Chapter 172

Alaric’s POV

“Cara was feeling lightheaded again,” Colin said, claiming my attention away from Aidan and his fierce glare. “The nurses offered her a room to rest in for a while. She asked you to please continue to look after the kids and said she would join us again soon.”

Of course I would look after the kids, but…

This excuse felt strange somehow. There was something off about it.

Why didn’t Cara tell me herself? She could have texted or called. She must have known I’d be worried about her.

It wasn’t like her to just disappear like that.

I was willing to believe that perhaps Cara was lightheaded, but I wasn’t sure I believed it was as light a deal as Colin was acting, especially with how fiercely Aidan was glaring at me.

“I think I should go look for her myself,” I said. “You don’t mind staying with the kids, do you, Colin?”

Colin’s face tightened somewhat, enough to give him away. There was definitely something else going on.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he said evasively. “Cara’s just sleeping. It’s probably a better idea for you to stay here.”

“I don’t know about that,” I insisted. “I would feel better if I could see Cara with my own eyes. Just to make sure she’s alright.”

“I really think she needs some space.”

“Then I’d like for her to tell me that herself, Colin,” I said. This behavior was so strange to them. Over the past few months, the brothers had taken on various levels of hating and support for me and my romantic pursuit of Cara.

Colin, in the past, had always seemed to more receptive to the idea of me with his sister, more so than some of his brothers. This new wall he was putting up in front of me felt odd for him. It was behavior I would have been more accustomed from experiencing from one of his brothers, particularly Ryan or Aidan.

Aidan, who continued to glare at me.

Ryan ignored me, giving all of his attention to the kids instead. I was okay with that, but it only added to the mystery.

“Did something happen?” I asked Colin. I was never a fan of games. If there was something going on, I would rather face it head on then have to guess what it might be.

“Just stay here,” Colin said, as cagey as he’d been since the start of this conversation.

I was tired of this conversation, of the circle that was going nowhere.

Cara was the woman I loved. If something was going on, I would find out about it straight from her.

Narrowing my eyes slightly, I turned and started for the door.

Behind me, Colin sighed, but he did not attempt to stop me from walking out.

It didn’t take me long to track down Cara’s room. It was only down the hallway. The door partially opened, I could see her sitting inside on the bed, but she wasn’t asleep yet. She seemed upset about something.

I was about to knock on the door when Ruby opened it from the inside. Seeing me, her eyes went wide. She quickly stepped out, crowding me back into the hallway before she closed the door behind her.

“Cara’s resting, Alaric,” she said.

“She was up. I could see her,” I said.

“She just needs some space.”

Ruby was acting just as weird as Colin had.

“Something is going on with her,” I said. “I demand to know what it is.”

Ruby shook her head, her face stern, even as there was some measure of pity in her eyes.

“You have to wait for her to tell you, Alaric,” Ruby said. “If you try to push it, she will only bottle up. Go back to Mia, give Cara space, and wait for her to come to you.”

I didn’t want to do that. Every single one of my instincts was telling me that something was wrong with Cara, and I needed to get to her to help. My protective instincts were surging, and my wolf was pacing back and forth in my mind.

So often he was upset with my actions, enough that he was still not speaking to me with any regularity. This situation seemed no different.

But things were tenuous with Cara. I knew if I pushed her too roughly, I could end up pushing her away for good.

I was worried to an extreme amount, but… Ruby was right. If Cara wanted me to know what was going on with her, she would tell me.

I had to trust that with enough space, Cara would make that choice. She had to know that she could trust me with anything.

“I love her,” I told Ruby, in case that wasn’t clear.

Ruby gave me a long steady look. She believed me, I could see that. But it wasn’t enough.

“If that’s true, then, wait,” she said. “Wait for her to come to you.”

Noel’s POV

I had made and canceled three different airplane reservations to take flights back west to continue with my travels. As much as I wanted to stay, my heart drawn to Cara through the mating bond, I had to admit that after seeing her and Alaric together, I didn’t feel as if I had any chance to her heart.

My own heart was broken, and I was loathe to give up what I wanted most in this life – a partner, a mate. But she had kissed Alaric with such passion, so caught up in the moment, not giving any care in the world to me.

I cared for Cara in my own way. Maybe it wasn’t yet the deep unbreakable love that was sung about in songs or played up in movies, but it wasn’t nothing either. It had potential, and left me with a deep longing in my bones for her.

Yet, this affection I felt for her gave me the strength to walk away. I wanted to ensure her happiness, and right now the best chance of that seemed to be to give her the space she needed to try to work things out with Alaric.

For her happiness, I could make the choice to disappear. It wouldn’t be the first time I would have to walk alone. Honestly, at this point, I was used to it.

I could handle being alone, knowing that Cara was safe and happy.

Sighing, this time, I stepped out of my taxi and into the airport. This time, I wouldn’t cancel. This time I would go back on my travels and move on.

Halfway to the ticket counter, my phone began to ring. I checked the screen.

Aidan Auburn.

Immediately, I stopped and answered the phone.

“Aidan? Is everything alright?”

“No,” Aidan said at once. “You need to come back.”

“You know why I can’t. Cara made her choice and I want to give her the space to –”

“Cara is in the hospital,” Aidan said.

I froze in place, barely believing my ears. “Is she alright? What’s going on?”

“She needs her friends right now more than ever, Noel, and that means you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What’s there to understand,” Aidan said. “My sister is dying.”