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?”

lips. “It’s not over yet, so we have to

looking unusually somber for

thing you want to do when you get out of the hospital?”” | 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 still has weeks of physical therapy to get through before she’ll be well enough to consider moving, and that’s

decided on an answer,

why wait?” | exclaim, “We can

up

“let’s you and

———

Ethan

home, the steaming spray worked wonders on my tense muscles, but all my stress remains. I’m still overwhelmed by everything that happened at the hospital. I’m so relieved Paisley’s surgery went well, but horrified about

own roof. Jane’s words from earlier ring in my head: whoever poisoned Paisley is someone you know, someone with the motive to hurt you or get Paisley

me before, after all, Paisley isn’t my heir. She’ll never be Alpha, so the only reason someone could want her out of the way, is if Paisley was somehow keeping us apart. Eve obviously wants to marry me, and Paisley despises her. If she’s willing to torpedo her own

my mother’s reflection in the mirror, “I suppose

denies simply, “I came

I admit bleakly, “things

can hear her as I retreat into my closet to get changed. “You know it might

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

to us for years now. She’s lived here, helped raise Paisley and she

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

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

wants to tell my mother everything that Eve has done, but I don’t want to take that step unless it’s absolutely necessary. At this point Eve is Mom’s only friend, and if she knew what I’m beginning to suspect… well, let’s just say it would crush her. Mom isn’t

her mate. It would be better for everyone if

Mom argues, a bitter note entering her voice. “You certainly loved her deeply

mate’s betrayal, 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

know, don’t

her fingernails as if

Eve has figured

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