Santuary of love

(B1: Cristopher) Chapter 3

How many days had passed? Veronica could not believe that Cristopher was not by her side, that she would never hear his musical voice again. All of that must have been a nightmare. She had reviewed the case more than a dozen times, nothing indicated that the future parents had not been fit to have a child.

The possibilities were slowly killing her, raising doubts about the future parents. His children had not seen her in weeks. How was she going to face them, if she still did not know what they had done wrong?

A knock on the door took him out of her place looking at papers, she already knew them by heart, which made her even madder. He went to the door looking at the hour marked on her old grandfather clock.” Two in the morning, s**t, another night without sleep! She murmured to herself, her heart pounding as she approached the door. If someone was visiting her at that time it had to be important. She opened the door, remembering the call a month ago, where they had given her the news of Cristopher. When she opens the door she found a stranger she had never seen before. For a moment she thought that she had gone crazy, what was in front of her was a mountain of pure muscle, dressed in black leather, see him more in a bar than a visit to the Sanctuary.  

“Good evening Miss Veronica. Armatos told me that I should stop by as soon as I got there. Sorry, I'm late, problems with the truck.” Veronica could not understand the conversation. The gigantic man was looking at her with fear as if she were going to tell him that she was waiting to hit him, trample on him, and then throw him out.

“Derek?” He nodded jumping from one foot to another, seemed to want to be anywhere else, except there. “Come in, I wasn't expecting you today. I'm glad you're here though. I need you to tell me what we need to do in the future in parental reviews. You have to review the entire procedure and where we can look to know what the adults who want to adopt may be hiding.”

“Well, Armatos show me what the current procedures are, they are very complete, they follow the demands of the adoption process beyond what is provided by law and they are much more complete than other adoption agencies. Within what is the legal world they comply with everything. The only thing that could contribute is illegal elements that are not… recom…” His voice drowned before her gaze.

“That's exactly why you're here. I want to know everything about the possible parents. I will not make one of my babies victims for lack of information again. It’s clear?” He gives her an affirmative answer with his head.

“What you want is to violate the rights of future parents... are you sure?”

“And?” Hell, Armatos was not wrong in thinking that she was losing the civilized mantle. She looked more than a she-dominant-wolf protecting the pack than an omega. More like an angry mother bear guarding her cubs. “At the legal level, arrangements are being made so that those who ask to be part of the program, "Adopting my mom and dad", know that all kinds of research will be done. What I need is for you to help me see every gap that is being hampered by the legal system.

“Adopting my mom and dad? I don't understand: aren't they in a place to adopt children?”

“No, our homes are places where children adopt their parents. Everyone interested in being a candidate has to share with all the children, they will share in small groups and in activities where the five homes come together. It is the children who decide whether an adult can be the parent they want.” Derek looked as if she had grown a second head.

“I don't understand very well. But I know there isn't much I can help with.”

“Of course, not today. Tomorrow we will all meet, then you will be visiting the homes with me and you will know the dynamics. I still don't know how Cristopher's adoptive parents were able to fool all the children, mothers, and other team members. The filters to go around are not little.”

“They didn't fool anyone...” Veronica who had been walking calmly towards the rooms to show where Derek would be sleeping, stopped abruptly, turning so hard that it looked as if she was going to hit him. To which he reacted strangely, exposing his neck and tensing as if waiting for the blow. Veronica knew that form, the waiting for the blow expression anywhere, he had come from a dark place, he had been as abused as any of her babies. Which meant that she wouldn't let him return there. Seeing such a big man waiting to be hit by something he said broke his heart. Why couldn't she have found it when she was a child? She knew it was illogical to want to change the past but seeing him ready to be abused hurt her soul.

“Derek, no matter how angry I am, I'm not going to hit you. Relax, please explain to me everything that you said means.” He nodded after muttering something like alpha, but she was not sure she had heard him right.

“As I was investigating, Cristopher's adoptive mother Laura. She had been sexually abused as a child. At 18 because of changes in the law and according to the notes in her file for "nightmares" she underwent hypnosis treatment. Then she began to live a normal life. Instead, Paul was a victim of his parents. Those who had an obsessive relationship with one another. Supposedly he received treatment and that is why the case was closed at age fifteen. However, it was with family friends since they were interested in protecting what was happening at home before society. They were supposed to be fine. According to the data we received from Cristopher's journal, something happened with Laura that changed her from one moment to another. That event was what caused the loss of the family group's life.” Derek not looking at her directly, he knew he did not have to tell her all that, but it was part of his personality. He always followed orders, that's why he kept away from everyone, especially strong alphas.

“What journal?” Derek tensed, he knew that a storm was coming, and it was he who had given her the "GO". “Armatos, damn...”

