Once Dakota wrangled the emotions trying to strangle his heart, he smiled gratefully then wrapped his arm around my shoulders to lead me to the stairs. My tired eyes didn’t take in too many details, but what I saw looked… homey. We traversed a dark hallway, pausing in the room’s doorway at the end, and I winced to prepare for the onslaught of light.
It wasn’t too terrible since my eyes adjusted to light downstairs. I fought sighing and laughing while Dakota stared at the room with irritation and love pouring from him in waves. Finally, he muttered, “that fucking asshole.” His voice was warm and exasperated, which caused a smile to tug at my lips.
The room meant to serve as the master bedroom was decorated intending to impress a girl. While the walls weren’t pink, they were a soft, pretty blue, as was the comforter. The dressers and ceiling were a delicate ivory, and the curtains looked whimsical since they were gauzy. Blinds keep out the light of the moon while offering privacy. A smile tugged at my lips while I took in these details since Dakota’s exasperation with his cousin continued to grow. However, once I noticed what sat on the dressers, a lump in my throat made it hard to swallow.
With trembling fingers, I gently touched the delicate-looking figurines. Once, when I was little, I vaguely recalled telling someone I wanted to live in the zoo so the animals weren’t lonely. Tears filled my eyes when I picked up the pretty, ceramic tiger, my heart aching while I looked over the assortment of animals. There was an elephant, leopard, seal, bear, polar bear, koala, zebra, giraffe, cheetah, lion, lynx, tiger, jaguar, wolf, hyena, hippo, rhino, turtle, tortoise, penguin, puffin, antelope, gazelle, and a little bat. What caused my heart the most pain, however, was in the center of the group of figurines sat one that looked like me. I fought tears while I stared at the little girl wearing ripped jeans and a hoodie with a broad smile and a twinkle in her eyes. Oh, Jaxy.
I sensed his presence this time, because of the heaviness of his sadness. It wrapped around me, tugging at my heart and encouraging the tears in my eyes to fall. Sniffling, I wiped the first one away while struggling to fight the rest of them. A soft clunk had me turning my head to stare at a delicate-looking box on top of a different dresser. In my mind, I saw Jaxy leaning on the polished ivory wood with a grin and trouble shining in his eyes while he poked the lid again, so it rattled once more.
Blinking when my eyes realized the space by the dresser was empty, I fought the pang of disappointment filling my heart. My mind pictured him so vividly, I expected Jaxy to be standing there. Swallowing the painful lump in my throat, I approached the dresser to stare at the mirrored rectangle that looked big enough to hold something the size of a birthday card. The excitement pouring off Jaxy’s invisible ghost was palpable, and my fingers trembled when I removed the lid with its gilded, swirling wooden overlay.
I was right, there was an envelope like a card came in, and it had ‘bunny’ written on it in Jaxy’s scrawl. With shaking fingers, I pulled the card from the envelope, distractedly noticing that a folded piece of paper fell from it as I did.
Hi, bunny!
I can only imagine how long it took me to get you here. Stubborn little thing that you are, but you come by it honestly. I shall make a few assumptions that I do not doubt are correct. You’ve met Ryker, the enigmatic vampire, and he’s decided you should continue living in Wolfram because you have friends here. Am I right? I know I am, so don’t lie, little bunny. I love you, you know that, right? Since I am certain Ryker can’t keep his mouth shut, you’ve figured out that Molly and I are step siblings. Therefore, I’m your uncle. However, as you might have guessed, that isn’t the full story. I won’t divulge it here, but there’s someone, or rather a few someones, I desire to surprise more than you. Hopefully, I got my timing right. Well, I must have for you to be in this house. Therefore, the big bad alpha isn’t around.
He’s not a terrible guy, I swear. He was my alpha, which felt akin to a fatherly bond for me. It’s different for everyone, but always beloved with a good alpha. He raised Kyler a hell of a lot better than it appears. The boy is an idiot. Unfortunately for your fated mate, he doesn’t realize how furious his father will be upon returning home and discovering what you are. Not in a bad way, but because of how precious you are and how much it will benefit the pack to have you around. I hope Kyler wasn’t dumb enough to abuse you. God have mercy on that boy if he did because his father won’t.
Alas, I digress. Ask Dakota to take you to meet my parents. They live on the border, so most pack members don’t visit without warning. Don’t let them know you’re coming and keep your hood up as you approach. I will be with you, Angel, I promise. I’ve waited for this moment your entire life, my little bunny. They will protect you from the domineering ways of Evan, and won’t let him bully you into anything. He’s a good alpha, but he is stifling for omegas. I never realized how sheltered I was until I saw you living freely. Yes, there was pain, sadness, and despair. But you were free to experience these things. Ryker once told
