He paused, looking over his shoulder.
I hesitated, then chickened out at the last minute. “Good luck.”
He gave me a speculative look, but nodded before racing out the door.
With a deep breath, I collapsed on the floor next to the still-sleeping Grace. I stroked her side, marveling at just how soft her fur was, feeling her chest rise and fall, as if needing to reassure myself that she was still okay.
I stared at the door, my mind swirling as it inevitably moved to Elias. After seeing the way he handled Grace, after watching him help her through her transformation, I had almost told him the truth. The words had been on the tip of my tongue. But I’d changed my mind at the last minute.
I could have blamed it on the situation. I didn’t want him to think about Grace and that bombshell while trying to fight off the wraith, and that certainly was a part of it. Except it wouldn’t be the entire truth. Because part of me, larger than I would have cared to admit, was still afraid. After everything, after the mating bond and everything that had come since, I didn’t know if I could handle his rejection a second time. He got along well with Grace and handled her incredibly well, better than I would have expected. He was good with kids, and he seemed to like her. But that was while he thought she wasmydaughter, notourdaughter. What if that simple word changed everything?
What if he didn’t mind that Grace was his daughter, but was furious at me for keeping the truth from him? How would Grace feel if she finally learned who her father was, only for him to reject her the way he had me? I knew what it was like to feelunwanted by your parents. The last thing I wanted was to subject my daughter to it.
I didn’t know what would happen if he rejected me and Grace, or tried to cast me out. Would he, considering I was his luna and the mating bond was fully in place? Maybe it would go back to the way it had been before the underwater spring?
I blinked, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to take a deep breath. At the moment, none of that was important now. The pack had bigger problems. I needed to focus on those. The rest could come later.
My eyes moved down to Grace, still tuckered out, still snoozing. Her paw twitched, then her whiskers, as if she were hunting something in a dream.
Let her sleep, I told myself.Keep an eye on her while she sleeps. Deal with everything else after.
Chapter 23 - Elias
I walked through the center of town, glancing around at the sand strewn across the ground, debris from nearby buildings littering the street. My men were working on going from building to building, checking for people and taking anyone injured to our now overworked healer and their apprentice.
Three of my men had died before we managed to chase the wraith off. Another half-dozen civilians as well. It would be back soon, though. With all the despair and chaos it had caused, it wouldn’t take long for the creature to heal and come back for more.
Sam appeared, a new scratch running down his face and along his neck, nearly carving through the tattoo there.
“Final counts are in,” he explained as he approached. “Eleven dead. Thirteen injured, but should be fine. Another four in bad condition, and the healer won’t know if they’ll make it until probably morning. Two buildings completely ruined. Another three in need of repair.”
“Tell the owners that we’ll cover all expenses,” I said.
Sam nodded. “It was heading toward the oasis,” Sam said. “I’ll bet my life on it.”
“Maybe change your phrasing for the time being,” I growled. “I’m not in the mood to lose anyone else. But, yeah, I’d agree with you.”
Emma had been right. It was looking for the source of magic in the area. Either it thought the oasis was the source, or it knew the underwater spring fed it and wanted to follow it.
I looked out to see a dozen worried faces, ones I knew had small kids around Grace’s age. And there were plenty of otherswho were probably at home, with their newly transformed children. Because if Grace had transformed, then it was almost inevitable that the other kids had as well.
I walked over to Rachel, who was hunched over an injured shifter, helping him with his bandages. She shot to her feet as I walked toward him, her eyes somber and grim.
“You okay?” she asked.
I gave her a smile I hoped was reassuring. “You know me,” I said. “I’m always all right.”
“Liar,” she said, with a faint smirk that evaporated almost instantaneously. She bit the inside of her lip as she stared out at the sand and debris scattered across the town square. “It’s pretty bad, isn’t it?”
“It’s not good,” I said. “But I’ve got something I need you to do.” When she nodded, I continued, “I need you to go around to all the families with small children and check on them.”
Understanding spread across her face as color drained from it. “You think their kids shifted?”
“I know they did.”
“Oh, God. Grace?” When I nodded, she let out a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll go check on all of them. They’re going to be frightened.”
“Everyone already is,” I mumbled as I took in the chaos surrounding us, my eyes lingering on a motionless body nearby. “We’ll figure out a way to help all the parents and kids in the coming weeks, but it’s important to know exactly who and how many and how old.”
