Chapter 5 Secret talks
996 Words
Bernadette's POV
Once we shifted, I shoved Abby to the back of my mind and blocked her out. She’d think she just dozed off. Sneaky? Absolutely. Necessary? Also yes. She was too innocent to be dragged into the gritty realities of our world—realities that were about to come crashing down on us whether we liked it or not.
Duane and Mia locked eyes with me, waiting for confirmation. "She’s asleep," I assured them.
They exhaled in unison.
"We have a problem," I said, cutting straight to the point. "We were seen."
Mia paled, gripping Duane’s hand like a lifeline. "You’re sure?"
I nodded. "Not only that—I’m positive they got pictures. It’s only a matter of time before they track us down. Mia, I know you’re tired of running. I can feel it. You miss your family. You’re exhausted. And now that you’ve found a chosen mate, maybe it’s time to stop. Maybe you two can go back."
Mia’s mouth opened and closed, her internal war painted on her face. Meanwhile, Duane rubbed his jaw, his gaze locked on the flickering fire.
"What about my scent?" he muttered. "How do I explain that I’m… Warped?"
Mia sighed. "I don’t know. Maybe it’ll normalize if we join a pack? If they even let us explain."
I folded my arms. "Listen, when they come—and they will—we need to be calm. We need one story, and we need to keep Abby out of it. The fact that she doesn’t know the truth is our one advantage."
Duane clenched his fists. "And what if she finds her mate?"
I swallowed hard. "Then we have bigger problems."
From the start, I made sure the word "mate" was never spoken around her. It was easy enough with Mia and Duane both being rejected by theirs. But Abby? She was too sweet for this messed-up world. I wasn’t about to let fate tear her apart like it did the rest of us.
Mia was staring at her hands. "Burnt, I know you’re trying to protect her. I get it. But she’s still my baby. My only child. I can’t just… walk away."
I softened. "I know. But her safety comes first. We need to be ready. The second they find us, we separate her from us. You two tell them everything—start to finish. They’ll know you’re telling the truth."
Mia looked away, pressing her lips together.
"So what’s the plan?" Duane asked. "How do we pull this off? Do we tell Abby anything?"
"No," I said firmly. "We keep her busy. Repairs, shopping, random distractions—whatever it takes. If she thinks we’re just settling in for a while, she won’t get suspicious. We’re past the point of running. We’re in damage control mode."
Duane hesitated. "Burnt, this feels… wrong. We’re not just keeping secrets. We’re lying."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. I’m her wolf. I’ll block her out before she even has a chance to react. Your job is to keep her occupied. Simple."
Duane shook his head. "You’re underestimating her. If she thinks she’s in danger, she’ll run. That’s instinct. And if she runs, she’s at even more risk. Accidents happen in chases. Especially with wolves."
I waved him off. "I know her every thought. I’ll block her before she even flinches. Relax. You’re all being dramatic."
Duane's POV
I watched Burnt pacing, clearly confident in her plan, but something about this didn’t sit right with me. Maybe it was the fact that lying had never done us any favors. Or maybe it was just knowing Abby—the girl had an uncanny ability to sniff out deception like a bloodhound on steroids.
"So what’s my role in all this, then? The comic relief? Distract her with my dazzling personality?" I asked dryly.
Burnt shot me a look. "Yes, actually. And make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid."
I threw up my hands. "Oh sure, just keep the most stubborn, wildly independent werewolf we know distracted while we lie to her face. Piece of cake! Why don’t I juggle flaming torches while I’m at it?"
Mia gave me a warning look. "Duane…"
"No, no, I love this plan," I continued. "Nothing like lying to the only person who actually likes me. Feels great. Really warms the heart."
Burnt growled. "Would you stop whining and focus? We don’t have time for your dramatics."
"Oh, I’m the dramatic one? That’s rich coming from the wolf currently plotting a soap-opera-level deception," I shot back.
Mia pinched the bridge of her nose. "You two are giving me a headache."
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Fine. I’ll keep her busy. But when this all blows up in our faces, I reserve the right to say ‘I told you so.’ Loudly. And repeatedly."
Mia’s POV
My poor sweet girl. She’s going to be terrified no matter what.
We spent her entire childhood teaching her that other wolves were monsters. How do we undo that? And when she learns the truth—when she finds out I’m not her mother—how will she feel? Will she see us as kidnappers? Will she hate me?
Tears welled in my eyes before I could stop them.
"Mia, honey, what’s wrong?" Duane asked, concern knitting his brows.
"We’re going to lose her, Duane," I whispered. "She’ll never believe the truth. It’s too insane. She’s going to think we stole her. Our baby is going to hate us."
I climbed onto Duane’s lap, burying my face in his neck, sobbing.
He held me tighter. "Shhh, honey. She won’t. She has a good heart. She’ll know we love her. She’ll understand."
I didn’t know how long we sat like that, clinging to each other. It felt like a blink, and then suddenly, the sky was painted in the soft hues of dawn outside the bay window.
I stretched, pressing a kiss to Duane’s cheek. "Good morning, my love."
- Writer
