Page 74 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck

Astria picked that moment to come out from hiding, only to jerk back fast, hitting the piano. She gasped.

Stratton went to go for her.

Rachael grabbed Stratton’s arm lightly. “No. She’s never been great with strangers. The fact she’s even shown herself while you’re here is a big deal. It took Drest months to get her to venture out when he was here. Losing her mother the way she did, and seeing it happen, made everything worse.”

“She watched her mother pass away?” asked Stratton.

Drest lowered his voice. “The family I mentioned that went off the road in their vehicle…nearthebridge here in town.”

Rachael looked to be fighting her emotions. “Henry hasn’t been himself since it happened.”

“She still having nightmares?” asked Drest.

Rachael nodded. “She wakes up screaming about—” she looked at Astria and tensed, “youknowwhat being on the road, at the bridge. Henry told me she started screaming in the backseat of the car—that Amice was worried about her and insisted Henry pull over, but that he kept going, trying to calm her down as he drove. He took his eyes off the road for a second and, well, you know the rest.”

“Are you trying to tell me she thinks she saw the headless horseman?” asked Stratton, disbelief in his voice.

Drest let out an incensed breath as he glared at his cousin.

Rachael gasped and nodded. “Yes, and she’s been scared every night since.”

“You did a good thing by calling me, Rachael,” said Drest. “We’ll handle Henry and we can even look at getting his daughter the help she needs to be able to sleep at night again. Trauma is a serious thing.”

She shook her head. “It gets worse.”

“How so?” questioned Drest, almost afraid to hear her response.

“Uncle Nile called the house two days after Amice’s memorial service,” said Rachael. “He called a lot over the next three weeks. Most of the times, Henry took the calls downstairs.”

Drest cringed, knowing where this was going. “Shit.”

“Mouth,” snapped Rachael with a nod in Astria’s direction.

“Sorry,” said Drest. “Did you check on what he was doing down there?”

Rachael stiffened. “No. I don’t go down there. You know that.”

Drest pulled Rachael into a hug. “I know, hon.”

Astria came out from her hiding spot, crawling on her hands and knees. She was partway to them when Stratton spun around, glaring at Rachael.

“Who gave her that?” demanded Stratton.

Rachael flinched.

Drest moved in front of his mate, shoving Stratton back from her. “Calm down.”

“Did you see what the child is wearing?” Stratton demanded.

Drest looked at Astria, thoroughly confused about what had set his cousin off. “A dress?”

“No. The containment pendant,” said Stratton through clenched teeth.

“Oh, that?” Drest shrugged.

“‘Oh, that?’” echoed Stratton. “Yes, that!”

“Relax, cousin,” said Drest. “She’s had it since she was born.

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