But now Dawson has left me no choice but to flee the home I built for Gio and me.
Pulling back, I stare at my son's face, gazing into the eyes that resemble my own, glossed over with unshed tears. He's scared, afraid of my panic, and I cradle his plump cheeks and console him with a smile.
“Nothing's wrong, baby,” I assure him with a gentle cooing sound. “You and I are gonna go on a little adventure, okay?”
Gio's eyes widen and light up eagerly.
“Adventure?!” he perks up, and I've somehow successfully dispelled his worries. “Where are we going?”
Giggling lightly to hide my own worries, I get to my feet and take his tiny hand to lead him into the cabin.
“It's a surprise,” I say as we enter. “Now, you'll have to pack all your favorite things into one bag. Can you do that for me?”
Gio rushes out of my grasp and skips to the bedroom, coming back while clutching his favorite stuffed animal. He nods fervently, a smile stretching across his lips when he says, “I have Elie! I don't need anything else!”
***
It only takes us a few minutes to pack up what we need, and the howl in the distance alerts me that we don't have much time left. The Moonshine wolves are going about their nightly patrols, and soon, Sam and Darius's decapitated bodies will be discovered.
We have to get going.
My only consolation is that Dawson didn't follow me back to the village. He has no idea that Gio exists or that I'm planning to flee another wolf pack.
I just have to be careful not to alarm Gio, maintaining composure over my emotions as we prepare to leave the cabin.
“Ready, baby?” I ask as I take Gio's hand.
He nods eagerly, the broad smile on his face easing my concerns.
For the moment.
“I ready, Mama!” Gio declares proudly, his tuft of dark hair waving about as he nods and tightens his grip on my hand.
Offering him a warm, reassuring smile—perhaps to reassure myself that we're going to be okay with the sudden escape from Sunrise—I turn my attention to the door when a bleating cry slices through my eardrums.
The sound can't be heard except in my mind; I know because Gio remains oblivious as he whistles a nondescript tune that mimics the lullaby I sing for him at night.
It's happening again….
I'm having one of those panic attacks that foreshadow a looming danger, dread twisting my gut as it did years ago when I had the psychic premonition that I was pregnant with Dawson's child.
It's how I found out that I was carrying Gio in under a week after conception. It's how I impulsively decided to leave, knowing that my child would face rejection and wanting to save him from the torture I suffered in Snehvolk.
Just like I need to protect him now. Whatever is coming outside that door is too strong to escape.
Turning to Gio quickly, I grab his little shoulders and stare deeply into his eyes, fear trickling down my spine when I see myself reflected in them. I was once a child, too, and no one could protect me from being rejected by the members of the pack I'd been born into. No one could protect me from the loneliness of solitude in that library.
Not even Dawson Black could save me then.
I have to save him … I have to save my son….
Which is why I instruct him in a stern voice, “You need to go hide right now. Remember the spot I showed you?”
Gio's eyes lose their sprightly shimmer as he recalls the drill we've often rehearsed in case of an emergency. He knows exactly what is needed of him and doesn't make a sound of protest when he realizes how serious the situation is.
All he does is nod, probably so in tune with my emotions that he can sense my inner panic and hear the alarm bells that ring in my ears. His knuckles pale where he clutches the shoulder straps of his bag, his heart-shaped lips pressed into a firm line as he spins around and marches to the bedroom.
As soon as he disappears through the bedroom door, the front door comes crashing in, spurring me to my feet to face whatever the threat is. It’s a group of Moonshine Pack members who charge into my cabin, harassing me with the brutal accusation that I’m responsible for the deaths at the river.
