Alright, guys. We are nearing the end of this story. I expect one maybe two more chapters? I don't know yet. Probably two short chapters? Also, don't forget to go vote. I do have the poll up on my profile. Don't forget that you have to be on the desktop version of the site to see the poll. I think anyway. A lot of people had problems seeing it on the mobile version. Please, please, please vote. It really helps me develop the story. I know I said I hate writing just to make fans happy, but I've started thinking of ways to change up the story just in case. Like this chapter for example. I wasn't planning on any of this in the beginning but here we are! So go VOTE!
Anywho, some of you have reviewed saying you've been having a rough time lately and that my stories help. Well, thank you. And I'm glad I could help. I understand how it goes. Sometimes reading was the only reason I got through tough times. But keep pushing on. You got this! Whatever it is you've got going on, you'll get through it. And I'll keep writing just for you.
Please Enjoy!
JulesPOV
The next morning, sitting at the small kitchen table in my and Bray's cabin sipping hot chocolate, I frowned when my phone chimed. It was really early for anyone to be awake right now. I'd gotten up to watch Mara leave. I surprisingly didn't cry. She'd been off saying her goodbyes to those she'd been close to and had only come back last night to collect the rest of her things. Apparently, after the fight, my brothers and my father had told her of their decision. She'd been off staying with Cricket. She'd be on her way to the airport right now
Looking at the message, I frowned harder. It was Dox.
Apparently, Uncle Walker had coded last night but our grampas had gotten him back. He and Ryell had spent the night over at the Cullen house so she could be near her parents. Carlisle had said something about being close to a cure but my brother didn't know how serious he was about it. He said he'd find out.
"Who was that?" Bray asked, slipping on a shirt as he walked into the living room.
"Dox," I said, holding up the phone so he could read the message.
His brows hiked up. "Damn. Is she okay?"
I shrugged. "Dunno. But after that, I doubt she slept alone, if you catch my drift."
"Can't blame her," he said, sitting down. Then he frowned. "Why are you up so early?"
My shoulders lifted again. "I have no idea. But I am waiting on something."
He asked what just as there was a knock on the door.
Grinning, I stood up and went for the door. One of Walker's wolves, Kyle, was standing there holding a box. "Any problems?"
He shook his head. "Nah, just needed to drill a hole and find a chain. My mate had an extra laying around."
I took the box. "Thank you so much. I owe you one."
He waved dismissively. "You saved all of our lives. I think it's we who owe you."
I gave him a smile. "Thank you. Really. It means a lot and I know he'll appreciate it."
Kyle nodded. "You're very welcome. Have a good day, Ms. Black."
"You, too."
As he turned away, I closed the door and lifted the lid of the box. It was perfect.
Bray was frowning at me. "What was that about?"
Still grinning, I skipped over to him. I leaned down to kiss his cheek and pressed the box into his hand. "A gift. For you."
Surprised, he looked down at it. "Really?"
"Really."
He looked up at me with a soft expression. "Thank you."
"Open it," I said with a smile.
He did as I asked. I knew the moment he recognized it because he choked up. "Wow." He cleared his throat. "Jules, this is…I love it. Thank you."
With a shaky hand, he picked up the long chain that had Thomas's favorite guitar pick hanging from it.
"I figured it wouldn't be as easy to lose if you kept it around your neck. In your wallet or pocket, it could always fall out."
Nodding, he slipped it on and then held the pick up to stare at it. "This is great, Jules. You're the best."
I shrugged, flushing with the compliment. "I just thought-,"
He was up and out of the chair a moment later, his lips on mine. "Stop being modest," he said against my mouth. "You're amazing."
Smiling, I pulled back and smoothed the trinket against his chest. "I know how much it means to you. And to me. Thomas saved your life. He deserves to be remembered."
Bray's lips were fierce on mine and what started out as a simple thank you was quickly turning into more.
Bray and I hadn't made love since I'd woken up in that bed. Too much had happened and the mood hadn't been right.
I guessed it was now as he picked me up and carried me back to bed.
RenesmeePOV
I woke to the smell of bacon and an empty bed.
Last night had been fairly awkward. Neither Jacob nor I had fallen asleep quickly. I'd stared at the ceiling for a good hour or so. But the dinner had been nice. Jacob had made me laugh with stories of us before the kids had been born as well as baby stories of all four of them. When I'd asked about Jules's eyes, he'd told me about his mother and the significance of her ring that was now mine. When I'd asked about the markings on her skin, I'd felt even more pride in knowing she was my daughter after he told me the story of how she'd saved the packs.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I decided I should get up and face the day.
Twenty minutes and a good face scrub later, I made my way upstairs. It took a while to go through all my clothes. I'd been hoping something would help jog a memory, but no such luck. In the kitchen, Jacob's back was to me as he stood at the stove making breakfast. What concerned me were the sheets on the couch.
"You slept on the couch?"