“I... well... it's what...

“Take a bath and have a little time, I would talk to Armatos.” Veronica raised her hand to avoid the sea of nerves in which Derek was turning. “Your room is the first door on the right, in the bathroom little closet, you would find clean towels.

Derek watched her take the cell phone off the table and walk out the door. He wished he could follow her, but he had received an order and had to follow it. Armatos had said that she was an omega, to hell if she was one, she was as sweet as a deathly sneak. He could thank the heavens that she had no claws and fangs because the blood would be rushing. With his back hunched, he headed for the bathroom, wishing he had never come. He knew very well that with her controlling everything, it would be very difficult for him to escape. But yes, it seemed that at last, he would be safe.

Veronica understood what Armatos had tried to do. But this one had to learn that she was no longer the girl he once knew. With a mission in her stand, she let the phone ring several times.

“Are the children well?” Armatos hoarse voice put a lump in her throat. She was not the only one who was still hurt by the loss of Cristopher. Waking up early in the morning to a call, it was reasonable to expect the worst.  

“Everyone is fine, you are the one who is about to die. Where's Cristopher's diary?

“Shit... Derek arrived.” He has been trying to be present when she met with Derek just taken a different connotation. “The journal is with me. Please don't give Derek any more orders. He is... well he is... s**t, I don't know how to explain it.”

“Did you know that he has been abused since childhood?”

“It is difficult not to know when we see the characteristics of each child who arrives injured.” Armatos wondered once again because he had not been able to protect his friend. “Veronica, he is... it's a special case. He is not going to deal with adults and his work he prefers to do it alone. In most cases, he is addicted to computers, from which he does not move. I don't know how he takes my call or the reason why he listened to me when he came to visit you. He doesn't trust adults, that's the truth, he and I haven't talked for a long time, due to certain differences. What I can assure you is that in the few cases where he has mixed with people, things have not turned out well for him.”  

“Are you adopting him?

“I really think so... I'm still not sure what to expect. But if you allow me, I want him to stay with us. He is someone, well... we'll talk about it later. For now, please, do not order anything else... for him, it is difficult not to follow an order, not to say that it is impossible.”

“I will try not to give orders; you know it would be difficult. I want him to stay with us for a while, but I won't expose the boys to danger.”

“Adults are the ones who will be in danger with him. The only reason he is in your house right now is that there are children involved. While he is soft with adults and he is afraid of them, the truth is that a child brings out all the good that is in him, all in favor of protecting them. The few times I have seen him go against his nature, it has been for defending a child.”

“I'll take your word. I want the diary tomorrow morning.

“No.” One word, it wasn't the first time in that week that she felt like murdering someone. But Armatos had been safe until that moment.

“What?”

“When you read it, you would not be able to avoid exploding. I need you to be prepared, it is something horrible knowing Cristopher, in the last months he used the journal much more, you can’t imagine that he is very descriptive in his language. You haven't cried for him yet, you're not ready to read this. I've been waiting for you to go through the mourning process. But you have not dropped down your guard.” Armatos knew her well, there was no way to deny the accusation. But that didn't mean he had to choose when she was ready for something like that.

“I want to see the journal. If you have it, you're going to bring it to the office tomorrow. That is final!”

“Only if you promise not to read it in the office.”

“Is it so bad?”

“Yes, trust me... when you react as I did, you will want to be alone to scream, cry, and everything else I wanted to do.” If Armatos had reacted in this way to what was write it down, she had no choice but to follow his advice.

“Okay, but I want it in my hands. Anyway, I was thinking of visiting the cabin.” She did not tell him that her desire to escape had started since she received the phone call, with the news about Cristopher, that was not relevant at that moment.” See you tomorrow, remember Derek is going to need a place to stay. While I am outside you can stay at my house with him, the truth is a don’t see that big body of him in your tiny house. But when he comes back, he can't be in my apartment. As controlling as I am, he won't feel comfortable and in peace.

“Okay, I have been down some movements to this moment. I had already thought about what he needs.” With those enigmatic words, both hung up and Veronica went to her room to prepare a light travel bag. The cabin was always ready for one of her visits, but it was the first time she would use it to heal. Her grandmother had barely kept her. That place had been the passion of her son and her husband, whom she lost in a traffic accident. It was there that her grandmother had brought her to heal at the loss of her father and her beloved grandfather, it was there that they both cried, laughed remembering the antics of both men. Even more in that place was where each one of the boys she had adopted had begun to heal. In short, it was the ideal place to confront the truths of Cristopher's diary. ring the antics of both men. Even more in that place was where each one of the boys she had adopted had begun to heal. In short, it was the ideal place to confront the truths of Cristopher's diary.