Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

A lena fidgeted nervously as she sat at the dinner table, picking at her food while her mind raced.

Across from her, Archer had been mostly silent. She was having trouble judging exactly what was happening behind his brow. Alena noticed Ruby elbowing him.

He looked up and then, as if coming back to the room, said, "Alena, I just want you to know that we have plans for our Forsaken Riders friends. And there is something else I wanted to tell you, if you are ready to hear about Zane yet. I just don't want you to—"

But before he could say more, Abi's high-pitched voice cut him off.

"But Rainbow, I was gonna wait until after dessert!" the little girl whined, clutching her stuffed unicorn close. Whatever Archer had been about to say was forgotten as he and Ruby exchanged puzzled glances.

Alena was glad to hear that something was happening on the biker front, but even if that were resolved, would it really change anything? She just didn't know. Archer had alluded to having something to tell her about Zane, but she just couldn't handle any more drama at the moment. Besides, if there was anything to say, Zane should be telling her himself.

What a mess.

She was actually relieved at the interruption, and in spite of all that was happening, she fought back a smile. Leave it to her precocious niece to break the ice.

"What's Rainbow have to say, sweetie?" Ruby asked gently, playing along.

Abi huffed, her brow furrowed in concentration. "She says we have to all go on a special mission. To save Misty Vale!"

Alena's heart skipped a beat, her bear instantly on alert. She had learned not to dismiss anything the little girl said.

"A mission, huh?" Archer chuckled, shaking his head. "And what exactly does this mission entail, munchkin?" But even in his voice, Alena could tell he was also listening intently.

"We have to go see Kiki," Abi declared, her tone brooking no argument. "And we need a… a memory bubble!"

They had all become accustomed to Abi's uncanny abilities of sight but nonetheless exchanged glances. Was this Abi the imaginative little girl talking, or Abi the fae mystic?

Alena leaned forward, her curiosity now fully engaged. "Honey, what do you mean by a ‘memory bubble'?"

"I think it's like a window to a long time ago," Abi answered as she seemed to look to Rainbow for confirmation. "Oh, neat!"

"What's so neat?" Archer questioned.

"Rainbow says it's like going into a submarine to go down in the ocean. But we're not! We're going to go into the past!"

"Oh. Well, that clears things up," Ruby murmured.

"Rainbow says we gotta go back in time and see something so we can all fix it." Then Abi levelled them with a look, and in a voice that belayed her age once again, she added somberly, "Or else Misty Vale is doomed."

"Oh, is that all?" Archer said as they all exchanged glances again.

Alena stared at her niece, her mind reeling from Abi's ominous declaration. "Doomed? What do you mean, doomed?"

Abi huffed, clutching her stuffed unicorn tighter. "Rainbow says if we don't go back and see what happened, dragons and bears will never stop fighting. Never ever! And then the bad guys will win!"

Archer set his jaw, concern etched on his face. "Abi, honey, I know you want to help, but this sounds very dangerous. We can't just go messing around with time."

"But we have to, Daddy!" Abi insisted, her eyes wide and pleading. "But don't worry, it won't just be us. Kiki is going to help. She knows about time. She's magic, remember?"

Ruby placed a comforting hand on her mate's arm. "I don't think we should fight it, Arch. Seven or not, your daughter has a proven track record. Somehow, my own powers of sight tell me a visit with Kiki is in our future. If there's even a chance it could help…" She trailed off, glancing at Alena.

Alena's bear rumbled within her, torn between the need to protect her unborn cub and the desperate desire to fix the rift between her and Zane. Could this be the answer they'd been searching for?

Despite what he had said, the pull to her mate was undiminished.

"Okay." Alena took a deep breath. "Let's go see Kiki. But Abi, you have to promise to listen to us, all right? No running off in submarine time bubbles on your own."

Abi nodded solemnly, a smile breaking across her face. "I promise, Auntie Lena!"

It was a little difficult to go back to dinner after that, but they finished their meals, as well as dessert upon Abi's insistence. And then, unable to even consider thinking about anything else, they decided they might as well head toward Kiki's Secret.

Alena's heart raced as they finally stood on the shop's doorstep, Abi bouncing excitedly beside her. The little girl's words echoed in her mind, a mix of hope and trepidation swirling in her gut.

