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“This is not Mary,” a hoarse feminine voice greeted me.
“Hello, I’m Mira. Can you get Mary on the phone please?” I replied, wondering why a girl with a sore throat was picking Mary’s calls. The last I could recall, she had neither friends nor family.
“She can’t come to the phone,” the girl replied. Impatience bubbled beneath my skin.
“This is a very urgent matter, and I would really appreciate it if you put Mary on the phone.”
“Didn’t you hear a word I said? She can’t come to the phone,” the girl replied, her voice growing more agitated.
I decided to be the level-headed one between us. “Please ask her to give me a call when she gets home.”
I was about to end the call when the girl’s voice caught my attention, halting my thumb on the red button. “I’m sorry I raised my voice.” Her voice sounded broken, and I returned my phone to my ear to hear her out. “I’ve been doing this for a while, and it’s getting increasingly difficult.”
Her next word met me with the same force as a trailer slamming into a wall, knocking the air out of me and leaving pure agonizing pain in its wake .
“Mary can’t come to the phone because she’s dead. She died a few days ago. She was murdered.”
The words echoed in my head, and I gripped my wheel to keep myself from smashing my fist into my windshield.
Mary was dead? She was murdered. How was that possible? We spoke about a week ago, shortly after I was attacked. It wasn’t possible. Death didn’t happen that easily.
Another scream tore free from my throat, this one fueled by rage and pain. I don’t know how long I sat crying in my car, but when I lifted my head, the sun was sinking behind the horizon.
I turned on my ignition, an unwelcome but factual thought pushing its way into my head.
Mary was murdered a few days after a failed attempt on my life.
There were only two people who knew how deep my friendship with Mary ran.
One was a palace matron and physically incapable of attempting such, but the second person—green flashed through the back of my eyes, and I gripped my wheels tighter. I needed to get home.
If Mary was dead, it was only a matter of time till they extended the courtesy to everyone around me.
Noah’s toothy grin flashed through my mind, and I knew without a doubt that Lilith wouldn’t hesitate to harm him.
I sped down the road so fast that the world around me turned into a blur of colors.
I didn’t mind catching a public flight if I had to.
I needed to get my son and me as far away as possible.
*****
“Can I bring Mr. fish with me?” Noah asked, holding up a stuffed shark.
“You can bring whatever you want, baby, but some of them will arrive later than others.
His brows furrowed, and he stared at the toys scattered on the floor. “Why? ”
I was saved from the impending interrogation by a little noise from the living room, and I asked Noah to keep packing while I checked what was wrong.
The only warning I got upon my arrival to the living room was a scratching sound at the door before it was ripped off its hinges, revealing a ridiculously large man with glowing eyes and sharp canines.
Behind him, I could see the remains of some of my security men littered on the ground.
I was caught off guard and my brain went into a frenzy trying to figure out what to do with the situation, when Noah’s scream pierced the silence and another man pushed past me, forcefully getting into the house.
“You take care of her. I’ll get the boy. ”
The statement immediately threw me into action, growling and throwing myself at him. I was able to tear off his arms and gouge his eyes before I was ripped off him.
It all happened so fast. Two became three, and before I knew what was going on, my house was swimming with wolves.
I was mid-shifting when a loud growl pulled our attention to the door. Victor stood there, eyes as black as midnight, and the next I knew, black fur erupted all over him, and a giant black wolf stood where he was.
He went after the men without hesitation, tearing them apart with teeth and claws.
His attack provided enough time for me to fully transform, tackling my attacker to the ground.
Noah’s scream intensified, and the wolf I was fighting was ripped from under me. Victor stood above the struggling man, nodding me in the direction of Noah’s voice.
I ran into the nursery to find him trying to hide from a brown wolf. Red was all I saw before I attacked the wolf, distracting him from Noah and giving him some time to run into another room before biting deep into its back and snapping his neck.
I ran to my son, but his scream intensified, and I was reminded that I was still in my wolf form. I immediately transformed, pulling a blanket to cover myself, and I buried him in a hug, my shoulders shaking as the fear of almost losing him overtook me.
Noah went quiet, his eyes as wide as saucers, but he wasn’t pushing me away anymore.
I couldn’t blame him. He had just witnessed an unhealthy amount of bloodshed.
He also saw his mom in wolf form and then shifting back into a human.
I’ll make up a story for him until he’s old enough to understand.
This was not how I planned for him to discover his roots.
“Is he okay?” Victor asked, already in his human form, casually leaning on the door and wearing loose-fitting trousers that didn’t look to be his.
There was no drop of blood on him, and he didn’t look like he just fought off almost six wolves.
I appreciated the effort not to appear naked in front of Noah—naked and covered in blood.
I could only nod, not trusting my voice to stay strong if I spoke.
His eyes moved from Noah to me and back to Noah before he drew in a deep breath. “I can’t stop thinking of what would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten here on time.”
I raised my eyes to meet him. He looked like he was battling with the thoughts racing through his head. “But you did, and we’re safe, all thanks to you.”
He shook his head before squatting next to me, running his hands through Noah’s hair before returning his focus to me. “I’d die if anything happened to you two.” He drew in a deep breath, his eyes soft and his voice calm. “Will you marry me, Mira?”