“By commanding Amanda never to shift. Never to come forward again. Unless dad calls upon her, mom won’t be able to shift or speak to her wolf without dad. But the pills are working. They didn’t work before, but they are now,” Rayan told me.
“So, dad thinks she just got better? What are you going to do when you run out of pills?” I asked him, and I knew instantly from how he looked at me.
“You were going to get me to get them off Tyson,” I told him, and he nodded. I sighed, and looked at the bottle and saw they were the same as mine but a way stronger dose.
“You need to tell dad, Rayan. He will go ballistic if he finds out you’ve been keeping this from him for too long,” I told him, and he nodded.
“I will tell him tonight. I promise. I just wanted our family back together. I wanted mom back,” he said, tears brimming in his eyes, and I pulled him to me. He wrapped his arms around me, and I kissed the top of his head.
“I know, buddy, so do I,” I told him before grabbing a teaspoon and putting an extra teaspoon of sugar in it. Rayan looked at me.
“I heard mom say yesterday the coffee tasted funny to dad,” I told him, and he nodded before taking the mug and the plate of toast up to her.
I followed him up and watched as he gave it to her. She thanked him and asked if I could take Ryden and change him. I nodded, picking him up out of his cradle, and Rayan slipped out of the room. I changed Ryden and turned around to find her passed out asleep. I quickly moved to remove the mug from her fingers before she tipped the scolding coffee on her lap and placed it on the bedside table with her toast. Using one arm to cradle Ryden, I pulled the blanket up under her chin before grabbing his bottle and walking downstairs.
“Did she drink it?” Rayan whispered.
“She fell asleep before she could,” I told him, and he appeared to be worried. I knew those pills had to be taken at the same time every day, but if I woke her and insisted she drank it, she would be suspicious.
“Tell dad when he gets home.” Rayan nodded, and I walked into the living room and settled on the lounge, deciding to let mom sleep while she could. I knew she was exhausted. I heard mom and dad up during the night constantly, sleep wasn’t something they were getting much of.
Mom must have been tired because she slept nearly all day. Rayan and I both watched Ryden taking turns feeding him while I did all the nappy changes, because Rayan gagged when he tried to change a dirty diaper. I laughed before taking over. Hearing movement upstairs, Rayan looked up.
“Mom is up,” he said, pausing the movie we were watching. He got up.
“I will go let her know Ryden is down here and see if she needs anything,” Rayan said. I nodded to him. Ryker mindlinked us earlier, saying he was bringing dinner home and should be home soon. I heard Rayan walking up the steps before his feet stopped, and I could hear the worry in his voice as he spoke.
“Amanda?” he said, and I got up with Ryden in my arms. I heard a growl, making me move quicker, when I heard Rayan running down the stairs. Mum’s voice carried through the house.
“You took him!” she growled at him just as I reached the corner of the living room and turned into the foyer. Rayan almost ran into me.
“Mom, you okay?” I asked her. Rayan was right. This wasn’t mom, but Amanda. She stopped, her head cocking to the side as she looked at me before her eyes darted to Ryden in my arms. Her claws slipped from her fingertips.
“Get dad here! Or Jacob!” I mindlinked Rayan as she took a predatory step toward me.
“You would betray me like this son?. Give your own brother to them After what they did!” Amanda snapped at Rayan, who cowered behind me. I swallowed. This was not my mother, and I had never seen Amanda like this before.
“Mom, what are you talking about? I have Ryden right here. See? He is safe,” I told her, trying to calm her down, but her eyes were wild, her aura slipping. I fought the urge to whimper, when I felt Rayan's hand on my back, his own aura was so much weaker than hers but it was keeping me up as I became trapped between.
“Give him to me!” Amanda snarled at me.
“He is safe, mom. I have him. Look,” I told her, not wanting to give him to her while her claws were extended and canines protruding. Her entire body was raging with anger, and she could hurt him. Rayan must have had the same thought when his voice flitted in my head.
“Give me Ryden. Dad and Jacob are on their way,” he said.
“You are exactly like your father. I knew you would be like him, A fucking monster, just like him! I won't let you take him from me!” Amanda growled, and I passed Ryden to Rayan just as my mother lunged at me.
Chapter thirty-seven
MomtackledmebeforeI even turned back to her. Rayan screamed, jumping out of the way as I crashed into the wall.
“Mom, it's Lucy. I am your daughter,” I screamed at her when she slapped me. My face whipped to the side before she got up.
“You're not my daughter. You’re his,” she said, and I crawled to my hands and knees.
“Now, GIVE ME MY SON! YOU WILL NOT TAKE HIM FROM ME!” she screamed at Rayan. Rayan stepped away from her just as I got to my feet. Amanda growled at him and raised her arm back to hit him, but I caught her wrist, ripping her backward.
“Run!” I yelled to Rayan, and he darted off.