“She didn’t want us to know,” Jen said. “She said herself she thinks she’s a burden tous.”
“She said she didn’t want to live. Do you think she’s consideredit?”
Jen frowned. “You mean taking her ownlife?”
“Yes.”
“A few hours ago, I would have said absolutely not. But now, I don’t know, Red. She’s broken. We all thought she was coping, but she was simply hiding everything.” Jen let out a sigh. “I saw Costin earlier in the hall. He’d come out of their room breathing like a bull about to charge. I tried to get him to tell me what was going on, but he wouldn’tbudge.”
“He left her?” Jacqueasked.
“I saw him head downstairs. From there I don’t know where hewent.”
“For Costin, the most patient of our males, to leave her side after everything she’s been through … that’s not a good sign,” Jacque pointedout.
There was a knock at the door.“Just come in. We don’t want to wake her up,”Jen toldDecebel.
She heard footsteps, and then the light from the bedroom was blocked by fourbodies.
Jen pressed a finger to her lips and whispered, “Rachel, we need you to work some of your gypsy mojo on our healer. But she needs to stayasleep.”
Rachel nodded as she stepped forward and knelt beside them. She placed a hand on Sally’s head and closed her eyes. Rachel’s hand began to emit a soft glow, and then itfaded.
“She won’t wake,” Rachelsaid.
“Dec, can you put her on the bed, please,” Jen said as she and Jacque climbed to theirfeet.
“Why do you need all of us?” Alinaasked.
“We need moms,” Jen said. “And I don’t mean us new moms who are still walking around like chickens with our heads cut off. We need the kind of moms who have been in the trenches. You’ve endured the horrible childhood hairdo disasters and dragged yourselves through the PMS valleys mixed with hormonal teen emotions. You’ve given advice to young men who needed guidance into manhood and cuffed a few who didn’t take your advice. We need those kinds of moms. That would be you.” She pointed at Lilly and Alina. “Congratulations, but your job isn’tdone.”
“Is it ever?” Lilly askeddryly.
Jen deadpanned, “No. Never.” She looked at Rachel. “Can you dig around in her head and see what’s going on?” Jen held up her hand. “And before you tell me how intrusive that is and an invasion of privacy, blah, blah, blah, I’m calling the possible suicide card. Sally was talking like she was ready to walk off a cliff. She’s given us an idea of what she’s thinking, but she’s one of the few people in this world that I will not live without, so if I have to invade her privacy to make sure she keeps breathing, then I will. Can you dothat?”
Rachel gave a curt nod. “I care about Sallytoo.”
“You can’t really know Sally and not care about her,” Jacque said. “She’s like a cute kitten. Can’tnotloveher.”
“True story,” Jen agreed. “Now.” She breathed out and pointed at Alina and Lilly. “You two, if you don’t mind, join me and Jacque outside. We have plans to make, a life to save, a marriage to restore, and all that noblecrap.”
The four women stepped out into the hall leaving Rachel to sift through Sally’s mind. Decebel was the last one out and shut the door quietly. Fane was striding down the hall looking as grave as Jenfelt.
“Jacquelyn,” he said as he reached his mate. “Are youalright?”
“I don’t know the answer to that question, wolf-man. Sally is in a badplace.”
“Dec, can you and Fane go and keep an eye on Costin?” Jen asked. “We don’t need him busting in on our intervention and going all caveman onus.”
Decebel leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “She will be alright,” he said softly. “She’sstrong.”
“Yes, she is,” Jen agreed. “But everyone has a breaking point. I’m afraid Sally has methers.”
Once Decebel and Fane were gone, Jen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked at Jacque, then Lilly and Alina. “We need to send Sallyhome.”
“What?” Jacque asked quickly, even as Lilly and Alina both nodded. Jen had known the two women would getit.
“I agree,” Lilly said. “Sally believed her parents to be dead for months. At first, we thought maybe giving her time before going to them would be wise, but after hearing you say she’s suicidal, I agree she needs a sense ofnormalcy.”
