Page 19 of Anger

“I don’t see where you’re going,” Lanie admitted, but she felt strange inside.

“What if we couldn’t impregnate women because they weren’t our soul mates? And we can only conceive with them?” Jase asked.

Lanie froze. Slowly, the implications sunk in, and she gazed at Jase in horror. Her legs began to shake, and she groped around for something to cling to.

“That means Alainen was mine?” Lanie exclaimed and collapsed to the ground. “No! That can’t be.”

“It’s a plausible explanation, and I didn’t want to tell you,” Jase said, crouching by her and gathering Lanie up tight.

“Alainen was my soul mate?” Lanie groaned as tears began trickling down her face.

“Possibly. It would explain Callidora and why none of us have ever had a child other than you,” Jase commented gently.

“Oh God,” Lanie gasped.

“Sweetheart, breathe,” Jase urged.

“The flip side of love is hate,” Lanie cried.

“That’s true.”

“Alainen turned against me even though he was my soul mate? Shouldn’t we have a bond?” Lanie demanded, wiping her tears away.

“It may have been present, but if he broke it, then it wouldn’t exist anymore. We can’t know for sure, and I’ve not spoken to anyone about this, but I am convinced I’m correct. If the next person to find their mate gets them pregnant or becomes pregnant, then we’ve got a working hypothesis.”

“I need to go,” Lanie gasped and hurried away from Jase.

“Lanie!” Jase called, concerned.

“No, later, please,” Lanie cried.

Lanie fled for her mirror, which Mary opened without a word. Lanie appreciated that as she fell into her bedroom and scrambled for her bed. Curling up on it and dragging the sheets over her, Lanie burst into heartbroken sobs.

If Alainen had been her soul mate, then there was no hope remaining. Pandora’s Sin of Hope had cursed her, too. Lanie cried herself hoarse, and it took hours before she fell to sleep. All she kept thinking was Alainen had been her soul mate, and he’d turned on her.

McIntyre

Jeez, Lanie looked awful. Oh, she had done her makeup and was dressed immaculately, but McIntyre could tell the subtle signs that she’d had a rough night. Her eyes were slightly red and sore.

He saw Ranson send her a sharp look, but neither of them said anything.

“I’ll be heading into the office today but working from home for the rest of the week. Next week, I plan to hit my retreat. Please reschedule accordingly,” Lanie announced as she got in the car.

McIntyre slid in beside her, and her signs of distress were even more visible up close.

“Yes, Miss Cross,” Ranson confirmed from the front seat. “Is there anything else?”

“No. I’ll contact the guard who goes with me,” Lanie replied and gazed out of the window.

What guard that accompanies her? Mac thought. Did Lanie go somewhere that they didn’t? McIntyre decided to grab Ranson as soon as Lanie was ensconced in her office.

“What retreat and guard?” he asked.

“Miss Cross has a hideaway nobody knows about. She heads there several times a year when she needs to reboot herself. A bodyguard accompanies her that is not one of ours. Miss Cross has done this since we came on board. She uses the same man each time. He’s not known to us, but he does bring her back safe and sound,” Ranson replied.

“And we know nothing of him?” McIntyre asked.

“No. And we don’t ask. Miss Cross gets angry. All we need to understand is the person she employs is as dedicated as us,” Ranson responded.

---