Page 225 of Dream Mates
I sat down with them. “It’s not you. It’s me. My mommy was your dad’s girlfriend before he ever met her and Mumsy. I think that upsets her a bit, me coming back into his life. It was never my intention to make anyone sad or angry and I’m so sorry that I hurt feelings. I just wanted to know you and your siblings and your dad a bit since I never knew you existed before,” I explained.
Yeah, that sounded nice and gentle and not blame-y. Evan nodded as if to tell me I was on the right track.
“We were a surprise?” Her blue eyes blinked.
“The best surprise. I’ve always wanted sisters and now I have so many!” Okay, I never expectedninesiblings, but I liked everyone I met so far. Not to mention Tru wasreallyinto math and I loved it.
“Creed said your real mommy and fake mommy were dead. But you have me and Pax. We’re really nice. Creed and Verity are kinda boring, but they’re really good at grown-up stuff. Verity makes thebestsnacks and cake pops. Hale and Mercy are morefun. Dare and Chance are annoying. So’s Hope, but she’s just a baby.” Tru rolled her eyes.
“Mom, you really should just go home. We’re fine,” Hale said, trotting alongside Adriana as she walked toward us, determination in her brown eyes.
Mercy and Riley exchanged glances and Riley stood, grabbing a bucket. “Tru, let’s see if we can find any flat rocks.”
I stood and blocked Mercy with my body. “Adriana, I think you should leave.”
“How did you even find him? You were never supposed to be in his life. That was why she created the other record. Shepromisedme that you’d go away and never come back.” Adriana’s words slurred and she reeked of beer.
Why had Rosalind made a record calling me Cassidy, then called me Grace again in the new world? I’d probably never know. There was so much I’d never know. Though it might have been another way to lure in the dad that raised me. He was a church man and always liked mygood Christian name.
Evan extracted himself from the sand and stood, positioning himself to protect Mercy, Hale at her side.
“Go home, you’re drunk,” Mercy replied. “Did you really give Graceawaywithout Dad knowing? Who does that?”
“They weretwenty.Who has kids at twenty?” She rolled her eyes. “Also, what sort of alpha has apianomajor? Not that she was a real alpha, dirty variant,” she spat.
“So much to unpack there,” Evan whispered.
“First off, lots of people have kids at twenty,” I countered. “Oopsies also happen. Whatever the case, he should have had a choice–as should have Thora. You robbed them both of that, for what, snobbery against fine art degrees?”
I pushed, standing toe-to-toe with her, as anger built inside me. “Do you know what Rosalind did to me? Do you know whatit feels like to–” I stopped, seeing Mercy’s face. No, she didn’t need to hear that story.
“Oh fuck,” Hale said softly. Other beach goers were watching us. Some had cameras.
“I was protecting him. That whole family was toxic–and so are you,” Adriana shouted.
Spencer stepped in front of me. “Stay away from my mate, Adriana.”
“You.” Adriana snarled. “This was your doing, wasn’t it? How dare you upend my family? I told you. I didn’t know they were going to kill her. They were just supposed to scare her.”
“Who aretheyand who did they kill?” Mercy said softly. “She said this yesterday and no one knows what she’s talking about.”
“Some protest group that may have killed Elaris. She and Spencer were mated and had a controversial company together. She died in a car wreck years ago,” I replied, seeing Wes and Brennan running toward us.
“Controversial? It wasunethical.” Adriana’s face screwed up in anger.
“How the fuck is wanting to keep people from being executed for something they can’t control, unethical.” My hands fisted and I really wanted to punch her in the tits.
“Mom, you need to go,” Hale demanded as some uniformed security from the hotel made their way toward us.
“How dare you turn my own children against me?” Adriana growled, grabbing something from her pocket. Metal flashed as she darted around Spencer and lunged at me, knife in hand.
“Grace,” Wes yelled.
Jett flew at Adriana, as Spencer knocked me out of her way, taking a knife in the side. A sting shot through me as Spencer growled in angst.
“Mom, what did you do?” Mercy screamed as Brennan helped Jett take Adriana down.
“SPENCER!” I caught him in my arms, as we sank into the sand, as pain shot through our bond. “Wes, call an ambulance. She stabbed Spencer.”