He turned, startled. Then he looked at the couch. "Both of us were tossing and turning. I figured it was because it was weird, so I decided to give you some space. When I checked on you, you were calmer. I just stayed up here."
Guilt made her flush and look away. "I'm sorry."
There were some noises before I heard the click of the stove being turned off. Then Jacob's heavy footsteps coming toward me. He was in a pair of jeans and a white tank.
And he stopped just in front of me. "Ness, don't be sorry. I really understand. This is tough for you. To be completely honest, you're handling this a lot better than any of us anticipated when we figured out the extent of your memory loss. We all thought you'd want isolation and not be accepting of any explanations. Instead, the day after you wake up, you're willing to try to sleep in the same bed with a husband you don't remember. It's impressive."
That made me smile and tear up at the same time. "You know, I can seriously understand why I fell in love with you. You're an amazing man."
Reaching out, he took my hand hesitantly as though afraid I'd pull back. When I didn't, his hold became sure. "I'm your man. Whether or not you remember me. My tie to you is still very much intact. The imprint is still there. So anything you need is yours. If you want me out of the house and to sleep somewhere else entirely, then that's what I'll do. But until you tell me what you want, I've made breakfast and have dug up every picture in this house I could find for you to look at if you want. I've heard that can help with memory loss."
The blurriness got worse as more tears gathered up. "Seriously? You did that?"
He nodded. "You said you wanted more than anything to remember who you were. Right now, you are what I'm all about. I'm going to do whatever I can to help."
Impulsively, I went up on my toes to kiss his cheek. There was a spark between my lips and his flesh. "Thank you."
When he stared at me, there was a heat to his gaze. A heat that he didn't act on. Instead, he cleared his throat and pulled back a little. "Why don't we eat? Then we can sit down all day and stare at pictures."
I smiled, still holding his hand. "I'd like that."
JacobPOV
An hour later, we were sitting on the couch with a photo album between us. Ness was laughing at a picture from the Thanksgiving we'd almost lost Seth. He was at the head of the table with a tiny Bray in his lap. The kid had gotten his hand into some mashed potatoes and had flung them on the side of my face. It was supposed to have been a family group shot.
"He was such a cute baby."
I nodded. "They all were. And then they grew up."
Playfully, she hit my arm. "They're still cute."
"Of course a mother would think so."
She frowned. "I'm a mother. I brought four kids into this world and I can't even remember it. I hate that. Especially now that I've met them. They're wonderful and so beautiful." She started to choke up, her fingers rubbing her eyes.
I reached over for the box of tissues. "Hey, there's every chance you'll remember. And if you don't, I will describe every last detail of their births for you. Because I do remember. And then you'll just make new memories with them. And with Cordy. With me."
Sniffling, she looked up at me questioningly. "But I'm not the same person. Am I?"
Taking her hands in mine, I gave her some serious eye contact. "Your mind might not be the same, but your heart and soul are. If they weren't, I wouldn't still be imprinted to you. You are still mine if you want to be. That door is always open. I will love you until the day I die, Ness."
She gripped my hands tight. "I feel so close to you, like I love you. I just can't remember."
"Hey, I'm not asking you for anything."
"I know," she said. "But I feel like I want to give it to you."
"Listen to me," I said sternly. "We are not doing anything, not physically. Don't you dare try to force yourself into wanting something until all three parts of you are on board."
She frowned. "Parts?"
"Head, heart, and body."
At that she let out a choked laugh. "Well, I have two out of three. My heart and body know you, Jacob. It's just my head that doesn't."
I both melted for her and died a little. "Oh, Ness. You'll know me. I promise. I will detail every bit of my life for you. You'll get so sick of me."
This time, she let out a real laugh. "Why don't we start with all these pictures?"
I grinned. "Deal."
We flipped a few more pages with me rambling out whatever I could remember about particular photos until she stopped with a frown and pointed. "Who is that?"
I leaned in. "Oh, that's Mara. She was our…pack…witch…" An idea dawned on me as I thought about her for the first time since the fight.
Ness looked up at me. "Jacob?"
"I think I know how to help you."
"What? How?"
Hurriedly, I dug my phone out of my pocket. "Mara was a witch, her power in healing. The only problem is, she might not help us."
Ness watched me. "Why not?"
I sighed. "After the big fight, we told her to leave. I told you about that."
She nodded but I had already hit speed dial.
"Jules!" I shouted when the call was picked up.
"Dad?"
"Listen, is Mara still on the compound?"
"No. She left a couple hours ago. Why?"
"Who's taking her to the airport?"
"Um, I think-,"
"Jules! Who?"
Flustered, she struggled to answer. "Elias, I think. Dad, what's going on?"
"Sorry, hun. I'll explain later. Gotta go." Then I was hanging up and dialing another number. "If I can get her to come back," I said to Ness, "she might also be able to help with Walker. I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier." I'd just written her off as good as gone and no longer of any importance. When the call was picked up, I tried not to yell. "Elias, is Mara still with you? Please tell me she's still with you."
