“Oh, for the love of…” Felix groaned and wiped his hand over his face.
Sonnet couldn’t help it. She squealed excitedly. “Really? We could take him home?”
The woman laughed. “You guys seem kind enough.”
“Oh, we are,” Kai said, stealing the puppy from Sonnet. “We have a huge backyard and all the money in the world to spoil him rotten.”
“Well,” the woman smiled warmly, almost relieved. “I believe it. You guys seem like a really special pack. I can tell there’s a lot of love.”
Love.
Sonnet could feel it. Each day, it seemed to grow stronger, and somewhere inside her was a flicker of hope that it would stay. If they adopted a puppy together, wouldn’t that mean they had to stay together?
I think I want to stay with them.
Sonnet met Kai’s gaze. “Yeah. We are a special pack.”
Chapter 31
I think Sonnet’s soul sings a similar tune to mine, and that recognition terrifies me, because what wounds does she carry, and what wounds can she conflict?
Zayden crossed the line. He knew he had, and the worst part was that he didn’t care. With Jude in his session with Dr. Burdough, and Felix, Kai, and Sonnet spending time together, Zayden took advantage of the privacy to call Maddox.
“There’s nothing here.”
“There has to be something,” Zayden sighed, leaning into the building wall as the sun beamed down on him. “Felix said she was abandoned at a police station when she was seven. There must be some type of report.”
“I’m not finding anything, and I’ve looked at all public records during the time frame you gave me,” Maddox said. “I’ve looked everywhere I could for information on Sonnet’s past, butthere’s nothing. Her father could have paid someone off to hide whatever happened.”
Butwhy?
Sonnet said her father was a successful realtor. He could have the means to pay someone off, but what happened to Sonnet before the age of seven that made him want to? He had an affair, sure, but that seemed like public knowledge. The question was, if an affair was public, what else was so terrible that he wanted it to be kept a secret?
“Have you considered asking your mate?” Maddox asked, his tone matter of fact and exhausted. “After all, it isherpast you're trying to reveal.”
Zayden instantly felt sick. Of course, Maddox was right, but when he asked his manager to be a private detective, Zayden wasn’t thinking aboutright. He was thinking about Sonnet, and how someone who glowed with happiness could be withholding darkness, too.
Zayden knew he was only spiraling because of his therapy session. Still, there felt like little else to do but let it happen and carry him away.
“You’re right,” Zayden said quietly. “I shouldn’t have asked you to do this but thank you for trying.”
He hung up right as Jude exited the building. A relaxed smile plastered on his face. Zayden wished he left Dr. Burdough’s office with the same ease.
“Felix will be here soon to pick us up. He said Sonnet has a surprise for us.”
Jude’s face lit up. “A surprise? I can’t wait!”
Zayden could. Something about Felix’s tone told him it wasn’t going to be a fun kind of surprise. Although when was it ever? This pack was made up of a bunch of immature pups, and despite how adorable and perfect Sonnet was, he had a terriblefeeling she was going to be the worst of them all. And how was he going to possibly regain control when just one look into her eyes made him melt?
Zayden checked his watch. He wanted to be back home already, holding her if she’d let him.
“You’re smiling,” Jude teased. “Did you have a good session?”
“You think I’d be smiling after a therapy appointment?”
Jude shrugged his shoulders. “I guess not. Seems like I’m the only one who does. I don’t know why. Dr. Burdough is really good. I think she’s going to help us, and everything is going to be okay.”
“If she can’t, maybe your gift of optimism will.”
