– Chapter 148

Frederic

Bloody typical.

I leave the house for a few measly hours and the dumb bitch goes and gets herself caught – and at a nail salon no less. Of all the stupid, thoughtless things to do! I swear, I could strangle the woman.

It doesn’t take me long to find her. I know they wouldn’t take her to the pack house, and while they might want to lock her up, the idiots are too noble to completely bypass the system. They’ll take her to the enforcement headquarters to interrogate. They won’t actually lock her into a jail cell until they have something with which to charge her.

I know my mother isn’t foolish enough to tell them anything intentionally, but I need to get to her before they trick her into revealing some detail of my plans. Clearly I’ve been overestimating her intelligence if she let herself get caught this easily.

I watch the headquarter’s entrance until I see the betas leaving for the night, then wait for the night shift to fully take over. There are fewer people around after hours: fewer guards, fewer enforcers and investigators, fewer people to watch the security feeds.

I consider any number of operations, but in the end I decide to go with chaos over precision. I’ve already located her cell by hacking the security feed, I just need to distract the men and women standing guard. It will make for a better story in the morning papers anyway – one I’ll make sure gets printed.

I cut the power to the building remotely, simultaneously unlocking all the cells so that the enforcers will have their hands full with escaping detainees. Slipping in a side door, I steal a custodian’s uniform from one of the supply closets, along with a bucket and mop to push around as part of my disguise.

Pulling the cap down low over my eyes, I slip through the blackened hallways with ease, listening to people shout and tussle. It must have been a busy day, with lots of arrests and therefore lots of perpetrators to fill the holding cells.

Perfect.

Luck is on my side, I only have to knock out three enforcers before I find my mother, trying to slink out of the building unnoticed, and failing miserably. There are two enforcers on her tail, and she doesn’t even seem to notice. Rolling my eyes, I dispatch the men quickly, before snagging my mother by the scruff of her neck and pulling her out of the building amidst blaring alarms.

She tries to explain on the drive home, blathering excuses and promising me over and over that she didn’t tell them anything. Yet her words fall on deaf ears. I’m sick and tired of her mistakes, and I’m done listening to excuses.

When we get back to the house, I bodily drag her down to the basement, throwing her in the small, damp room without mercy. “Until you learn how to follow orders, I can’t trust you to be off leash.” I decide ruthlessly, hardening myself to her horrified expression. “You’ll stay here until I decide you’ve learned your lesson.

“You can’t do this to me! I’m your mother!” She cries, as if I don’t know.

“You’re a liability, and you had your chance.” I decree, slamming the door shut.

Her body crashes into the wood, followed by the pounding of her weak, ineffectual fists. “Please Frederic! Without me, you’d be nothing!”

“No!” I snarl, “without you, I’d already be the Alpha of the Nova pack! All these years you insisted you were helping me, you really just held me back, but that’s over now!” I announce, “You made your bed Mother, now sleep in it.”

____________________

Selene

“You’ve got to get me out of here.” I beg Drake, clutching his arm with both hands.

“Selene, honey,” He placates me, gently detaching my grip. “You know that isn’t possible.”

“But my blood tests are better!” I insist, feeling near tears. I’m going crazy being trapped in this bed, hooked up to machines, packed full of needles and separated from my pup.

“I know, but the Doctor says you need to stay here until you put on a few pounds.” Drake informs me in the same even tone.

“But I could be on bed rest at home!” I argue, “why do I have to stay here when I don’t need any special equipment to keep up my health?”

“It’s round the clock care.” Drake reasons, “you have the nurses on call at a moment’s notice.”

“We could hire a nurse to help her out at home.” Odette suggests.

“Yes!” I exclaim, making my eyes wide and pushing out my lower lip in a dramatic pout. “Please, Drake? Please, please, please?”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” He sighs.

“Why not?” I cry, dropping the pleading expression and his arm all at once. “You’re supposed to be on my side here.”

Drake narrows his eyes, offering me an admonishing glower. “I am on your side, Selene.” He states with forced patience, “but I’m trying to do what I think Bastien would want. I’m trying to put myself in his shoes and make the same decision I would for my own mate.”

“So you’re saying you’d ignore your mate’s wishes, separate her from her pup and lock her up in this torture chamber?” I grumble.

“Now you’re just being dramatic.” He drawls.

“I’m pregnant.” I sniff, “I’m allowed.”

“She does have a point, Drake.” My hero, Odette points out. “She would be less stressed if she was home with Lila. It isn’t good for her mental health to be in this environment, whatever benefits it may offer her physically.”

“See!” I jump on her “I’ll go crazy if I stay here.”

“I think you already are.” My friend mutters under his breath.

“I heard that.” I snipe, “but I think you’re forgetting I’d also be easier to keep safe in the pack house. Anyone could walk into the hospital and attack me.”

“Sure, except the hospital has cameras in every last hall and requires key card entry to this wing, whereas your house is full of secret passages which Frederic has already used to commit a murder.” Drake recalls.

Throwing my hands up, I revert to complaining about matters of principle, rather than trying to convince the stubborn man about logic. “How is this fair anyway? You aren’t my mate and I’m a full grown woman, how is it your call to make this decision for me?”

“Because Bastien made it my responsibility.” Drake replies, as if this is the most logical thing in the world. “But okay, I’ll talk, just talk to Dr Kane. I’m not making any promises here. If he says it’s too risky, you’re staying put.”

I want to make another scathing remark, but I’m afraid of pushing my luck too far, so I settle for a simple, “Thank you!”

__________________________

Drake

“That is out of the question.” Dr Kane proclaims instantly.

“I was afraid of that.” I sigh. “You’re sure there’s no arrangement we can make – home nurses, daily check ups? She’s really unhappy here.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” The physician says, seeming to genuinely mean it. “But I really feel she’s better off here than at home.”

“Even if it’s causing her more stress to be here?” I press.

“Here’s the thing.” Dr Kane explains, “the night we tried to have Lila stay over, we did it so Selene wouldn’t feel anxious, but you know what ended up happening? She ended up more anxious because Lila was so upset to see her ill. I truly understand it’s stressful for her to be away from home, but I genuinely believe it would do more harm than good.”

I can’t help but think his words make sense. She might want to be home, but I know if she’s there, she won’t truly rest. She’ll try to work and go back to being super Mom, and she’ll land herself right back here. Nodding, I thank the man and take my leave, trying to decide how to tell my friend the bad news.

As I stride back towards her room, I intercept Aiden coming up the stairs with a grim look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I ask immediately. The last time I saw the betas they were full of excitement over catching Odile.

“I came to deliver the news.” He sighs, seeming as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders. “Odile escaped last night.”

“Great.” I remark sarcastically, “Though maybe if you tell your news first, mine won’t seem so bad.”

His brow furrows, “Why, what’s your news?”

“Selene wanted to go home to be on bedrest there, but Dr Kane says it’s impossible.” I share.

Aiden’s head jerks up, and I try to understand why he’s looking at me with such a horrified expression. “Dr Kane?” He repeats, aghast. “Her doctor is Thomas Kane?”

“Yes?” I answer uncertainly, completely confused by his reaction. I know the betas haven’t been around the hospital much, but I don’t know why it should alarm him that the chief of medicine is caring for the Alpha’s mate. That’s how it should be, right?

To my shock, his mouth forms a hard line and he shakes his head with grave determination. “We’ve got to get her out of here. Now.”