He didn't ask anything. Instead just said, "We're pulling up to the airport now."
I sagged with relief. "Let me talk to her."
Two seconds later, "Hello?"
"Mara, it's Jacob."
Silence.
"I know you're angry with me right now, and I don't blame you. But we really need your help. Please just hear me out."
More silence. "Okay," she said finally. "I'm listening."
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. "Down to the point, Ness woke up not knowing who she is or anybody around her. And Walker is dying from an infection from a poisonous witch. If you come back and do everything you can to help them, I swear to you that I will override the kids' and my decision about you. You'll be able to stay here if you want. Hell, go live in Port Angeles with Cricket if you want. Or out in the woods. Whatever you want. Just please help me. Help us. If Walker dies, Christa will follow him and three kids will be orphaned."
There was rustling on the other end like she was moving around. "Are you trying to guilt me?"
"Yes. I'm not above that or bribery. Carlisle said he might be close to a cure, but Walker doesn't have that kind of time. He coded last night but they got him back. Barely."
I heard her take a deep breath and blow it out. "Elias," she said from far off, "turn us around, please. Get us back posthaste."
The last thing I heard before the phone clicked off was his affirmative.
Stuffing the phone back in my pocket, I turned to Ness. "I need to get down to the Cullen house. I've gotta talk to them."
She nodded but looked down at the book in her lap. "Would you mind if I stayed here? I'd like some time."
Shaking my head, I couldn't help but reach out to tuck a curl behind her ear. "Of course not. Take as much time as you need."
She leaned a little into my touch. "Thank you."
On my way to the door, I grabbed a shirt out of the laundry basket and slipped into it before hopping into my boots. "If you need anything, just call me. I think my number is under 'hubby' in your phone."
At that, she laughed. "Of course it is."
With one last grin, I was out the door and hurrying through the woods. I needed to talk to Carlisle and Ryell. Carlisle about the prospective cure, and Ryell about letting Mara work on her dad. She was the oldest of Walker's kids around. Haleigh had gone back down south to be with Garrett and their pack.
When I finally made it, the talk with Carlisle was actually uplifting. He'd started noticing a pattern to the changes of the poison every time he tried to cure it. He was integrating that pattern into the formula he was making.
"So where are the kids?" I asked after the explanations were over.
Carlisle looked up at the ceiling. "I haven't seen them. Still sleeping, I think."
My eyebrows shot up. "In the same room?"
With a smirk, he shrugged. "Ryell was having a rough night. I think Dox wanted to take care of her. They're in Alice's room."
Nodding, I jogged up another flight of stairs and went down to stand at the open doorway. Sure enough, both of them were in the bed, Ryell curled around Dox. My son had his arms wrapped protectively around her, his face buried in her hair. Her face was tucked away into his throat. They were both dressed so I knew nothing had happened, maybe some making out, but nothing major. Still, I couldn't resist wanting to mess with them.
Leaning against the jamb, I cleared my throat loudly.
DoxPOV
I frowned as a noise poked through the haziness between consciousness and sleep. It was a sound I recognized but couldn't place.
"Mmm," I grumbled.
The sound came again, but louder.
Terror at remembering had my eyes snapping open and my head turning toward the door. I felt the blood drain out of my head as I saw Dad standing there with a smirk and eyebrows raised.
"Dad!"
Instantly both Ryell and I were up. I hopped out of the bed and Ryell gripped the blankets to her chest, a mortified look on her face.
Dad looked at me expectantly.
I looked back at Ryell then to him. "It's not what it looks like."
Those dark brows climbed higher. "Oh? It looks like you fell asleep comforting your imprint as a wolf is supposed to take care of his mate. If that's not what I was looking at, then what was it supposed to look like?"
He was barely containing the grin, and I knew he was messing with me. Just like he did to Jules and Will about Bray and Hunter.
I relaxed but Ryell didn't know my dad as well as I did.
"Really," she said. "It wasn't anything. I asked him to stay with me."
Smiling softly, Dad held up a hand. "Ryell, sweetheart, it's okay. I was just messing with you."
It was her turn to relax. "Heart attack much, Uncle Jake? I swear I thought you were going to kill us."
He chuckled. "Nah. You're close to shifting. Dox is already phased and has nearly died for the packs. Someday you, Ryell, will lead a pack. You two are old enough to consider consequences of your actions and deal with them accordingly. Although, I might have killed him if you weren't his imprint and I found him in bed with a random girl."
There was a growl behind me. Dad and I looked over at Rye who quickly stopped the growl and coughed a little.
"I mean," she said and cleared her throat.
Dad laughed full out while I grinned at her. "Looks like I wouldn't have to worry about killing you. She'd do it herself."
Rye just bit her lip and shrugged.
