The Luna and her Quadruplet Pups by Jane Above Story

Chapte 35 Jane Pulls a Vanishing A

Jane

Spinning to face Paisley, I find her sitting up in bed, her green eyes wide but still glazed with the remnants of sleep. This is the first time since the surgery that she’s seemed truly lucid, and I have to fight every protective instinct in my body to immediately begin interrogating her about who visited her before she went under.

“Hello my love.” | greet her, crossing the room to sit at the edge of her bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Funny.” Paisley answers with a yawn. “Why were you swearing, Mommy?”

Brushing her hair back from her face, I offer her a lopsided smile. “I was just feeling a little out of sorts.” I confess, “But I shouldn’t have said those things.”

Paisley leans forward, raising her hand to her mouth and secretively whispering “I’s heard Daddy say some of dose words too sometimes.” She grins sheepishly, “but he says dey’ re bad words and only bad Daddies say dem in front of pups.”

“And what do you think?” I ask her, overjoyed that she’s up and talking,

She thinks for a moment before deciding, “I tink he’s a good Daddy.”

“I think so too.” I share, unable to stop myself from kissing her little hands. “And I’m so glad you’re alright Paisley, you really scared me for a while there.”

“How’d I do that?” She asks, looking worried.

“It’s not anything you did, little one.” I assure her, “I just get nervous about surgeries. You’re such a brave girl.”

“I’s my last one, you know?” Paisley tells me with excitement. “I never have to have ‘nother.”

“I know.” I beam, “and you know, that means my game of hide and seek with Daddy can end soon too.”

“Really?” She exclaims, “you mean you can be my Mommy?”

her gently, holding a finger to my lips. “It’s

unusually somber for

| ask, changing the subject before she can think about it too hard. I’ve long past given up on keeping her completely in the dark, but I can’t tell her too much either. She

brain. I know the moment she’s decided on an answer, because her precious little face lights up like the sun itself,

exclaim, “We can get you ice cream

bouncing up and

you and I take a

———

Ethan

long, hot shower. I feel only marginally better than I did when I got home, the steaming spray worked wonders on my tense muscles, but all my stress remains. I’m still overwhelmed by everything

pack has caused more problems for me than the she-wolf dwelling under my own roof. Jane’s words from earlier ring in my head: whoever poisoned Paisley

keeping us apart. Eve obviously wants to marry me, and Paisley despises her. If she’s willing to torpedo her own business to get Jane out of the

reflection in the mirror, “I suppose you’ve come to tell me what an

came to

bleakly, “things are

“You know it might be easier to

to suggest I marry Eve again-” I begin, only to

lived here, helped raise Paisley and she adores

give anything, she might be willing to do anything too, including kill. “I don’t love her.” | remind my

say that?!” Mom cries, “she saved my life, Ethan. She only wants the best for

only friend, and if she knew what I’m beginning to suspect… well, let’s just say it would crush her. Mom isn’t as young as she used to be, and she barely survived losing my father. Her only joys left in life are me, Paisley, and Eve. I

“We know I’m not her mate. It would be better for everyone if she tried

a bitter note entering her voice.

and she never forgave me for not leaving her afterwards. In fact, it’s so rare for her to bring up my former wife that I realize she must

“You know,

her fingernails as if they re

I ask, wondering if Eve has figured out the truth