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Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling came over my chest, and I took a deep breath while Cory stiffened and his eyes glazed over. Jo and James ran in a minute later while Cory started trying to work something on the computer before cursing.
“Can you find the cameras heading out of the pack?” he asked me. I nodded and took over the keyboard.
“What’s going on, Cory?” Markus asked.
“I felt a connection sever. Someone left the pack.” Cory replied, and I saw him absentmindedly rubbing his chest.
I pulled up the cameras and rewound to a few minutes before I felt the pain myself while everyone gathered around the computer. I pressed play and watched, sighing when I saw a familiar face in a car.
“Well, I guess that’s one problem resolving itself,” Markus said as we watched Traci getting out of her car and rejecting the pack.
“Does she have family outside of the pack?” I asked. “Does she have somewhere to go?”
“A sister in a pack in California,” Markus answered. “She found her mate and moved a few years back.” I slumped back in Cory’s chair, relieved that she had a plan instead of just leaving because she was humiliated. I shut down the feed and Celeste and Markus left shortly after, leaving the rest of us alone.
“I’ll tell Meli to look for her replacement. She wasn’t scheduled for work this week anyway because of last week,” Jo said before he left.
“Zi wanted to cook tonight, Cory. I told her she could use the alpha kitchen,” James mentioned.
“What’s she cooking?” I asked.
“No clue. She said it was one of the few recipes she really liked.”
“Oooh, I hope it’s the casserole,” I said, rubbing my tummy.
“What casserole?”
“A tuna-type casserole she makes with salmon that’s to die for. If she’s not making it, I’ll convince her to make it this week. It’s so yummy.”
We split up. Cory and I went up to our floor as we had a few hours before dinner and James went off in search of his mate. I wanted to see if we’d received any files from the bug I planted, but Cory insisted on cuddling in bed. I tried to argue that since it was Monday, we should go back to work, but he insisted that it was a traveling day and work would keep until tomorrow.
I fell asleep at some point, surrounded by Cory’s green apple and lotus scent, thinking about the last week and grateful for how much my life had changed. This entire past weekend was eye-opening for me, and I was ready for whatever came next.
I woke up to wailing and sat up, wondering where the noise was coming from. Cory stirred behind me before we were up and running. When we arrived in the kitchen, Zi sighed and released the wailing child, who launched herself at me with big, fat tears falling down her face.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked Zi as I hugged Molly to my chest.
“Molly’s been having nightmares and asking about you all weekend. She’s been having a temper tantrum since she heard you were back.”
“Why didn’t you just bring her over earlier?” I asked, standing back up with Molly in my arms, my heart breaking when she buried her head in my neck, and I felt her tears continuing to fall.
“Because she’s a big girl and she could wait until dinner.” Zi arched a brow at me and put a hand on her hip, daring me to contradict her in front of the child she was trying to discipline. I sighed, and she did as well. “She’s got a birthday coming up on Wednesday and she needs to behave if she wants a cake AND cupcakes for her party next weekend. Right, Molly?”
Cory chuckled lowly and started petting Molly’s head to soothe her. To everyone’s surprise, she pulled back from me and extended her hands toward Cory, who took her in his arms and walked over to the kitchen table. Zi smiled but rolled her eyes before pushing a small bowl of strawberries toward them. Ever since James told Molly strawberries were his favorite, it’s almost all she’ll snack on, outside of cookies, of course.
‘You could have come over,’ I mind-linked Zi as she started pulling ingredients from her bag.
‘I know, but she needs to learn.’
‘Learn what, though? I’m Auntie Evie,’ I said, not understanding what the issue was. I could feel Zi’s hesitation before she sighed.
‘Yes, and you’re going to be Luna Evie. You are going to get busy, and she needs to learn she can’t always get to you right away.’
‘Zi... I’ll never be too busy for Molly, or you. Don’t make me give you a wet willy with words like that. You’re my best friend and Molly is my niece. Once you finish mating with James, you’ll be literal family. If you keep Molly away because you think I’m busy again, we’ll be getting a kiddy pool full of mud and I’m owning your ass.’
‘That sounded more like a present for these guys than a punishment for me,’ I joked, but I could feel the restrained emotion in her words before she came over and gave me a tight hug.
‘I know I abandoned you for a week, but things are getting back to normal soon,’ I promised her.
