Page 30 of The Alpha's Forsaken Vow

I shouldn't be proud at her assessment, but I am.

My lips twitch. “And what does a bad man look like?”

She scrunches her nose. “They frown a lot. And their eyes are mean.”

She studies me again, then nods approvingly.

“You don’t have mean eyes,” she declares. “And Bear likes you.”

Who the hell is Bear?

“Bear?”

“My teddy bear.” She points at the teddy before adding, “Mommy and I named him Bear.”

I smirk. “Creative.”

It’s an absurd name, but still cute nonetheless.

She beams. “And I’m Lina.”

Lina.

The name settles in my mouth, like it’s taunting me to try it against my tongue.

Why does it feel like I already know her?

“And why are you and Bear here, Lina?”

She huffs, flopping dramatically on the bed behind her, and I have to hold her teddy bear for her in case it suffocates her.

“I ate a cookie,” she says guiltily.

I raise a brow. “A cookie?”

She nods seriously, looking at the ceiling, “I’m not supposed to eat cookies ‘cause they make me all itchy. But it was a chocolate chip cookie, and my friends were eating them. I just had one bite.”

If it made her itchy, then she probably had an allergic reaction to nuts, because I doubt it’s the chocolate.

Like she can actually catch the thoughts in my mind, she suddenly sits up, her eyes sharp. “You believe me, mister, right?”

Her calling me “mister” should not be hilarious, but her expression, together with her frank gaze, makes me shake my head in amusement. “I believe you, Lina.”

She swings her legs, shrugging, “Mommy is going to be upset. But I’m better now. I’m not sick anymore. Promise.”

I glance around again. Still no sign of anyone.

Why the fuck is no one watching her?

“And where’s Mommy, Lina?”

I should be looking for Dr. Wells. I should be calling Ethan.

But my feet stay rooted to the spot. I haven't interacted with kids much in the past. Kids have always disgusted me.

The little things are heathens that barely listen to a word said to them by adults, but somehow Lina changes my view on that.

“Patty went to call Mommy at work. She also said she’s bringing me chocolate!”

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