36

W e spent the rest of the day just doing our own things before going to the pack.

Roman and I vowed to allow ourselves another normal day where we forget about wolves and witches and kidnappings and parents and just get to be “Roman and Leera.” Those days are so few and far between, but I think they might be my favorites. Sure, the opulence is nice on occasion, but at the end of the day, lives are built in the little moments.

Benny and Andrei spent the day helping Slate continue his research, trying to find any new information they can regarding my kidnapping or Roman's father’s movements or motives.

The twins have been staking out the neighborhood development where I was found to see if they can capture anyone to be questioned or any other clues to help the others with their research.

Miss Tilly has been all in a tizzy because she hasn't really been away from the townhouse since she moved in with the guys. We convinced her to come to the pack with us. I think she thinks she's going to come back, and the townhouse will magically be in shambles without her presence. It makes my heart happy that she's coming with us, though. I've become quite fond of her and our conversations while she lets me help in the kitchen.

Elder Meredith, Miss Tilly's sister, will be coming with us to visit the pack as well, but she'll stay with the pack when we come back home. She's been staying to visit since my arrival, and I hope Miss Tilly isn't too lonely once she's gone again.

Healer Jeanine left while we were in Dover. She wanted to make sure she was prepared for everyone's first shifts this evening.

I'm now packing my bags for tomorrow, filled with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I'm so excited to meet the pack and the pups and my wolf. I'm worried of how they'll feel about me and how shifting for the first time will feel. When the guys do it, they don't look like they're in pain, but the sounds it makes are grotesque.

Speaking of sounds, all of a sudden, I hear growling and maybe yelling. I follow the source of the ruckus and find a furious Roman yelling at the twins, “How the hell does she keep getting back here?”

He can't possibly mean—

You've got to be shitting me right now!

But wait, something's wrong. I can feel it.

Roman's hauling ass to the door to intercept India. How can he not feel that something's wrong? I mean, look at her.

I think it's India. It roughly looks and smells like India. I never noticed before that she smells like Easter lilies. This India, though, isn't wearing shoes, and her hair is a disaster.

“India, I told you never to come back here!” Roman roars in her face, and she doesn't even flinch.

She's looking around, begging anyone to listen to her when I approach where they're standing by the door.

I stop next to Roman and place my hand on his arm and say, “Roman, please, let her talk. Something's wrong. Can’t you feel that?”

He looks at me in confusion before turning back to India and looking her over for a moment.

“I can see she's a mess, but I don't feel anything, Leera.” He looks at me with calculation before it's broken by India.

“Roman, Leera, you have to believe me. I didn't know!” she wails. “I never w-would have wanted any of it. I swear, I didn't know!”

She's sobbing now and almost falls into a heap on the floor when I lurch forward and catch her head before it hits the ground. “Roman, help me. Bring her to the couch.”

He nods and does what I ask but doesn't say anything because he's clearly communicating with his men.

“Get me an ice pack, a warm, wet rag, and a glass of water, please.”

“I'm on it, dearie,” Miss Tilly says, flitting to the kitchen after materializing from nowhere.

India's inconsolable; her body still being wracked with sobs when Miss Tilly returns with my requests.

I quickly take the rag and run it over India's face, hoping to calm her while Miss Tilly moves to check on her feet that look like they might be bleeding a bit.

“Shhhh, India, you're okay. Can you sit up a bit so I can place the ice pack on your neck, and can you take a drink of this water? They’ll help the panic.”

She listens easily enough and allows me to help her.

“Okay, now, India, look at me. Keep your eyes on me and copy my breathing.”

When she's holding my gaze, I take an exaggerated breath in, hold it for ten seconds, holding my fingers up for the countdown, and then slowly release the breath. We do this together on repeat for five breaths before she finally calms down.

“Thank you for that, Leera. Really. I'm so fucking s-sorry for e-everything,” she begins but starts to lose control of her emotions again.

“Hey, focus. I accept your apology, but we can't help if you don't tell us what's going on.”

While I've been working to calm India on the couch, the men have all gathered at the giant island, giving us space but still listening to what's going on.

“I w-I went home to Z-Zabella. I wanted to c-confront my f-father about what w-we were going to d-do because I wanted s-so badly to be q-queen.” She's barely keeping it together while she gets this out, so I'm just listening and giving her the space she needs. She takes a short break, then a deep breath, and continues, “When I got to Daddy's office, he was yelling. I d-don't know who he was t-talking to because I d-didn't go in. At f-first I couldn't hear, s-so I got closer, and I...” Another small sob escapes her. We wait, some more patiently than others, for her to continue. I can feel Roman’s energy getting prickly.

“What is it, India? Let us help,” I ask softly.

“I just hope it's not too late,” she whispers.