"Get dressed," Dad said. "Meet me downstairs. We need to talk about something."
I nodded. He gave us one last look before walking back down the hallway.
Ryell let out a heavy breath. Then threw her pillow at me.
I managed to block it. "What was that for?"
"Your dad! I swear."
Laughing, I sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry. It's all good."
She growled a little. "Tell that to my heart."
Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her collarbone. "Just a joke," I whispered.
Immediately, I heard the flutter of her heart and the shaky breath. "I hate you."
Grinning, I took her hands and pulled her to her feet on the mattress. "No, you don't. You love me, and you know it."
She hopped down from the bed and stuck her nose into the air as she turned away. "I've already been embarrassed by that phrase, thank you very much."
I gripped her hand and turned her back to me, pulling her into the circle of my arms. "Which phrase?"
She rolled her eyes. "The L-word."
I scoffed. "When?"
Her expression turned exasperated. "You know, when we were talking about Ash keeping something from you. Before he came out."
Frowning, I rewound my memories. "Oh yeah. You used it as an example."
"A bad one," she muttered.
Most of the time, there was always a moment where you had a choice to say something or forever hold your peace. I guess today, I wasn't holding my peace. "It wasn't bad," I said. "Maybe early, but not bad. I understood what you were saying. And there's no reason to be embarrassed by talking about love with me. I'm your true mate if you're my imprint, which you are. So allow me to alleviate the awkwardness." Putting my fingers under her chin, I lifted her face until her eyes met mine. I made sure there was a heartbeat of serious eye contact so she knew I was sincere. "I love you, Ryell."
When the words finally processed for her after a moment, she gave a little gasp. "You do?"
"Yup. So you can't get rid of me now. We Black men love completely and forever."
Her smile was shy and small but steadily grew until she couldn't contain it. Bursting up onto her toes, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed the shit out me. After a moment of surprise, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her back.
Until there was a throat clearing…again.
We pulled back breathing hard.
Dad was leaning on the jamb again, arms crossed. This time he was frowning as he pretended to check his nails. "I seem to recall the words 'it's not what it looks like'." He looked at us with raised eyebrows. "Are we getting closer to what it was supposed to look like the first time?"
Ducking her head with a flush, Ryell quickly went to grab her bag and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Dad was smirking at me. "Love already, huh?"
I shrugged. "I don't know why you're asking. You know how I feel."
Smirk turning to a smile, he nodded. "That I do, son. That I do."
"Dad," I called to him as he was turning away.
"Yeah?"
"How's Mom?"
He took a deep breath. "She's…well, she's dealing with this much better than any of us thought she would. But she still doesn't remember. She's up at the house looking through photo albums."
Just hearing the sadness in his voice made me choke up. "I miss her."
He understood exactly what I meant as he nodded. "I do, too, Dox. But that's why I've called someone to help. Get dressed and come downstairs. That's what I want to talk to you about."
Nodding, I went to my bag as he left. I was pulling on my boots as Rye came out of the bathroom. She was in a pair of jeans, a red sweater, and her beat up tennis shoes.
"All yours," she said, putting her bag on the bed and repacking it.
After I did my thing, I took her hand in one of mine and both our bags in the other.
"I can carry my own bag, you know," she said.
I gave her a look.
She sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Love, shmove."
I squeezed her hand. "You know you like it. Don't even lie. You're so used to taking care of everyone or just being overlooked in favor of Haleigh or Wren. Well, those days are over. You're gonna have to get used to the attention, Rye. I'm not a shy guy and I want to show you off. You're my girl."
She tried to hide the shy smile behind her hair but I used our clasped hands to move it back.
"You don't have to hide from me, either. Don't ever think you're too clingy or girly. I want to be needed, so it doesn't matter what it is, but if you need me for anything, just tell me. Or just want me for something, tell me. Like last night, when you told me you needed me to stay with you. I don't regret that. At all. You know how this imprint business works. Your mom imprinted on your dad. I'm sure she explained it."
She nodded. "She tried. But I didn't believe her until I saw how you started to treat me after you imprinted." She snapped her fingers. "Just like that, you were all about me. It was, and still is, a little overwhelming for me to be someone else's focus." Bringing my arm against her body, she hugged herself around it before laying her head on my shoulder. "Thank you for what you said to me yesterday. It was exactly what I needed to hear."
Leaning over, I kissed the top of her head. "I meant every word. You're not alone anymore. Just think of me as your new, very large, very protective shadow."
Rolled her eyes up, she smiled. "I think I can do that."
I smiled at her before we had to concentrate on not falling down the stairs.
A couple minutes later, we were sitting on the couch and facing Dad, who was on the loveseat.
"So what's up, Uncle Jake?" Rye asked as she twined her arm through mine and threaded her fingers with mine.
Dad looked from her to me. "I've invited Mara back to try to help with Walker and Ness."
I frowned.
