Page 38 of All's Fair in Lion and War
Rivian had found a way to make her loss indefinite and her grief eternal. She never had a chance to process and grieve Tallix. Grieve everything. Reylea. Her life. Her family.
Every single day had been a rediscovery of all the horror that he’d caused. She could see Rivian’s eyes in her mind. See the pleasure he derived from watching her realize her reality over and over and over.
She didn’t remember everything yet. But she remembered enough that she wished she could stop remembering now.
“Penny is here with Henrietta. This should be fun.” Tara bounced a little baby girl on her hip. Lorelei didn’t remember which child it was. The names were all still so new. She hadn’t been paying close attention. They’d been trying to distract her from her pain.
The tears had come off and on.
She’d finally asked to be left alone. And now she watched the others sit and laugh and pass the babies around like the world wasn’t ending. Like they hadn’t lost everything they’d ever cared about in the blink of an eye. Like they hadn’t been held hostage by a power-hungry madman and beaten and tortured mentally and physically every day for hundreds of days.
They weren’t bad people.
They just didn’t understand.
They had their perfect little town and perfect mates and perfect babies and life had painted them a perfect little life.
“Tara?” A stressed female voice called down from the top of the ladder.
“I’m here, mom. Come on down.”
A grey-haired woman appeared on the ladder.
Tara walked to the bottom, waiting for her mother to climb down and then hugged her tightly. The baby in Tara’s arms squeaked it’s approval and cooed at the older female.
“How can I be angry when you present me with cute babies? It’s not fair, Tara.” The woman looked around the room. Lorelei felt her gaze land on her for a moment, rest, then move on without a comment. “Explain. All. Of. It. Right now.”
Henrietta took the infant from Tara’s arms and went to sit in an empty chair. “I’ve kept my mouth shut for almost a year. I haven’t asked questions because you were safe and happy. The men your husband calls friends are kind and respectful, and I knew you were safe. But shit has happened lately in this town that’s never happened before. And shit seems to keep happening. You think we don’t notice. But we do.”
Naomi spoke first, instead of Tara. “It’s dangerous to tell you, Henrietta. The level of trust you are demanding, will give you the power to destroy all of our lives.”
“I would never hurt any of you.”
“You don’t understand yet, mama.” Tara’s voice was soft, hesitant, filled with an uncomfortable doubt that made Lorelei’s skin prickle.
One of the males took off his talisman and handed it to Tara. Tara slipped it around her arm and pushed it up onto her bicep.
The female walked to the center of the room and the air shimmered around Tara’s form. A moment later she wasn’t there. In her place was a wolf.
A beautiful white wolf. They were uncommon. They were royalty in their packs.
How had a human been turned?
Henrietta clutched the baby to her chest and stared at her daughter. She didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. The baby made a noise, but Henrietta just stood there.
“We aren’t quite your typical person.” Naomi came over and stood next to Henrietta. She had her son in her arms and he was wrapped in two blankets, but both his hands had found their way free of the wrap.
“My daughter was…What did you do to her?” Henrietta said, her voice snapping at Naomi like a whip.
“I didn’t do anything to her, Henrietta. Tara was actually turned by the man who kidnapped her. That man tried to kill her and almost succeeded.” Naomi paused, turning to watch Tara shift back into her human form.
“If it hadn’t been for Naomi’s ma—husband, I would’ve died.”
“Well, I suppose I owe Col another thank you.” Henrietta glared up at Naomi and Lorelei could’ve sworn she heard the old woman snarl under her breath. “Except he came and got me out of my store today, told me to leave, said he’d lock my store, and then sent me to this bunker. What the hell is going on?”
Tara removed the talisman and handed it back to the male who’d given it to her.
Lorelei’s fingers traced the tight leather band wrapped around her upper arm. It was hidden by the coat she was still wearing, but she’d never removed it. And would never have just handed it to another person socasually.
