Chapter 13
Chapter 13 Paisley in trouble
Jane
This isn’t happening. Riley is grinning up at me and waving a magazine with Ethan’s handsome face
stered across the cover, and all I can do is stare down at her in horror.
“Ma’am,” The coffee vendor prods my elbow, trying to catch my attention, “Ma’am, yourtte?”
Closing my gaping mouth, I blindly extend my hand towards the man, and he presses the warm
cardboard cup into my palm. I can’t exin it, but tears are burning in my eyes. We should have never
come here. This is all too much. My wolf is whining in my head, as if the mere sight of my former mate is
too much to bear.
When I saw him in the restaurant i’d been so focused on retrieving Riley and getting out of there unseen
that I didn’t let myself truly process seeing Ethan again after so long. It’s almost like my body went into
survival mode. Now that I’m staring at his picture, held aloft in my daughter’s tiny hands, it’ salling
back to me. He’d looked every bit as handsome and dashing as I remember, and the worst part is that he
was holding one of my babies, a sight I’ve secretly dreamed about more often than I’d like to admit.
“Mommy?” Riley asks again, tilting her head to the side.
It’s just a question. I think in frustration, stop being silly and answer her.
“It does look sort of like him” I agree, taking the magazine from my pup and recing it on the rack. I
hate lying to them, but in my heart I know it’s the right thing to do. I’m protecting them.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Parker pipes up on my other side, “You look sad.”
“How could I be sad?” | reply, “I’m with you.”
“But Mommy, you look really pale.” Ryder frowns, exchanging an uneasy nce with his siblings.
“I suppose I’m a little tired… and it’s awfully cold out.” || improvise, shivering in the chilly autumn air. “I’ll
tell you what, instead of the park, why don’t we go back to Linda’s and curl up in front of a nice big fire
with some hot chocte?”The pups are still looking back and forth between each other as if they’re
unsure how to read my strange behavior. I know they’ re not convinced by my weak cover story, but I can
also see they don’t want to upset me. “Okay Mommy, but maybe you should take a nap.” Riley suggests,
reaching up to hold my hand.
“That’s a good idea.” I answer warmly, squeezing her paw.
When we get home the children bend over backwards to make me feel better, dumping half a bag of
marshmallows into my cocoa and telling jokes until I’m smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. Once we’re
settled in front of a roaring fire, the kids pile on top of me and take turns reading aloud from their favorite
books. I truly hadn’t nned on taking a nap, after all, my excuse about being tired was just a lie. Even
so, my eyes grow heavy as my pups’ beloved voices weave stories of far off ces, and before I know it,
I’m asleep.
After Jane dosed off, Parker, Riley and Ryder tip-toed away into their temporary room. “That was bad.”
Parker sighed. “Mommy was really sad.”
“I think she must miss Daddy and our sister lots.” Riley suggested.
“But then why did she run from them at the restraunt?” Parker questioned.
“Someting must’ve happened to split them up.” Ryder reasoned, “After all the int said she died.”
“We have to help her find ’em again.” Riley insists. “I want Mommy to be happy.”
“We should all be together.” Parker added, thinking of the father and sister they never knew existed.
“We’ll think of someting.” Ryder announced, “We’ll make it better. We have to.”
Meanwhile, across town Paisley struggles with a dilemma of her own. While Ethan was at work, Eve
arrived at the penthouse to help Paisley get ready to go out that evening. They were celebrating her
Grandmother’s birthday, and as much as Paisley adored Ethan’s mother, she felt very
differently about Eve. The she-wolf clearly liked her Daddy a lot, but she never hid her hatred for his pup.
Even now, when she promised to care for the child as if she was her own, she simply tormented her.
After dismissing the babysitter, Eve promptly locked Paisley in the bathroom so
that she “wouldn’t have to see her ugly little face.” Knowing she had at least an hour until Ethan would
arrive home, the cruel woman strutted away into the luxury apartment and helped herself to a bottle of
wine.
At first Paisley simply slumped down on the floor and waited, but the more time that passed, the angrier
she grew. It wasn’t fair, and she hadn’t done anything to deserve a punishment. Why was Auntie Eve
being so mean? After a while her thoughts turned from sulking to revenge. A lightbulb soon clicked on in
her mind and Paisley jumped to her feet with a : grin.
Pounding on the door and begging to be let out didn’t work, so Paisley started to scream and cry instead.
Not wanting anyone to hear the infuriating brat and certainly needing the pup to be calm by the time her
father got home, Eve stormed to the bathroom just as Paisley hoped she would. Listening to the she-
wolf’s footsteps approach, the clever pup scampered over to the bathtub and turned on the taps,
snatching up the hand-held shower head.
Just as Eve stormed in, Paisley aimed the shower head at the door and giggled gleefully as water
sshed all over the morous woman’s designer dress. Eve screamed bloody murder, soaked head to
toe and turning as red as a tomato. A stream of obscenities flew from her mouth, “You’ve ruined my
clothes!” She shrieked. “I’ll kill you, you hateful little brat!”
She tried to lunge forward, but was blinded by a fresh stream of water. Dropping the faucet, Paisley
skirted around Eve while she wiped her eyes and ran out of the bathroom. She was stillughing when
Ethan walked in a little whileter, her mirth peaking when he asked Eve why she was all wet. The
she-wolf tried to get Paisley in trouble, saying the pup yed a terrible trick on her, but the Alpha didn’t
take the bait.
Unfortunately Paisley’s good-humor didn’tst long. At dinner her grandmother gushed on and on about
how wonderful Eve was, retelling the story about how the brave she-wolf almost died saving her from
rogues. Then, to the young pup’s horror, she asked when Ethan was finally going to marry Eve.
“All right you two.” The elegant woman grinned, “When’s the wedding?” Reaching over to pat Paisley’s
cheek, she added, “I. want more grandpups while I’m still young enough to enjoy them.”
Paisley looked back and forth between Ethan and Eve, certain she must be hearing things Her Daddy
couldn’t marry the horrible woman, especially not now that she knew her real Mommy was out there
waiting for her. When Eve only offered her a conniving smirk and Ethan shot his mother an annoyed look
for spoiling the news, Paisley burst into tears. Sobbing and climbing into Ethan’sp, she begged him not
to marry Eve, “Please don’t Daddy! I don’t want her to be my Mommy!”N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.