He explained. "I know we've all sort of written her off since she's been gone. Out of sight, out of mind. I was going through pictures with Ness when one with Mara came up. Seeing her got me thinking. She's a healer. Maybe she's seen something like the poison Walker is infected with." He looked to Rye. "Right now, you're the only one that can grant Mara permission. Haleigh is with Garrett and their pack, and Wren isn't old enough. We could easily call Haleigh, but you've got to learn to make decisions on your own."
I looked at her. She was chewing her lip, a frown between her pretty eyes.
She looked up at me. "What do you think?"
I shrugged. "Dad's right. She is a healer. I know I agreed with my brothers against her, but to be totally honest, after I thought about it more, I think we were a little too harsh with her. She's helped our packs for close to twenty years. Hell, Mara helped my mom when she went into labor with me and Ash. She's kind of like an aunt to me. If Dad thinks it's a good idea, then I'll go along with it."
Her sherry-hazel eyes moved to Dad. "You really think she could help?"
He nodded. "I think it's worth a shot. She seems to think she can do something. She's on her way back right now. I promise you that if she comes in here and immediately helps him, I will take full blame for not getting her here sooner."
"You couldn't have known, Uncle Jake."
"No, but I can feel guilty for agreeing to send her off. Our decision was rash and made out of anger. If we hadn't insisted, she'd have been here from the start, and maybe, your dad wouldn't be going through this. Maybe he'd have already been healed."
Rye shook her head as she got up to go sit next to him. "It's not your fault. She knew my dad was hurt before she left, and she didn't offer to help. Please don't beat yourself up over this. You know, a few weeks ago, I would have been furious at you and Mara and everyone else. But right now, I just want to get my dad better. If she can help, his recovery is going to be extensive and hard. He's going to need all of us to help him. That includes you."
Smiling a little, Dad reached out to take her hand. "You're growing up on us."
She gave a small smile in return. "I just have a few really good role models to look up to. I wouldn't be like this if it wasn't for you or Dox." She looked up at me. "I thought everyone saw me as some angsty teenager, but now, they see me as Dox's mate. The word 'mate' implies growth and maturity." She looked back at my dad. "I don't want to let him down. Or you. You're my future father-in-law. I want you to be as proud of me as you are of Jules."
In that moment, I loved her even more.
Dad wrapped her up in a hug. "I am proud of you, Ryell. I've always been proud of you."
My mate leaned into him and closed her eyes as if that was something she'd been needing to hear. "Mara can treat Dad. If she can help, I'll take what I can get."
He nodded. "Great. I'm not sure how fast Elias is driving but I expect they'll be here soon."
Ryell pulled away and came back over to me. "Good. I hope she can help."
Leaning over, I kissed her temple.
"Now," Dad said, leaning elbows on his knees. "Let's talk about the sleeping arrangements."
Rye and I shared a guilty look.
JulesPOV
"Dox just texted me," Ash said from the couch. Cole leaned over to read the text.
"What's it say?" I asked.
Ash looked over at me with raised eyebrows. "Dad asked Mara to come back to help with Uncle Walker."
I spit my water back into the glass. "Why the hell didn't we think of that?"
Cole shot me a smile over his shoulder. "Because you've been worried about your mom. You've just come back to the land of the living, Jules. Focusing on everything at once is going to fry your brain."
"He's right," Bray said coming into the living room, scrubbing a towel over his hair. "We've got so much shit going on around here that no one person can deal with it alone. Your dad and brother are perfectly capable of dealing with Mara."
"So you're okay with her being back?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter what I am and am not okay with. I've learned my lesson about sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. I might be a leader of sorts, but I am no alpha. That's you, your brothers, and your dad. If you're okay with it, I'm okay with it."
Looking across the space at him I teared up. Clearing my throat, I said, "That's a different tune."
He came into the kitchen to get himself a soda and sat down. "Well, she did help us against Eleanora. If she hadn't agreed to, we wouldn't have won. We barely did at that. And from what I understand, if Jason and Piper hadn't been there to stop it, Mara would be dead, too. She would have been killed and then the rest of the plan would have fallen apart. I owe her something in the form of forgiveness, I guess. I may not like it, but I have to quit acting like a child. She didn't know that Devon was dead or how her actions would end up causing a war." He picked up the guitar pick from his chest. "My actions got Thomas killed."
Reaching out, I put my hand over his on the table. "Our actions, Bray. It wasn't a well thought out escape plan. Both of us were trained better than that. We were just in a hurry to get free and I wouldn't leave without you. If I'd been willing to leave you behind, you could have probably stopped her from coming after us."
"And died in the process," he finished. "Either way, someone would have died that day."
I squeezed his hand but it was Cole who spoke up.
