Return to Prison

Quinn

“We’re almost there,” Jax said, his eyes darting between the winding road and the GPS on his phone.

I didn’t need him to tell me. I could feel it.

As we drove up the gravel driveway, I was already being pulled back into the past. My stomach twisted. I chewed on my lip and fidgeted in my seat.

“This one?” he asked.

I nodded. It was the only one; the only house for miles around.

No neighbors, just the solitary, melancholy log cabin, surrounded by a few trees. Their autumn leaves were already falling, creating dry, dusty piles around their roots. The cabin looked like a haunted house from a Halloween movie.

I reached out and knocked on the door, my hand shaking slightly.

When no one answered, Jax said, “Maybe she’s not here. Did she text you back?”

“She said she’d be ready for us. She said to expect a warm welcome.” My voice was laced with bitterness.

I knocked again.

~Knock, knock, knock.~

~Anyone home?~

I had half-expected her to be waiting on the lawn, ready to run towards me and pull me into a tight hug. To drag me back into my old room.

~Mother,~ I thought.

~Of course, you’re not here when I need you…~

We had traveled all this way and left Shadow Moon at a critical time. I was about to give up and turn to Jax, feeling foolish for suggesting this trip, when the door creaked open a little. My mother’s wide, startled eyes peeked out at us. She looked wild and anxious, like a cornered animal.

“Mom,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“Quinn,” she replied, her voice hoarse.

I wanted to ask if she was okay, but her attention was already on Jax. He shifted uncomfortably beside me, his usual confidence gone.

“This is Jaxon,” I introduced him.

“Hello, Mrs. Michaels,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

My mother looked him up and down, her eyes filled with suspicion. I knew she was imagining him as a dangerous wolf-man, fresh from hunting humans in the woods. She probably expected him to transform into a wolf at any moment.

I cleared my throat, startling her.

“Can we…come in?” I asked.

“Oh. Oh, yes. Sorry, I was just tidying up…” She opened the door a little wider and disappeared inside.

I looked at Jax, who gestured for me to go first.

“After you,” he said.

“Thanks a lot,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Hey, it’s your house.”

“Yeah. That’s the problem.”

I stepped over the threshold and into the house. What I saw made my jaw drop.

My mom had always been a neat freak. Growing up, everything had its place. Shelves were organized by color. Everything was labeled. Trash was taken out immediately, and clutter was nonexistent.

But now…

The house was a mess—nothing like the tidy home I remembered. It looked like a tornado had swept through the living room.

Takeout bags, coffee cups, and pizza boxes littered the couch, tables, and carpet. Some still had half-eaten food or were leaking coffee or grease. Clothes and other random items added to the chaos.

And books. So many books. It was as if a library had exploded. There were phone books, atlases, old magazines, and countless research and reference books. Encyclopedias from A to Z.

I had always been the bookworm in our family, so this was a shock.

“Sorry, sorry,” my mom apologized, noticing my expression. “I’ve been a bit busy. A bit preoccupied…”

“Looks like it,” I said.

I led the way through the mess, making a path for Jaxon to follow. I didn’t dare look at him, but I could imagine his surprise.

“Well, Quinn, this is all your fault,” Mom said. “I’ve been so worried. So, so worried…”

A pang of guilt hit me. I tried to push it away, but it was hard to ignore.

We moved into the kitchen, which was just as messy. At my mother’s insistence, we sat down at the table.

Suddenly, I smelled something delicious.

~Mmm.~

Something comforting and familiar.

~What is that?~

Mom opened the oven and a mouthwatering aroma filled the room.

“I made pot roast,” she said, pulling on her oven mitts. “And roasted vegetables. And pie for dessert.”

~Of course she did.~

It was a sweet gesture, but I knew better than to fall for it. Like the witch in Hansel and Gretel, my mother knew how to lure someone in—then slam the door shut and lock it.

“I’m just so relieved you’re home and safe. Here, eat up,” Mom said.

She served us the steaming food. For a few minutes, the only sounds were the clinking of utensils and the chewing of food.

“This is delicious, Mrs. Michaels,” Jax said.

A smile spread across her face. “Oh, it was nothing. Just an old family recipe. One of Quinn’s favorites.”

It was true. While most kids wanted pizza or fast food for their birthday dinners, I always asked for my mom’s home-cooked meals.

She broke the silence again: “So, Jaxon, um… What do you do for a living?”

“I, uh…” He trailed off, looking at me for help.

“He’s a manager. He oversees large groups of people. Very organized.”

“Like a CEO?”

I fought back a laugh, keeping my expression neutral. “Yeah, something like that.”

Jaxon didn’t crack a smile, just shoveled a spoonful of carrots into his mouth.

My mom kept up her interrogation of Jaxon, like she was conducting a job interview.

“And how did you two meet?” she asked, her voice sweet but suspicious.

She was always a bit distant, and our trust had never been rock solid. Now, it felt like it had snapped in two.

She was trying to be welcoming, and I wanted to appreciate it. But too much had happened. Too much was on the line.

With every question, I knew what she was driving at. She was waiting for us to spill the beans.

To acknowledge the giant elephant in the room.

To admit something like:

~Well, we met when I ran away from home. We have this unique bond. We’re life mates, and if I get too far away from him, I go crazy with longing and sadness. Isn’t that adorable?!~

I had to do it. I had to expose that elephant.

I took a deep breath...

Jeanette

“Okay, I’m just going to say it,” Quinn blurted. “Mom, we’re here to find out about Dad and Aunt Jodie.”

I froze, my motherly instinct to protect my baby girl kicking in.

~It’s too risky! She’s too young! She can’t—she shouldn’t—know this stuff!~

Quinn saw the fear in my eyes. “It’s actually more dangerous for me if you don’t tell me.”

“How do you know what's most dangerous?” I asked, not really wanting an answer. So, I said, “Fine, Quinn. You know best. I'll tell you in the morning.”

Quinn immediately objected. “The morning?! Mom, seriously!”

“I promise. I’ll tell you tomorrow. Just stay the night.”

~“Mom—”~

“Just one night, Quinn. And you can stay too, Jaxon—”

“Oh, how generous of you,” Quinn cut in.

When did my sweet girl become so defiant and headstrong? Who taught her to act like this?

~Must be something she picked up from the wolves.~

“You can stay, as well,” I finished, addressing Jaxon, “but on a different floor from Quinn. I can hardly trust you two in the same room, let alone alone behind closed doors.”

***

Jaxon

We retreated to our separate quarters, Quinn to her bedroom and me to the living room. I cleared enough junk off the couch to lie down. Or, more accurately, curl up, which was a challenge given my size and the couch’s dimensions.

~Buzz.~

A text from Quinn.

I opened it:

Quinn

Hey hot stuff, how are u holding up down there?

Jaxon

Lol fine. It’s alright

Quinn

Best accommodations EVER you mean?

Jaxon

Oh yeah, better than a 5-star hotel

Quinn

Sorry about my mom

Quinn

She can be... a lot

Quinn

Now do u see why I ran away from home?

Jaxon

Yeah, I’m starting to get the picture

Quinn

Being back in my childhood bedroom makes me feel restless

Quinn

& spiteful...

Jaxon

U wanna try another prison break?

Jaxon

I can help

Quinn

No, unfortunately, we need that info on Jodie she's withholding 🙄

Quinn

But I have a better idea...

Jaxon

??

Quinn

I want to have a boy over

Quinn

Mom’s sleeping

Quinn

Come upstairs 2 see me? ;)