Page 109 of Alpha's Redemption

‘I’m not adding extra stress to her by asking her. I know if she finds out, she’ll go looking for Macey, and Doc said she can't shift for at least a week.’

‘Okay, well—’My words cut off when I hear Valarian shriek.

“Pop, Pop!” he calls, rushing toward the hall when I get a whiff of John's scent.

‘Hang on. John is here. I’ll speak to you in a second,’I tell Valen.

‘Thank the Goddess, ask him where my father is,’Valen says quickly.

‘Yep, will do,’I tell him before cutting the link. I move around the counter toward the hall when Valarian suddenly backs up. His head turns to me and a frightened expression moves across his face, and I freeze in my tracks when I see John carrying Ava through the doors.

“Ava?” I gasp, rushing over to help him, throwing toys and the kids' blankets from the couch so he can set her down while Marcus races over. I’m too shocked to properly get my bearings, yet the relief I feel upon seeing her nearly makes me sob as John sets her down before looking at us.

Marcus runs off again, returning with a bottle of water and handing it to Ava.

“My old pack doctor is on his way to check her over. Zoe, you need to watch Ava for me,” John says before turning to Marcus. “And you are coming with me.”

I look up at him from where I’m crouched beside Ava, helping her hold the bottle to her lips when John turns his attention to Marcus. Marcus stares at him and I see his eyes glaze over, obviously speaking to John through the mind-link. Trusting Marcus to keep me in the loop, I ignore them; right now, Ava needs me and I have to calm the kids down.

“Auntie Ava?” Valarian whispers and crushes her in a hug.

“I’m alright, I got lost,” she tells him, not realizing the kids knew or had some understanding of what had been going on. When Valarian lets her go, her hand weakly grips my arms and tears well in her eyes before flicking to the kids, who stand nearby, horrified; Valarian is crying and I see John rub his back and give him a kiss on the head.

“You're okay,” she chokes out at me.

“I'm alive,” I tell her. I’m far from okay, but I will be one day. I have my village, and our village is family.

“Go get Auntie Ava a pillow and some blankets,” John tells Valarian, who runs off to get them. Ava smiles sadly when I feel the mind-link open up.

‘What's going on?’I ask Marcus.

‘I need to help John and Kalen,’he says, and I watch as he and John leave the room and head up the hall.

‘Where are you going?’I ask him.

‘To find Macey,’Marcus tells me, and I gasp, looking at Taylor over my shoulder.

‘What do you mean?’I ask him, but he doesn’t reply. I stand up when he comes back out pulling on a jacket and his boots.

‘Where is Macey, Marcus?’I growl through the mind-link, and he lifts his head, looking at me. I start to open my mouth and demand he tell me when Marcus points to Taylor behind me and I close my mouth, trying not to panic and scare her daughter.

“Marcus?” I ask him.

Marcus doesn't answer right away; the silence makes the skin on the back of my neck prickle, and my entire body breaks out in goosebumps as every fiber of my being tells me something is seriously wrong.

‘Carter has her,’Marcus tells me, and I feel my legs wobble as I try to make sense of his words. Tears prick my eyes and he comes over and kisses my cheek.

Why would Carter have her?

“I’ll bring her home,” he whispers, and I nod my head. John comes out in a change of clothes and stops in the hall.

“Marcus?” he calls.

“Yep,” Marcus says before Casey rushes over to him with her arms up; he bends down, scooping her up.

“Where are you going, Dad? Can I come?” she asks.

“Not this time. I’ll be back soon,” he says, pecking her cheek, and setting her down before following John out. All I can do is stare in shock, trying to figure out what is going on and how everything got so out of hand. Casey comes over and climbs in my lap.

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