Jane
“This is going to work, Jane.” Ethan promises.
We’re going to get to them first.”
I’m having a hard time believing it. I want it to be true, but every near miss we experience sends me deeper and deeper into depression. I can’t live without my babies, I can’t survive this constant worry. I’m beginning to associate hope only with pain and disappointment. It doesn’t feel safe to hope anymore – I think it only invites heartbreak. After all, if I don’t hope, at least I won’t be surprised when my worst fears are proven to be real.
The depression and woe makes me want to give up. To curl into a little ball and never get out of bed. Of course, I don’t have a bed to languish in, and if we stop moving we risk missing the pups or worse, being caught by the King. We drove through the night to reach the capital, resuming our disguises and trying to locate Eric. There hasn’t been any word from him, and knowing that Anita has the pups in her grasps doesn’t make me optimistic about his chances. If the king trusted his son, he might have sent him to find the kids, rather than assigning the task to a stranger.
Linda is beside herself with worry, and if I had any space left in my heart to feel anything beyond my own sorrow and terror, I might be a better friend to her right now. Of course I patted her back and listened attentively as she shared her fears, but I couldn’t truly engage – not the way she deserves.
Guilt swirls with my despair. Linda has always been there for me whenever I needed her, the least I could do is return the favor in her own time of need – but I’m barely holding myself together as it is. “Baby, did you hear me?” Ethan presses, pulling my attention up to his handsome face.
You said this is going to work.” I parrot hollowly.
His face crinkles with pain. ‘No, sweetheart.” He corrects gently. I said that I need you to make me a promise.”
İ guess I wasn’t listening after all. “Sorry,” I murmur,
“I guess I got lost in my thoughts.”
tell me what you’re
can’t cry anymore. If I
me in a hug, but even physical comfort
knowing he’ll catch all the pieces and glue them back together. I pull away from him, feeling another stab of shame for making this situation harder on him. For all I know he might have been hugging me for his own comfort, but I don’t have the strength to think about anything other than keeping my composure it’s
if something goes wrong along the way, I might be forced to challenge him, or taken prisoner.” Ethan
intercept them, we have to wait for a ransom and adapt. You can’t just charge in their
there’s a chance no matter how
I exclaim, “Don’t you think I
sighs. I’m
yourself and the pups. They need you more than they need
he captures you or you’re fighting for your life.. you want me to leave you behind?” I summarize hoarsely, trying to
have to fight the urge to shift then and there, to let
I can’t do
He states evenly. You have
feel the same way? That the pups come before everything else? I already suggested that I would rather myself be taken than them, and you bit my head
Ethan thunders, his own eyes glowing now. “You’re
if Aimon believes he finally has a chance to expand his empire onto the continent, he’ll just let your heirs go – to grow up and challenge
ever find you!” Ethan growls, That’s exactly why you have to run if the worst happens to me, because if you and the pups are still here, he
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