"Thank you so much, Cassey. You helped so much today." Cassandra and I are joined in a hug. I'm grinning hard from cheek to cheek.
My dad and I just got home and Cassandra showed up at our door. I didn't want it to be too obvious that we knew each other before the court case by hugging her after the trial.
"I'm glad to help. I just wanted to see that disappointed look on Gianna's face. Goodness! She's just as horrible as you described her," Cassandra says chuckling.
"When did you even get here? How are the others? How's Angie?"
Cassandra laughs some more as I sputter out my words.
"I got here a little after you. I figured you'd need help and I needed to fill my position on the higher court. The others are doing great. Angie is growing really fast too." Cassandra goes to take something from her side purse.
"Here's a picture of her." She passes me the picture and I see my Angie crawling on the floor. Ben and Emi are on the ground posing for the picture too.
My chocolate baby has two little, puffy pigtails in her head and sends a smile to the camera.
"Let me see my granddaughter." My dad stands by my side and looks over my shoulder to see the picture. "She's beautiful just like her mother," he mutters.
A knock sounds at the front door and my dad races to open it. Hanna, Jaisley, Don, Chris, and Alaric walk in together.
"I heard you did a boss ass job in court today," Hanna praises me. She runs over and she's the first to hug me.
"I've missed your energy, Hanna." She's swooped away when Chris comes in for a hug next.
"If you didn't do a good job, we'd all probably be dead right now," Chris shrieks.
"I wouldn't have let that happen," my dad says. Chris pulls away and I watch Jaisley and Don stand awkwardly in silence. Alaric isn't in the house anymore.
I run over to the two of them and pull them both into a group hug.
"You two need to loosen up. Aren't you happy to see me? You want me to go away again," I ask them sarcastically.
"Of course not. We're happy to have you back," Don says and pats the top of my head like a puppy.
"I don't know if I can deal with your drama, Anne. Maybe it'll do us good if you went away for a little while longer," Jaisley mutters sarcastically.
I punch her softly on the shoulder and she chuckles.
"How about we all have a sleepover and catch up? We can watch movies and act like we're normal college students." Everyone nods their heads in agreeance. While they talk among each other, I slowly walk up to the front door, trying to decide if I want to go outside or not.
I know he's out there. I know I've kind of been avoiding him. I rushed off at the courthouse before we could really talk, but I think it's time now.
We have a daughter together. I think we should be able to have a real conversation.
I twist the door knob and open the door, being met with a cool breeze.
He's sitting on the porch steps and turns around to see me. I hear him do a little chuckle.
"I don't know why I turned around. I already knew it was you. I could smell you from inside the house." He says the last part in a smaller voice, probably hoping I didn't hear him.
"I guess it's time we talk," I say in a soft voice. He faces forward, looking at the house across the street. I go over slowly and take a seat next to him. He shivers as if a cold chill has run through his body.
"Are you cold," I ask out of concern. I sound like a mother. Gross.
"That's not why I shivered," he answers. A silence forms between us.
"You remember that last time we were sitting like this, outside on a porch," I ask him. I can feel his eyes turn to examine my face, but I keep my eyes down at the ground.
"Yeah. That day has a lot of . . . memories."
"Yeah, it does," I agree with him. "I remember I'd found out not too long before then that I was pregnant."
"You were scared," he says, quoting what I said earlier in the courtroom and I nod my head.
"Yeah, I was scared. My mind was going crazy and I thought I had only one option. There was no way I was going to be a good mother. It was a messy situation and I didn't know how to tell you."
"It's okay because I know now," he reassures me.
"No, it's not okay. I took away your right to know and if I made that choice, you would've missed out on a beautiful baby girl."
"How is she?"
I take out the picture Cassey gave me and hand it to him. I look down a the picture with him. He grazes his finger over every detail of her and I hear him let out a little chuckle.
"She's perfect," he whispers.
"Yeah, she is."
"Are these the people you stayed with," he asks, pointing to Ben and Emi.
"Yeah. After what happened in New York, I ran off to Berlin to find some answers. They took me in. They're really good people. I trust her with them."
"When do I get to meet her?"
"When we settle all this mess. I don't want her here in danger. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her."
He nods his head in agreement.
"That's best."
"So, what have you been up to?" He closes his eyes as if to focus on his thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I can't focus on anything, but how you smell right now. I know I sound like a creep. It's like since you've been back, everything is stronger. I don't know how to explain it. It's driving me nuts."
"Is it the mate bond," I ask him. He looks up at me like I'm insane and I chuckle. "It's not like you shout it out in public or anything," I say sarcastically.
"I didn't know if I should bring it up or not. You just got back and things are a little weird between us," he says. His one leg is jumping from nervousness.
"How'd you find out I was your mate," I ask him.
I'm talking so casually like I'm not nervous too.
"I think it became more obvious when I felt something missing when you were gone. Now that I know, it's like my body is on caffeine. I can't sit still, I can't think straight.
"It sounds like you need to chill out," I say and laugh at him. I place my hand on his shoulder and I feel a sort of static run through my hand. He seems to calm down and his leg stops jumping.
He breathe out a small sigh.
"I feel helpless. How does Don do this? No wonder he's grumpy all the time. You're sitting right next to me and the only thing that calms me down is your touch. I feel like a horny teenager."
"I guess I don't feel the same effects as you because I'm not a werewolf. It could also be nature working against you because we've been denying the mate bond."
He grabs my other hand and holds it. I can't help but feel tingling.
"This is torture. I guess I'll have to live like this for the rest of my life." I give him a weird look.
"Why is that?"
"After everything I put you through, you must want nothing to do with me. You seem so happy coming back from Berlin." His thumb runs around the back of my hand while we talk.
"I was happy, but not fully happy," I admit and he meets my eyes. "There was always something missing."
"I think I just found another explanation for why the mate bond is more intense right now."
I scrunch my eyes in confusion.
"What?" He points to my eyes.
"Your eyes are purple."
I mutter out a curse and get up from my seat.
"I guess you should get settle in with the rest and I'll go freshen up." He nods his head in understanding.