Page 180 of Dream Mates
Adriana was hiding something.
“Spirited? Like when she laid hands on my mate? I’m sorry that they have your children, but I don’t know why you think it’s my fault. They’re not allowing them to have a parent?” I frowned. Or were they with Nate and Grace?
“Two of the children are legal adults, and they’re all together. Harry’s with them now, but I’m not sure how long they’ll let him.” Without another word she sat down.
Pain and sadness made me almost double over. I took a few deep breaths trying to compose myself, sending everything I could to Grace.
I wanted to break down the door.
My phone rang. Wes. I stepped back out into the parking lot. “Wes?”
“Yeah, so, Riley and I hacked the locked maternal record. Spencer, I don’t even know what I’m looking at. How the fuck did Grace get to her world if both her parents are fromhere? Her biological mom’s record isn’t faked. But here’s the thing, Thora isn’t Grace’s mom’s name,” Wes said.
There were typing sounds.
“Also, according to this, Grace’s biological mom isdead.She passed away when Grace was a newborn. The Cassidy thing is weird. I didn’t hack the locked maternal file, though. Both the Grace and Cassidy records just fall off after babyhood, like they never again went to a doctor or were enrolled in school or anything. They just disappeared.”
All that tracked with what Grace told me about Nate and his missing Grace. Though yes, that part with Cassidy was strange.
“Was Thora a university student? Piano major?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“How did she die?” I was glad I didn’t see Adriana in the parking lot.
“Oh fuck,” Wes said. “The record was locked because Thora Silvers wasn’t just implicated in a federal crime, she’s apparently a sigma.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Grace
Finally, I washed my face and with a deep breath, went back into the exam room, where the professor and Lark spoke softly.
“It’s going to be okay, Grace. It seems like there’s lots of big feelings here,” Lark said. “I’m sure the stress of all this isn’t helping. I have blankets and fuzzy socks.” She startedrummaging through her duffle bag which sat on an empty exam bed.
Right, because like dicks and cuddles, blankets solved all sorts of problems in this world. Lark pulled out blankets and fuzzy socks in bright colors and busy prints along with some candy bars.
She gave us an apologetic look. “Sorry. I usually work with teenagers.”
“I’ll take this one. It’s cold in here. Thank you. My mate’s an advocate and works a lot with teenagers, too. He can throw amazing pizza parties on zero budget.” I wrapped a black blanket with neon stars around me.
“I’m sure he can.” She laughed, then her eyes fell on my bruised arm. “I’ve got to ask you some questions, for intake purposes.” Lark patted the table.
“Okay.” I couldn’t meet the professor’s eyes as I took a seat.
Voice quiet, she asked me some basic questions, then got into ones I’d heard many times before.Do I feel safe with my mate? Do I have a place of my own in the house? Do I want to return to them, or would I like to be taken elsewhere?
Nate got up and went to the bathroom.
“Nate gave me the short version. While you’re allowed to have lots of feelings, try not to hurt his? He’s trying very hard to be very respectful of yours.” Lark’s voice was soft.
“I just don’t understand.” I started to sob.
“Oh, Hun. I have the genscan right here. Do you want to see it? Will that help? You’re a scientist, aren’t you?” she asked, tapping on the screen of the tablet.
“Mathematician.” I blinked. “My genetic workup in my file tells me who I’m related to?”
“No, that’s different. Basically, this workup is cross-referenced with a greater database to find extended family. It’s somethingyou have to opt into.” Nate stood behind us. “Sorry, hazards of living with Verity.”
