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“Please, Alpha, let me stay with her,” Sybil pleads. “She’s my little girl. I can help calm her.”
Jagger shakes his head firmly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. We don’t know what’s causing this reaction. For your own safety, it’s best if you give her some space.”
Sybil’s eyes blaze with maternal fury. “You can’t keep me from my own daughter!”
The room falls tense and silent. I can sense the others shifting uncomfortably, not wanting to get between the Alpha and the furious mother wolf.
Jagger meets Sybil’s glare steadily. “I’m not trying to keep you apart permanently. But for now, Cedara needs some peace and quiet to get through this. Barrett will stay with her.”
At the mention of my name, all eyes turn toward me. I keep my reaction neutral, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Jagger’s words.
Sybil opens her mouth, clearly gearing up for another objection. But Jagger cuts her off. “We’ve found a place nearby for the rest of the family to stay. There’s room for you there as well.”
“But…” Sybil falters, her anger deflating slightly in the face of Jagger’s firm alpha presence.
He places a hand on her shoulder. “Trust me on this, Sybil. Let Barrett handle it for now.”
For a long moment, Sybil looks like she might still argue. But finally, some of the fight goes out of her, and she nods reluctantly. “All right, Alpha. I’ll go. But you’d better let me see her soon.”
Jagger gives her shoulder a squeeze. “You have my word.”
With that, the tension in the room dissipates. Sybil turns and joins the rest of the family as they file out of the apartment. She shoots me a lingering look over her shoulder. I don’t know if it’s resentment of resignation I see there.
Once they’re gone, Jagger turns to me with a heavy sigh. “Well, that could have gone worse, I suppose.”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “You knew she’d fight you on it.”
He shrugs unapologetically. “She needs to understand this isn’t a negotiation. The pack’s safety comes first. And they’re part of my pack now. She’s a threat I have to protect them from.”
I mull over his words and the implications behind them. Where does that leave Cedara?
With the others gone, a stillness settles over the apartment. I can hear Cedara’s soft breathing from the other room, a reminder of the fragile situation we’re dealing with.
“This is a fuck-up, Chord,” Jagger gets straight to the point. “She lost it right here, surrounded by children…babies…” He shakes his head. “That antidote was supposed to make sure this wouldn’t happen.”
“It might just need more time to work.” I press my lips together. “She was forced into her wolf form for months. That can’t be fixed in one day.”
“Sure,” he says. “But I can’t risk everyone else while we give her time to get over this. I want you here with her. You don’t take your eyes off her, do you understand?”
“You mean…like some sort of babysitter?” My eyes narrow.
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you don’t want to spend more time with her. She’s your mate, remember?”
I search his face for some sign that he’s mocking me. I see none. “It’s not supposed to be like this, Law. You’re making me her jailer. She just got through that kind of hell. Don’t make me put her through it again.”
“Not her jailer, Chord. Her protector.” He lifts an eyebrow. “You don’t want to protect her?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Then do it. Because right now, it’s either you looking after her, or we find a place to contain her.” His expression has grown grim.
“Contain her?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I’m sure I’ve misunderstood.
“You know what I mean, Chord. Don’t make me lock her up.”
“Fuck!” I bark the word because the very thought of it makes me sick. “After what they did to her, you’d do it again?”
“No. Because you’re going to protect her.”
