Page 63 of Forever Mine

“We need someone on the inside, eyes and ears that will work with us and keep us informed,” Kyle said smartly.

“Martin's supposed to get back to me on his findings on Raina. I can ask, but he won't be happy that I know about any of this. They are very secretive,” Patrick said.

“Jacob and Annie. They sent the man to warn me. They love Maddie and Oscar as their own flesh and blood. They'll help us.”

It was decided that I would try to reach out and get answers from the Winthrops. We took some time to write out a list of questions we wanted answers for. Now all I had to do was convince Maddie this was the right thing to do, even knowing she never wanted to speak to them again.

Maddie

Chapter 20

Oscar was upset and frustrated when we left the Alpha house (I found it funny they still called it that despite the Alpha no longer living there). His questions regarding marriage had really seemed to freak Liam out, and the more I thought about it, the more it did me, too.

“Oscar, how about some ice cream?” I asked, driving down Main Street, knowing my son would never turn down ice cream.

“Yes! Mint chocolate chip!” he said, perking up for the first time since he'd stomped out of the bedroom.

I parked in front of the Cold Shack and we went in and placed our order. Two cones to go. By the time we got them, I could feel the eyes watching us and I needed to be able to talk and answer his questions without so many ears around, listening in.

“Come on, let's go for a drive while we eat,” I said, putting on a brave smile.

I didn't know my way around Westin territory, so I headed to the only place I truly knew, the property Liam wanted to build us a house on. I stopped the car in the empty field. There was a creek running along the back of the property and we got out and went to explore it.

“It's really pretty here, Mommy,” Oscar observed.

“Do you like it?” I asked, and he nodded. “Would you like to live here?”

He looked around very seriously, taking in all the sights. He looked up into the trees and frowned. “Where would we sleep?”

I laughed. “Well the house isn't built yet, silly.”

“This is the place Liam was talking about?”

“Yes it is. What do you think?”

“I really love it, but don't tell him that, okay?”

“Don't tell him? Why?”

“?Cause it's not right, Mommy. You deserve better.”

“Better than Liam Westin?” I snorted, unable to imagine such a man existed.

“He doesn't even want to marry you. He doesn't want us.”

I hugged my son tightly. “Buddy, there're a lot of things I should have told you before now. How about we walk around and talk?”

We walked and we talked for hours. He had so many questions and the reality hit me that my son wasn't a little boy anymore. He was brave and smart and intuitive. We talked about things that had never before been mentioned. He wanted to know about his father. He said spending time with Liam made him wonder where his father was and why he wasn't around. I couldn't answer that for him, but I was honest enough that he stopped asking, and I didn't think he would again.

He wanted to know about growing up around the wolves and my family, and I told him everything I could think of. We laughed, we lay in the grass and pointed out crazy shapes in the clouds, and we splashed around in the creek when we it got too hot.

I wasn't even sure how long we were out there, but I did know the moment Liam showed up. I could smell that he was in his fur and I knew he was watching us. I chose to ignore it and continue my time alone with Oscar.

“Do you think Liam is mad at me?”

“No, baby, I don't.”

“Do you think he'll still show me his wolf?”

---