we are discussing. It stung knowing they heard and learned they wanted to help, which tore me up, too. “Mum,” Alec asked, which made me pull back from my thoughts and look at him. “When is dad and Leah coming back?” That was the question tormenting my mind last night. Last night was the first time we hadn’t slept in the same bed or even waited up for one another. “I don’t know,” I said with a sigh. “It’s not safe here after the attack. Alpha Carson is trying to get to the bottom of who is behind the attack before they can return.” Alec stared at me. I could see the concern on his face and leaned closer, placing my hands in his hand and Ethan’s. I gave them a little squeeze and reassured them. “They’re safe,” I said, placing a fake smile. “I have heard from your father. They are with your uncle, too.” Everything I had told them was true, but leaving out I already knew who was behind the attack was the only thing I could do. How could I tell them this was partly to do with their grandparents? They love them so much. Knowing my parents were in on the attack broke me, but it also made me see sense. I had to put Leah, Alec and Ethan before them, especially Leah. My mind couldn’t get over the way they were acting toward her—that argument in our house that led to Leah running outside and away from me. It was a wake-up call that I needed. Stopping contact with them was what they deserved. Alec and Ethan had heard the argument and didn’t want them around for what they had said to their sister. You would have thought that they had grown up together because of how they acted, but that was not the case. “Mum,” Ethan called, which pulled me back to the present and looked back at them. “What are we doing today?” I frowned. “You both need to get ready and head to school,” I said, which made them both groan. I laughed slightly. “Your father would want you to be at school and learning. Besides, I need to help Alpha Carson and Beta Zain. I will drop you off when you are both ready. You can have food there too, breakfast.” 1 “Will it be safe to go?” Alec asked, worried. “I mean, what if the wolves come back and they—” “The school is the best place for you all,” I said, cutting him off and not liking where his head was going. “The school has a bunker there to house all of you. It is the safest place for you if they do, but Alpha Carson is working on something to make sure the pack is safer, and no rogues will ever come in here again.” I watched them for a moment, processing what I had said, but I could tell they were still concerned. I leaned toward them and sighed. “You both need to be in school,” I said. That is where all the children will be today.” They looked at each other and then at me, giving me a nod. “What are you going to be doing?” Alec asked. “While we are in school.” “Well, training and working with Alpha Carson when we are done,” I said, moving from the bed. “Now, you both need to get out of bed and get ready.” They nodded and got off the bed. I watched them move and head into the bathroom. I sighed and went to move off the bed when a mind link from Josh came through. My wolf, who had been quiet the entire time I had been awake, seemed now alert. Our mate always brought her out of her shell. I knew she was close. “Hello, love,” he murmured. “Did I wake you? How are the boys?” My heart fluttered at his words. I told him what he wanted to know about the boys. Afterward, I let out a sigh. “And as for me, I am okay,” I said. “I miss you and Leah. I wish you were both back here with us.” “I know, my love,” he said, but there was something in his voice that made me shiver right through. There was something he wasn’t telling me again. “How about three?” I asked. “Any trouble?” 1 “Not really,” he said. “Lucian is behaving himself, and Leah is quiet, but it is to be expected with what is going on.” “Anything else happened?” I asked, asking too quickly. Josh was quiet but let out a shaky breath. “Something did happen, yeah, but not what you think,” he said. He told me all about the man and hut that Lucian and he had found. “Was there a hut when you were here?” he asked. It was hard to return to that part of my life, but I did. I had never heard of a hut in the forest, which was always full of wildflowers and animals. It was the only place where my wolf and I felt safe. If there were a hut there, I wouldn’t have felt safe shifting when I lived there. I would have moved my family somewhere else. It had to be when I had left. “No,” I said, getting back to my mate. “It wasn’t.” “I thought so,” he murmured. “Lucian and I have a funny feeling rogues know where she lived. How would your parents’ have known about where Leah lived?” “I told them the town,” I murmured, trying to remember whether I told them exactly where, but I don’t think I did. “Nothing else. They wouldn’t have known the street.” But something came to me: a man my father was talking to one day. He looked odd, but when he spotted me, the man left. When I confronted my father, he told me he was an old friend. I had never seen him before, and I knew most of my father’s friends. “Babe,” I said, remembering everything about that day. I think my father had someone look into it,” I said to Josh. I explained everything I remembered, which led to my mate growling through the link. “Damn it,” he muttered. “Maybe he was in line with the rogues. It is the only way they would know where she was. But how the man looked at Leah made it look like he had seen her before.” Now, that was odd. Would she have met him? Or did Larry? My mind was racing. Josh cleared his throat, which brought me back. “Sweetheart, I have to go,” he said. “Could you let Alpha Carson know what is going on here? I will mind linking him after, but I want to look into something else.” After that, Josh and I said our goodbyes by declaring our love yous to each other. It was sweet, but I needed him back home with me. I needed them both back. 1 Letting out a breath, I checked on the boys and made sure they got ready. I changed my clothes for my workout. Having some stuff from home will help, and knowing I had to go back to get stuff, I could do that after training before heading to the office. I needed to tell Alpha Carson what Josh had told me, which I did and mind-linked telling him about our conversation, which didn’t go down too well. He told me training for us was off, and I had to go straight to the office. We needed to look over my parents’ things that we found besides the gamma’s. Maybe there was something there about the man I saw. Now that we knew something else, maybe we could piece more together. I just hope we have time to figure it all out before something happens.