Olivia took the pills with the water and said a quiet thank you. Mom watched her with a sad expression. She caught me watching her and gave me a small smile, but that smile faded when she looked back at Olivia.
Dad moved to the door and let Emmitt and Michelle in before I could respond.
“What’s this about?” Dad asked, shutting the door softly behind them.
“It’s about the Judgement Bethi and Olivia keep talking about. Olivia says that the Lady has already given Bethi the dream with the answer. Bethi just hasn’t figured it out yet. After talking to Olivia, I realized Bethi might not be the only one with the answers.” I looked directly at Michelle. “I think you need to tell us what you can see in that room of yours when you touch Mom.”
“Jim, your mother can’t—”
“Thomas, I can and will,” Mom said, giving him a hard look. “We’re all making sacrifices and taking risks to secure a better future. Isabelle, Mary, Gregory, Clay, Carlos…”
Dad sighed and ran his hand through his hair. A hint of desperation flavored his scent.
“At least this time, I’m close to a bed,” she said with a small smile.
He didn’t look reassured.
Twelve
MICHELLE…
I glanced at Emmitt, nerves twisting in my stomach. The last time I’d touched his mom, she’d passed out. It had taken her a long time to regain color and stand on her own.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I said.
Charlene looked at me and smiled wider.
“You are so sweet for worrying about me, Michelle. But we need to think about the people depending on us to stop Blake.”
My thoughts immediately turned to my brothers. I’d managed a quick call to them once we’d gotten here. Aden had cried while telling me that Aunt Mary had died. Liam hadn’t, and that scared me more than Aden’s tears. Blake had almost stolen his childhood from him once. I wouldn’t let him do it again.
“You’re right,” I said. “You can pull away when it gets to be too much, right?”
She nodded.
“There’s no need to pull away,” Olivia said.
I glanced at her, trying not to shudder at the sight of her eyes. If she had irises, I couldn’t tell because her black pupils seemed to consume them. How was no one else bothered by her stare?
Emmitt’s thumb smoothed over the back of my hand, and a gentle nudge in my mind brought a wave of comfort.
“Why is there no need?” Charlene asked.
“If Thomas holds you, you won’t feel as drained.”
“Really?” Charlene asked in surprise.
“Really. That’s the purpose of our Mates. To anchor us.”
Jim, who still stood near Olivia, frowned slightly as he continued to watch her. A surge of worry and pity welled up inside me. I loved him like a brother. The knowledge that he’d given up any chance of a family of his own to go after my brothers made me want to cry.
What’s going on in that head of yours?Emmitt’s thought interrupted my own.
Jim and Olivia. The way he looks at her. The way he fell to the floor the first time he saw her. It’s just like your dad and Grey. History repeating itself. I thought that was what we didn’t want.
It’s not exactly repeating itself. Grey never saw a potential Mate.
You’re not helping me feel any less guilty that he gave up his chance for a family to save mine.
