Page 12

After spending all morning procrastinating about this decision, as I help Harper pull on her shoes, I’m still doubting myself. I don’t want her to see me wavering, though. She really wants to bake Callum a cake to say thank you for helping her with her magic, which means a trip to the store.

I know it’s pathetic to be scared of walking into a general store, but in truth, I always have been. Even when I lived here in the pack, something as simple as getting food supplies was always traumatic. I’d try to pick the quietest time to go, but comments and whispers would accompany me down the aisles, the staff would try to avoid assisting me, and I’d leave completely rattled.

I don’t want Harper to have the same experiences as me, particularly after what happened at the park with the little boy. Although Callum has made her feel much better about it, I still feel anxious about seeing any of the other pack members in case they say anything about her magic.

Or ask who her father is.

It’s getting harder and harder to watch Callum with Harper and deny the truth. He worked tirelessly with her yesterday on her magic, and as much as I didn’t want to acknowledge it, their bond flourished so naturally. Although Harper looks just like me with fair hair and skin compared to his darker tones, seeing them side by side so closely makes the resemblance so much harder to ignore.

I haven’t outright lied to Callum about being Harper’s father because he hasn’t directly asked me if he is. Everything I have said about her father not being around and my knowledge of his magic has been true. But I feel like the more pertinent questions are coming. It’s only a matter of time. And Harper, too; will she ask me who her father is? Will I admit that she played with him in that beautiful meadow, someone finally understanding her gift, and I kept it a secret from both of them?

But what is the alternative? If Callum finds out the truth, he might want Harper to stay with him—especially now he knows she has the magic. But what about me? Do I stay and live somewhere where I’ll never be accepted? Would he want me to leave Harper with him? I can’t see him acknowledging a relationship with me in front of the whole pack…would he deny Harper was his and hurt us both anyway?

The thoughts continue to spiral in my mind as I pull my own coat on, Harper dancing excitedly around my feet. I try to ground myself in her simple joy at a trip outside; I smile at her as she grabs my hand to pull me out of the door, wishing I could bottle some of her perfect innocence so that she may stave off the realities of this world.

Harper continues chattering away as we lock the door and walk down the steps, taking in the beautiful day. The streets are quiet, and I’m hopeful we won’t bump into too many people as the morning rush is over. She's so excited about finding the right ingredients for Callum's cake that she asks questions about what we're going to make it look like, her eyes shining with anticipation.

We enter the beautiful old general store. It's huge, and I don't know where anything is anymore, so we begin wandering the aisles in peace as Harper asks questions about what we're going to make.

A bell jingled above our heads as we stepped inside, drawing attention from an old man sitting behind the counter. He immediately looked up from his newspaper and gave us a nod, obviously recognizing who I was. However, he didn’t say anything, which I was grateful for. He just went back to his reading. Maybe this will be easier than I thought.

Harper spots the rows of ingredients and decorations, pulling me toward the baking aisle. Her small frame is surprisingly strong when she’s determined. We begin to gather the ingredients, ticking them off the list Harper is clutching. I hear the bell jingling, signaling that more people have come into the store, but when I look around, I don’t see anyone. However, I soon hear voices from the next aisle.

"...and I don't know why he's decided to take them in," one of the women says, her voice hushed but still audible.

"It doesn't make sense. She could be working with the rogues, but he’s too blind to see it. That family was never right,” another woman replies, equally hushed.

"Yes, but we all know how stubborn Callum can be. Just like Ralph. I think he’s trying to prove a point to his brothers, handle the whole thing by himself." The first woman sighs. "I just hope this doesn't blow up in our faces."

"Well, I heard it’s not his brothers’ packs that are being targeted; it’s ours. Because of them ," the second woman offers. "I know there’s a child involved, but the whole thing is making Callum look weak. There’s a few of the men that aren’t going to stand for it."

“Are you going to the meeting? The one Jake is organizing to discuss alternatives?” one of them whispers. I don’t hear the reply, but it appears they’ve moved to the front register, as I hear the old man ringing something up for them.

My heart is suddenly heavy because I fear they’re talking about some kind of meeting that will go against Callum. I can’t believe they’d so readily turn on their alpha. Callum’s father, Ralph, ran this pack with an iron fist; no one would have dared question him. But Callum is still establishing his rule, along with the new divides between his brothers’ packs. Perhaps taking us in like this is more damaging for him than I could have imagined. Harper suddenly tugs on my sleeve and asks if we have everything yet, a small frown forming between her eyebrows when she sees my distraction.

"Everything?" I ask her softly, trying to keep my voice light. She nods emphatically, still unaware of the gossip surrounding us. I give her a reassuring smile, and when I hear the jingle of the bell, meaning the women have left, we head to the front to pay.

I cautiously lead Harper from the store, checking if any of the women may still be on the street and perhaps realize we overheard their conversation. Thankfully, the street is quiet, and we begin to walk back to Callum’s house. We cross the street, and I’m so lost in thought, replaying the women’s conversation in my head, that I don’t even notice Harper tugging on my arm.

“Mama, park!” she beams at me as she finally gets my attention. I glance over and notice the park is empty.

Seeing how enthusiastic she looks, I relent. “Five minutes, okay?”

She looks so happy as she takes off toward the small climbing frame and sand pit. At least with her occupied, I can really consider what to do about what I overheard. The idea of some kind of secret meeting to discuss alternatives to Callum's decisions about the rogues is worrying. They can't take matters into their own hands. It's not right, and it won't solve the issue. The rogues have caused problems for years and need to be dealt with properly, but I don’t want Callum to suffer for trying to help us. Deep down, I know if he was helping almost anyone other than me, the pack wouldn’t have an issue. It’s depressing to note that their animosity toward my family is as strong as ever. I wonder if Charlie ever gets grief over it or if he has sufficiently distanced himself.

