Page 130 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

Charlotte’s voice cracks at that part, tears forming in her eyes.

“I’ll never see her again, in the park, with her crows that always followed her around. When I—” Two fat tears roll down her cheeks. “When I graduated high school, Angie took me out for a meal. It was just a hotdog and a Coke, but it was nothing short of a celebration for me. She came to watch me cross the stage to get my diploma. She knew it bothered me that all my classmates would have their parents in the audience, but there would be nobody to clap for me. When I looked at the crowd, I saw her sitting at the back of the theater. She was always there for every milestone. She never let me feel like I was alone.” Her shoulders shake with broken sobs as she buries her face in her hands. “And now she’s gone, and I don’t know where to go looking for her to tell me it’s going to be okay!”

Her cries are brutal to hear. I gather her in my arms, my heart aching, my wolf whining in misery. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be the one to tell you that. And you’re not alone, Charlotte. You’re never going to be alone from now on. I can’t replace Angie, but I swear to you that I will be by your side from now on, for every milestone, every wish, every dream.”

“Angie left her most precious gift to you, Robert,” comes a voice from behind us, and I look over to see Ricky walk in. “Your housekeeper let me in.”

If I thought Charlotte was a mess, Ricky is right there with her. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days, his hair standing up, his eyes red-rimmed and swollen.

“R—Ricky?” Charlotte looks just as taken aback by his appearance as I am, and it shocks her out of own state for a moment. “What happened to you?”

I let go of her so she can get up and greet the man. I hear her say, “I didn’t know you knew Angie.”

“I did.” He wipes a tear from his face. “I moved halfway across the world because she asked me to. To protect you.”

Charlotte goes still. “What?”

Ricky looks at me and gives me a weary smile. “I guess I should thank you for keeping my secret. Angie didn’t want Charlotte to know, so I appreciate it.”

“Know what?” Charlotte demands sharply, looking back and forth between the two of us.

“I’m a witch, Charlotte,” Ricky tells her. “I’m also a vet, but that’s a human profession. Angie called me here for two reasons. One, she wanted me to protect you, and the other was that she was dying, and she needed me to help her live for as long as she could until you and Robert were finally together.”

Charlotte’s face goes white. “What? Angie was dying?”

“Yes. She was constantly looking into the future. She was scared something terrible was about to happen to you. She had been having visions in her dreams. It was a deadly combination for her, and she knew it, but she loved you and wanted to protect you. She also wanted to keep her promise to your mother.”

“My mother?” Charlotte echoes. “What does my mother have to do with Angie?”

“Your mother was a powerful healer. That’s why your father married her. He wanted powerful heirs—so long as they weren’t healers, too. Angie and she were friends. When you were born, your mother asked Angie to look into your future. Whatever Angie saw, she never told me, but I can guess she realized you would be kicked out of the clan. Your mother made her promise to protect you. And she did. She went looking for you that night.” Ricky’s voice cracks. “She loved you, Charlotte. She absolutely adored you. So, when she—when she fought off your father, she happily died for you. I know my friend; there was no regret within her.” Holding out a bag to Charlotte, he adds, “There are some things of hers that she left. I’ve brought them for you.”

When Charlotte opens the bag, the first thing she draws out is a worn photograph.

“Oh!” She makes a choking sound, and I’m instantly by her side.

It’s a picture of Angie with a younger Charlotte.

“Not yet.” Charlotte puts the picture back in the bag, shaking her head. “I can’t look at it yet.”

“That’s okay,” I reassure her. “When you’re ready.”

“There’s something else.” Ricky looks miserable. “I can’t shake off the guilt. I wanted to save her, Charlotte. I wanted to help you, too. But Mano was bleeding during the birthing process, and as a witch, if I cast magic with the blood of an innocent on me, that magic turns dark. I would have ended up draining Mano’s life energy. I—I’ve been unable to sleep because I keep thinking—”

“You did the right thing.” Charlotte takes his hands. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I realize now that I’m not the only one who lost Angie. You lost her, too. You shouldn’t be alone. Maybe you could go to your sister’s.”

“She and her family left for London last month,” Ricky tells us. “She’s also a witch, and she didn’t want to stay here where our kind isn’t safe, not with a child. Witches aren’t welcome in this part of the world, and she didn’t want to expose her son to any sort of danger.”

“What about you?” Charlotte asks, and I can feel the tension radiating from her.

“I don’t know,” the witch admits. “I don’t want to leave you, but this place isn’t exactly safe for me.”

“You can join our pack, if you are willing,” I offer.

When Ricky looks at me, I clarify, “I don’t want Charlotte to have to lose you, too, Ricky. You are welcome to join our pack. That doesn’t mean I want to use your abilities. You’ll just have our protection, and you’ll be able to practice your magic more openly.”

Ricky is silent for a moment and then mutters, “I can’t say I’m not tempted.”

“Think about it,” Charlotte begs him. “You’ll have your animal shelter. Your life will be undisturbed. Nobody will bother you. Stay with us for a few days and think it over. I’ll understand if you want to go to London and be with your sister, though.”

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