“Lucy, wait!” Tyson called.
“Let her calm down. She basically lost her entire family in one day. Leave her be,” I heard Aamon tell him.
I was sitting out front of the hospital on the bench seats when Melana found me. She sat beside me, and I glared over at her.
“We will get them back,” she said softly, staring out at the parking lot.
“They wouldn’t be missing if your sister didn’t take them,” I growled at her. Lucille pressed forward, angry that she would even seek us out after everything she had done, and I pushed her back, trying to subdue her.
“I’m sorry, Lucy. I truly am,” she whispered before looking at me.“I don’t know when my life got so out of control,” she whispered, and I sighed, sitting back.
The sun was hot today, and I found it comforting; instead of the cool crisp air-conditioning inside the hospital that made it feel extra cool inside, I welcomed the warmth and the fresh air, needing to clear my head.
“Yeah, that I can relate to,” I admitted. We sat in silence for a bit; she didn’t say anything, but it was nice not having lingering attention. Tyson was watching me like he thought I would snap at any moment, and for a second, I thought I would.
Ace was the opposite, feeling like the weight of the world rested solely on his shoulders. He took on the burdens of dealing with both packs while worrying about his brother. His temper became shorter as the last couple of days slipped by.
I felt useless, waiting around for everyone else to make the decisions, but I was tired of waiting, tired of being expected to sit still and wait for everyone else to make up their minds on the next move. Any move was better than not moving at all. So, for once, I didn’t hate Melana’s presence beside me.
She expected nothing of me and didn’t expect me to act perfectly put together when I felt like falling apart or screaming at my lack of being able to help those I loved. Melana was no one to judge, and she made her fair share of mistakes. Any I’d made were nothing in comparison to what she had done, and for once, it felt good not being the target of everyone’s anger.
“The place you were talking about that Jamie goes to?”
“They said to wait until Avery is better, so we aren’t chasing our own tails. They also said that if I knew about it, the chances are slim they would go there. That’s what Tyson said anyway.”
“What do you think?” I asked her.
“I think Jamie isn’t as smart as they give him credit for. If he went anywhere, I believe that’s where he went.”
“Do you know how to get there?” I asked her, and she looked over at me.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Lucy. I know you want to help your brothers, but we should listen to your mates.”
“My brothers are out there somewhere with some witch. One is a baby, and I am sick of sitting on my hands. You want to make up for all the shit that has happened? You want forgiveness? Then take me there.”
Melana looked over her shoulder toward the hospital entrance.
“We can’t go alone. That would be foolish. He will have men there, and what about the witch?”
“I just need you to get me in there, and I will send my brothers out.”
“You want to make a trade?” she asked.
“Jamie wants a bargaining tool, right? Ryker isn’t available to bargain with right now, so the only ones he could possibly cut a deal with are Tyson and Ace.”
“No, Lucy, you aren’t understanding. Jamie wants your brother to mark his daughter, ensure her future as the next Queen.”
“But he has no wolf to mark her with.”
“Jamie said the witch could make a blood bond, so when his wolf awakens, he won’t accept anyone else but Emily. She is forcing their fates, but I also think she will force him to shift,” Melana told me.
“But she can’t, not without—” I looked at her, horrified.
“She has to kill him. He is half-mutation. Without him coming of age to shift, the only way to awaken him is to either force the shift with strong emotion or force the hybrid gene to awaken. She will have to kill him.”
“She does that though there is also a chance she could actually kill him,” I told her. Melana looked away and nodded in agreement. Both of us have endured that horror before. I nearly lost my wolf because of them trying to awaken my vampire side, giving us the ability to shift at will while also giving us the perks of both species, building the army Kade had wanted so desperately. I refuse to let my brothers suffer through that.
“I think that’s why Josie took Ryden. I don’t believe Jamie will risk Rayan being killed. He will find another way to force the shift.”