Chapter Six
Lunch was surprisinglynormal.She sat with them, and they made sure she got her tea and ate a very pretty chicken piccata and angel hair pasta.She asked Echel, “Why are you guys doing this?I mean, this is odd even by my standards, and they are not that high.”
He snorted softly.“When you feel that someone is right, you give them a chance.If it continues to feel right, you start a slow courtship.If that works out, you look into something permanent.”
Samsor nodded.“Or you meet someone who makes your head spin and kiss them until their head is spinning as well, and you move together from there.”He looked at her with a kind smile.“Deltas normally don’t get together without an alpha to take the hit, but all of us feel remarkably right with you.Alphas have been a sort of pain and tension for you, but do you feel any of that with us?”
“No.You are all remarkably calm at all times unless you are giggling like little girls.”She sighed.“Then it gets to be a little much.”
Samsor asked, “When did we giggle?”
“When I was first in the dress.You guys were giggling.”
He looked at her.“It was better than whistling.You would have bolted.”
“Probably.Or punched you in the head with my non-existent upper body strength.”
Echel finished his meal.“When you punched me, that was not non-existent.”
She grinned.“Flatterer.”
Samsor asked softly, “Do you downplay strength as a survival mechanism?”
“Probably.Is it time to change?”
He checked his watch.“Yes.We are only five minutes from the courthouse.”
“Okay.I will just get changed, and we can hike to my doom.”
She went into the ladies’ room and changed in the large stall, zipping the blue dress and smoothing it over her hips.She hung the soft dress on the hanger in the garment bag and then zipped it up.She folded it over her arm and washed her hands before leaving the restroom.
She walked toward their table, and Echel and Samsor got to their feet.She sighed.“It’s a dress.”
Echel said, “It’s a very well-constructed dress.My compliments to your aunt’s skills.”
“I am sure that she will be delighted to hear it.She normally attends to bitching socialites.”
Echel took the garment bag and kissed her cheek.“Ready?”
“Yes.”
Samsor paid the bill, and she added the lunch to her mental tally.They returned to the car to put the garment bag in, and then Echel took her hand as they walked down the block to the courthouse.
Duran met them out front, reached to squeeze her hand lightly, and smiled.“Okay, let’s get you legally free.After that, we can have a nice, quiet evening with plenty of art supplies.”
Em beamed.“Okay, let’s get me out from under that power of attorney.”
They walked inside and got down to the business of proving that she wasn’t helpless.
This was going to be an uphill battle.
Emhara watched Duran explain her situation to the judge, and it was amazing.He had found all of the images of her previous serious injuries, the dates and times that she had gone to hospital or the police department, and the images of the pack coming to reclaim her limping, damaged body every time.
The proof of the financial abuse and the affidavit from her father that he didn’t know about the diversion of funds, or he would have stopped it.
The judge looked at her.“Carlos is your father?”
