Andrea, my adoptive mother, was my real mother, she loved me unconditionally, despite my many flaws, and despite the fact I wasn’t hers. She was a real mother and the true definition of what a mother is.
We’d been listening to late-night news for what seemed like hours as we waited for her to come out. Hearing the door click, we both looked down the hall, thinking it would be Kat, only it was her father’s scent that wafts to us.
Getting up, I go to check on him, when he stops, catching sight of us before looking back at the door to where Kat is. Ezra walks up behind me, and Derrick’s eyes dart to him over my shoulder.
“I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I can’t be here. Take care of my daughter,” he pleads, confusing me when he moves, turning for the stairs.
“Wait,” I grab his arm.
“I’m sorry, I thought I could, but I can’t stay here, not without Shirley,” he argues, tears streaming down his face.
“But she is your daughter,” I object, knowing Kat will not handle this very well.
“You can’t just leave,” Ezra interrupts, stepping around me when Derrick squares up, staring Ezra in the eyes. He is destroyed, but I still can’t believe he would abandon her like this.
“I, Derrick Hartley, denounce my loyalty to Alpha Ezra Pierce and now declare myself rogue,” he says before swallowing. My eyes darted to Ezra. His jaw clenches tight as Maddox flickers to the surface, his fists balling as his body trembles.
“Maddox, it’s her father,” I tell him, squeezing his arm, and he presses his lips in a line.
Maddox finally speaks, his restraint on full display. “Come back, don’t leave her on her own,” he requests, though I can tell he wanted to rip him apart for what he is doing.
“She isn’t alone, she has both of you,” Derrick replies, with a haunted smile, before turning on his heel and walking down the stairs. The moment he steps out of the pack house, his changed scent is picked up by our patrollers.
“Rogue,” cautions Alex’s voice through the mindlink.
Ezra’s body shakes violently.
“It’s Kat’s father, let him pass, make sure he gets off safely,” I mindlink.
“Yes, Beta,” Alex replies.
My eyes dart nervously to Ezra. Maddox still has control, and I know Ezra would be struggling to get back control from him after. His eyes are trained on the stairs where Derrick had just taken off. Creeping down the hall, I open the bedroom door to see Kat asleep on the bed. Stepping into the room, I scoop her up, and Maddox comes to the door as I walk out.
I go to pass her to him, but he shakes his head. “I need to go for a run,” he grunts.
I nod. “Want me to come?” Ezra is completely locked away. Maddox completely shoved him out, which makes me a little uneasy, considering I have his mate in my arms when she suddenly sniffs the air.
“Mateo?” she whispers, and Maddox steps closer to her, gently brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. She flinches from him, and he withdraws, putting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing, far gentler than I thought he was capable of. His eyes flick to where his hand is, and he lets go, taking a slow step back.
“Go back to sleep, Kitty, Ezra will be home soon,” he promises the both of us before nodding at me.
He rushes back down the stairs and I stare at the spot he touched. Maddox had grabbed me and tingles danced beneath my skin on every spot he touched. I shiver before shaking my head. Best to focus, I need to take care of Kat.
I carry her back to her room, placing her on the bed. The sun is coming up outside the window, and in a few hours, we will have to deal with Madeline, who is down in the basement. Ezra didn’t want to do anything until Kat decides what she wants to do with her, and I agreed, if anyone has the right to revenge, Kat does, killing her isn’t our place unless she asks us to.
Yawning, I close my eyes before feeling her shift over in her sleep. I grab Ezra’s pillow propping it next to her, so she has his scent, she tosses it aside and rolls into me instead and snuggles under my arm. “You will be alright, Kat,” I whisper to her, tucking her closer to me. I kiss her cheek before resting my chin on her, letting my eyes close while listening to her breathing and the sound of her heart beating against mine.
Ezra
Maddox finally gives me back control, shifting back and leaving me face down in the dirt.
“Please tell me you didn’t go after him,” I plead, getting up off the ground and dusting myself off.
“No, I wanted to. I should have,” he growls at me.
The sun is breaking through the trees above, and I squint at the bright light after being in the darkness of my mind for hours. Looking at how high the sun is, I know it is late in the morning. I wipe off the dead leaves and dirt sticking to me before trudging through the forest and back home.
Opening the back door leading into the dining room, I see Kat making coffee at the counter. Noticing me, she grabs an extra cup down.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“My dad… left,” she sighs, holding the cup close to her chest.
“Yes, last night, I’m sorry, Kat, he went rogue,” I explain, walking around the dining room table toward her.
She takes a deep breath before meeting my eyes. “Will you let him come back when he returns?” Carefully, she pours the milk into each cup, gaze intent on her task.
“Of course, but he might not come back, Kat,” I admit, hoping she wasn’t relying on his return.
“He will, I know my father. He will come back. He won’t abandon me.” Her voice is so weak, I wonder how much she believes her own words. I have my doubts after last night. Glancing around, I wonder where Mateo is.