AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hadn’t noticed the box when we’d entered, but having backup clothes was smart for situations like this.
Not moving from my spot, I watched Aunt Lucille, and my heart broke at the lost look on her face. Confusion clouded her eyes as she scanned the room, then her gaze landed on me again.
I struggled for something to say. She was important to Ridge, and I wanted her to like me, but after witnessing her outburst, I wasn’t sure what to say. So I went with polite.
“How are you, Lucille?”
With no warning, the older woman started crying. Her whole body shook, her eyes never leaving my face. “You look just like your father.”
My head swam and my knees threatened to give out. The floor under me no longer seemed to exist.
Ridge eyed me worriedly before running to his aunt.Mumblings and blubbers came out of her mouth, but neither of us could make out exactly what she was saying. No matter what Ridge did, there was no consoling her. However, everything we could make out was coherent, not the ravings of a madwoman.
After several moments, the words started clearing up, and she kept repeating that “she couldn’t go back” and “couldn’t face him.” At one point, I was certain I heard her say, “Jaxon Hyde.”She repeated the other two phrases until her whole body began to shut down from the adrenaline of shifting and apparent shock at seeing me.
My blood chilled as I tried to work out what she’d said. That was another mention of me looking like my father, some shifter named Jaxon Hyde. I didn’t know how to wrap my head around all this and didn’t think now was the best time to do it.
Ridge held his aunt but watched me, perplexed. I didn’t want to cause more problems, so I shrugged at him and mouthed, “Later.”
“Aunt Lucille, do you want me to come back later? When you’re feeling more up to having company?”
Not in the state to have company, Aunt Lucille happily agreed as she closed her eyes and instantly entered dreamland. She was wiped out and desperately needed the rest.
Ridge made sure she was comfortable and placed a loving kiss on her forehead as he tucked her in. My heart squeezed at how he cared for her. What he did to save her from herself was wonderful, and I couldn’t help but admire him even more. I hadn’t thought that possible.
He came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders, then guided me out of the room. We stopped at the nurse’s station, and Ridge relayed what had happened and that they’d need to check in on her shortly, but she was currently resting peacefully.
Ridge settled me in the car, and we sat in silence as we headed back to Blackwood Creek. My mind was reeling. Lucille had mentioned my father and said I looked like him. I could only assume she meant Jaxon Hyde—the same name Elliot Elkins had mentioned.
“Little wolf, I apologize for you getting frightened during the visit. That was the last thing I wanted, but with her condition, some days are much better than others.”
I put my hand on his thigh, and he covered it with his.
“It’s fine, Ridge. You warned me she might not be lucid today. These things happen. I’m fine, I swear.” I didn’t want him to think I was angry or upset, but I was confused. I was desperately trying to put all the pieces together, but it was a giant jumble.
The facts started listing themselves in my head, and I reviewed what I knew. Ridge’s aunt and uncle had gone missing before his aunt had turned up again, wholly feral. She’d been missing for a long time, so it wasn’t a stretch to believe that from her anguished reaction and how she’d mentioned I looked like my father, Lucille had met Jaxon Hyde during that time. However, I didn’t know a thing about the man. I’d never even heard his name until yesterday, and it made me wonder if he’d played some nefarious part in what had happened to Ridge’s aunt and uncle.
Why else would she react to me in such a manner? What had caused such tremendous fear for her to shift and go full-on feral on me? I didn’t think I could have fended her off if I’d been alone. If it hadn’t been for Ridge preventing her from reaching me… I shuddered at the thought.
It seemed like no matter where I went, my existence caused problems for others.
I looked out the window, watching the world pass me by. Maybe it was time for me to leave. Save the heartache my presence brought to this town.
“Hey, beautiful,” Ridge said, bringing my hand to his lips. “What’s wrong? What’s going through that magnificent mind of yours?”
Leaning back against the seat, I turned toward Ridge. “We didn’t talk much last night, so I didn’t have the opportunity to tell you what happened at the hospital.”
“Are you okay? Did the pills not work?” His eyes scanned my face, his brow furrowed in panic.
“No, no, Ridge. I’m fine. The doctor cleared me and said I was good. He’d like to run some more tests and scans at a later date so he can follow up, but other than that, I’m good.”
Noticeable relief eased over him as he settled back in his seat.“Okay, phew. Don’t scare me like that.”
I squeezed his hand. My heart ached for making him worry, but I was overjoyed that he cared that much for me.
“I went to look in on Zander and spent time with Elliot Elkins,” I said. “We chatted, and then Zander woke with complete memory loss. There’s a lot to unpack there, but anyway, Elliot mentioned a Jaxon Hyde, the alpha of the now-gone Everwood Pack. He said I looked exactly like him and that he was my father. Well, he doesn’t know for sure if he’s my father, but apparently it’s not a hard conclusion to arrive at if I look so much like him.”
And now, Ridge’s aunt had said the same thing. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
