Page 35 of Sigma
“As much as I could without digging into my old pack.”
“I have some of the picture but want more. Wanna put my head together with Linc and Joel. Joel’s picking Jase up from the airport.”
Jared stares at him.
“Show some trust, Jared? We’ll do some digging and keep you updated.”
Jared lifts his chin. “Get everyone outta here in the meantime?”
“You got it,” Grey says.
“You or Linc for updates. Don’t really want to talk to anyone else.”
“You’re heard.”
“Get rid of her, too,” Jared grumbles.
I gasp.
He doesn’t look at me; just flexes those jaw muscles.
“Not a chance,” I state, inflexibly.
“Can you arrange a mate bond severing, Greyson?” Jared has the nerve to ask, acting like I’m not even here.
And my blood is immediately boiling.
“He’d better not. I’ll fight you, Grey. And I will fightyou,” I warn Jared. “I’ll fight you and your wolf before I let you do that.”
Jared’s lip curls, “Fuck,” he mutters, looking away.
“One step at a time. Yeah?” Grey says.
Before Jared answers, Grey goes to the door and raps on it, calling out, “Open up!”
Someone immediately opens the door for him. Grey winks at me on his way out.
He approves. Not that I care, but I… okay, I do care. And I’m glad he cut off the severing conversation.
I follow Grey out, not looking at Jared on my way. I hear his sigh and feel a minute amount of relief from him. He’s done with all the visitors. I can’t blame him for that, especially given the fact he’s chained up and stressed out. Yeah, I’ll give him his alone time.
I walk into my father’s embrace. Dad doesn’t speak. He doesn’t need to. He’s offering me exactly what I need right now. Support. Comfort. He kisses my forehead. I give Cat a nod. She’s in a huddle with Grey and the Young sisters but has her phone to her ear. Her eyes hit mine and they’re full of affection and concern. She makes her way over and wraps me up in a warm hug.
Cat is like an auntie to me. She was very close to my mom and there every day at the end with me, Dad, and my sisters as Mom slipped away, doing her best to ease Mom’s suffering. She wept with us. And she made sure to be a strong, maternal fixture in our lives from then on.
They’re all getting ready to go. Ronnie Young is sitting in her sister’s car, staring off, looking haunted.
“One sec, Dad, Cat.”
I approach the car Ronnie sits in. She rolls down the window.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “It’s just… a lot. Feeling someone’s deepest pain, seeing the things that haunt them. And he’s feeling a lot right now, too. A lot.”
I lean into the window. “I’m sorry it seems like it’s affecting you so much.”
“It’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s really not. Like today. With him…” She blows out a big breath. “This is a hard one to feel. I’m feeling whathefeels and it’s… a lot.”
“I don’t want to give up,” I tell her. “But he’s telling me to leave, he’s pushing me away, talking about requesting the mate bond be severed. What do you think?”
