“What?” Jen asked as she frowned.
“Forget it. I was confusing reality with a book I’m reading. Alina, I’ll meet you in a bit.”
* * *
Alina was pouringa glass of milk when Peri appeared in the dark kitchen. “Get everything settled?” the alpha female asked as she turned to look at the high fae.
“They’re all where they’re supposed to be, and their brains aren’t mush, so that’s something,” Peri said as she leaned against the counter.
“Why did you take their memories?” Alina asked.
“The biggest reason was simply selfish. I did not want to listen to Jen whine for the next two hundred years about how we let her baby get turned blue or how her best friends kidnapped her only to have their mates kidnap her from them. That crap was already old the minute Thia was safe.”
Alina laughed. “She does have a tendency to become a dog with a bone. But I imagine you have a better reason than that.”
Peri’s face sobered as she continued. “I took their memories because I didn’t want there to be any guilt or hard feelings. Thia’s safe and healthy. Sally and Jacque would have let the whole thing fester inside until it made them sick, and Decebel would have refused to trust anyone for the rest of his existence. Jen would forever live with the memories of her first week as a mother as being crazy and then scared to death because her three-day-old infant was kidnapped. Sometimes the memories of an experience cause more harm than the actual experience. I could prevent all of that, so I did.”
“Why didn’t you remove it from my memory?”
“We’ve been friends for a very long time, Alina. We’ve been through so many joyous and difficult things. You know the fae rarely form close bonds, even with one another. You and Vasile are the closest thing I’ve had to family and even more so now that I’m practically your sister-in-law. I knew I could count on you to remind me I can’t just take away memories because people get on my nerves. I’m humble enough to know I need someone to hold me accountable. If no one knew when I altered things like this, I might begin to use my power without thought or consequences. And you have the amazing ability to see past faults and mistakes to a person’s heart. I knew you would be able to remember without passing judgement on anyone.”
Alina nodded. “I’m honored you have chosen me as your confidant in this, Perizada. And I agree this ordeal is better left forgotten.”
Peri nodded. “Goodnight, Alpha. Good luck keeping your wolves in line.”
Alina smiled. “And good luck to you, Peri, with your own wolf. He’s related to my husband, so I can honestly say I’m going to enjoy watching your mating dance.”
“And to think, I was beginning to like you.” Peri grumbled. “Now I have to add you to the turd list.”
Alina stood a while longer in the dark kitchen after Peri had flashed from the room. Lucian was going to give the high fae a run for her money when it came to stubbornness. Peri had met her match, and she didn’t even realize it yet.
Chapter Thirteen
“It’s important to remember that whatever difficult thing you might be dealing with, it won’t last forever. It might last longer than you think you can handle, but it will eventually pass. In the midst of that difficulty, it’s so hard to see that truth. That’s why it’s vital that we have people around us who love us. A pack, if you will, that will remind you this too shall pass.” ~ Jen
Postpartum Day Eleven.
Jen staredup at the ceiling as she lay reclined on the couch in the library. Sally and Jacque were both plopped down in their own spots reading something mindless.
“This was supposed to be a girls’ night, you nerds.” Jen huffed. “Not a stick-your-nose-in-a-book-and-live-vicariously-through-characters night.”
“Here’s a novel idea, pun intended. Pick up a book and read it. Then you’ll be a part of our nerdom,” Jacque said as she turned the page in her book.
“I’ve read all the books in here.”
“No,” Sally said shaking her head. “You’ve read all the romance books. There’s a ton of other books that you haven’t even glanced at.”
“Not true,” Jen argued. “I had to have glanced at them in order to check and see if they were romance books.”
“You don’t need to read any of those books anyway. When you do, you get all hot and bothered. Then, you’re all over your mate like a rabbit in heat, and that doesnotneed to happen right now. We don’t need another baby popping out of you any time in the near future,” Jacque said. “You’re finally back to normal and out of your baby funk.”
“News flash, Red. It doesn’t take a romance novel to get me all hot, bothered, and rabbit-like when Dec is around.”
“Can we please refrain from talking about your love life and rabbits?” Sally asked.
“I’ll only stop talking about it if you two put down your books and pay attention to me,” Jen said, smiling innocently at her two best friends.
Sally and Jacque grumbled at the same time as they closed their books.