I don’t dispute the fact that my parents and other distant relatives were troublemakers. Criminals, really, always fighting or stealing, certainly never conforming to pack life. But that wasn’t Charlie’s or my fault; we never followed their path. I never got into trouble at school. I worked hard—not that it mattered.

Harper calls out and waves; I fake a big smile and wave back, but inside, I crumple slightly. Looking around, the town looks so beautiful as the first fall leaves begin to appear, but I can’t fully appreciate it with the weight of all this hanging over me.

One thing I do know, though, is If I’m going to continue on with Harper to the mainland, I’ll have to decide soon. It would be better to get ourselves sorted before winter. I wish it felt simpler to leave Callum, and I curse myself for the feelings underpinning everything. I wish he hadn’t kissed me. I wish I’d pushed him away instead of sleeping with him. All I’ve done is hurt myself all over again. And the thought of never seeing him again, or Harper never seeing him again, only clouds my thoughts.

My wolf continues to linger on the edges of my consciousness, but I’ve felt her more in the last couple of days than I have in years. Perhaps being near Callum and reigniting the bond, if only from my side, is bringing her back to the forefront of my subconscious. If my wolf returns, I’ll be stronger for Harper. But who’s to say my wolf won’t vanish again if Callum rejects me once more?

I feel like burying my head in my hands, but I know I can’t. I don’t want Harper to be afraid if she sees me falling apart. I have to be strong for her—we’ve come so far. I just need to hold it together a bit longer. In the middle of giving myself a pep talk, out of the corner of my eye, I see some people cross the street seconds before Harper jumps down and runs toward the gate.

“Sara,” she calls out, waving frantically.

I feel momentarily calmer until I realize who she’s with. Charlie. I haven’t seen my brother in years, and even before I left the pack that day, I’d only seen him in passing for a couple of years before that. He did his utmost to avoid being seen with me. I can’t even bring myself to look at him, afraid of what I’ll see reflected back in his face. Disgust? Indifference? Regret? I’m not even sure which would be worse.

“Sara, Sara, look,” Harper calls out as she runs back to the sandpit to hold up some of the toys that she’s found. Sara waves and gives her a thumbs up.

“Have you ever seen anyone as happy as her?” Sara marvels, her eyes shining as she smiles at me. “You’re so lucky; she’s gorgeous. That’s Harper,” she says to Charlie.

For the first time, I risk a glance at Charlie. He’s looking directly as Harper and I catch a small smile tug at his lips. “She looks like a cute kid,” he finally says, glancing toward me and then quickly away again.

“Thank you,” I reply, attempting to keep my voice level. “She’s perfect.”

Sarah steps into the park and calls out to Harper, “Let me push you on the swings.” My heart sinks because I know she’s deliberately leaving me to talk with Charlie, but before I can think of anything to say, she and Harper are already heading to the swings, leaving Charlie and me standing in awkward silence.

As the silence stretches on, Charlie shifts his weight, shoving his hands in his pockets. Finally, he mutters, “Subtle, isn’t she.”

I smile. “She means well. She always has.”

“That is very true,” he relents, turning toward me. “How is she? Harper? She really is very cute.”

I glance over toward the swings and listen as Harper shrieks with delight as Sarah pushes her. “She’s great,” I reply. “We’ll figure things out, and she’s going to have a great life. Wherever we go.”

He turns to face me fully, and I see him properly for the first time in years. He’s noticeably older now and more mature. His beard is thicker than the last time I saw him, and I can see why Callum has picked him as a beta with his large frame. “You don’t think you’ll stay here?”

I can’t help the sigh that slips out, but I see no point in lying to him. “I have nothing here, and I want Harper to have everything.”

He winces at my honesty, but he doesn’t outright deny my words. Instead, he seems to mull something over before speaking again. “I think you should try to have something here. The rogues have only stepped up the attacks over the last few days,” he begins. “I don’t know everything, but Callum thinks the kid they’re looking for is Harper. I think you should let us try to protect her. For now, anyway.”

I want to bite back and tell him we don’t need his protection. After all, he didn’t care about protecting me when it mattered. But I don’t. I also don’t tell him that not everyone in the pack shares that sentiment. Honestly, I just feel blindsided by his statement and know I need time to think. Besides, what if Charlie already knew about the meeting that was going against Callum? What if saying something actually only makes things worse? So, I simply nod, and I turn to find Sara and Harper running back over to us.

“Harper was telling me you have to go because you’re baking a surprise?” Sara asks, raising her brows at me.

I blush but nod, pulling Harper in for a cuddle. “Yes, Harper wanted to bake Callum something nice for letting us stay.”

“Well, could you save some for me?” Sara asks and smiles. “Maybe I could pop around and check on you both tomorrow?”

Harper claps, and I can’t deny it feels nice to know someone wants to spend time with us. I nod and say goodbye quickly. It feels awkward to drag things out with Charlie, and he obviously feels the same as he nods, smiling at Harper. As we leave the park, Harper begins to ask questions about who Sarah’s friend is and how I know him. I try hard to change the subject without lying to her, but I can’t quite bring myself to tell her the truth about the brother I loved more than anything who broke my heart.

The one thing I do know, though, is that I can’t let Callum walk into a trap. Whatever he has done to me in the past and how he feels about me now is irrelevant. He’s still Harper’s father and has helped us. I owe him my loyalty in this.