“Bullshit, Lindsey.” My eyes widened. Mom never swore. “You’re not a bride. You weren’t matched.”
“I—” Holy shit. My mom was right.
“If you could take Wyatt and go live on the Colony, would you?”
A sad burst of something close to laughter erupted from my diaphragm. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell him?”
I couldn’t look her in the eye, instead stared at the threadbare carpet. “I don’t know. Everything happened so fast and I knew I couldn’t stay. It never seemed to be the right time.”
The tsking sound made me cringe. “Not every man is like Pet—“
“Don’t say his name,” I interrupted.
“Fine. Not every man is like the sperm donor. You should have told him.”
“It’s too late, Mom. I’m here and he’s all the way across the universe. All that matters is that Wyatt is going to be okay now.” I smiled brilliantly knowing he was all better. She turned her head to watch Wyatt as he slept.
“Yes, that is truly a miracle.”
She sighed and I really looked at her for the first time since my return. Lines had deepened around her eyes. Her skin was pale. “You’re exhausted, Mom. Go to sleep.”
It was a testament to her fatigue when she didn’t argue, just went to the second bed and pulled back the covers. She kicked off her shoes and climbed in, clothes and all. When her head was settled on the pillow, she looked at me. “When do you want to leave?”
I glanced at the twenty-year-old alarm clock that rested on the bedside table between the two queen sized beds. “Four hours at most.”
She nodded and closed her eyes.
I checked the deadbolt and settled onto the bed behind Wyatt. Pulling him into my arms, I buried my nose in his sweet-smelling hair and breathed in little boy and sunshine. Nothing had ever smelled so good.
I was just drifting to sleep when the door burst open, slamming against the stained yellow paper that covered the wall.
All three of us jolted and came awake. My mother cried out and I tugged Wyatt into my arms and tucked him beneath me. I heard his whimpering, but he didn’t move.
I looked up into the one face I didn’t want to see, Roger, the Senator’s henchman. The man who made the deals, offered the money and threatened my son all in one smooth breath. Three days ago I’d been ready to do anything. I’d done it, healed Wyatt in a way I never imagined.
“Roger.”
“Ms. Walters. I believe you owe us an explanation.”
Behind him, the doctor from the processing center stalked into the room and made a beeline for the ReGen wand lying on the table where my mother and I had left it out. “And I’ll be taking this,” she said.
“No. You can’t.”
It was for Warden Egara. We’d made a deal. Wyatt would be healed and she’d get the wand back. I couldn’t go back on that, but Roger pulled a gun from some magical place that bad guys always seemed to have weapons hidden and I knew I would have to break my promise.
“We can.” He waved the gun between me and my mother, who was sitting up and staring at him wide eyed. Scared. Her eyes kept darting to Wyatt.
“Let my mother and Wyatt go. They have nothing to do with this.”
Roger just arched one sinister brow and said, “Get your bags, ladies. You’re all coming with us.”
I tensed to move, to rise from the bed and try to protect Wyatt, but as I gathered myself a miracle happened…my mark flared with welcome heat and I started to cry.
Wyatt looked from Roger to me, his eyes round and scared. “Don’t cry, Mommy.”
I smiled at him. “Don’t worry. Everything’s all right.” I turned my head to Roger and saw the confusion in his eyes as my entire demeanor changed and I stood tall and proud before him, absolutely fearless. “If I were you, I’d put the gun down.”
“And why is that?” Roger asked.
My grin was genuine, the heat in my palm flaring again. “So my mate doesn’t kill you.”