Chapter 54

Cara’s POV

“Why are you so upset, sis?” Ryan asks me with a laugh. He’s got that mischievous grin on his face, looking just like his twin Aidan.

I would have expected a prank like this from Aidan, but not Ryan.

But I’ve heard that’s what always makes Ryan’s pranks so much more effective than Aidan’s. No one ever sees Ryan’s misbehavior coming.

“And you! I told you that you were not permitted to leave BloodyMoon,” I say to Ethan.

The little boy’s face falls, the excitement of breaking the rules has clearly worn off. Now, he’s realizing that he’ll have to face the consequences of his actions.

Ethan certainly looks troubled by that thought.

“It’s my fault, don’t be mad at him,” Ryan says, still in a jovial mood.

I point towards the car, looking at my son. “Get back in the car, Ethan. Now, please.”

Ethan’s frown deepens as he steps back into the car. He wordlessly buckles himself in, resigning himself to whatever punishment is to come.

I spin towards my brother, “How could you do this? How could you bring him here? Don’t you realize what’s at stake?!”

Ryan grabs my elbow, moving me away from the car and out of earshot of the boy. “You should have seen him, Cara.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“He’s depressed.” Ryan says, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Depressed?” Ethan?

“You don’t realize what it does to him, being left behind over and over again. He just wants to be a part of what’s going on.” Ryan replies.

I bite my lower lip, considering Ryan’s comments. I know that Ethan has been sad each time Mia and I have to leave, but I’ve explained it to him. I’ve explained that it’s not safe…

“He’s worried about her,” Ryan says, interrupting my thoughts.

When I raise my eyebrow at him, a silent question, Ryan continues. “He’s worried about Mia. He just wants to feel like he’s doing something to help his sister… and his mother.”

I swallow thickly, touched by the thought that Ethan wants to help me. As if his little six-year-old body could fix all of my very adult problems.

“The best thing he can do to help her, to help all of us, is to stay out of sight,” I say.

“Yeah, well that’s not going to happen, so you need a new plan,” Ryan says staring at me with firm green eyes.

Ryan makes a good point, and I know he’s right.

I don’t want to admit it, but I realize I’ve been neglecting my son in the interest of protecting him. I’ve been giving my attention to Mia, to my job, to all the other things that demand my focus throughout the day.

I’ve been taking Ethan for granted.

It’s a hard pill for a mother to swallow, but I know I can do better.

I must do better.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, formulating a new plan, just as Ryan suggested.

“Okay.” I say simply.

“Okay?” Ryan asks, shocked.

I walk back to Ryan’s car and knock on the window where Ethan sits. He lowers the glass, looking up at me with those beautiful, wide green eyes.

“What is it, Mommy?” Ethan asks sweetly.

“You can come to Mia’s next appointment,” I tell him.

“I can?!” he shouts.

“Yes, but not today. There are too many people there today already, and we need to make sure the doctors stay focused on Mia, not on her visitors. But next time, you can join us.”

Ethan’s face lights up with joy. My heart lifts seeing the sight, realizing that I’ve done something right.

I hear someone cough behind me. “Excuse me… Cara?”

I turn and am shocked to see the she-wolf that spoke to me with such venom inside the Pack House kitchen.

I had almost forgotten that we’re still outside of the Pack House.

“He has your eyes… is he your son?” The she-wolf asks softly, looking at Ethan who still remains seated inside of Ryan’s car.

I hesitate, so used to being on my guard when within Pack DarkWood territory. I briefly debate changing the subject and avoiding the question.

“Yes, that’s my Mommy,” Ethan replies for me.

I let out the breath I was holding and smile down at my son. I suppose I can’t keep him hidden forever.

I look back to the she-wolf, nodding. “It’s true.”

“Please accept these toys as a gift, a token of our deepest apologies for how we’ve treated you,” the she-wolf says, holding a large bag in her hands.

I look inside and the bag is filled with racecars and robots, candies and crafts, all kinds of toys that would make any child jump for joy.

Ethan jumps out of the car, reaching for the bag. “Really?!”

Just then, a pair of small children, probably around five years old or so leans out from behind the she-wolf. They must have come with her, but were hiding out of sight behind her body.

“They’re for you,” one of the children says.

He turns to me, tugging on my shirt, “Can I play with them, Mommy?”

I nod, and reply, “Just for a few minutes,”

I feel a tear of joy and pride prick the corner of my eye watching my son run and giggle with the Pack House orphans. For so long, he’s had his sister to play with, but now that Mia’s health has gotten worse, she’s been confined to a wheelchair.

Mia can’t play like she used to. And that means Ethan hasn’t played much either.

Ethan stretches out his little legs and runs behind the children, smiling from ear to ear. His black hair blows in the wind, covering his forehead and dipping in front of his eyes.

He looks just like…

Suddenly, I feel like I’m transported back into a memory. Into the far corners of my mind, I recall seeing a young boy who looked just like him.

With black hair just like him.

Running in the forest.

Lost and looking for his pack.

I remember him.

I once dreamed about that boy.

I remember feeling like we only had each other. Like there was no one else in the whole world. Just the two of us.

Together.

And I knew, I just knew, that the two of us could solve anything together. We could do anything, overcome any obstacle.

We were just two kids, but there was something between us. A powerful force that both soothed and excited me, even then.

The emotions are rushing through me as the memory hits me. It’s powerful, like a wave crashing on top of me.

What had ever happened to that boy?

I didn’t recall seeing him again after that day in the forest. After that, I was taken into this very Pack House and saw so many new faces that until just now, I barely remembered what that boy had looked like.

Something about the way Ethan’s hair was blowing had triggered something in me. I could finally see his face, the boy from my memory.

Where was the boy now?

“Cara,” a man’s voice calls to me.

I look up, remembering myself. “Yes?” I ask.

It’s John, the DarkWood Beta. He’s still here.

“We should get to the hospital now,” John says.

I look down at my watch, shocked to see that we’ve stayed at the Pack House so long. I meant to leave a while ago.

“Alaric is waiting for you,” John says to me.