Chapter 249

Audrey

“Take her into custody,” Edwin said as he cradled the little boy’s limp body against his chest. “Don’t let the children see.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Charles exited the room, and a moment later, I could hear Sophia’s shouts as the warriors cuffed her and took her away. Edwin and I were alone again, both still reeling from everything that had just happened.

“I don’t understand how it’s possible,” I whispered as I stared at the little boy’s pained face. “I questioned her before. She seemed perfectly innocent.”

Edwin’s jaw was set in a hard line. “There’s still a lot we don’t know. Maybe she shielded her mind somehow.”

I shuddered at the thought. All along I knew that my mind reading powers weren’t entirely indomitable, that it was possible to shield oneself from having their memories probed, but the idea that someone could hide such atrocities was a chilling realization.

“Well, she’s in custody now,” Edwin continued. “We’ll call one of your mother’s representatives to take over here and we’ll look for more evidence in the meantime.”

As Edwin spoke, I swallowed hard and looked down at the little boy. He was still unconscious and weak, even after I’d laid my hands on him and healed him. It had taken a lot of effort to heal him, so much in fact that I’d drained nearly all of my Silver Star energy for the day and wouldn’t be able to interrogate Sophia until it was replenished.

Soot. That was what I felt in his lungs when I’d healed him.

“They must be sending the kids to a factory somewhere in Coldclaw,” I mused, my voice trembling slightly. “That’s what I saw in his mind, at least.”

I suppressed another shiver at the memory of how his mind had instinctively reached for me the moment I poked my head into the room. It was as if he was so desperate to be heard, to be understood, that his subconscious had been frantically searching for help.

I knew how that felt. The desperation, the hope that someone would just notice my pain.

My mate sighed and moved to lay the little boy back down on the bed. “Maybe he’ll share his story with us once he wakes—”

“Wait.” I placed my hand on Edwin’s arm before he could set the boy down and gave him a pleading look. Edwin’s shoulders slumped a little, his eyebrows shooting up as he gathered what I was implying. “Audrey…” “Please,” I said, tears beginning to blur my vision. “I can’t leave him here.”

A little while later, we sat around the living room back at the apartment, both of us too tired and stunned to speak.

The little boy, whose name we’d learned was Joseph, still laid mostly unconscious beneath a pile of blankets on the couch. He’d woken up briefly to sip some water, but hadn’t really been cognizant.

knew it was unnecessary. The replacement for

just couldn’t leave

him opening his eyes and still being in the place that had sold him off like a prize cow. I couldn’t stand wondering if he would feel fear right away,

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Chapter 249

had reached for me even in his unconscious state, then maybe he would trust me

stranger.

to the apartment with us. Just until he was well enough to understand what was going

werewolf. But he’s stable,” I said,

tea. While the kettle boiled, Edwin wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. His scent comforted

when you said we were thinking of adopting-” he

I just couldn’t leave

said nothing more about it. But I meant what I said–I wasn’t ready to be

we pulled apart. I took the kettle off the heat and prepared the tea while Edwin went to see

a whirlwind, Eliza rushed into

who is that little angel out there?” she breathed, setting a plate of store bought cookies

shook her head. Edwin was standing

eyes widened more and more as

orphan?” she whispered, to which I nodded. “Oh,

the little boy, who was still fast asleep. Wordlessly, she crossed the living room and crouched beside him, brushing little brown curls out of his sunken eyes. His

for me to grab the cookies. “I’ll have to make sure he eats enough. And he could use

glances. “Don’t tell me you’re planning on taking him, Eliza,” Edwin

over her shoulder. “And would it be a problem

surprise. “No, not at all. But

rolling her eyes at Edwin. I was a bit shocked, too; as long as I’d known Eliza, she’d always seemed miles away from the ‘mothering‘ type. But here she was, doting on a little boy she’d only just met. And

much, in fact, that I had to look

her eyes still fixed on the boy. “And I

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