Alixe coaxed him in and spoke with the officer dropping him off. The boy’s abuse was clear. Still, when he risked a look up and met my eyes, I saw a change in him. A small one. He glanced back down quickly, but the slump in his shoulders was gone.
The next morning, I woke with him standing beside my bed staring at me. “Why do I feel like this?” he whispered to me, close to tears. His hands shook. I wanted to cry, too. I wished I knew why the men around me acted as they did…why they couldn’t just leave me alone.
“If you ignore me, it will help,” I whispered back. He nodded but didn’t move.
Finally, he sighed, wiped at his tears, and winced when he touched the swollen skin. Then he left.
I sat with Alixe at the breakfast table after he’d eaten and left the room. “He needs help,” I said softly. She nodded, looking sad. “I don’t think me being here will help him. He needs you more than I do. Please. Call services. Let them know we talked, and I need a new home so you can focus on Brandon.”
The dreams shifted.
I sat at the dinner table across from an older man, warily keeping an eye on him as he ate with gusto. It was my third night in his house and so far everything had gone great. I didn’t let myself get too hopeful, though. My faith in men hadn’t held up well after my experiences with foster care and school.
He forked in the last bite of spaghetti and meat sauce—more sauce than meat—from his plate and sat back with a sigh. He frowned at my plate. “I know it’s not much,” he said.
I shook my head. “Sam, it’s fine. I’m just not that hungry.” I eyed the huge mound of noodles on my plate.
He glanced at my plate, too, and grinned. “I’ll remember to cut the serving back next time,” he promised. I agreed and rose to put the rest into a container and wash my dishes. He stood and waited for his turn at the sink. He kept a respectful distance between us.
When I was about to leave the room with my school bag, he called my name. I glanced back at him. He looked a little lost as he met my gaze. “You’ll tell me if you need something, right? Lunch money or a ride to the mall?”
I nodded wondering what he really meant with this unusual line of questioning. He must have sensed my confusion because he sighed and gave a self-depreciating smile. “Cubs are easy. Feed them, give them your time, and they are happy. You don’t need much food, and you prefer to be alone. I don’t know how to raise a human. A human girl is even more,” he waved his hand at me, “confusing.”
A tiny smile crept onto my face seeing him so flustered. Living with a werewolf already beat living with any foster family, except maybe the last one. My smile faded, and I felt a tad lonely for Barb.
“If I need anything, I’ll let you know.” I turned and left the kitchen.
The dreams stopped. Darkness claimed me for a moment beforehervoice floated in.
“Every moment you live offers you a chance to learn. Your experiences and your reactions to them make you who you are. Who are you, daughter? And what have you learned?
The dreams started again. I didn’t struggle against them, wanting to know more about what I faced.
My stepfather, Richard, looked pale as Blake suggested I take the children outside to play. At just over a year, my brother couldn’t really play outside yet, and the baby shouldn’t be in the sun. I knew that from my mom. My eyes watered thinking of her. We’d just had her funeral a few days ago.
Regardless, Richard told me to take them both outside. One of Blake’s friends followed us out. Either Blake or one of his associates had been with us since Mom died. I didn’t really like any of them. Mostly because Mom hadn’t. Aden fussed, and I gently set him against my shoulder, rocking him side to side.
“Shut that kid up,” the man with us growled.
I frowned at him but started whispering to the baby, trying anyway.
“Bring the older one back,” Blake called from inside.
The man strode over and for a moment, I thought he would grab me. Then he reached down and plucked Liam up by his tiny little arm. Liam screamed and just dangled there not understanding.
“Stop!” I yelled, trying to reach for Liam while still holding Aden. The man held him away and went inside. I raced after him, holding Aden tight.
Richard sat at the table crying, his face in his hands, not even looking at his son.
“Set him down,” Blake ordered. His eyes remained on me. I thought he meant Aden, and I clutched him tighter. But his friend set Liam down. “That’s not how you carry a child,” Blake said to the man. His voice held little censor. He squatted before Liam, who sat in a sobbing heap on the floor.
“You do love your brothers, don’t you, Michelle.” He patted Liam on the head and stood again. “I’ll be helping your father for a while, until he’s on his feet again.”
I briefly glanced at Richard, not correcting Blake. He wasn’t my father, but he’d loved my mom very much. If he felt half the pain I did, I understood how he felt.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Blake said evenly before turning toward Richard. “The contractors will start work this afternoon. We need to keep you all safe.”
The dream shifted.