He stood up and everyone else followed him into the kitchen area. "Being what you guys are, you have a hefty responsibility. But that doesn't mean there are right or wrong choices. Sometimes it's going to be a lose-lose situation. Now, I don't know about this Mara business and frankly I don't care. It's in the past and as far as I'm concerned, she's made up for it. To me, being supernatural means that the risks are naturally going to be higher. There are going to be times that no matter what you do, there will be loss." He came to put his hand on Bray's shoulder. "Thomas's sacrifice meant that you got to come home and fight another day. If you would have died, that would have been crippling to everyone here, especially to Jules. It seems to me like you're having a hard time forgiving Mara because you're having a hard time forgiving yourself for Thomas's death. Like you should have been the one to protect him. I wasn't there that day. I have no idea what happened. But as far as I know, he died protecting you. Now if that's true, if he deliberately took that hit to save your life, then that meant he knew that you were important, that you would be better equipped to save lives than he was. I've heard the story, so I know the two of you didn't exactly like each other, but he put that aside to give you a fighting chance. The way I see it, you have nothing to forgive yourself for, Bray. You shouldn't feel guilty for the sacrifice someone made for you. You should be thankful and vow every day to be the person they believed you could be, the person they died to save."
Through the whole speech, I'd watched Bray's expressions, the pain in his eyes. So I teared up as he gripped the trinket around his neck and hung his head.
"Will someone text Dox for me?"
"Sure," Ash said. "What do you want me to say?"
"Just let me know when she gets back. I need to talk to her after she helps Walker."
"Done," Ash said.
RyellPOV
"What are you going to do?" I asked Mara as I avoided looking at my dad on the bed. This wasn't the man I knew and I didn't want memories of him like this.
Mara and Elias had come to a screeching halt in the Cullen drive just a few minutes ago. The witch was rolling up her sleeves and digging into her medicine bag.
"I am going to try to identify who this poison belonged to. If I can do that, then I might just be able to heal him."
"How?" Dox asked from right behind me. He'd been at my side from the moment Mara had walked through the door.
Mara l leaned up from the bag and tilted a jar toward the light as she looked at it. "I trained with Eleanora and her coven. Many of the witches I saw through Jules's eyes were ones I knew. Unfortunately, I didn't see who Walker was fighting. However, each poison is different depending on the witch. If this spell can tell me who it was, and I knew them, then I can counteract the poison. If I don't know who it was, then I might be able to hold off the effects of the poison until I can call some contacts. I really wish you would have called sooner."
That brought a growl out of me. "Hey," I snapped. "You knew my dad was hurt before you left and you left anyway without a fight. Don't blame Uncle Jake and the others for you ignoring the call of your abilities. That's on you."
Slowly, Mara turned to look at me, blinking as if she'd never seen me before. "Well, well," she said, seemingly impressed. "The pup has gone and grown up on us. Seems she has her teeth."
I glared. "And claws. So get to it." Feeling eyes on me, I turned to find Dox and Uncle Jake beaming at me. I just shrugged. What the hell else was I supposed to do?
Dox put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me back so that Mara had room to work.
After a few minutes, it was clear that this was going to take a while, so I went to sit in one of the chairs next to Mom's bed. They'd put her into another medical bed and rolled her into this room to be with Dad just in case.
Reaching out, I held her hand. It was cool to the touch, but I could feel the beat of her heart in her wrist. It was strong, just like her.
Dox came over to lean on the back of the chair. His fingers played in my hair. "You okay?"
At the concern in his voice, the tears came back. With my free hand, I reached back for his hand. He took mine immediately.
Keeping hold of my hand, he somehow maneuvered us so that he was in the chair and I was in his lap.
The whole time we waited, he didn't say a word. He just rocked me while I held my mom's hand and cried on his shoulder. And that was the best thing about Dox; he didn't always feel the need to say something or get me to try to talk. As soon as he realized I didn't want to talk, he'd shut up and figure out what I needed.
I didn't know how long we sat there like that before Uncle Jake appeared beside the chair and crouched down so I wouldn't have to look up to see him. He reached up to stroke his thumb over my cheek. "She's done, sweetheart."
Nodding, I detangled myself from Dox and stood up. He moved with me and grabbed a tissue to wipe up my tears.
"I'm a mess."
Dox smirked as he threw away the tissue. "A beautiful mess, though."
That made me choke a laugh. "Whatever. Dork."
He gave me a goofy grin.
Shaking my head and smiling a real smile that I didn't know I could dredge up, I went over to Mara holding Dox's hand for all I was worth. "So? Did you find anything?"
For the first time since she'd come back, she smiled. "Not only did I find something, I know who that something is."
Her mix of the English language left me wanting to correct her, but I didn't. I shook my head and said, "Can you help him?"
The smile slipped a little. "I can, but only if he does his part."
"What does that mean?" Dox asked, stepping up behind me. He rubbed his hands up my arms.
