Page 125 of Saving the Last Heir
“What? You…you’re a baby,” I said, then closed my eyes and shook my head. “I mean, you’re supposed to be a baby.”
Her smile grew wider as she leaned in conspiratorially. Cupping one hand around her mouth, she put her lips near my ear. “That’s because this is a dream, silly. It’s not real.”
With those words, everything began to fade, slipping away like sand through a wet hand.
Beyond the girl, deep in the dark recesses of the strange room I found myself, the sounds of footsteps echoed, as if dozens of feet were marching toward us from the shadows. It should have been ominous, but instead, all I felt was joy.
“What’s that sound?” I asked as my adolescent dream-sister turned to smoke.
Before she fully vanished, she winked at me. “They’re coming back.”
When my eyes snapped open, I lay still for a moment, not sure whether I was still dreaming or if I was really awake. Distant, almost as though it was coming from somewhere else, was the sound of laughter. After a few seconds, as my mind cleared away the cobwebs of sleep, I realized Iwasawake,and the sounds were coming from downstairs, maybe near the kitchen and dining room.
Not wanting to stay in bed like an invalid any longer, I got out of bed. My body had healed a lot since the last time I woke up. That was a good sign. Grabbing a robe from a hook near the bed, I told myself toneverfight a maniac alpha again unless my life depended on it.
Shrugging on the robe, I slipped my feet into a pair of slides someone had put beside my bed, and shuffled from the room. I ached, but it was now the pleasant ache that came after a grueling workout rather than the throbbing agony I’d felt earlier.
In the hall, I nearly collided with Carson as he came sprinting toward my room. I grabbed the wall as he slid to a stop and fell backward, landing on his ass.
“Carson?” I said, reaching forward to help him. “What’s?—”
He leaped to his feet, grabbing my shoulders. It was only when he looked at my face that I saw the smile on his face and the tears in his eyes.
“They’ve returned,” Carson said, his voice a husky whisper, thick with emotion.
Shaking my head, I put a steadying hand on his shoulder. “Hang on. Calm down, Carson. What’s going on? Who’s returned?”
“Jackson!”
Both Carson and I turned at the shout, finding Tiana at the end of the hall, Shyanne beside her. Both women wore a goofy smile as they beckoned me.
“Hurry,” Shyanne said, rushing down the hall and taking my arm.
“Is anyone going to tell me what the hell is happening?” I said, allowing her to lead me along.
“You have to see it for yourself,” Tiana said.
Looking back over my shoulder, I saw Carson and Tiana embracing each other and sobbing. What thefuckhad happened?
My mind swirling, I allowed Shyanne to guide me down the stairs before I finally managed to get any words out.
“For real, what’s the problem?” I said.
She squeezed my hand and smiled at me as we rounded a corner into the dining room.
“It only happened a couple minutes ago. We were down here eating dinner. You’ve been asleep for almost a full day. The front door opened and…”
She trailed off, gesturing to the room beyond. Bewildered, I looked at where she pointed. My eyes locked on the scene before me. Every ounce of breath seeped out of my lungs. My legs gave out, and I slid to the floor.
The room was filled with people, far more than would usually be in the house. One in particular caught my attention most, and sent a blazing surge of emotion through my chest, nearly shattering my heart.
There, with his arms around my mother, whispering in her ear, was… my father.
“Dad?” The word slipped from my lips, and even to my own ears, I sounded like a child.
Mom spun, turning her tear-streaked eyes on me, one arm holding Jacqueline, the other around the man I hadn’t seen in years. A man who’d fallen ill, then vanished like all the rest. His shoulders were as broad as I remembered, salt-and-pepper beard framing the faint grin on his lips. Kind but teary eyes locked on me.
“Son,” he said, releasing Mom and walking toward me.
