Page 26

“Mama!” a little voice calls out, and I turn just in time to see Cleo running full speed down the hall toward Yelena.

Yelena kneels down, arms wide, and catches her in a giant hug.

They both are crying, and it makes my wolf even more anxious to gather them up, claim them, and protect them. They are ours.

It’s several minutes before Yelena and Cleo have calmed down enough to release each other. We wave goodbye to the curious receptionist and make our way back to the truck.

“Oh no! I don’t have a safety seat for Cleo,” I say when we get there. I want to kick myself for forgetting that crucial component. What kind of father forgets about that kind of thing?

“Just this once, we’ll be fine. We need to be home,” Yelena says quietly. I help her and Cleo into the back seat of the truck and then climb in and head toward Yelena’s house.

This time, I drive under the speed limit, hyper-aware that my child and my mate are vulnerable right now.

Yelena and Cleo have their heads together and are whispering back and forth. I can’t quite make out what they are saying but I am relieved when I hear them both laugh. They’re going to be okay.

Once inside, Yelena goes to shower and change, and Cleo and I make sandwiches together in the kitchen.

“You rescued Mama,” Cleo says as she carefully spreads jelly on a piece of bread.

“Because you warned me, kiddo,” I tell her, handing her the peanut butter. “So I think that means you rescued her.”

Cleo doesn’t say anything else, and I wonder if she Saw this. I want to ask her, but I don’t think Yelena will be pleased if I talk to her about her Seer abilities right now.

Finally, Yelena emerges, dressed in a comfortable pair of leggings and a button down flannel shirt that looks very, very familiar.

I stare at her as a rush of emotions floods through me. She looks so beautiful and vulnerable, and I'm overwhelmed with the urge to hold her, to comfort her. But I don’t think she would be receptive to that. At least not right now.

My wolf is ecstatic, seeing our mate seeking solace in something of ours. It gives me hope, even though I'm still haunted by memories of the past, of when things went so wrong between us.

“Mama!” Cleo says, running over to her and giving her a giant hug. “I told you not to go to the hospital.” Tears are dripping down Cleo’s cheeks, and it breaks my heart.

Yelena meets my eyes over her little girl’s head and then she looks down at Cleo. “Honey, did you see what happened today before it happened?” she asks carefully.

Cleo pales but doesn’t answer. I crouch down next to her and put a comforting hand on her back.

“Can you try to remember?” I ask quietly.

Cleo looks at me and then over at Yelena. She sighs. “It’s the dreams,” she says, her voice so quiet and small. “I see things in them. And sometimes they happen.”

Yelena chokes back a sob, and I reach over with my other hand and rub her shoulder. This pretty much confirms our suspicions. Cleo is definitely the new Seer.

“What does that mean? Is it bad?” Cleo asks, climbing into Yelena’s lap.

Yelena is now crying, so I take Cleo’s hands and smile at her. “No, sweet girl. It’s not bad. It just means you have a Gift. That’s all.”

Cleo screws up her face. “Having bad dreams is a present? I don’t like that. I would rather have a stuffed animal or a toy truck.”

I laugh and shake my head. “No, not like a present. As you grow up, we’ll teach you more about it. But for now, you should tell your mom about every bad dream you have, okay?”

Cleo studies me but then nods and moves to stand.

“I want to go draw,” she tells Yelena. Yelena sniffles but nods, and Cleo heads off toward her room.

I scoot closer to her and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my embrace. To my surprise and satisfaction, Yelena leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispers, “For everything today.”

I pull her tighter and press a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m in this, Yelena. For you. For Cleo. Forever.”

“Cleo is a Seer,” she sobs, wrapping her arms around me.

I comfort her as she sobs, drenching my shirt with her tears.

“She is,” I whisper, “But she’s not alone. She has you to protect her. And me. I’ll always protect her, Yelena. You have my word.”

Yelena pulls back enough to look at me. Even like this, with tear-streaked cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, she’s still the most beautiful woman in the world to me.

“Yelena,” I whisper, my eyes dropping to her lips.

She leans forward just enough, and I shift my arms so I am cupping the back of her head.

Seeing her like this, vulnerable and needing me, makes my decision easy. I close the small distance between us and press my lips to hers.

The kiss starts out soft and tentative, both of us uncertain.

But soon, passion flares, our hurt and fear fading away as we lose ourselves in each other.

My hands tangle in her hair as I deepen the kiss, drinking her in.

She clings to me just as fiercely, kissing me with an intensity that steals my breath.

We break apart gasping, foreheads touching. The air is charged between us. As much as I want to go further, I know I shouldn’t. Yelena isn’t ready for that, and I refuse to ruin my precious second chance with her. I need to show her that I’m different now. That I’m ready to be the man she deserves.

"I should go," I whisper, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “And you probably want to check on Cleo.”

She blinks, surprised, but nods. “Okay,” she whispers back, scrambling to her feet.

To my surprise, she holds out her hand. “Come with me?”

I let her pull me to my feet and together we went to check on Cleo.

My heart feels full. I know I’m on the right path.