Chapter 16 - Rosa

"Just grant me access to the internal systems," Olivia says, using her most authoritative voice.

"I'm not doing that," Byron answers, and I can hear the frustration in his tone. I almost laugh—I've had my fair share of being frustrated with Olivia over the years, but I don't understand why Byron isn't accepting her assistance.

"Clearly, you need my help with this."

"I don't need anyone's help—I'm trained by one of the most highly sophisticated agencies in the United States."

"Oh, yeah, the agency that had a major leak—with not one but two double-agents—that nearly led to wide-spread chemical warfare? That one?"

For the first time in nearly an hour, Byron is stunned silent. I have my head bent over my machine, watching as two substances are centrifuged together. I can practically imagine the smug look on Olivia's face when she reveals to Byron that she knows about that.

Of course, she does—she gets into whatever databases and communication channels she wants. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already scoured all the messages and communications of all the people in this pack, just to be safe.

I suddenly realized that Olivia could have found information about Bigby all these years. She could have known about his agency appointment and mission in Rosecreek. I wonder if she was keeping tabs on him. I make a note to ask her about it.

"Are you the one who did this? You hacked into the system? Just to mess with me? That serum is seriously dangerous—" Byron says, and I picture him pointing his finger at Olivia, picture her pulling her head back and scowling at him.

"Ha!" she laughs, her voice getting quieter as she turns away from him. "As though you actually think a woman is capable of getting through your precious firewall."

"Stop saying that like I'm sexist, I am not sexist, I just—"

"You're not? Explain the constant—"

Finally losing my patience, I spin around in my chair, lifting my goggles from my face and pointing at the two of them. They both look at me with wide eyes, like kids who've been caught out.

"For the love of Antoine Lavoisier , can the two of you be quiet for a single moment? Byron, you don't have to actually sit right here next to me. I'm sure everyone will be content for you to sit out in the hallway."

"Actually," Byron mutters, "your boyfriend practically threatened to rip my head off if I so much as thought of taking a bathroom break while I'm here to protect you."

"Bigby is your boyfriend?" Kaila asks from her spot across the room, her eyes peeking up at us over her book.

"No," I say to her and then to Byron, " I'll rip your head off if you keep saying stupid things like that. Bigby is not my boyfriend, and I'm not going to be able to get any work done with the two of you going back and forth like this!"

"Well, then just tell him to give me access to the internal systems," Olivia says, crossing her arms. "He's lucky I'm asking nicely."

"Excuse me?"

"Byron, sweetheart, what do you think will happen if you don't give me access?"

"Yeah, right, go ahead and try."

"You already admitted you think I can get through your security measures. Don't confuse yourself now."

"There's no way you're going to hack into the system right after you tell me you're going to hack into the system—"

"Oh really? Because I just did."

"You're not even looking at your tablet!"

"What? Oh, you need to look? Honey—"

"Olivia!" I say, setting down the vial with my test antidote and turning to the two of them. "I have never been more serious in my life. If you can't be quiet, you'll have to leave. I'm trying to work here, and if I mess this up, it could seriously hurt someone."

"You're going to hurt someone?" Kaila asks, lowering her book again, her eyes wide as she looks at me. I sigh, reminding myself not to touch my face, no matter how badly I want to pinch the bridge of my nose right now. I feel a migraine coming on.

"No, not on purpose. It's just that Olivia keeps distracting me, and I'm trying to make medicine for someone who's very sick."

"Bigby?"

"What? No—he's not sick."

"Then why is he sweating all the time? And he doesn't sleep. I can tell."

I swallow thickly when Byron and Olivia go silent behind me, and, in my head, I dare one of them to make a single comment about it. Everyone in the pack can see our situation so clearly—Bigby and I are mates, and Kaila is our daughter—but nobody else has had to live inside of that reality. And if one of them snickers or riffs off of what my daughter just said, I might actually have a meltdown.

