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“Does that mean you’ll join us?”
I pretend to think it over, but the truth is that she had me the second she said she wanted me on her team.
“Of course. When do we leave?”
“The meeting is set for next week, but you and I will be leaving tomorrow and staying in a hotel close by so we can scout out the place. We will try to find any weak spots and follow the human politicians to make sure they’re not up to anything.”
“And gather any dirt we can at the same time?”
She nods at my guess.
“Well, then. I better go pack,” I tell her, both of us standing at the same time and heading toward the door.
“I’m glad you agreed to come with me,” she says softly.
“Just out of curiosity, who was your second choice?”
“I didn’t have one,” she chuckles. “I trusted that you would have my back.”
I can’t tell whether she is lying or not, but both my tiger and I are inclined to believe her. After all, I was trained by the best. I was trained by her.
As I make my way home, excitement flows through me at the idea that I will finally be able to make a difference in the supernatural world. Trepidation sinks in when I realize I have to tell my mom and brother about my mission.
I know they will both worry. That’s the real reason I have never accepted Samara’s offer to join a team. My mother fears losing me like she lost my father. My baby brother—though he’s only a couple of years younger than me—fears he will be left behind… Again.
That is one of the biggest regrets of my life. Though I was only a child myself, my parents gave themselves up to ensure our safety. I kept him safe for a while. But that was all it was. A while.
Trace, my little brother, has never held it against me, but I see the looks he gets sometimes. Like everyone else who was rescued from one of the facilities, he has trauma.
Sometimes he gets a far-off look in his eyes or flinches at the sound of a door closing. His flashbacks have become less frequent now, thankfully, but the fact that he has them at all hurts. Especially knowing that it’s all my fault.
If I hadn’t fallen asleep. If I had found us a safer place to stay. If I had made sure that he stayed within arm’s reach at all times.
If. If. If.
I’ve spent hours with Charleigh going over how it wasn’t my fault. How there was nothing I could’ve done. How I was just a child myself. Most days I believe her.
Our little house comes into view, and I stop, taking a deep, steadying breath and readying myself for this hard conversation.
“Mom? Trace?” I call out as I walk into the house.
“In the kitchen,” My mom responds, and I slip off my shoes and make my way into the kitchen.
“Hi, Ma,” I say, walking closer to her and pressing a kiss to her cheek before I ruffle Trace’s hair. “Little bro.”
He grunts, standing to his full height, almost a foot taller than me. “Not so little anymore.”
“You may be bigger than me, but you’ll always be my baby brother,” I tease.
“You seem happy,” My mother surmises as she takes the loaf of bread out of the oven.
“I am,” I admit, taking a piece of cheese off the counter and popping it in my mouth.
“Oh, do tell,” my mother says, raising a brow.
“Samara has asked me to accompany her and the other leaders to a meeting with the human government.”
“You’re going on a mission?” My mom says, placing the hot loaf pan on top of the stove, her voice wavering.
