Page 88 of Healing Fate

I reached for Micah’s hand for support. Everything inside of me screamed to grab my daughter and run back to the safety of our house where I could protect her from the idiocy of others.

“Breathe, Luce,” he whispered.

I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath, just waiting for someone to say something about my kid.

Our fresh start here in San Marco was still haunted by events of my past. I kept waiting for everyone to somehow find out about us and what we had been through and have this whole illusion come crashing down on me.

Most of the time those fears were laid to rest, but my anxiety spiked with unfounded fears every single time we entered a new situation, and I certainly hadn’t been prepared for this one.

His thumb drew small soothing circles on the back of my hand. That simple little gesture helped center me. With a deep soothing breath to steady my shallow breathing, I managed to smile and nod appropriately as Mallick introduced me to a few of the staff there.

“We’ll hang back here. Why don’t you and Micah go with Marshal to meet Tabitha,” Lorraine suggested.

The old man turned back toward us as if he had forgotten we were even there, but his whole face lit up at the mention of his mate.

Silently we followed him down the hall and into a small room.

“Tabby, I brought you a new friend to meet. This is Vada,” he told her, but the woman didn’t move. The only sign of life was the way her eyes cut towards his voice.

Still, he approached her taking a moment to wrap his arms around her and kiss her forehead.

“Vada is Micah’s pup. This is her mother, Lucy. They haven’t bonded yet, but it’s only a matter of time. She’s his true mate,” he explained, filling in the silence of the room.

Tears pricked my eyes as I watched him interact with her. The love between them was tangible.

Micah led me over to an open chair. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Nanny, this is Lucy, my mate, and our daughter, Vada.”

The way his possessively claimed her, nearly broke me as fresh tears glistened in my eyes.

“Hi,” I managed to squeak out through the lump of emotions in my throat.

“I Vada. I two but almost free,” she told the woman talking to her much in the same way Marshal had.

A small smile tipped the corners of the woman’s lips as her eyes found Vada’s.

When Marshal sat down next to her and took her hand, Vada reached for her other and then she started to cry.

My heart dropped as I moved quickly to her side.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“She’s trapped, mommy,” Vada cried. “Help.”

I pulled her into my arms as she cried.

“I wish I could, baby.”

“No. Help,” she demanded as she grabbed my hands and laid them on Tabitha’s. “Fix!”

I looked up to Marshal’s face as he watched us and saw fresh hope in his eyes.

A terrible feeling settled into my gut.

Turning around I sought help from Micah.

“The damage was severe,” he explained. “A fall that caused severed head trauma. We’ve done everything possible to keep her comfortable and well cared for.”