She cuddles him and lifts him up, continuing on her way up the porch.
There’s a sudden and terrifying screech.
“Who stole my pearls?” Lorelei shouts.
I glance at Devon with wide eyes.
“Lorelei?” Devon shouts and jogs towards the house.
“The thief struck again. Someone did this. Someone took them.” I hear her shout as I follow Sofia into the house.
Seeing Lorelei crying is a sight I don’t want to see again. It makes me deeply uncomfortable. Everything in me wants to fix it. I recognise it’s the alpha in me, but she’s not my omega, and I would be stepping on her alpha’s toes if I intervened.
Devon gets her into the kitchen, where she collapses onto the bench, sobbing. “Those were a gift from Milton and Franco on my bonding day.”
“Mum, we’ll find them.”
“They can’t be found; they’ve been stolen. I can’t believe it.” She sobs harder. “This thief has to be caught. We need to stop them. I can’t take this.”
“Lorelei, we will find the thief and get your pearls back. Our community is too small, and we can’t abide people like that in Sunshine,” I say gently but firmly.
I take her hand and squeeze it. She sobs, but it’s not as harsh.
I look behind me and spot Sofia hugging Danger close to her. She looks almost scared, but then Elijah touches her elbow, and her expression clears.
“I’m going to ring Franco and get him to come home. I’ll go and take over the restaurant tonight.”
“Oh, Eli, no. You don’t have to-”
“Yes, I do. You have been an amazing family to me, and I can’t stand to see you so upset.”
Elijah pulls out his phone and walks out of the room. Sofia stays in the corner watching us, but she’s withdrawing into herself faster and faster.
What is going on with her?
Franco appears fifteen minutes later, and Lorelei throws herself into his arms, sobbing inconsolably.
“Oh, hun, they are just pearls.”
“I thought you’d be upset!” Lorelei wails.
“I don’t care about those pearls. Lorelei, I will get you some more if you love them. I care about you. Don’t cry like this, sweetheart; you’ll make yourself sick.”
My chest tightens. I want that, I want it so bad I can barely breathe. I turn and take a step towards Sophia.
Her eyes are wide and glistening with something that has me wanting to wrap her up and carry her back to our lighthouse.
I close the distance, wrap an arm around her, and tug her out of the room and out onto the porch.
Devon is right behind me when I cup her cheeks and stare down at her.
“Sofia, tell me how to fix it. Tell me how to make whatever is making you afraid go away. Tell me how to make you smile.”
“I don’t know,” she whispers. “I can’t.”
She hugs Danger closer, and I realise that she’s withdrawing again, but then I inhale. Her scent is sweeter, more potent.
I exchange a look with Devon.
