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When her eyes were clear enough to see, she looked around. This was all so very normal to most people. At one point, it’d felt that way to her, too. Right now, though, it was a foreign idea to be in the main living area of a home and be a welcome visitor instead of an outcast and servant. Would she ever feelnormalagain?
She had no idea what was ahead for her life and Ava’s. As long as she could avoid her father, she knew it had to be better than what they’d known.
7
“That’s some wild shit.”
Joan gave her grandson a look. “As much as I’d like to correct your language at the table, I have to agree with you. Sarah, I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Sitting here and trying to explain it all must not have been easy, either.”
Empty plates were scattered around the table, surrounded by glasses and mugs, and a few stray napkins were crumpled here and there. The light overhead cast a yellow glow, making everything look artificial against the midnight darkness outside. Max couldn’t stop staring at them. Every time he blinked, he thought he might wake up and discover it was all just a dream.
“That’s okay.” Sarah’s eyes were swollen from crying, though the tears had stopped for now. She fiddled with a napkin in her lap. She’d eaten two plates of food, as had Ava. “I know I’ll have a lot more explaining to do. It isn’t something that could just be summed up in a few sentences.”
“That’s understandable,” Rex replied. He and Lori had been asked to join them so they’d be brought up to speed. “While it’s going to take a little time to decide what to do about the Greystones, know that you and Ava are welcome to stay here at the packhouse as long as you’d like.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course. All right, time to get some shut-eye.” Rex stood and pulled Lori’s chair out for her. “Just rest assured that you have our protection.”
“If there’s anything you need, anything at all, we’re more than happy to help.” Lori studied them both with pitying eyes before following her mate back to bed.
Max’s wolf writhed inside him at the idea of being away from Sarah for more than a few minutes. He wanted to have her close, and he didn’t need anyone hanging around and staring at them. “Actually, Sarah, l think you and I need to do a lot of talking in private.”
“Good idea.” Joan stood and began clearing the dishes from the table. Max, why don’t you and Sarah go back to your place. Ava and Hunter can stay here with me. I need some time with my grandchildren.” She caught Max’s eyes as she crossed behind Sarah’s chair and winked.
He didn’t need his mother’s help with this, but at least he knew he wasn’t being completely unreasonable.
Sarah reached over and touched her daughter’s hand. “Only if that’s all right with you, honey. I’m not going to leave you unless you’re okay with it.”
Ava had every reason to insist she stay with her mother. From what Max could tell, Sarah was the only person she’d ever been able to trust. A tired smile crept across Ava’s face as she looked at her newfound brother and grandmother. “Yeah. I’ll be fine, Mom.”
“I’ll get you set up for the night, and you’ll have the best guest room we’ve got,” Joan insisted.
“Hey, that room’s nicer than the one I’ve got at home,” Hunter grumbled.
“I wouldn’t complain if I were you,” Joan reprimanded gently.
“Um, could I take a shower before I go to bed?” Ava asked politely.
“Of course. As a matter of fact, you can soak in my jacuzzi tub.” With the dishes cleared, Joan took Ava’s hand. “I’ve got more bubble bath and essential oils than an old lady has any right to, but there’s not much that a good soak in a big tub can’t fix. Hunter, can you head to the linen closet and start getting the room ready? I‘ll see if I can round up some fresh clothes for Ava.”
A short time later, Max was backing out of the driveway with Sarah in the passenger seat. “You don’t have to worry about her, you know. She’s safe.”
“I know.” Sarah sighed and propped her head on her hand. “Or at least the logical part of me knows that. But Max, I really need you to understand how bad things are. As awful as my father was back in the day, he’s only gotten worse.”
He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel and focused hard on the road before him. “What do you mean?”
“This isn’t just an enraged father who thinks his daughter is making the wrong decision. I thought he was just being overprotective when he didn’t want us to get together, but it’s turned into so much more than that. Everything has to be his way, and his demands go far beyond anything reasonable.”
“As evidenced by the fact that he kept you and our daughter locked in a basement all this time.” He wasn’t sure how much more of this his wolf could take. Max felt it snarling, angry, ready to kill. “That wouldn’t happen without support from the rest of them, Sarah. Rex and I are getting together in the morning to come up with a plan. I’m going to take them down and make them pay for what they’ve done.” He could taste the blood already. It’d been a while since he’d had a good fight, and the training sessions with the younger wolves didn’t count. The Greystones wouldn’t get away with this.
“No, you can’t do that,” she said quickly, surprising him.
“Why the hell not?” His anger was boiling now, and he tried to rein it in. “I know they’re your family, Sarah, but you can’t just forgive and forget.”
“I’m not,” she insisted, “but if you go and attack the packhouse, innocent lives will be lost. Edward runs the pack like a dictator. Anyone who doesn’t do exactly what he asks and when meets his wrath. I don’t think my mom agreed with what he was doing, but she was terrified of what would happen if she went against him. I don’t even want to think about what wrongs he may have committed that I don’t even know about.”
Frustration piled on top of his anger. How could anything like this have happened? And how could he not want to run right out and snap Edward Greystone’s neck? Sarah needed him, though. They may have spent a long time apart, but that much he knew was true. She’d come straight to him as soon as she could. He had to take some comfort in that as he pulled into the garage at his place.
