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“River? How is thatyou?” Her voice cracks this time, and she wipes furiously at her eyes. “How can this be possible?”
“We’re wondering the same thing,” Dad says with kindness.
She looks at Lykem, seeming to understand this might be hard for her mate. “They’re from my pack. I lived next door to them before I was…”
“You don’t need to talk about anything yet,” he tells her, then sends us a warning glare.
“No, you don’t,” I agree. “We just wanted to be sure you were who I thought you were.”
She finally hugs Dad and then me, but I don’t let her linger when I can sense Lykem getting closer. I remember jealous Cillian. I don’t need a second showing from this dragon shifter.
“Are my parents here?” she asks with wide eyes. “I had wished, but never thought it could be possible.”
“No, they’re still at the pack,” Mom tells her. “At least, last we were there. Vaughn here retired as Beta, and we’ve been traveling for a while, but I know they’ll be thrilled to see you.”
Tears fall down Lexi’s cheeks and she covers her face as she sobs all over again.
I have no clue what she’s been through, but I imagine it’s some sort of hell. One I intend to make sure we do something about and soon.
“Will you all be here long?” Lexi finally asks, staring at each of us.
Dad looks at Lykem as he answers, “We’ll be here as long as you need us.”
Yeah, the dragon isn’t going to appreciate that, but he needs to know now that whatever happened to his mate, he isn’t alone in avenging her.
Lexi will have him, my family, and all the protectors on this, but one look at my old friend and I can tell tonight isn’t that night.
She needs rest and possibly time to process whatever has happened that led her here. That’s something I’m with Lykem on giving her.
“Do you guys want to come out for food?” I ask, looking at Lexi. “I know Dawsyn would love to meet you.”
Not only because she’s the soon-to-be alpha, but because she’ll want to welcome Lexi into her pack, offering her a safe place to stay for as long as she needs it. That’s who this pack is and always has been.
“Can you bring food here?” she asks, looking down. “We can hear the laughter in there, and I know there will be questions. I’m just not ready yet.”
Mom hugs her again. “And you don’t have to be. Do you want me to at least call your parents? We have a witch here who could get them.”
Lexi’s answer seems to surprise all of us as she says, “I’m remembering more the longer I’m free. I think it’s best if they don’t know yet. Not until I can put all these jumbled memories together.”
“Do you think they’re to blame for you going missing?” Dad asks, but it’s Lykem who answers.
“She wasn’t justmissing, she was taken by humans.” His words are filled with pure venom, and accusatory.
Something Dad doesn’t seem to miss, either.
“Alright,” he says. “Lexi, take all the time you need. We’ll be here when you need us, and no one but the alphas of this pack will know you’re here. Okay?”
She nods, and Mom hugs her again. “I’ll be back with food, my Little Lexi.”
That finally has my old friend smiling. “Thanks, Kelly.”
I nod at Lykem, gesturing for him to follow us to the door. He steps with us, closing it behind him. “You shouldn’t have done that. She wasn’t ready.”
“Maybe not, but you need to be writing down anything she remembers,” I tell him. “Or give her something to start writing in. Whatever this is, it’s big enough to have her not wanting to go home or have home come to her. We need to find out why and quickly.”
“And she’s not the only one to go missing from the packs in South Carolina,” Dad says gruffly. “As far as I know, nobody has ever put a link between them, but maybe there’s been one all along.”
Lykem finally nods. “Fine. But don’t push her. I won’t be as nice next time.”
