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“Yes.”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me I have a pup, Quinn!” he whisper-shouts, which I’m grateful for because I don’t want Maddie to overhear what we’re saying.
“What was I supposed to do, Eli? I was an outcast in my own pack. Jake was beyond pissed at me! He thought I slept with you on purpose to insult him! He had been talking about taking me as a mate, and I knew it was because I was the next female to have psychic abilities from my bloodline. The only thing that kept Jake from killing me or exiling me was because of that stupid sacred bloodline. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I had to leave because any proof of our…moment would throw him further into insanity. You were safe in your pack, and I was constantly walking on eggshells, hoping Jake wouldn't just lose his mind! Jake was already acting irrationally, causing all sorts of unease in the pack. I was afraid of what he would do to me and the baby. I couldn’t risk it! Besides that, YOU rejected me! You made it plenty clear you didn’t want me as a mate.”
“I had a right to know, Quinn! That is my daughter! Two and a half years are gone, and I can never get them back. I could have gone with you! That night wasn’t as simple as you think. I did what I did to protect you.”
“Protect me! You rejected me in front of both our packs! You made it abundantly clear that you did not want to be with me.”
“I did that because my Alpha wanted to take you out since our relationship was going to destroy any hope of a peace deal with your pack. The council was already breathing down his neck, and what happened between us just angered him further. If I had said I wanted to stay with you, he would have found a way to kill you. I couldn’t let that happen, so I did what I did.”
The information dump feels like a heavyweight settling on my mind. He did it to save me? He could have told me later or something, I don’t know. I need some time to process this.
“Look, Eli, we can’t change the past. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I did what I had to do to save Maddie. She is the only thing I care about.”
Sorrow crosses over Eli’s face. I feel bad, but…I was twenty when we met, and he gave me everything and destroyed it all in one evening. That dream I had completely shattered.
“I don’t think we should do this trial run, Eli. It’s not a good idea. I can’t go back there. It’s not safe for me and Maddie. It's too close to my old pack; it would be better if we just went our separate ways.”
“Quinn…” Eli reaches out to touch my arm, and the moment his skin touches mine, the world swirls out of focus.
I’m standing in the foyer of my old pack house. It’s exactly the same as it was three years ago. Dark wooden walls with gaudy-looking rugs adorn the floors, and pictures of random scenery decorate the walls. It’s dark and impersonal. Suddenly, I hear voices at the end of the hall. Without conscious choice, I seem to float to the slightly cracked door of the Alpha’s office. My heartbeat is erratic; I can’t be here; they can’t find me, but I have no choice because I am pulled into an equally impersonal and dark office. Standing behind the desk is Alpha Jake, a man who has appeared countless times in my nightmares, dragging me back to pack land. He hasn’t changed at all, with slightly unkempt brown hair with threads of grey running through it and dead brown eyes assessing everything and everybody, though he looks more deranged than he did four years ago. Jake shouts at his Beta, Cal, sending a cold shiver down my spine.
“When did you find out where she is?” Jake says in a tight tone.
“This morning, Alpha. My contact just stumbled upon her at a grocery store in a city a few hours away. She is a cashier there.”
Cold sweat drips down my back. He can’t be talking about me.
“What the hell are you waiting for? Go get her!”
Cal takes a deep breath before he continues. “There’s something else, Alpha…”
No, no, no, no, no.
“My contact followed her home to ensure it was her and to figure out where she lives.”
Please no!
“She has a daughter.”
Jake is seething at this point. “A what! How old?”
“Looks to be around two,” Cal says.
I can’t breathe! They’ve found me. They know about Maddie.
Jake hits his desk and nearly breaks it in half.
“Cal, you bring her to me now. I don’t fucking care if she has a pup, I will deal with it. But Quinn will be my mate whether she wants to be or not. She may have gotten away before, but she won’t get away this time.”
I feel like I am being sucked back into reality, and as the world in my vision fades away, the real world comes back into focus. That was a vision of future events. My aunt said it would come when I least expected it. Jake is going to find out where Maddie and I live! We need to go! I’m shaking uncontrollably, wrapped up in strong arms. My eyes seem to finally focus, and not just anyone’s arms are wrapped around me, but Eli’s. He’s holding me tight, rocking me back and forth, saying it will be okay. But it’s not. It’s not going to be okay. Jake found us! My voice is shaky, but he needs to know because we need to leave.
“Eli…Jake…he found us.” Tears start pouring out of my eyes. I’m terrified he will actually get to us, that he will get to Maddie. I’m tired because I don’t think it will ever end. This is not how I thought this day was going to go.
“Maddie and I, we need to go.” I try to pull away my limbs, feeling like a lead weight, but Eli holds firm.
“No, you will come with me. I’m Alpha of the Twilight Meadows pack now; I will protect you, Quinn. You and our daughter.”
