Page 80 of Rogue Games

“How do I fix it, Wyatt?” I demand, feeling more and more desperate, now that the obvious is becoming clear to me. “I accused my mate of being a terrible person. I went through his private things. I told him he didn’t deserve to be the alpha of this pack.”

I’ve potentially damaged our relationship beyond repair.

Wyatt whistles low and grimaces, his worried expression growing more and more solemn with each revelation. Mates are supposed to be cherished, not accused of kidnapping.

“Okay, that’s bad, but we will figure it out. If you're meant to be together, it'll work out. It has to.”

He didn’t see the look on Dean’s face when I said his brother would hate him too.

“I don't know, Wyatt. I've never… never seen anybody look so destroyed.”

Wyatt narrows his eyes, not entertaining my wallowing and grabs my hands. “You're going to have to swallow your pride and apologise. And really mean it.”

Damn it. Damn it, damn it.

I swipe at my eyes with the back of my sleeve and stare at the floor, despairing. The ache in my chest is unbearable. Even if he wants to reject me, I can’t bear the thought of him hating me. Maybe with time, we could be friends. He is my stepbrother after all.

“You have to get through the next round, Wyatt. He said I could stay as long as you’re here, and he won’t go back on his word.”

That’s a totally unfair burden to put on him, but he nods, determined to win this pack, not just for himself, but for both of us.

“Sleep, Jamie. Get some rest, and we’ll figure it out.”

As the adrenaline in my veins wears off, exhaustion creeps in. I'm debating whether I have the energy to go to my room, or if I should just crawl straight under the covers here, when there's a knock at the door.

One quick sniff tells me it’s not Callum here to drag me across the border. It’s Lynn. Sighing, I stand there, unsure what to do. I’m not ready to face anybody yet, but she’s been so good to us. Most of the competitors have begrudgingly accepted our presence here, but to say they welcomed us with open arms would be overstating it somewhat. Lynn has been nothing but friendly.

Wyatt ducks into the bathroom to get changed and leaves me to speak to the she-wolf. She’s probably here to move me somewhere away from the other competitors.

Taking a deep breath, I steal myself for what could be a very unpleasant conversation, depending on how much she knows. I yank open the door, but it's not Lynn who catches my attention, it's the she-wolf standing by her side. With a scent that I recognise.

I can’t move, can’t speak, can barely breath as an avalanche of memories knock the air from my lungs.

Her hair is pulled forward, covering one side of her face, and her hands are clasped together in front of her. Nervous energy pours off her in waves, despite the fact she has a strong wolf. But when she looks up at me from behind the curtain of dark hair, the same colour as my own, I know it’s her.

“Jamie, I believe you've been looking for somebody,” Lynn says, jarringly calm when my world is imploding.

My mother. My mother is standing in front of me, alive and well.

“Jamie's been causing a bit of trouble trying to find you, but hopefully, that’s all at an end now.” Lynn gives me a sharp look. “You’re not to leave the packhouse.”

Nodding, I don’t take my eyes off my mother’s face. She’s skinnier, and the light in her eyes has faded, but other than that, she looks almost exactly the same.

“Just let me know if you need me to come back.” Lynn touches Maggie’s arm and studies her closely, concerned. Lynn seems to think she’s fragile, but I don’t see any signs of ill-health. Nothing that would have meant she couldn’t return to us.

Maggie nods but doesn't break eye contact with me, either.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” she says. We’re both stunned. I don't know how to respond. I don't know what to do. I'm thrilled that she's alive. But why didn't she come and find me? Has she been here all this time? I’ve so many questions I don’t know where to start.

The proof that I was completely wrong about Dean is standing, alive and well, in front of me.

Have I ruined whatever chance I might have had with Dean for a woman who couldn’t even be bothered to make sure we were okay and to let us know she was alive?

But… she’s still my Mum, and I’ve been looking for her for so long.

“Mum,” I whisper, my voice cracking at the end. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”

Tears spill from Maggie's eyes as her thin body shakes.

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