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?”

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

agrees, looking unusually

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 a very long time for

an answer, because her precious little face lights up like

why wait?” | exclaim, “We can get you ice cream

up and down in her

I grin, “let’s you and I

———

Ethan

from a 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

words from earlier ring in my head: whoever poisoned Paisley is someone you know, someone with the motive to hurt you or get Paisley out of the way. Get

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 business to get Jane out of the way,

in the mirror, “I suppose you’ve

She denies simply, “I came

admit bleakly, “things are pretty bad,

sorry, sweetheart.” She consoles, raising her voice so I can hear her as I retreat into my closet to get changed. “You

going to suggest I marry Eve again-”

family to us for years now. She’s lived here, helped raise

anything too, including kill. “I don’t love

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

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 as young as she used to be, and she barely survived losing my father. Her only joys left in life are me, Paisley, and

remind Mom. “We know I’m not her mate. It would

Mom argues, a bitter note entering her voice.

chosen 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

“You know,

She clarifies, studying her fingernails as if they re absolutely

wondering if Eve has