A memory bubble? Going back in time? It sounded crazy, but then again, no stranger than anything else she was privy to in Misty Vale.

Kiki opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise. "Alena! Archer, Ruby… and Abi."

Did she seem maybe a little extra wary of Abi?

From what had happened before, she damn well should be, Alena thought, still a bit annoyed at the fae's past meddling.

"What brings you all here?" Alena could see the apprehension plain as day in the fae's eyes. "If this is about the town meeting, I'm sorry. How was I to know it would make things worse!"

"You kept your word. Finally. But we need your help again," Archer said, cutting straight to the chase. "Abi's stuffed unicorn says we have one more shot at peace."

Kiki stood there slack jawed, apparently digesting what Archer had said.

"Rainbow says we need to make a memory bubble thing. And then we can all go back in time, and everything will be okay again!" Abi explained brightly.

Kiki blinked, her brow furrowing. "A memory bubble? I'm not sure what exactly you're talking about, or how it could help, for that matter."

Then, for a moment, Kiki brought her gaze to meet Alena's eyes.

Alena mouthed a single, silent word. Please.

Before she could gauge Kiki's response, Abi stepped forward, her stuffed unicorn clutched to her chest. "Rainbow says you can do it, Kiki. You can help us see what happened with the old lady a long time ago. And that will fix everything!"

The fae hesitated, her gaze darting between the adults. "The old lady? What do you mean? I… I don't know. Besides, meddling with time is dangerous. There could be consequences we can't foresee."

"What old lady?" Archer asked as well, echoing the fae.

"That's all Rainbow is telling me. We need to see what the old lady did," Abi implored.

"Please, Kiki," Alena begged, this time aloud, desperation edging into her voice. "If there's even a chance it could help bring peace to Misty Vale, we have to try."

Kiki sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Right. Very well. Come inside, and I'll see what I can find in my old tomes. Perhaps we can still make things right with this town."

As they gathered around Kiki's cluttered workbench, the fae pored over ancient texts, her brow furrowed in concentration. Alena's nerves thrummed with anticipation, her bear restless within her.

What if this doesn't work?

It has to.

What if we can't change anything? She placed a hand over her still-flat stomach, drawing strength from the tiny life growing inside her.

"Doesn't it concern anyone else that we don't even know what it is that we are supposed to correct?" Archer pointed out. But everyone was focused intently on Kiki, it seemed.

"Ah, here it is," Kiki murmured, tapping a yellowed page. "A memory bubble. It will allow us to observe the past, but not interact with it."

Abi clapped her hands, grinning. "See? I told you it's a real thing!"

Archer chuckled, ruffling his daughter's hair. "All right, munchkin. You were right. But how is it going to help us heal the town?"

"I don't know." Abi raised her shoulders in a shrug for emphasis. "One thing at a time, Daddy," she added, again in that unnervingly adult way she could have about her.

Archer laughed. "Of course, so sorry,"

"Okay, so now what?" Alena asked.

"Well, that depends," Kiki said.

Archer rolled his eyes. "Can you just speak plainly for once in your life?"

Kiki levelled him with what amounted to a dirty look before addressing Abi.

"Abi? Or, um, Rainbow?" she said hesitantly. "Who is this memory bubble for?"

"For us and the dragons," Abi stated simply, as if it were obvious. "Everyone needs to see what happened."

"Of course they do," Archer agreed.

"How is there gonna be peace unless everyone sees?" Abi wondered, apparently not sure her message was getting through.

"Right, so I guess first we need to get the dragons," Kiki finally relented, seemingly aware that no one else was moving. "You guys do that, and Abi and I can study up on memory bubbles," she concluded.

"And Rainbow, too!"

"Well, duh," Kiki said, without missing a beat.

"Very well, I'll talk to Zane," Archer said, already turning toward the door. "We already have a sort of truce in place. And he needs to hear this. It changes our priorities a bit, I think—"

"I'll do it," Alena interrupted.

"What? I thought you didn't want to—"

"I changed my mind. I'm tired of all this not knowing, and he and I have… things to discuss," she added, surprising even herself with her vehemence.

Archer raised an eyebrow and seemed to consider for a moment before he nodded. "Very well, just tell him our priorities have changed. We need to do this memory bubble thing first, apparently. Then we'll handle the Forsaken Riders."

"Got it," she said as she immediately turned to head out.

