The Alpha's Mate

Chapter 9

JENNY

I stared in shock, while Leah collapsed on the ground. Didn’t she just say her head was hurting her?

Everyone from the house came running out and stood around her, but the woman from earlier glared at me.

"See what you have done," she yelled, not even caring about my daughter.

I could hear someone ring for an ambulance.

Josh kept his arm around me, trying to keep me calm. He had to come over to me; he needed to calm my wolf. She wasn't happy with what Leah had said, she would have taken over and shifted.

How the hell did she place the two together for Josh and me? I thought she never saw me. I made sure she was never with me when I was with him. There was the one time he turned up, but she couldn't have remembered that far back since she was eight.

"You need to leave now," the woman yelled again, pulling me from my thoughts.

I stepped away and stood as sirens were now sounding out and heading our way.

All I felt was numb while I watched slowly as the ambulance showed up and ran straight to my daughter. What the hell was happening to her?

I wanted to know, but she hated me, and none of these people would tell me. They saw me as the bad guy.

A mind link opened.

"We will take her back to the pack," Lucian said, sounding agitated, which was weird coming from him. "The pack doctor can have a look at her there."

I was tensed but also, I was curious to know if we should. We needed to talk to Alpha Carson.

Looking over my shoulder, I stared at the house I once lived in with my family before my mate found me. It still looked the same. As much as I needed to be there for Leah, the pull to the place I once knew was stronger.

"I need to go there," I whispered, only for Lucian and Josh to hear.

Lucian looked at where I was looking and nodded but did not say anything. He turned around and became the lawyer that he was born to be.

"I want you to pack all of Leah's things," he said to Dani, who looked back at him in shock which then turned into anger. She walked up and slapped him across the face.

"I won't do anything for you," she said, throwing back at him angrily.

Lucian stared at her, amused. What the hell was wrong with my brother? He was acting weird.

A mind link opened, and his voice filled my head. "This human has balls; I gave her that," he said, but there was something else in his voice, but it was hard to read what. I could feel the humor coming within the mate bond from Josh; he thought so too. Then the link was closed.

I turned back and looked as though Leah was being placed on a stretcher. She was being wheeled toward the ambulance.

"Oh, I forgot," Lucian said, who took a step closer to Dani, closing the gap between them. "Leah will be going to the hospital where we live; she will be transported there by an ambulance.” His lips twitched while the woman glared back.

"So, you need to pack some things for her, and I mean it, or I will press charges on the slap you gave me."

Lucian handed her the document that we had from the judge. We had our reasons for Leah to come back with us now, but that was mainly because of what was happening back in the pack. But we were aiming it at what Lucian found out the woman and my daughter lied about school.

Lucian came to me yesterday and showed me everything. I wasn't surprised. I thought Leah wanted to spend time with her friends, but it was all a ploy since she hates me. Lucian said her father knew she passed as she was smart and excelling in all her classes. She could easily graduate this year.

I felt so proud.

Lucian made some calls, and we went to Alpha Carson to explain. We had been having some trouble with a pack and rogues lately; he wanted Leah on the pack grounds as no pack members were to leave, not for anything.

I shook my head and pulled myself back from the thoughts. My eyes went to the woman, who was reading the letter from the judge. Her face was blank, but she didn't move, but she nodded.

A younger woman ran up to her; she looked the same age as Leah and wrapped her arms around her. "Mum, please," she pleaded, looking between us and then at Leah. "Leah doesn't want to go; she doesn't want to go with her."

The woman looked at me, her glare was there, but she looked defeated. Her eyes glanced down at the document and sighed. "There's nothing I can do," she whispered. She clearly loved my daughter.

"We will be over at the house," Lucian said, which made them both look back at him startled, and then her eyes went back to me, glaring. "You mean she wants to go over there," she said, her eyes never leaving mine, narrowing into slits. "It's how you left all those years ago. Larry never changed a thing as all his time went into looking after Leah."

I could feel my heart clench at her words.

My wolf was on all paws, but she let out a whine.

The woman stared at me and placed her hand in her pocket. She pulled something out and threw it at me. "Here's the key.”

Josh let me go, and I picked it up but stood rooted to the spot while holding onto the one thing I haven’t had on me in years. I heard movement till I felt him close to my ear.

"Let's go," he said, whispering in my ear.

I nodded.

Turning around, we headed to the house without looking back at the crowd. I couldn't help but stop and stare at it when we got closer. It had been years since I have been here, and I didn’t know what to expect.

"Are you okay, sweetheart," Josh asked, standing next to me.

I didn't say anything.

The house looked the same on the outside. Taking a breath till I was ready, I walked toward the house, and as we got to the front door, Josh placed the key in the look and opened the door.

Their scents hit me.

Larry and Leah.

I closed my eyes, and every memory of them came flooding back. All the family memories we had of being together. It was heartbreaking to feel till I opened them as tears flowed down my cheeks.

I could feel Josh's arm on the lower part of my back as he guided me inside. He said nothing since he knew how painful this was going to be. Once we were inside, everything looked the same. The woman was right; the house looked the same inside too. It was how we decorated it when we moved in. I stood rooted to the spot as I looked around, taking in everything.

The house was spotless, but a few things were out of place. I looked at the fireplace and noticed the photo frames. On instinct, I walked over and stood in front of them. Taking each one in.

The photos were of after me; there was not one picture of me in sight.

My heart broke, but I knew I had done them wrong.

I stayed where I was, leaving Josh to look around with Lucian.

"The documents for the house must be here," Lucian said, which made me look over my shoulder at him.

"No, they are not,” I said, knowing what Larry was like.

Lucian and Josh looked at me.

"Jen, she needs to get rid..." Lucian said, but I growled. "Don't. Leave the house alone."

Lucian looked at me, but Josh stepped forward. "Sweetheart," he said, making me look at him. I shook my head, which made him close his mouth. "I don't want to take the one thing she has left of him," I said, sounding hoarse. "I can't do that."

And then I looked back at the photos again, while taking in everything I have missed of my daughter and the years I have missed not being here with them.