Chapter 267


    LEAH


    I don’t know why I’m surprised to find out Emily and Jessica were best friends, considering Aaron and


    James are equally close, and they all grew up together.


    I climb slowly out of the SUV and then walk around to join James.


    “Did you know she wasing home?” I ask him, trying to


    keep the usation out of my voice.


    He knows how contentious things have been between me and Jessica over the years, with Aaron firmly


    in the middle. The least he could have done was given me a heads up.


    “No, I didn’t know,” James says, shaking his head.


    I can tell he’s being truthful, so that alleviates some of my annoyance at least.


    Aaron had mentioned that Jessica had taken an extended vacation and gone to stay with some


    rtives in another pack somewhere–at his expense of course–and it’d been easy to put her from my


    mind and simply believe she might never


    Her timing, however, couldn’t have been worse.


    I don’t want to have to deal with her and all that petty rivalry right now with everything else going on.


    Eventually, Emily and Jessica are over the shock of their


    unexpected reunion and I slowly walk toward the mansion, debating whether I should ask Jessica why


    she’se back.


    As I get closer, her eyes narrow, and that pretty much seals


    the deal for me.


    Jessica and her nastiness are not worth my time or energy right now.


    I ignore her and keep walking, but I can hear her and Emily whispering between themselves, and know


    they’re talking


    about me.


    Emily hates me for who I am, and Jessica hates me for what


    she thinks I took from her.


    There is no way in which having them together and against me is going to end well.


    As I reach the doorway, I hear James greet his sister.


    “Jessica, I didn’t know you wereing home,” he says, and


    I pause just inside the doorway where they can’t hear me to


    listen in.


    “How could I note home? I heard about what happened


    to Aaron. Basically, every wolf in Montana is talking about it.


    I left toe home as soon as I heard. Aaron was the love of


    my life. He should have been my mate. I needed to be here for


    the funeral.”


    I spin and walk away, not waiting to hear what James says in


    response to that.


    Jessica’s words make my stomach tighten with an old, familiar churn of jealousy and anger.


    She doesn’t have the right to im Aaron was the love of her


    life.


    I doubt she knows what real love even feels like.


    The kind of soul–deep connection that Aaron and I shared was nothingpared to whatever young


    romance they had


    before I came along.


    And I’m sure she’s going to swan around the mansion and grounds, acting like she’s the widow and her


    whole life is over while I do the real work of looking after Aaron’s son, seeing to


    the welfare of the packs and running the businesses.


    Jessica doesn’t have a clue, and I can only hope she’ll go back to wherever she was once the funeral


    is over.


    However, with Emily back in the picture, I get the feeling hoping Jessica will leave might be wishful


    thinking.


    I go upstairs and find Ethan with Tera. As I’d hoped, it’s time for his next feed.


    I sit in the new nursery that James put together while Aaron and I were being held captive.


    It’s in a room across from Aaron’s bedroom, and I have to say,


    James did a wonderful job.


    There’s afortable recliner/rocker chair to sit in while I’m


    feeding or settling Ethan, and I sink into thefortable chair


    with Ethan in my arms, fussing for his bottle.


    As he starts greedily gulping down his milk, I smile and feel grateful for this small slice of quiet and


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    peace with my son.


    These moments are few and far between, with our lives being soplicated like they are, so I want to


    make sure I treasure the times when its just me and him, and things are simple.


    Quickly though, as the bottle empties and Ethan starts lulling off to sleep, my mind starts going back to


    all the problems I


    need to take care of.


    One of the biggest being the damn Al tech.


    I was really hoping we might have found it today.


    Instead, James and I ended up bringing home a miracle that’s probably going to end up being yet


    anotherplication, if Emily’s attitude toward me is anything to go by.


    ”


    I’m running out of ces to look for the Al tech, and wonder


    what else I can do or who else I can ask.


    *


    a


    *


    x


    An ideaes to me, and I’m not sure whether it’s a good one


    or not.


    But that’s half the problem.


    I seem to be running short on good options these days.


    So, I think, what the hell.


    Aaron is gone and my life is never going to be the same.


    What’s one more risky y in the grand scheme of things? Especially if it ends up paying off.


    It’s time to ask Ryker for help.