The Luna and her Quadruplet Pups by Jane Above Story

Jane

“I.. what?” I stutter, wondering if this is another fever dream, or if Ethan actually just suggested splitting our children up again.

“We have to accept the reality of our situation, Jane.” Ethan continues, pursing his lips. I barely contain the impulse to scoff – he has some nerve saying this to me, as if I haven’t been coping with the fallout of his reckless decisions for months now. “Paisley isn’t going to stop running away, so the only thing I know to do is to keep her with me so she won’t have anywhere to run.”

“But everything is different now!” I insist, my lip trembling at the very thought of giving up my daughter. “We can’t just pretend like we never met. She’s unhappy being away from you at the moment, but what happens when she starts missing me and the other pups. You want to keep them apart for the rest of their lives?”

“No, of course not.” Ethan sighs. “I think we give her the choice. And whoever she picks, she can always see the other for visits, even full holidays.’

“You know perfectly well shell choose you!” I accuse, wondering what bothers me more knowing she likes Ethan better, or knowing it’s my own fault.

“But I just got her back.” I argue weakly, knowing this isn’t really a good excuse to make my child miserable. “We hardly had any time together before the kidnapping, and half of that was spent in hospitals or playing games with you. I’ve been waiting for her for years.”

“I know that.” Ethan frowns, looking very severe.

And I hate to say it, but I think this is the price of that decision. She wants me, because she doesn’t know you.”

I want to scream that this isn’t fair. He knows I never felt like I had a choice in leaving her. He knows that he’s forbidden me to stay in the NightFang pack.”So you’ll change your mind about keeping her, but you won’t change your mind about letting me stay – about the other pups?”

Ethan’s features harden, and I know his answer before he ever opens his mouth. “I’m only putting this on the table because she’ll kill herself trying to get back to me otherwise. This isn’t what I wanted.”

“Leaving her wasn’t what I wanted either.” I hiss. “I was trying to ensure she survived too, I was trying to protect them all the best way I knew how.”

“Paisley knows that. But it doesn’t change the fact that she spent all those years without a mother.”

empathy

Ethan laughs humorlessly. ” Jane, if anyone understands what it’s like to make plans for your children, only to have everything backfire because kids have minds of their own, it’s me.” I flinch, not because his statement is harsh, but because it rings with so much

we try our best, but the sign of being a good mother or father is raising independent, free thinking pups. We can’t be angry with Paisley

strong arms come around me. I try to lean into him, to bury my face in his neck and cry myself out in his comforting embrace

I think bitterly, I shared

have Parker, Ryder and Riley.” Ethan promises. “And you’ll

P aisley can

might change. My wolf on the other hand, she’s still praying he’ll wake up and realize what a fool

I’m a stranger, and not the woman he was vowing to love to the ends of

briskly, stepping away from him. “I need a few minutes…

sure you should be

to pull myself together, I’m not going to do anything desperate.” I counter, roling my eyes and wondering how he manages to be so impossible. It seems like everytime I want him he pushes me away,

meant.” Ethan admonishes, raking

steady on your feet

scream out all my overflowing emotions. The last thing I need is for Ethan to think I’m even more unstable than he already does. I count to ten, then I count to twenty, taking deep breaths all the time. At a certain point I decide that there’s no way to prepare myself for losing my daughter again. I just have to brace myself and rip the bandaid

finally emerge, with my shoulders set and a deternmined grimace on my face, Ethan asks.

ever me.”I mutter – as if anything could

us hesitantly. Paisley immediately asks to be picked up, lifting her arms to me in silent request and all but breaking my heart in two. I promptly scoop her up, cuddling her close and

if this is the last time

have something we want to ask

sounding almost as nervous as I

and happy, but at the same time, we understand that the right thing for some of you, might not be the right thing for all

what’s he saying?” Parker asks me, eyeing Ethan suspiciously. Of all my pups, Parker has been the