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I blink up at him dazedly. His eyes roam over my face with a tenderness that makes my throat feel tight.
“There you are,” he murmurs roughly, standing carefully and pulling me to my feet. I sway slightly, then open my mouth to respond, but I’m silenced by the sound of approaching footsteps.
“Cedara?” My mother’s voice cuts through the silence. “Cedara…oh, my baby!”
Chapter 13
Barrett
The woman rushing toward us looks nothing like the one in my arms. Where Cedara is painted in hues of cream and gold, her mother is dark-haired with vivid green eyes. But there’s a similarity in the firm slant of her jaw and the high slope of her cheekbones.
“Cedara!” She hesitates as she takes me in. Reluctantly, I uncurl my arms from around her. Cedara turns to face her mother. I feel her shudder.
“Mom!” She flings herself into the older woman’s arms. “Mom, I was so worried about you!”
I feel like an intruder as I watch Cedara cling to her mother, their bodies shaking with sobs. Tears stream down both their faces as they murmur hushed words of love.
“Worried about me? Oh, Cedara, my baby, I thought I’d never see you again.” She strokes Cedara’s hair, holding her tight.
Cedara pulls back slightly, cupping her mother’s face. “I was so scared for you. I tried to get to you, but…” Her voice cracks and she buries her face in her shoulder again.
I shift uncomfortably, about to give them privacy, when Cedara’s hand shoots out and grips my arm. She looks up at me with those warm chocolate eyes. “No, don’t go.” She looks back at her mother. “Mom, this is Barrett Chord. He saved me.”
Sybil’s gaze finds mine, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you. Thank you for bringing my daughter back to me.” She reaches out and grasps my hand firmly.
I shake my head, heat rising to my face. “I…it was nothing, ma’am. I’m just glad she’s safe.”
“Oh…you must call me Sybil. Please!” Her eyes are earnest.
Cedara squeezes my arm. “It wasn’t nothing. He risked everything for me. If it wasn’t for Barrett, I’d still be trapped. Probably worse.”
Her mother pulls me into a fierce hug before I can protest further. “You’re a good man, Barrett Chord. Our family owes you a debt we can never repay.”
Feeling awkward, I nod silently, still feeling like an outsider. The feeling intensifies as Sybil takes her daughter’s hand and starts leading her to the door.
“The others are so excited to see you!” Her voice is animated.
“Wait,” I say impulsively before they can leave. I shrug out of my jacket and drape it over Cedara’s shoulders. She rewards me with a smile that melts my heart, but it’s a fleeting moment. She’s already being navigated out of the examination room and into the small adjoining reception area.
Jagger is the first to meet us. “Good to see you back, Cedara.” His previously impatient mood has dissipated. He glances at where she’s clutching my jacket around herself. “We’ve brought you a change of clothes. And then there are a few people here who are eager to see you.”
Dr. Bea steps forward with a small bundle of clothing, and before I know it, Cedara’s out of sight. When she reappears, she’s traded my jacket for a T-shirt and jeans. They hang from her slight frame, making her seem waiflike. I hadn’t noticed how petite she is. I want to pull her back against my chest and shield her.
I can’t.
It’s not my place. Just because I feel some irresistible pull to her, doesn’t mean the feeling is mutual. I may have thought that it was while we were out there in the woods. But things are different now.
I hang back as more of Cedara’s family arrives, not wanting to intrude on their emotional reunion. An older couple approaches, the woman’s green eyes shining with tears as she wraps Cedara in a fierce hug. She’s a carbon copy of Sybil. Twins. I remember now that the females in the Wildview pack always birth twins. They must be sisters.
“My sweet girl, we were so worried,” the woman murmurs, cupping Cedara’s face.
Cedara smiles tremulously. “Aunt Juliette, Uncle Allard, I’m okay.”
The man, Allard, pulls Cedara close, his eyes finding mine over her head. He nods at me, a silent acknowledgment and thanks. I nod back, feeling increasingly uncomfortable amidst this loving family.
Jagger appears at my side. “I’ve arranged an apartment for Sybil and Cedara to stay in while Cedara gets settled,” he says.
I blink at him, caught off guard for a moment before the implication of his words sinks in. Of course she’ll want to be with her family right now after everything she’s been through. I’m just the outsider who stumbled into her life by chance.
