Page 81 of Rogue Games

“I'm so sorry,” she whispers. “I'm just so, so sorry. Dean told me what happened, what you thought he did. It wasn’t him. It was me. I made him promise not to tell anyone. I was just so… ashamed.”

She made him pretend she was dead. He was keeping his word.

“It's okay,” I whisper.

I’m not sure that it is, but she’s here. We’ll get through the rest in time, because that’s what family does.

I'm reaching out to pull her into an embrace when the door to the bathroom opens. Wyatt stands there, jaw hanging open.

“What the hell?” He blinks rapidly, takes a step forward and stops, takes another step and stops, like he can’t believe his eyes.

“It can't be. It can't be.” Shaking his head, he rears back.

“Wyatt, baby,” Mum whispers, unsure of his reaction, but just like I knew he would, once he realises this isn’t a hallucination, he hurries forward, scooping her up and twirling her around.

“I can't believe we found you. But where have you been?”

36

DEAN

“Just hear me out for one minute. Then I'll leave you alone.”

If there’s one thing I can say about Jamie, she’s persistent. Some might find it annoying, like me, but I have to admire her determination.

She’s been knocking on my door, refusing to get off my porch, for the last five minutes.

It would be irritating at the best of times, but it’s early, and I'm already feeling a little bit grumpy, with an empty bottle of whiskey sitting beside me and a self-inflicted headache.

The last thing I feel like doing right now is opening the door and having to battle with my weak-willed wolf who’s vacillating between wanting to tear her head off and fucking her into submission.

Unable for either option in my current state, I lift my head instead, propping my chin on my hands and stare at my dark wooden door, waiting for her to give up and go away.

I can picture Jamie standing on the other side, dark hair cascading around her shoulders, those beautiful eyes cast downward. I can hear the nerves in her voice, and a twisted part of me is glad that she's suffering as much as I am.

“Mum came to see me. I’m going to meet Jax later.” Her voice cracks, and I close my eyes, fighting back the urge to comfort her, trying to strengthen my resolve. I can feel happy for her, Wyatt and Maggie, and wish them all the best, but still want nothing to do with her.

“It’s not easy, talking about what she went through, and what happened to us, but we’ll work it all out. Whatever it takes to get to know each other again.” She hesitates, and I hear the toe of her shoe tap against the ground. “I'm not thrilled with the decisions my mother made, but I think I understand better why she never came back. Guilt is a funny thing. And shame.”

Maggie has never divulged how she got some of the scars on her face, but I can imagine. Much like my own, they’re not easy to talk about.

There’s a muffled thud as Jamie’s back hits the door, and her voice becomes fainter. She’s facing away now, staring out at the view.

“I suppose living that many years in fear, dealing with what she did, is something that I'll never really understand.”

Except she can, because she’s been doing it every day she’s been without her pack. She just doesn’t recognise what a toll that takes on a person.

Jamie swallows hard, and I hear the faint tap of her fingernails against the door as she considers her next words carefully.

“She was a good mother before she left, and I trust that every decision she made, including leaving us behind, was what she thought was in our best interest.” She gives a rueful chuckle. “When I think about what could have happened to us, what was happening to you… her intentions were pure. She thought we were safe.”

The pause while she waits for me to say something, anything, is excruciating.

When I remain quiet, Jamie clears her throat and continues awkwardly.

“So, we’re going to get to know each other again. If I’m still allowed to stay, we’ll let our wolves meet at the pack run and get reacquainted. Well, not Jax, but you know all about that…”

Damn it. I’d completely forgotten about the run. That’s how distracted I’ve been.