Mara looked back at my dad. "This poison is very specific. The only way I can treat him is for him to wake up. It sounds simple, but he's been under for too long. What the poison does is it pulls his consciousness into a dream state. The longer the poison has to work, the deeper he's rooted into that state. It will be hard to pull him out. But once he's awake, I have spells that will keep the dreams and hallucinations at bay long enough for his body to start healing. Once he's awake, the poison turns into nothing more than, say, a flu. A common illness. His body's immune system will kick in again."
"And you're confident you can get him to wake up?" Uncle Jake asked.
She nodded. "As long as he fights to stay with us, I can do the rest."
Reaching out, I took her hand. "Thank you. Even if this doesn't work, I and the pack will owe you for trying."
She gripped my hand. "I helped bring you into this world and watched you grow. You were right to blame me for leaving so easily when I knew he was ill. I'm so sorry, Ryell. For being so selfish. You deserved better from me."
"I forgive you, Mara. You're here now and that's all that matters. Just please help him."
She brought her hands up to cup my face. "I'll do everything I can. You have my word."
A few minutes later, she had a list of things she needed from the car. We all made our downstairs, needing a break from all the darkness and illness of the sick room.
In the living room, we found Bray and Jules sitting on the couch, their heads bent together.
"Jules?" Uncle Jake asked. "Everything okay?"
Looking up, she nodded. "Everything's fine. We're actually here for Bray."
"What's wrong?"
Bray stood up and faced Mara, who had stopped in her tracks to stare at him. He cleared his throat and had trouble meeting her eyes. "I, um, I heard you were coming back to help Uncle Walker and Aunt Ness. I thought if you had a moment, I'd like to say something."
After a moment, she nodded. "Okay."
He cleared his throat again and tried harder to meet her eyes. "Today, I was told that maybe I was so angry with you because I was angry at myself. I couldn't forgive myself for Thomas getting killed from taking a blow meant for me. I'm supposed to be the protector. But his death wasn't my fault. I shouldn't feel guilt over it. But I do because I made a mistake. Our escape wasn't well thought out. I should have known better." He stepped forward. "I don't know how you feel about knowing that Devon died. I don't know if you feel guilt or anything about it, but we all make mistakes. And for people like us, people who aren't human, our mistakes can have higher risks, more devastating consquences. So, what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for how I treated you. I'm sorry for begging my alphas to make you leave. You saved our lives on that field. If you hadn't been there, we'd all be dead. If you hadn't stayed around even after my temper tantrums, we'd have never seen her coming. I hope that you can sincerely forgive my actions and my attitude because I owe you the life of my family, my mate. And," he swallowed hard, "I'd like you to stay."
At that, Mara gasped, her throat working with emotion. "But I thought-,"
He shook his head. "I don't hate you. In fact, it doesn't matter that you didn't tell us everything about Piper. She's healthy and strong with a good mate. She's powerful. You helped my dad come back from his darkness. He might need you again. And the fact that we will continue to need you is something the packs can't ignore. We thought that since we survived without magick before you, we could do it again." Again, he shook his head. "I think we were wrong. As a man with pride, it's hard to admit that. But it's true. We were wrong. You're here because we needed you all those years ago, and kept needing you. You've been a part of this family for almost twenty years. That should mean that your problems are our problems and we should work through them together. I had no right to ask that you be sent away from the place you've called home for nearly my entire life. I am ashamed that I had the audacity to think that my opinion was more important than your feelings."
I swore to myself that I wasn't this sappy as even more tears flowed down my face. Jules was just as bad as she watched her mate with pride. We were both a sniveling mess as Mara stepped toward Bray. She was hesitant at first, probably unsure of her welcome. But Bray just held his arms open and the two embraced.
"Oh, Brayden," she whispered. "I do feel guilty over Devon. A part of me will never forgive myself for what happened. But my situation was very different than yours. I'm not saying your guilt is any less than my own. However, Thomas's death was not your fault. You couldn't have known what he was going to do."
He squeezed his eyes closed over her shoulder. "And you couldn't have known what Devon was going to do. You should forgive yourself, too."
Mara pulled back, cupping his face. "Why don't we work on that together?"
A corner of his mouth lifted. "I think we can do that."
She smiled. "Good. Come help me get the things I need from the car."
"Absolutely."
As the two walked out the front door together, Uncle Jake went to stand with Jules. He wrapped her up in his arms.
"Well," he said, "that was…impressive."
Dox wrapped me up in his arms, mirroring his dad with his sister. "So I guess she's staying?"
"Of course she is," Ryell said. "You know, when you guys made the decision to make her leave, you did that without Dad being there. We never agreed to force her off the compound. So the five of you can make all the decisions you like about your own land, but on mine, she's staying. Period."
Looking up, I found Jules and Uncle Jake giving me identical shocked looks, their eyebrows in their hair. Even though Jules looked more like Aunt Ness, I could still see the family resemblance to her dad in the same way they looked at me.
Craning my head back, I looked over my shoulder to see Dox looking down at me consideringly. "What? Got a problem?"
