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Could I have done something differently? Was there a way I could have prevented this from happening? No. Probably not. Sher had said she was going home, but it seemed like she didn’t stay there long. How was I supposed to know she wouldn’t?
And how was I to know this was how she was going to react to everything. I didn’t expect this.
His heart pounded as they pulled up to Sher’s estate, a place he had never wanted to visit again. There was a large gate, and the entrance had several guards already there. He could smell them even from where he was standing.
“We should survey the area. See if there is a way we can sneak in.”
They all nodded, and everyone split up. He watched the gate, looking over the entrance. It seemed there was a code needed to enter, but even if they had it, there were four guards posted. He figured there were always four, so getting through the front wasn’t going to be easy.
He hoped the others would have better news.
While he watched the gate, he listened. He could hear them talking, but he never caught any word about Sher, Kirsten, or Zara. It surprised him. He figured if Zara was here, everyone would be talking about it.
He paced as he waited, feeling his anxiety getting the better of him.
I’m going to get you back, girls. I don’t care what happens. I’ll get you back.
THIRTY-EIGHT
KIRSTEN
She was separated from Zara, and she had no idea how long it had been since they threw her into the room. It could have been hours or minutes. She had no idea. But she did know Zara had been screaming the entire time.
She could hear Zara crying in the distance, and her heart twisted. She knew it had been a while because she would stop and then start it all up again. She also heard, at first, people trying to soothe her, but now they were growing angry about it.
Take care of her. Please. Do something. Anything. Just stop her crying. She has no idea what’s going on. She’s a baby.
She wanted Zara to stop crying. She hated to hear her and was unable to help her. She felt completely and utterly helpless.
She paced the room in the hope of finding some way to open the door. She was even tempted to search the litter but thought better of it. She continued to pace.
Zara screamed louder, and she paced more quickly. She rubbed her hands together and felt her heart beating faster. She felt sweat roll down her spine, and her stomach kept twisting.
Zara. Sweet baby, Zara.
“Make her stop,” someone yelled, and she heard a loud thud. She stopped pacing and looked towards the door. She hoped and prayed someone was coming.
“She won’t stop crying,” someone said, and she swallowed.
Feed her. Hug her. Swaddle her. Rock her. Anything. God, please, anything.
She screamed louder, and Kirsten felt like her ears were going to bleed. She stepped forward and tried the door for the twelfth time. Nothing. It was bolted shut.
She started to pace again.
“Make her stop. Sher, seriously. I can’t listen to her anymore.”
She ran her hands through her hair, needing them to do anything. Zara needed comfort. She couldn’t keep crying like this. It wasn’t good for her.
She heard footsteps, and then she heard the door unlock and swing open. Sher stepped into the room with Zara still screaming. Her face beat red, and tears streamed down her face.
Sher looked defeated and outraged. She looked at Kirsten and held her out without saying a word.
She moved quickly, stepping across the room and grabbing the screaming Zara. She rocked her gently, softly whispering into her ear. She bounced her, and Zara quickly quieted. The baby stared at her with her wide eyes, and after a moment, her eyes shut.
Zara drifted into sleep, and Kirsten took a deep breath. She felt her entire body relax, and she allowed herself a moment to take it in. The silence, the feel of her in her arms, and the weight of everything.
But after that moment, she pulled her gaze up to Sher, who was relieved that the crying had stopped, but she wasn’t happy about Kirsten being the one to do it.
