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Authors: T. E. Ridener
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wasn’t
very fond of the idea that a wolf had tried attacking Presley. He didn’t like
that one of his own had been killed just because he wasn’t a lycanthrope.
The mutts have gone too far this time, he
thought as he curled his fingers tighter around the steering wheel. He glanced
into his rearview mirror to make sure no one followed him. He honestly
wouldn’t have put it past Richard to make this a ‘sleuth thing’, and Arnold
preferred to handle things on his own.
She’s so damn stubborn, he rolled his eyes as he
glanced in the rearview mirror again. She’s too much like her mother.
The sudden thought of his twin sister made a twinge of raw
pain ache in his chest. It was difficult to think about Caroline. He never
allowed himself to slip into that corner of his mind, where every memory of her
smiling face existed. To think of Caroline meant to suffer from grief. He
opted out on that a long time ago.
Caroline had made her decision and it didn’t include
having her daughter-or Arnold-in her new life. He accepted responsibility for
Presley because he didn’t want her to grow up with a family who wouldn’t love
her, wouldn’t understand her, and most importantly; a family who would be
unable to help her when the time came.
Despite his best effort, his mind returned to that
life-changing night of April 27 th , 1989.
“I need you to take her,” Caroline said as she moved
to place the 26 month old baby girl onto the floor. The tall blonde
straightened back up as she stared him straight in the eyes.
“Take her? For how long?” He inquired as he
crouched down beside of his niece to unzip her little jacket, carefully pulling
her arms through the sleeves as he gave her a brief smile. “Got a date or
something?”
“No,” she responded with a shake of her
head. “I’m leaving, Arnie.”
“Leaving..? What do you mean leaving, Caroline?”
He picked the tiny girl up and held her against his chest as he stared at his
sister, their identical green eyes connecting in a knowing gaze.
“I don’t want this life anymore,” she
frowned. “I can’t live in this town. I can’t…look at that child.”
Arnold turned his attention back to the
little girl who was smiling so sweetly at him. She reached her pudgy hand out to
rest against his chin as she laughed. How could she not look at her own child?
“I think you’re overreacting, Caroline..”
“No!” She shouted suddenly. The volume of
her voice was loud enough to startle Presley and the toddler began to cry
almost instantly. “See? I can’t handle that. She always cries. She hates me,
Arnie. I can’t do anything right for her.”
“Calm down, Caroline,” he said softly as he
bounced his niece in his arms, glancing back at her mother. “You’re just
stressed. You need a break.”
“I do need a break,” Caroline agreed as she
began to pace back and forth. “I need a permanent break. I never agreed to do
this without Pierce, you know I didn’t.”
He sighed, pressing a kiss against
Presley’s temple before he frowned. His sister’s mate had been dead for almost
three years and she was still so consumed with her grief that he wasn’t entirely
sure how she’d carried his niece to full term-though he was grateful she’d been
able to.
“I have to go,” Caroline sobbed. “I can’t
look at her. She looks just like him. When she smiles..I see him,” her bottom
lip quivered. “I can’t be her mother.”
“But you are her mother,” Arnold
argued as his brows furrowed. “You have to be strong for her, Caroline. She
needs you now, more than ever. A cub depends on its mother and you know it.”
“I DON’T WANT TO BE HER MOTHER!” She
screamed. As her voice bounced off the plain white walls of the living room,
Arnold stilled immediately. Presley let out frightful cry as she moved her
little hands towards her ears. She was visibly shaken up. Arnold pondered how
often these outbursts had happened in front of her.
Deep in his heart,
very fond of the idea that a wolf had tried attacking Presley. He didn’t like
that one of his own had been killed just because he wasn’t a lycanthrope.
The mutts have gone too far this time, he
thought as he curled his fingers tighter around the steering wheel. He glanced
into his rearview mirror to make sure no one followed him. He honestly
wouldn’t have put it past Richard to make this a ‘sleuth thing’, and Arnold
preferred to handle things on his own.
She’s so damn stubborn, he rolled his eyes as he
glanced in the rearview mirror again. She’s too much like her mother.
The sudden thought of his twin sister made a twinge of raw
pain ache in his chest. It was difficult to think about Caroline. He never
allowed himself to slip into that corner of his mind, where every memory of her
smiling face existed. To think of Caroline meant to suffer from grief. He
opted out on that a long time ago.
Caroline had made her decision and it didn’t include
having her daughter-or Arnold-in her new life. He accepted responsibility for
Presley because he didn’t want her to grow up with a family who wouldn’t love
her, wouldn’t understand her, and most importantly; a family who would be
unable to help her when the time came.
Despite his best effort, his mind returned to that
life-changing night of April 27 th , 1989.
“I need you to take her,” Caroline said as she moved
to place the 26 month old baby girl onto the floor. The tall blonde
straightened back up as she stared him straight in the eyes.
“Take her? For how long?” He inquired as he
crouched down beside of his niece to unzip her little jacket, carefully pulling
her arms through the sleeves as he gave her a brief smile. “Got a date or
something?”
“No,” she responded with a shake of her
head. “I’m leaving, Arnie.”
“Leaving..? What do you mean leaving, Caroline?”
He picked the tiny girl up and held her against his chest as he stared at his
sister, their identical green eyes connecting in a knowing gaze.
“I don’t want this life anymore,” she
frowned. “I can’t live in this town. I can’t…look at that child.”
Arnold turned his attention back to the
little girl who was smiling so sweetly at him. She reached her pudgy hand out to
rest against his chin as she laughed. How could she not look at her own child?
“I think you’re overreacting, Caroline..”
“No!” She shouted suddenly. The volume of
her voice was loud enough to startle Presley and the toddler began to cry
almost instantly. “See? I can’t handle that. She always cries. She hates me,
Arnie. I can’t do anything right for her.”
“Calm down, Caroline,” he said softly as he
bounced his niece in his arms, glancing back at her mother. “You’re just
stressed. You need a break.”
“I do need a break,” Caroline agreed as she
began to pace back and forth. “I need a permanent break. I never agreed to do
this without Pierce, you know I didn’t.”
He sighed, pressing a kiss against
Presley’s temple before he frowned. His sister’s mate had been dead for almost
three years and she was still so consumed with her grief that he wasn’t entirely
sure how she’d carried his niece to full term-though he was grateful she’d been
able to.
“I have to go,” Caroline sobbed. “I can’t
look at her. She looks just like him. When she smiles..I see him,” her bottom
lip quivered. “I can’t be her mother.”
“But you are her mother,” Arnold
argued as his brows furrowed. “You have to be strong for her, Caroline. She
needs you now, more than ever. A cub depends on its mother and you know it.”
“I DON’T WANT TO BE HER MOTHER!” She
screamed. As her voice bounced off the plain white walls of the living room,
Arnold stilled immediately. Presley let out frightful cry as she moved her
little hands towards her ears. She was visibly shaken up. Arnold pondered how
often these outbursts had happened in front of her.
Deep in his heart,
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