Diane this morning.”
“She stopped breathing for a few seconds last night. Thought she was gone for sure, but she inhaled and came right back. Weak as hell, though. It definitely won’t be long,” Finn said. “Clara’s convinced Lydia keeps trying to say something but can’t. They were going to see if Diane or the Professor knew of something they could give her to help. I’m really not sure they have time for that.”
“How long do you think she has?” Vic asked.
“Hours,” he answered. “Maybe.”
“Damn,” Vic muttered. “I don’t know the woman, but I feel sorry for Clara and Amia. Hell, Amia already thought her mother was dead. Then to discover Lydia was alive and hated her own daughter. And now knowing Lydia has been drugged the whole time and manipulated into that hate. Jesus! That’s more than anyone should have to deal with. Now Amia’s losing her mother all over again without ever getting a chance to talk to Lydia. I can’t even imagine that.”
“Yeah,” Finn agreed. “Reno said she’s having a pretty hard time.”
“And Clara, too,” Vic added. “Lydia was the only mother she really knew. God, this sucks.”
“Maybe it’s good Lydia’s passing here, and we’re moving on,” Finn said quietly. “Easier to move on when you aren’t surrounded by memories.”
Vic nodded her agreement. “Not to mention Amia and Clara weren’t exactly greeted with open arms and friendliness when they arrived.”
Finn blanched and looked away, and Vic almost bit her tongue. She knew he still felt a huge weight of guilt over how he’d treated Amia when she’d arrived. He and Murphy had taken her downstairs to the storage facility and looked her in a room. Of course, Finn had overheard Amia say she was going to kill them all. And none of them had known her then or realized she meant the Blane Hunters would come after her and find all of them.
“Finn,” she said, touching his shoulder. “Amia and Reno both forgave you. You need to stop feeling guilty.”
“I wanted to protect us,” he said. “I didn’t know she was Reno’s mate. Didn’t have a clue what she’d been through. God, to know I brought the terror of being buried alive back to her…” He shook his head.
“Stop,” Vic said, thinking there were a lot of people who needed a fresh start away from this place. “Go talk to Murphy. I’ll meet you out there.”
“Yeah,” he agreed and walked away.
She found herself thinking Finn needed a good woman in his life, one who would help him heal the scars he’d buried deep inside. She hadn’t realized he was lonely until he’d said something to her. But she saw it, now. He laughed and joked, but he didn’t share any more of himself then that. What secrets did he hold inside himself? She imagined it would take a hell of a woman to mate Finn, and she was looking forward to him finding her.
She walked outside and headed toward the cabin, and her mind flooded with memories of her and Gideon. She was another one who would need to get away from the visual reminders of what she’d had but not been able to keep. The cabin, the house, hell even the woods held vivid memories of her and Gideon. Still, somehow she doubted moving would ease the ache when he was gone. The man had spiked her emotions from the moment he’d arrived and kept them that way. She had no doubt her life would never be the same.
Gideon listened to the women talking about Lydia. She wasn’t doing well at all. He busied himself, taking a blood sample from his arm then setting up the tests he wanted to run on it. He’d had to force himself away from Vic this morning. His beast was pressing hard, demanding things he couldn’t give in to. What really worried him, though, was the burn he felt inside. If his results showed what he feared, that the feral fever was increasing, then he would need to leave soon. He couldn’t risk being around Vic. He’d end up trying to claim her as his mate, and she deserved better
“She stopped breathing for a few seconds last night. Thought she was gone for sure, but she inhaled and came right back. Weak as hell, though. It definitely won’t be long,” Finn said. “Clara’s convinced Lydia keeps trying to say something but can’t. They were going to see if Diane or the Professor knew of something they could give her to help. I’m really not sure they have time for that.”
“How long do you think she has?” Vic asked.
“Hours,” he answered. “Maybe.”
“Damn,” Vic muttered. “I don’t know the woman, but I feel sorry for Clara and Amia. Hell, Amia already thought her mother was dead. Then to discover Lydia was alive and hated her own daughter. And now knowing Lydia has been drugged the whole time and manipulated into that hate. Jesus! That’s more than anyone should have to deal with. Now Amia’s losing her mother all over again without ever getting a chance to talk to Lydia. I can’t even imagine that.”
“Yeah,” Finn agreed. “Reno said she’s having a pretty hard time.”
“And Clara, too,” Vic added. “Lydia was the only mother she really knew. God, this sucks.”
“Maybe it’s good Lydia’s passing here, and we’re moving on,” Finn said quietly. “Easier to move on when you aren’t surrounded by memories.”
Vic nodded her agreement. “Not to mention Amia and Clara weren’t exactly greeted with open arms and friendliness when they arrived.”
Finn blanched and looked away, and Vic almost bit her tongue. She knew he still felt a huge weight of guilt over how he’d treated Amia when she’d arrived. He and Murphy had taken her downstairs to the storage facility and looked her in a room. Of course, Finn had overheard Amia say she was going to kill them all. And none of them had known her then or realized she meant the Blane Hunters would come after her and find all of them.
“Finn,” she said, touching his shoulder. “Amia and Reno both forgave you. You need to stop feeling guilty.”
“I wanted to protect us,” he said. “I didn’t know she was Reno’s mate. Didn’t have a clue what she’d been through. God, to know I brought the terror of being buried alive back to her…” He shook his head.
“Stop,” Vic said, thinking there were a lot of people who needed a fresh start away from this place. “Go talk to Murphy. I’ll meet you out there.”
“Yeah,” he agreed and walked away.
She found herself thinking Finn needed a good woman in his life, one who would help him heal the scars he’d buried deep inside. She hadn’t realized he was lonely until he’d said something to her. But she saw it, now. He laughed and joked, but he didn’t share any more of himself then that. What secrets did he hold inside himself? She imagined it would take a hell of a woman to mate Finn, and she was looking forward to him finding her.
She walked outside and headed toward the cabin, and her mind flooded with memories of her and Gideon. She was another one who would need to get away from the visual reminders of what she’d had but not been able to keep. The cabin, the house, hell even the woods held vivid memories of her and Gideon. Still, somehow she doubted moving would ease the ache when he was gone. The man had spiked her emotions from the moment he’d arrived and kept them that way. She had no doubt her life would never be the same.
Gideon listened to the women talking about Lydia. She wasn’t doing well at all. He busied himself, taking a blood sample from his arm then setting up the tests he wanted to run on it. He’d had to force himself away from Vic this morning. His beast was pressing hard, demanding things he couldn’t give in to. What really worried him, though, was the burn he felt inside. If his results showed what he feared, that the feral fever was increasing, then he would need to leave soon. He couldn’t risk being around Vic. He’d end up trying to claim her as his mate, and she deserved better
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