Page 48 of Freed

“Yeah, I actually had no idea how big this town is.”

She laughs, linking her hand in mine as she pulls me toward the front door. “You have no idea.”

“Wait,” Bain says, suddenly appearing in front of us. “I need to make sure it’s safe.”

“Bain, I’m sure Erica wouldn’t be taking me anywhere dangerous,” I tell him before I quickly glance at her, only the tiniest bit of worry sprouting in my mind.

“It’s okay, let the wolf shifter check for himself.” I lean to the side as he turns, finding an older woman standing there with her hands on her hips, cocking an eyebrow at Bain in amusement.

She’s not what I expected. I thought she’d be like the grandmothers you see on TV, short grey hair, a shawl over her shoulders, large glasses, and a walking cane.

Although the age lines on her face tell me she has lived a long while, she’s dressed not too dissimilar from Erica, in a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her hair is blonde and in a modern-styled bob that sits just past her shoulders.

“Well,” she asks, gesturing inside. “Are you going to come in and check it or what?”

Bain only hesitates a moment before he steps into the entry, his nose twitching as he scents the house, his eyes roaming everywhere.

“I thought we’d sit in the parlor,” she tells him, gesturing to a room on our left.

“Actually,” I say, stepping away from Erica to Bain’s side as I grip his arm. “I’d like to talk to you alone, if that’s okay?”

“No,” Bain says sternly. I sigh, glancing up at him and giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

“She can stay in sight,” Erica’s grandmother says. “We’ll cast a silence spell around us.” She raises an eyebrow at Bain as she asks, “Will that satisfy your protective urges?”

He grunts, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the parlor with him as the others follow.

“Where are your mates?” Gage asks as he enters last, glancing around.

“I sent them out on errands. They don’t need to be here for this.”

“They left you alone knowing five alpha wolves were coming over?” Hunter asks in disbelief.

“There are enough protection spells on this house and me that if you meant me harm, you wouldn’t have gotten within twenty feet of my front door.” She gestures to the couches as she tells the guys, “Please sit.” She looks at me as she points to a couple of armchairs on the other side of the room. “Why don’t we take a seat there?”

I glance at Erica, and she gives me a thumbs up then walks out of the room. I don’t really mind her hearing this conversation, but I appreciate her giving me privacy.

Once we were both sitting, she does the same hand movements Erica had done in her apartment then looks at me and smiles.

“There! Now that we have some privacy, let me introduce myself. My name is Lillian, and, like you, I am an omega.”

“Thank you for letting us come here to talk to you, Lillian. I’m Cherry.”

“Yes, I know, dear,” she says with a small smile. “And you’ve come to ask me some questions. Erica didn’t tell me exactly what it is, but I assume it’s something about your missing bonds?”

I gasp, as my eyes widen. “How did you know?”

“I can see it, dear.”

“Our bonds?”

She purses her lips before she explains. “Not exactly, but I can see that you are incomplete, even though your mates sit right over there.” She gestures to my guys, who are all watching with varying degrees of worry.

Bain looks like he wants to grab me and storm out of this place. Gage looks like he’s trying to read our lips to gather any info he can. Maddox, at first glance, is relaxed, but I know him enough now to know he’s hiding his worry behind that facade. And the twins, well, I can feel them. They’re both a mix of hope and worry.

I look back at Lillian to find her frowning at me. Then her brows rise a bit as if she’s realized something, and she hums softly, studying me in a way that makes it feel like she’s seeing straight through skin and bone. “You think you’ve lost them.”

My stomach drops. “I—” I glance at the guys again, then back at her. “The bond. With Maddox, Bain, and Gage. It’s gone. I can’t feel it anymore.”