He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope."
"Then what?"
He shrugged his big body around me. Leaning in, he kissed my temple. "You're more of a leader than you think you are. You do realize you just gave a man who's been pack leader for almost thirty years and two future pack leaders an order, right?"
Well, that did surprise me. Raising an eyebrow, I blinked a few times. "Wow, I guess you're right." I shrugged. "But it still stands."
I caught his grin and look at his dad and sister. "God, I love her."
Uncle Jake and Jules fell into fits of laughter.
My uncle shook his head. "She is totally going to keep you on your toes."
I felt his lips at my neck. "Good," he said. "I love a challenge."
I turned to smile at him just as Mara and Bray came back in carrying bags of supplies.
Mara looked at me. "I know you want to be close to your father, but I have to insist that only one person be in there with me. This is a complicated spell. Distractions will cause more damage. And you're too emotionally tied to this to help."
"Then who?" I asked.
She looked to Uncle Jake. "I also know you've been taking care of your mate, but-,"
He shook his head. "She'll understand. I'll do whatever I can to help Walker. He's like a brother to me. Just tell me what to do."
"Take the bag from Brayden and follow me." She looked at me. "This will take a while. I'd get comfortable."
I shook my head. "I'm not going anywhere."
As Mara and Uncle Jake made their way upstairs, Jules, Bray, Dox, and I all took seats on the couches. The boys ended up playing video games to pass the time. Jules and I ended up in the kitchen. We made cookies and lunch and just random things to keep ourselves busy. The Cullens were out hunting up north and wouldn't be back until later. They were getting their fill.
"You're very strong, Ryell," Jules said as she rolled out some dough. "You shouldn't look down on yourself so hard. If I were in your shoes, I'd be falling apart. I couldn't imagine my dad being like that."
I shrugged as I took a pan of cookies out of the oven. "Dad always taught me that if it was out of my power to change, then I had to find logical ways to work around it. I am falling apart, to be completely honest. I wish I'd been the one to think to call Mara."
"Well, you said it yourself- you're falling apart. When we're emotionally unstable, we don't think clearly."
"You did," I said quietly. "When Bray was missing, you didn't lose your cool and run off to look for him."
Jules stopped and looked over at me. "Only because I knew he was still alive because of the spell Mara did. If we hadn't had that, I would have been out there with Aunt Shelby and Uncle Seth. Don't even question that, Rye. I'd have lost my mind. Don't think for even a second that I'm this chill person who isn't affected." Coming over to me, she cradled my face. "We are all strong in our own ways. Don't sell yourself short, okay? You're my future sister-in-law. Now more than ever, you can come to me for anything, alright? You're gonna be a Black someday. We have to stick together and keep each other up. Me, you, and Hunter."
Smiling, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed my ear to her chest. "Thank you, Jules."
She hugged me, her hands rubbing up and down my back. "You're so very welcome, Rye."
And despite the dough hardening on the counter and all the uncovered food, we stood in the middle of the kitchen, flour all over our hands, just hugging each other tight. I felt a type of sisterly safety in her embrace. It was something I hadn't felt in a long time. Though Haleigh and I were close, she was so much older than I was with a mate, a baby, and a pack. She no longer understood the lives we led here because her pack was so different when it came to customs and traditions. But Jules understood. She understood the way the two packs worked together to make a cohesive unit. She knew what it was like to be a dominant female among equally powerful males. And she sure as shit didn't put up with any expectations of her being submissive just because she was a female. I loved Garrett but I couldn't understand his need to make my sister bend to his will in all things except the bedroom. Dox and I would never be that way. I didn't even have to talk to him about it to know that.
After a long few minutes of hugging it out, Jules pulled back. She smiled and brushed my hair back. "Come on. Let's finish the cookies and then we can go feed our beasts."
"Dox is always hungry," I said.
"Hey!" came from the living room. "I heard that."
"Good!" I shouted back.
Jules shook her head. "Bray's like that, too. He'd eat a whole cow if I cooked one."
"Hey!" came a second voice. Then he muttered, "A steak does sound pretty good right now."
"Amen," Dox murmured.
Jules and I shared a look and an eye roll.
"You're getting cookies!" Jules yelled back. "Quit complaining!"
Both boys cheered at that.
Shaking her head, she said, "Put aside some for us. They'll wolf them down. Pun intended."
Laughing, I did as she asked. It was good to have her here to help out. I hadn't realized how much I missed having an older sister around. Now, Haleigh wouldn't have to worry about me. It seemed like Jules was going to take up the job.
And I couldn't have asked for a better person to do it.
Hmmm so what do we think? A lot of you surprisingly don't like Bray. Personally, I loved him in this chapter. I think we're getting back to who we all fell in love with when I first introduced him as a grown kid. Idk though. You tell me! Don't forget to vote and review! Love y'all! xoxoxo
