Chapter 63


    Chapter Sixty-Three


    I wake up to a foot in my face. And the tickle of hair beneath my nose.


    My daughter is curled against my side, her hair a tangled mess around my face.


    The foot belongs to my son. His head is at the bottom of the bed, where his arms wrap around Cam’s


    wolf form. His legs point at me.


    It’s still early in the morning. Too early to want to get up.


    Cam’s head swings toward me bemusedly.


    Jace is back. I need to go check on Merilee. Are you okay?


    I nod.


    He slides from the bed and pauses beside the door. Cam may be in his wolf form, but his movements


    are decidedly human. He tilts his head, seeing the three of us curled up on bed. He stays there for a


    few seconds as if he’smitting the sight of us to memory.


    The very idea of us being a real family after all these years is almost impossible to believe.


    I like the idea of it. I didn’t have a normal childhood, and I want my kids to have a stronger foundation if


    they can.


    My daughter makes the faintest snoring sound and it’s so stinkin’ adorable I gather her closer and kiss


    her head.


    She smells like baby shampoo and sunshine.


    I know these days of cuddles and closeness won’tst forever. And I need to soak up every moment I


    can with them.


    I close my eyes and settle in, hoping the kids will sleepte and we can enjoy this bit of quiet.


    “Why didn’t youe to Pop-Pop’s to see us?”


    It’s my daughter. Her eyes are still closed.


    “Mommy was so exhausted after the trip with Daddy, I had to rest a bit.”


    My daughter opens her eyes and when she stares at me, the look in her eyes makes me feel like dirt.


    “You could’ve seen us first and then rested.”


    She’s hurt.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I suck a breath. “Sweetheart, mommy loves you!”


    “If you loved me, you would’vee straight home. Instead ofing here.”


    I want to cry.


    She’s hurt andshing out and though both my children are mature for their ages, they are still very


    young. However, I can’t go down that spiral of trying to exin. On the surface, that might seem like an


    easy solution, but saying I was sick or sad or needed alone time…there is no version of the truth that


    won’t make her more upset or stressed.


    “Oh my baby,” I tell her, dragging her even closer for a tighter hug. I try to find the words… “Mommy is


    very sorry. I thought I was making the right choice. But I was wrong. I won’t make that mistake again.” I


    hold up my finger. “Pinky promise. I’llmunicate better.”


    We twist fingers on it and she’s content. She snuggles in again and puts her head on my chest.


    I listen to the steady sound of her heartbeat.


    My son’s breathing changed the moment Jacelyn started talking, so I know Aaron is awake, but he’s


    listening and processing. And if I’m being honest, I’m really d they didn’t tag team me on this.


    “I love you, my babies,” I whisper. “Let’s cuddle a little longer, then I’ll make some pancakes.”


    “With chocte chips,” Aaron says.


    He knows chocte chip pancakes are a rare treat.


    “To make up for not seeing us,” he goes on.


    Wow, that’s a lot of guilt. “Well yed, my son.”


    He giggles. So does Jacelyn.


    Theyugh andugh and the sound is like a melody.


    It brings the first real smile to my face.


    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


    JACE


    The ne touches down and I nce around at the passengers.


    Den is beside me in the cockpit. Jacob has resumed his seat at the back, hisputers are up and


    he doesn’t look real happy about whatever he’s looking at.


    We have two vampires that are sleeping in the second tost row. That’s gonna be fun, bringing them


    back to pack.


    Michail’s in the next seat with the female wolf we rescued from thebs. He’s got her on hisp. Come


    to think of it, I’m not sure he’s put her down at all from the moment he swept her up in the basement


    Morgan’s in the first row of seats. She looks pensive.


    She isn’t wearing any mour now, and I almost rather she’d keep the icy look. When I see her like


    this, in the aftermath of theb, she seems too vulnerable.


    “Touching down in five,” I tell them as we prepare fornding.


    It feels like a week has passed since we left for California.


    It’s been barely a day.


    The amount of shit one can get themselves into in twenty-four hours is staggering.


    Cam, we’re iing.


    The response is immediate. I’ll meet you at the jet.


    I see the convoy at the edge of the runway. Several cked out SUVs idling and waiting. He’s been


    anticipating our arrival.


    Maybe it’s the excitement of a cure for Merilee.


    Maybe my brother is about to call me to task for my transgressions.


    We’ll see.


    “Yo, Boss.” Jacob’s voice is low.


    I keep my eyes on the runway and my instruments. “Yeah?”


    “That C4 never detonated.”


    “The timer was set for 90 seconds. How can that be?”


    Jacob sighs. “Damn if I know. The remote detonators were calibrated. I checked them myself. Given


    the distance between theb and the holding cells…I can’t see how someone could find both loads and


    deactivate them in time.”


    “Unless,” Morgan says, “They knew we would set explosives and where we would put them...”


    I’m quiet while we touch down and focus on keeping us in the middle of the runway. The tarmac is slick


    and I wait until we slow down enough that I’m confident I can maneuver the ne safely. Then I look


    back at Morgan. “What are you saying?”


    “The woman…the one at the elevator. My mom.”


    “Yeah?”


    Den shakes his head. Jacob mumbles ‘damn.’


    “She could’ve done it.”


    “Your mom’s former military or something?” Jacob asks.


    “No. She’s just a clever witch.”


    “Working with explosives isn’t simple,” I say, “despite what people see on tv.”


    “I didn’t mean it that way… my mom’s the one who wove the spell for Ashley.” She rubs her eyes.


    “Damn it, I should’ve thought of this…”


    “What!?”


    “Magic always has a price, Jace.” She looks terrified. Her skin nches and her eyes go wide. “She


    made Ashley give her a gift in exchange for the mating spell used on your brother.”


    “I’m confused,” Michail says.


    “Ashley’s abilities as a Seer. That was the trade.” Morgan shoots to her feet and paces the central aisle


    of the ne. “Oh my god. She could’ve forseen all of it, Jace.” Her eyes are haunted when they turn to


    me. “The bombs. Our break-in. What we’d take from thebs…That we would’ve rescued the


    prisoners.”


    “Bravo!” one of the vampires exims.


    A secondter, they attack.