Page 18 of Alpha's Secret Baby Girl
“Rafael’s not the only one working to change the pack,” Chelsey said. “Joshua and Michael are, too. It’s not just the money they’ve poured into the place. It used to be so toxic and aggressive, so you weren’t safe walking down the street. Now, I feel comfortable running through the forest at midnight. They’ve made a real difference, Gwen. You’ll see. You just need to give it time.”
She made herself smile, if only to get them to stop talking about it. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
Kira and Chelsey shared a look she knew all too well. It was one that said, ‘Yes, and?’
It occurred to Gwen that they might sing a different tune if she told them why she was still here. If she were to bring up how Rafael had forced her to marry him, would they still talk about how unlike his father he was? Or would they twist the circumstances to try to justify his actions? The sad thing was, she didn’t know whether they would defend him or her.
Yes, he had changed the town. Yes, it seemed like a much better town. However, his reasons for doing this were to protect Lianne from the pack. So it couldn’t have changed that much. It was like calling grey white just because it wasn’t black. She couldn’t confide in them, even if she didn’t have to hold toRafael’s ridiculous lie about them being married before Lianne was born.
“You know, Rafael really has—” Kira started.
“I don’t want to keep talking about Rafael,” Gwen snapped. “Chelsey said it will take time for me to see his changes, and it’s true. You can’t convince me that he’s different now. He has to convince me with his actions.”
Kira winced and rolled to a sitting position. She pulled on a cover-up, her chin drooping to her chest. “Sorry.”
Gwen let out a shaky breath, not liking how she had responded, either. “I’m sorry, too. It’s just a lot of emotions right now. I had another vision last night and didn’t sleep well. It’s not an excuse, but I would rather talk about the magic. I mean, if it’s okay. We can go do something else instead. Something fun.”
She thought about the diner and how Rafael suggested she could get a job there if she wanted. It was amusing to think about how they’d react if she came waltzing in with a dazzling CV, the wife of their Alpha, and told them she was going to work. It would help her build her savings, after all. Even though Rafael had offered her money in the prenup, she refused. She didn’t want to feel like she was bought and paid for.
That thought made her wince, too. Rafael had promised she could divorce him if she wanted to. Was it a lie to keep her complacent? Or was a year living together long enough for him to play it off as though their marriage was a foolish, hormone-ridden choice when they were little more than teens? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.
Maybe because part of her hoped that Kira and Chelsey were right and that in a year, she’d be living in a golden glow of marital bliss.
“What was that?” she asked, lifting her head.
Kira lifted an eyebrow. “I didn’t say anything.”
Gwen huffed. “Right. So, about my visions. I haven’t had any luck in figuring out what they mean. Rafael has the Elders meditating on it, but I thought maybe we witches would have better luck.”
Kira grabbed her water bottle as she nodded. “I have been thinking about it. Have you seen Rafael in any of your visions?”
Gwen considered. “No. Even when it’s the pack, it’s not really individual faces. I mean, I know that you and Chelsey are there, but most times you’re these undistinguished blobs, rather than people. There’s just so much darkness.”
“Dark like the night of the new moon dark?” Chelsey asked.
“Maybe.” Gwen frowned.
She had never thought ofwhenher visions were taking place. She had always thought the darkness was just a result of the danger, that it represented some evil force threatening the pack and her daughter. But what if Chelsey was right? What if the vision was giving her a timeframe?
Kira propped her chin in her hand. “Also, when you say you’ve seen Lianne, is it the same way you saw us? Just knowing that we’re there?”
Gwen shook her head. “No. I always see Lianne very clearly, which must mean that it’s not during the new moon. The darkness has to be metaphorical.”
Chelsey stood and tied her cover-up shut. “We should head to the museum. They have a bunch of old records about witches and witchcraft. Maybe we’ll be able to find some sort of dream-interpretation chart or something.”
They gathered their things quickly. The beach wasn’t far from town, and they had walked to it. By the time they got to the museum, Kira was grumbling about her poor choice of footwear. Gwen grinned and was going to reply when five men suddenly ran across the street.
“Oi, it’s Gwen Parker,” one of them said.
Gwen tensed. She knew these men. Tyler, Fergus, Randy, Ned, and Ross. They had been truly terrible to her, Kira, and Chelsey before she left. Now the five of them looked as though their favorite chew toy had returned to the island. She shrank back instinctively but forced herself to straighten.
“Gwen Buchanan,” she said calmly, though she had no intention of changing her name. “Or didn’t you hear?”
Tyler’s smile only grew. “Oh, I’d heard. Congrats on your wedding. But I must say you… look different than I remember.” His gaze dropped to her belly. “It’s exciting to see that you’ll be having another baby. When are you due?”
Did he really think that was clever? The other four men chortled. Kira and Chelsey had drawn together and were pressed against Gwen’s back, like they wanted to run off. So, this was the town that had changed so much? Gwen’s hands clenched into fists as she stared down her former bullies.
“We lost the heartbeat yesterday,” she said, making her voice tremble with tears. “It would have been a son.”
