Chapter 212

Even back at the Pyramid, Mia’s restlessness continues. Her loud wailing and crying summons the other brothers as well as any alarm until Archer, Beau, Steven, and myself are sitting around her on the floor, while Neil watches safely from just beyond the doorway.

I can tell from the desperate look in his eye that he wants to come closer, but the silver in his chest keeps him from doing so. The mere close proximity of silver is enough to make a toddler uncomfortable. Too near, and he could hurt her outright.

“What happened?” Archer growls at me like this is all my fault.

“I thought you were just going to the planetarium,” Beau says, and though his words aren’t as sharp, they are no less accusatory.

Archer picks up Mia first and holds her closely. He rocks her gently, and pride surges within me for a moment. I taught him how to do that.

Yet Mia just hiccups and more wails begin.

She’s not hungry, we already tried giving her food. She doesn’t need a fresh diaper. And unsure if her day clothes were uncomfortable, we already changed her into her favorite onesie. She doesn’t have a fever.

She is tired, so part of this could be the fussiness of not wanting to sleep. But I’m not so easily convinced that’s all there is. She’s crying awfully hard for a baby fighting off sleep. Surely she should have tuckered herself out by now.

“Carrie was there,” Steven says. At once, all three other brothers snap their attention to him. “Chloe spoke to her.” Now, those three pair of eyes fall on me instead.

“We kept our distance from Mia,” I say. “She shouldn’t have even noticed us.”

Beau sighs as he stands and walks out of the room.

Archer gives me a flat, unreadable look.

From the doorway, Neil says, “It’s not your fault, Chloe.”

I know it’s not my fault? What are they all on about?

A minute passes, then Beau returns to the room. He’s holding one of the photos of Carrie in his hands. With Mia still in Archer’s arms, Beau holds out the photo for her to see.

Mia blinks through her tears. When she catches sight of the photo, her wailing slowly dies down into normal sniffling and fussing. She makes grabby hands toward the picture. Beau passes it over. She immediately crinkles the edges in her fat fist, but, with her eyes locked in it, she slowly begins to calm down.

I can’t believe this is working.

Mia really does just miss her mother.

“What did you and Carrie talk about?” Beau asks, glancing at me.

I see no harm in telling them. “I tried to convince her to return to Chloe’s life.”

The brothers all looked at Chloe. Except Neil, who could no longer see her with the way Archer was standing. He put his attention on me instead.

“I take it she refused,” Neil says.

“She believes the Alpha King is hunting her.”

“She’s not wrong,” Beau says. “Our dear father loves his grudges. He’ll probably chase her for the rest of her life.”

“She says she might have to disappear again,” I say.

“That’s smart,” Archer agrees.

“None of it helps Mia,” I add, because someone should. The poor little girl misses her mother, and there’s hell all we can do about it. Worse, as the only mother figure in her life, I’m soon on my way out too. I don’t want her to develop some kind of abandonment issues.

“She’ll adjust,” Archer says.

“She’ll have to,” Beau adds.

To me, it all just seems so sad. Carrie obviously wants to be with her daughter, and Mia wants her mother. Why should the selfish feelings of one man with power be able to keep them apart? Why should this be tolerated, or even allowed?

“We should tell people what the Alpha King is doing,” I say.

“Chloe,” Neil says in warning.

“I’m serious, Neil.” I turn toward him. “People should know about all these terrible things he’s done.”

“No one will believe you,” Archer says flat.

Beau says it softer, “It would be your word against his, Chloe. If you even live long enough to get to the interview.”

“You can never say that again outside of these walls,” Neil says, an edge in his voice. He’s dead serious, I feel the words rattle all the way down to my bones. “Do you understand?”

Fear twisting in my gut, I nod. A man willing to put silver in his legitimate son, or murder his illegitimate daughter, would have no problem silencing some random nanny. I need to be more careful.

What did Carrie say? Be careful who you trust.

I glanced at Steven, who was looking back at me, some kind of conflict behind his eyes. “You okay?” I ask.

“I was worried about you, when you were talking to Carrie,” he says. “You seemed upset.”

This surprises me. “I didn’t think you were watching that closely.” He seemed like he was always turned away to give us privacy.

Steven blushes slightly, though he keeps holding my gaze. “I always keep an eye on you where we’re out.”

I blink, confused. “Why?”

“He’s worried about your safety,” Archer says.

“I do the same thing,” Beau says with a small shrug. “You never know what could happen.”

Archer doesn’t add more, but in his silence, I can tell that he agrees.

I look at Neil. “You, too?”

He nods. I suppose his agreement should have been obvious. The man got an injection of silver to protect me. Keeping an eye on me is nothing compared to that.

But it does set a fire inside of my chest. Who are these guys to assume that I need them keeping an eye on me? I did perfectly fine before I met them, and when they are gone, I will do perfectly fine again!

How dare they confuse me like this! Saying they want to protect me, all while about to kick me out of their home. Who will keep an eye on me when I’m out on the street? Not them!

Hypocrites. Two-faced jerks.

My anger is barely restrained, but I yank it back as far as I can so that my next words are not shouted, but instead said with a measured calm.

“I don’t need you watching out for me. I don’t need any of you. Especially when you are all so damn eager to get rid of me.”

They all look at me. Even Mia lowers her picture to peer at me.

I feel exposed for what I said. I’ve been trying not to let show how much their rejection hurts me.

But it does. It does, and now it’s clear for all of them to see.

Because, despite my best efforts, I’m crying.

I wait for one of them to say something. Neil looks like he wants to. So does Steven. Beau’s frowning. Archer’s face hasn’t changed, but his eyes are probing.

I wait a minute. Then a minute more.

My heart feels like it’s on the edge of a knife. If one of them would just offer comfort, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much anymore.

But no one says anything. And it doesn’t seem like they are going to either.

So I turn and walk right out of the room.