Chapter 2 Part 2 When Past & Present Collide

I jump back from the window, startled, as the figure moves closer letting me see their face. “Sukie” I

whisper in surprise. I make easy work of the lock and open the window. “How did you find me?” I

ask excitedly, unable to hide the bright smile on my face. “I'm a witch remember,” she giggles in

response. “Where's Cypress?” I ask, looking around her expectantly, but Sukie shakes her head.

"Witches can smell wolves so he would have blown my cover,” she explains.

I look past Sukie and spot a guard walking the fence line. “Go to the back door. I'll meet you there

to let you in,” I whisper, motioning to the guard. Sukie turns to take a look and nods. I watch her

retreat quietly towards the back in hopes of not catching the guard's attention. I rush to open the

door, pulling her in quickly. Once it's shut, I pull her into me and hug her tight. “I miss you all so

much,” I sob, pulling her away to look at her face. “I've missed you too,” she sighs, smiling happily.

I motion for her to follow me into the living room, where she sits on the couch and I take my place

on the recliner with Paisley. “How does Blair keep you here?” she asks, taking in the room. “She put

a spell on the coven territory lines, I can't leave without permission from a coven member,” I explain.

"Well, what about your wolf?” she asks, curiously looking at me. “Blair injects me with a potion every

day. It's been keeping my wolf away,” I told her grimly.

I wait, watching Sukie take a moment to think over my situation. “I can reverse the spell, but it's

going to take some time,” she finally says, looking at me. I feel Paisley moving in my arms and look

down at her, knowing what I need to do. “I need you to take Paisley back with you and keep her

safe. They are always using her being here to threaten me. If she is gone then I can finally stand up

to them,” I say, my voice laced with regret as I stand. “Mommy loves you so much and I will be with

you again. I promise,” I tell her through my tears as I hug her with all my might. Paisley only looks at

me with her adorable smile and I memorize every feature, relieved she can't understand what's

going on.

I hand her to Sukie and wipe my tears away. “Do you know how Paul and Amelia are doing without

Malachi? The pack has a tough decision to make on choosing a new Alpha,” I say, looking to the

floor as nausea forms at the thought of never seeing Malachi’s face again. I hear Sukie walking to

me and she lifts my chin with her finger. “You don’t know?” she asks and I give her a look of

confusion. “Know what?” I question her. “They shot him with a silver bullet, which is very lethal to

werewolves, but he fought for days with the poison in his system. Cypress knew one of the packs in

Italy had a specialist and flew him there immediately for treatment, but he disappeared in the

middle of the night,” she explains.

A gasp passing my lips as I cover my mouth in shock, trying to make sense of her words. “So, is

Malachi alive?” I suddenly asked, hope filling my body. “We don't know. Malachi never came back,”

Sukie states, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. I can tell she's hesitating to continue, but

she does. “I'm sorry Chloe, but there is no way he can survive the silver without treatment,” she says

warmly, but I feel my hope fade.

My eyes dart around the room as I fight back my tears and with a deep breath, I step to Sukie and

press a kiss on Paisley’s forehead. “I love you,” I tell her, before looking back to Sukie. “You need to

go before they come to check on me,” I declare, and Sukie pulls me into a hug. “I promise she will

be safe. Cypress and I will guard her with our lives,” she promised with a caring expression. I smile

slightly and caress Paisley’s rosy red cheek, making her giggle, before walking them to the door.

Sukie turns to me with determination filling her features. “I will break the spell to free you,” she

declares, pulling me into another hug before she walks out the door, literally carrying my life in her

hands. My heart grows heavy with fear that I may never see my baby girl again, but I'm startled out

of my thoughts by a knock at the front door. “Shit, it's Blair,” I think, trying to compose myself by

wiping the wetness off my face with my sleeve.

I open the door to find Blair standing there and as usual, she looks like she has a stick up her ass.

"Yes," I ask sassily. I only hold the door halfway open in an obvious attempt to not let her in. Blair

narrows her eyes at me. “You're not going to let me in,” she asks, keeping her resting bitch face.

“Paisley is asleep and you had her all day. Can you just give me the damn shot and let me be,” I

snapped in irritation. Blair huffs, giving me a look of disdain for talking to her in that manner. “Fine,”

she replies, rolling her eyes.

Blair pulls out the needle and grabs my arm forcing the needle into my vein. “OUCH,” I shout,

glaring at her. “When was the last time you got laid? It must be years since you're such a constant

bitch,” I say, smirking as I struck a nerve. She slaps me across the face, spinning my head to the side.

I feel my blood boiling when I turn to face her again. “Do not speak to me that way. I am your

mother in law and you will show me some respect,” she spat, causing me to laugh in her face.

"Respect? Like how you've shown me by kidnapping me and forcing me to marry your son?” I scoff

in utter disbelief at this woman's audacity. “Respect is earned, not forced upon someone! You sure

have a lot to learn about life for being so old,” I laugh again.

She reaches up to slap me again, but I catch her hand mid-air and shove her away from me. “That

will be the last time you touch me, you witch bitch,” I snarl, gritting my teeth. “Your mother was a

good witch and did what she was told. Why can’t you be more like her,” Blair says with a sigh? A

mischievous grin plays on my lips as I look at Blair. “I would never want to be that crazy bitch. She

was deceitful so it's a good thing I killed her,” I say, my mischievous grin now morphing into a look

of aggression. I watch Blair back away. “Ugh,” she huffs in defeat as she turns away and quickly

leaves.

I close the door and lean against it for a moment before I feel my body sliding down to the floor.

“Malachi, all the good times we had will never be forgotten,” I think, pulling my knees to my chest

as I reminisce. “I promise I will remember everything until the day I die, like the first time we made

love and how you freaked my neighbor out when you carried me away like the hulk,” I laugh

through my sniffles, my thoughts carrying on. “I miss jumping in your lap when you're not looking. I

miss your scent and watching you walk around shirtless in those sexy gray sweats,” I smile to myself,

wiping the tears with the back of my hand as I rise to my feet.

I sigh locking the door and head to the room. I walk into the bathroom and change into a long

sleeve shirt and some flannel pants. I get ready for bed by brushing my teeth and pulling my hair

out of the bun, brushing it thoroughly. When I'm done, I turn off the lights and head for Paisley's

crib, wishing she was there, but I pick up her blanket instead and take it with me to sleep. Suddenly,

something catches my eyes as it falls to the floor. I bend over and pick up a piece of paper. “A note?

How did this get here?” I question as I open it to read it.

I'm watching you...