"You know where you are going?"

"I'll figure it out," she said as she left.

She hadn't wanted to hear the details. She knew Archer had run into Zane, and that he had confirmed her story about the Riders. Beyond that, she didn't really want to know. But at the same time, it felt wrong to keep the truth of his unborn child from him, even after what he'd said to her.

The walk to Zane's house felt simultaneously too short and endless, Alena's nerves jangling with each step. It was common knowledge that his brothers and he had fancy houses on a fancy street. The fanciest street actually. A quick online search told her his exact address. She had actually wanted to walk there so she could clear her head a little. How would he react? Would he be angry to see her?

You need to tell him about the baby. That's it.

Twin voices warred within her. One wondered why she was even walking over there. Hadn't she heard him tell her off? But the other still clung to the hope that things were not as they seemed. Something had seemed off about that whole exchange they'd had in the street.

That is just you holding on.

But what if it wasn't?

Well, we are probably about to find out.

She knocked on his door before she could lose her nerve, heart in her throat. Seconds ticked by, each one an eternity. And then he was there, those piercing blue eyes widening in shock.

"Alena? What are you—"

"We need to talk," she blurted out, pushing past him into the house. "About everything." Zane just stood there, confusion and hope on his face.

"I thought… I mean, after what I said…" He moved toward her, arms outstretched.

"Slow your roll, mister, I have things to tell you." With that, he stopped abruptly. "And you need to hear it regardless. But don't think I'm gonna forget about happened any time soon, okay? Not cool."

"Alena… I had to… Ghost, the biker, he threatened me. They know about us. And he's been watching you. And I told Dice what we heard. Don't you see? He used you as leverage to get me to back off. I had to push you away to keep you safe!"

Alena had dared to hope, but now to finally know…

"Zane," she gasped, digesting his confession. "Couldn't you have at least given me like a double wink or something?"

"What?" The look of relief that had come over Zane faltered for a moment. "I just told you, I couldn't risk it, Alena! I had to make him believe you meant nothing to me!"

She should have been overjoyed, she knew, but she was surprised. She was a little pissed. And with her main fear resolved, she wasn't going to let him off quite that easy.

"Do you know how much that hurt? You let me think you hated me! And you said some pretty mean things, too!"

Zane's face went from relief to mildly vexed. "Do you think I enjoyed it?"

"You were certainly very convincing!"

"I had to be—to protect you!"

All thoughts of telling him about her pregnancy were temporarily put on hold as she pressed her advantage a little. But then, with a start, she remembered the primary reason for her visit in the first place.

"You are not off the hook yet, mister. But right now, Misty Vale needs you."

"What do you mean, Misty Vale needs me?" He paused from another attempt to pull her into an embrace. "What are you talking about?

Tears stung Alena's eyes, the knot in her chest loosening a bit, in spite of her attempts to put up a little resistance. Her resolve wavered, and she let him pull her in.

Fine.

Zane sighed as he felt her relax into his arms. Her own sigh joined his almost immediately. Tears of relief streamed down her face as he spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Alena, but I didn't know what else to do. I never wanted to hurt you. What's happening?"

Alena hastily tried to compose herself. She had to tell him. "Kiki and Rainbow—I mean, Abi… Zane, the thing I was—"

"Kiki? What about her? And your niece?"

"They are going to make a memory bubble, that's what they call it. And Abi insists we need both bears and dragons to go in it to see something in the past. Something about an old lady that is going to help bring peace to the town. I don't know anything else, really. But it's important."

"A memory bubble?" he murmured.

Alena took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. "Yes, that's right, but… there's something else I need to tell you—"

But he was already moving, his mind clearly racing ahead. "We need to get Dash and Striker. Whatever it is, they need to be there, too. Maybe then they'll finally take me seriously about the Riders."

"But Zane, I really need to—"

"I know, I know. We'll talk later, I promise." He cupped her face, his eyes soft. "God, Alena, I was so lost. But now you're here. I'm just so glad that we're okay. That you're okay. Everything else can wait."

Alena's bear huffed in frustration. Tell him about cub! Mate needs to know!

I'm trying! she thought back, exasperated. But Zane was already heading for the door, his hand wrapped around hers.

She almost felt angry and then thought about it.

He was right. They had time. What was important was that they were together. Besides, they did have a town to save.