"Kaila," Olivia says, putting her hands on her knees and getting to her feet, "why don't I call Aris and see if he'll bring Araya down. We can all go to the park."

"Yes!" Kaila says, jumping up from her spot and setting her book on Gerard's workbench. It's a Saturday, so the other chemists aren't in today. I couldn't resist the urge to come in and work—it feels like the answer to the serum problem is just around the corner.

Olivia goes out into the hallway to make the call.

"Son of a bitch ," Byron says, "she actually did hack in."

"Hey," I say, and he snaps his gaze up to me. "Don't say that word around my daughter. Better yet, don't say it at all."

"Right sorry, it's just—Olivia makes me crazy."

"That makes two of us."

Ten minutes later, the door to the lab opens. Olivia and Kaila go out, while Linnea comes in. I watch Byron as he puts his ear buds in—so he had the option to block Olivia out, and he chose not to.

"Hey," Linnea says, holding up a lunch box with a unicorn on it. "I thought I'd bring you lunch."

"Do I get to keep the lunch box?"

"Araya might fight you if you try," Linnea laughs, gesturing for me to follow her out. I take off my lab coat and wash my hands before following Linnea out to a little area with tables. Byron accepts a wrap from her and sits at a different table, completely enthralled in his work.

"How have things been going, staying with Bigby?"

I take a bite of my food so I don't have to answer right away. While I chew, I try to think of a way to answer without saying I want to rip his clothes off, and it's killing me.

"Well," I say, after swallowing, "he's very clean."

"That's it?" Linnea laughs, "Just clean?"

"He also makes breakfast."

Linnea laughs, which makes me laugh, and a moment later, we're both sighing together.

"In all seriousness," Linnea says when I go in for another bite. "Bigby is a good man. When we were here—well, I told you I would tell you the story. So here it is. Aris was a total ass in high school—and not in a cute way. He was a bully, and a lot of the stuff he said back then has stuck with me, even now."

I stare at her.

"How could you be with someone who made you feel like that?"

"He apologized—I realized he's a different man now. A man, for one thing, instead of a boy. He learned from his mistakes, and he's stronger for it. I think it was learning to apologize that actually made him ready to be the alpha of the Rosecreek pack."

"Yeah, but being a bully is one thing. Abandoning your girlfriend because she's pregnant?"

Linnea rears back, putting her hand to her mouth.

"I can't believe he knew that. It doesn't line up at all with who he is."

"Yeah, well, believe it. He was taking the trash out, and then he never came back. It doesn't take a genius to realize he saw one of my many positive pregnancy tests in the garbage and realized it was his last chance to get out."

"Do you think the years apart may have made it easier for you to twist Bigby into something he's not?"

"Linnea," I say, taking a deep breath. I put my hand on hers, trying not to get angry. "Do you remember how you felt, when you were pregnant? Bloated, disgusting, fat, angry, hungry, tired, exhausted? Now, imagine what it would have been like if, right before you were going to tell Aris about the pregnancy, he had left. Imagine if not only did you have to go through all those terrible things alone, but you also did it with the knowledge that the person you loved most in the world didn't actually love you at all."

To my surprise, Linnea is looking at me with tears in her eyes.

"Sorry," she says, choking a little on the word. "I—as Luna, I just feel my pack-mates emotions strongly."

"I'm not your pack-mate."

"Oh," she says, blinking and wiping at her eyes. When she looks up at me, there's something curious in her eyes, and a bolt of panic pushes through me. How long does it take to integrate into a new pack? Kaila and I have been living here for a few weeks now—is my scent starting to change? Is Linnea starting to sense my emotions because she's starting to become my luna?

"I can feel Bigby's emotions for you, too," Linnea says after a long moment. "And all I feel there is love. And guilt. I wish the two of you would talk. For Kaila's sake."

"For Kaila's sake," I mutter, taking another massive bite of my wrap. I think about Bigby and the way he acts with Kaila. I'm beginning to wonder if I know what's best for either of us anymore.