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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Saylor

The bitterness and rage in her voice causes May to burrow further it her lap. My throat closes.

“Who?”

“A friend who was in the pack. After your dad died, I knew we had to escape. It was never going to end. Even though he wasn’t much protection, once he was gone, Roger would be able to take over completely.” She takes a deep breath. “He guarded May. He had friends that watched her closely. I knew we couldn’t all go together. We were supposed to leave in different directions. I would take you. She would take May. We agreed to meet up in a few weeks. She never showed up.

“I tried to call. She wouldn’t answer. I didn’t know what to do,” she sobs. “I couldn’t go back there. You have to understand,” she cries. I place a hand on Elijah’s chest and she softens her voice. “I couldn’t live through any more.”

“So you left her?” I can’t wrap my head around it all. She has been violated in so many ways, but I can’t understand leaving a daughter. She knows what kind of monster the Alpha was.

“I tried to go back so many times. I kept calling my friend, hoping she somehow got away but lost her phone, or she forgot where to meet me.” Her self-loathing is clear. “I moved on. I couldn’t stay in one place for long.

“Years later, after the many times I called, she answered. She told me to stop calling. That someone killed the Alpha. She said she gave May to a couple that couldn’t have children. She didn’t remember me and wouldn’t want to see me. My friend found her mate and left the pack.”

“It wasn’t true,” I guess.

“No,” she sighs. “She did marry and move away. She left May in the pack to be raised by them. She was shuffled from me, to my friend, to the remaining women in the pack.”

“So how did you find out?”

“I was so tired of running. I thought maybe I could reason with Grant. I thought maybe he would be different that his dad. He wasn’t. He said that May was with the pack and had been the whole time. He wanted to make a trade. You for May.”

“Why would you think he would be different, or that he would keep his word?”

“I was desperate. I needed to know that she was alright. I wanted my girls together. I wanted a normal fucking life,” she grits.

I rub my head. “He didn’t keep his word.”

“He didn’t bring May with him. He wanted all of us in his pack. He wanted to control us. I had to get you away. If I could make sure you were okay, I would go with him and meet my other daughter. I knew you could take care of yourself but May was in the middle of hell.”

“You were badly injured.”

“I was but I healed. I met May,” she says, directing her words to her. “She was angry. She had been told many things that weren’t true. It took over a year for her to have an honest conversation with me. I understood her resistance.” She looks back at me. “I would understand your anger too. I didn’t want to leave you, but I had to make it right with May.”

“And did you?”

“We still have work to do,” she answers. “I have a lot of time and trust to make up for.”

We fall silent. I give my attention to my mate. His heart is steady. Right now, all I want is for him to open his eyes and tell me that everything is going to be okay. He would know how to handle the situation.

I desperately missed my mom, but I don’t know how to feel about her actions. I do know that she has been through something that I can’t totally relate to. I can imagine how such a horrible experience would feel, but not fully. We can’t go back. We have to move forward.

“I want to get to know my sister,” I say and look at May. She is watching me and Elijah. “I want to be a sister to you.”

“I would like that,” she says quietly.

“I love you, Mom,” I start. “I won’t pretend to agree with all the things you did, but I don’t think I have to in order to love you and have a relationship with you again.”

She sighs in relief. “Thank you. I want to be here for you.”

I jump when I hear, “Where the fuck is our brother? And who the fuck are all of you?”

“I’ll stay in here with your mate if you need to take care of that,” May offers.

I just nod and push off the bed carefully.