3rd Person

Paisley huddled behind Riley, Ryder and Parker, a deep frown tugging on her young features.

When the pups woke from their nap, they initially jumped out of bed to rush out and see their parents, but the sounds of tense voices stopped them short.

Indulging their Goddess-given talents for eavesdropping, the pups listened as Ethan insulted Jane and confirmed he didn’t want to be a father. Of course, Paisley knew the truth behind these lies. She knew her father was pushing away Jane and his children for their own good, but her siblings did not.

I don’t unders’and.” Parker whispered, looking thunderstruck. “Mommy said it was her ‘cision to leave Daddy.”

Why is he being so mean?” Riley whimpered in reply.

Paisley kept her mouth tightly shut. She might know her father’s motivations, but she didn’t find it any easier to hear him speak that way than her brothers and sister did. Ethan had explained he had to pretend to be mean, but it was one thing to know that, and another to hear it happen with her own ears. It was too confusing. Questions swirled through her mind, every bit as urgent as the ones Riley, Ryder and Parker were asking. Could a person really make up such horrible things? Could they inflict so much pain and still be nice- as nice as her Daddy? Or was the niceness the lie? Was it possible for cruelty to ever be the right thing to do?

Why didn’t Mommy tell us?” Ryder inquired, his voice very small.

Cuz she didn’t want us to feel bad.” Paisley supplied gravely, feeling a lump in her throat.

They’d all been so angry at Jane, they’d made it so hard on her. “She was trying to pwotect us.

right.” Parker mused miserably, referring to their therapist. How many times had she told them that Jane was doing what she believed was best for them, that she loved them and wanted them to be happy,

was carefully blank, as if he’d been preparing for this – as if he’d schooled himself not to react when the

She demanded at his back, looking frantically back and forth between him and her babies. When she saw the looks on their faces, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to attack Ethan or weep. Jane had been through so much effort, struggle and heartache trying to prevent this exact scenario. She’d never wanted the pups to know he didn’t want them – never. She truly thought she could kill

was going to happen eventually, Jane.”

tears streaming down her cheeks. They’re too little, Ethan! This is going to affect them for the rest of

pups pushed past Ethan and ran to her side, wrapping their arms tightly around

could cuddle her properly, climbing into her arms and pressing

her laugh. So

stayed behind, looking up at her father with all her mixed up emotions and questions written on her sweet face. Ethan studied her, letting his expressions become tender. He mouthed, it’s okay, and nodded in the direction of

fiercest protector. Even so, she could sense how badly it was hurting him

her might. As soon as her warm little body connected with his, something broke in Ethan, and suddenly he was fighting back tears

the shift in his mood, her sharp intuition detecting the change in his energy. See, she wanted to say, mean Daddies need cuddles too. Instead she simply held on tighter, pouring all her love

since the pups overheard Ethan and Jane arguing, the Penthouse had been a tense and prickly place to live. Everyone walked around as if on eggshells, always waiting for the other shoe

felt more and more confident about taking the pups home in the new year. With the exception of Paisley, the children were refusing to

she couldn’t turn back time and she knew they couldn’t undo the damage. When they returned to the Dark Moon pack she would take them to Dr. Nora to immediately begin working through this

New Years Eve looking forward to their date, eager to get herself and the pups out of the house, as well as to catch up with her friend. She caught herself wondering about Devon, her mind wandering to the beta over and over throughout the day. She was even thinking about him as she went through her emails, so preoccupied wondering what he’d been up to all these years that she almost missed a welcome email from the Dark

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