Lenora’s POV“Oh, Lenora, I can’t get over how beautiful she is. Those eyes. Just like yours when you were a baby. They’re going to be the most gorgeous green.” Milo’s mom gushes over Codi. “She has Milo’s cheeks, though.” She coos at her granddaughter and nuzzles her chubby cheek. Her gray eyes sparkle with joy. There are crinkles in the corners of her eyes that never used to be there and the tone of her skin has changed from the time she’s spent outdoors since she and Ron were forced to leave the pack. She says they’ve taken up hiking and love it, but miss Blood River.They came home yesterday, a few hours before Codi and I were released from the hospital. She and Ron have settled in, but this is the first time she has really spent quality time with Codi. We sent our mates to the kitchen to get lunch for us. Becca mindlinked Mrs. Miller and asked her to take her time preparing the meal for us.“Yeah. I think her nose looks like Milo’s, too. And her hair is his color, but I think it
It feels like someone has thrown ice water at me. I hold Codi closer and try to calm my mind. The door opens and closes. Milo comes in and wraps his arms around me from behind the sofa, kissing my cheek.“How are my favorite girls?” He squeezes me.“She’s so special, Milo.” I feel a tear fall down my cheek. “Codi is so, so special.”“Leni?” He hurries to the other side of the sofa. I shake my head in disbelief. I can’t tell him. I can’t tell him anything Justice just told me. Codi cries when she feels me getting upset. I rock her in my arms, but it doesn’t help. The sound of her cries makes me cry harder creating a vicious cycle between us. “Lenora?” Becca squats next to Milo. “What happened, dear?”“It’s too much.” I stifle a sob, but my composure quickly falls apart. “I- how can we protect her? Wh-what do I do? I’m her mother. How can I be her… her mother? How can we be parents to such a special little girl? How will she know how much I love her and how much she means to me? Is it
“Hey Leni, I just spoke to Reggie.” Milo comes into the bedroom after taking a phone call.I pat Codi gently on the back, rocking her back and forth, trying to get her to burp after feeding her. It’s really late, almost one in the morning. “Reggie? I thought he was out of town for work.”“He was. There was an incident. One of my guys got fucked up pretty bad. They got back a few hours ago.”“Oh, Goddess.” I turn to look at him. “No one died? Right?”“No,” Milo presses his lips together and rubs the back of his neck, “but he talked to Bronx. It’s go time, Leni.”My heart sinks. I look at the date on my phone. Shit. I had almost forgotten. A part of me hoped it wouldn’t come to fruition.“When do they leave?” I hold Codi closer.“Six a.m.” He frowns. “I can’t believe it’s really happening.”“Yeah. Me either. Um, I-I guess, you go get Ashley and go to the hospital wing. Check on your guy. See if his family needs anything. She’ll help with all those details. You know the drill. All the p
It’s been two days. Kas has isolated herself in her apartment, still convinced that she needs to hide herself away. I brought Codi up so she could snuggle with her niece in hopes it would lift her spirits. I let her take Codi to the bedroom while I go talk to Marco.“Hey, Beta. Everything okay?” He salutes me.“She’s not handling it well. Maybe I should invite her to go to the meadow?”“I wasn’t talkin’ about the Luna.” He lowers his chin. “You been avoiding me?”I immediately feel my face flush. “Wh-what? I-”“Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like that. I know you’re busy with your pup.” His tone softens. “I need to stay in my lane.”“I mean, I-I guess I kinda thought, um, your mate wouldn’t want me talking to you.” I confess. “So… yeah. I guess I have been avoiding you?”“Ah, Leni, come on. I’m fuckin with you… kinda.” He looks sheepish. “Me and Musu was talking about our ranked members. I didn’t tell her about US, but I told her you and me grew up together and that we still close frie
“An apartment in Paris? Who would have ever pegged your brother as a hopeless romantic?” Mom swipes through images of the apartment Bronx bought for Kas as a wedding present. “It’s absolutely gorgeous!”“Yep. She needs to sign some paperwork, but I don’t think she understands enough about real est-” I bite my lip and point at Dad who’s making wolf faces at Codi on the other end of the sofa. Mace tests out a growl to see if it will startle her. She makes a sound that could be a growl back at him.“So sweet.” Mom places a hand on her heart. “Meeting codi is all he’s talked about since we got the news that you were pregnant. So what's next? Have you thought about a little brother for Codi, maybe?”My heart squeezes. “Justice, what do I say?”“As much of the truth as you can.” She sounds unsettled. “We don’t really know anymore. Do we?”“You know how hard it was for me to get pregnant, Mom. Let alone survive Codi’s pregnancy. We haven’t really talked about having more yet. If the Goddess
“Tyree, have you finished the sweep of Randall’s suite?” Milo paces behind his desk.“Just about Beta.” Tyree’s voice comes through the speakerphone. “He took most of his stuff, but there were a few things left on the kitchenette counter. A folder with some paperwork, an envelope, like one of those ones you mail photos in. Ya know? Feels like there’s something inside. And a voice recorder.”“A voice recorder?” Milo asks, confused.“Yeah. I don’t want to open anything or push play in case it’s booby trapped.” Tyree replies. “Fool me once.”“Good call. Bring everything to my office.” Milo pushes his finger into the desk. “I’ll get a forensics team to take it off our hands.”“Yes, Beta.”“Don’t let anyone in that room until they get a deeper sweep.”“Yes, Beta. Marco will stand guard. I’ll be up in ten minutes.” Tyree confirms and hangs up.“Milo, what do you think he was up to?” I bounce Codi gently in my arms. It’s not because she needs it. I have too much nervous energy to hold still.
There’s a quiet knock on my office door. Instinctively, I look down at Codi. She’s still fast asleep. I set down the report explaining there were absolutely zero useful bits of information on Randall’s tape recorder other than rambling about a trip to Portland to see a warehouse or something.We still haven’t been able to determine the identities of the girls in the photos other than Evie. There was no rhyme or reason to the codes associated with each one. The unusual names don’t exist anywhere either. The team is still looking into it, but I’m not very hopeful. Randall sneaks under the radar on everything.“Come in.” I say in a hoarse whisper.Milo peeks his head in with a huge smile on his face. I put a finger to my lips and point to the travel bassinet next to my desk. He tiptoes in and silently closes the door behind him.“Hey Sugar.” Milo whispers. “Is this a bad time? Are you busy?”“I always have a minute for you, Milo.” I blush when he hands me a bouquet of wildflowers. “They’
“Alright, Big Guy.” I toss the plastic gun on the arcade game. “You win. I’ll never beat you at Duck Hunt. I’m out of cash to feed the machine anyway.”“I mean, you tried. I’ll give you some props, man.” Marco blows into the barrel of the plastic gun and looks at his watch. “It’s been two hours. That’s gotta be a good sign. Right? Musu woulda called me if Lenora chased her out.”“Yeah.” I pout my lip. “No mindlinks either. Down your beer. Let’s check on them.”Marco raises his pint glass and chugs the remaining beer. “Rita! Thanks, darlin’!” I hold up more than enough cash for our tab and toss it on the table. She gives me a thumbs up from across the restaurant. “Don’t be strangers!”“Ah man, that fresh air.” Marco takes a deep breath when we step outside. “Nothing beats summer in Montana except maybe spring in the Coven’s realm.”“Did you hear that?” Ghost gasps, suddenly at attention.“Huh? Hear what?” I shorten my stride and look around.“A warbler.”“Okay… and?”“They leave afte