Chapter 15
FREDA WHITLOCK
“Freda…” My stepmother said the signature sickly sweet tone she used when she was not pleased with something but could not control it.
“I told you she was here yesterday,” Safiya said, folding her hands to her a small frown.
I gulped and looked over at Lyra. She had a fake smile plastered on her face and I took in a shaky breath as I looked at my
stepmother again.
“Georgina,” I said with a smile, hoping and praying that Lyra would walk out with Francisco. The last thing I wanted was for my stepmother or you her sister to find out about him and begin to hate him.
Safiya’s eyebrows dropped and her frown deepened. “Where have you been? You told no one that you were leaving and you told no one that you were back,” her face was stuck in a smile that was clearly forced and my heart thundered against my ribcage.
Francisco broke away from Lyra’s grip and raced towards my father’s bed with a smile on his face. He attempted to climb into the bed to lie beside his grandfather and I blanched, we realized that both my stepmother’s and younger sister’s eyes were on him.
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Oh no…
Oh goddess no…
“Who is this handsome little boy?” Georgina cooed and started walking towards him. Safiya stared at him and I watched her frown become even deeper as realization hit her hard.
I glanced at Lyra and the horror on her face was almost equal to mine.
“Francisco baby, come here. Grandpa is sleeping…” I spoke the words before I realized what I was saying. When I did, I wanted to slap my hand over my mouth and punch myself hard in the gut. I had just given away that Francisco was my child.
Goddess, this could not get any worse.
“Grandpa?” Georgina’s head c**k*d to the side and I was not surprised. She was a little slow in the head. The only time she was quick to think was when she wanted to do something bad. And that was all the time.
Her eyes widened. I took hurried steps towards Francisco and swooped him up in my arms, and then backed away from her. Francisco looked at me with confusion and then looked at Georgina and Safiya with a question in his eyes.
I could clearly read it. ‘Who are these people?’
I said nothing.
Safiya looked so angry that steam could very easily have been shooting out of her ears. I knew she would explode any minute.
She knew. She knew that Francisco was my child, and his father
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Chapter 15
was her husband.
1 The Wow h**
I had not wanted her to find out because I had feared what she would do to him out of hatred or jealousy.
One of the young doctors that Lyra had introduced as the one helped with my father’s care walked into the room and I gave her a grateful smile, to which she responded with a confused look.
“Tell Dad that I came by and he was asleep. We’ll be back,” I said and then looked in the direction of my father. I felt bad that I was leaving him. But I had tried to build up the confidence, I had tried hard to be strong. Ultimately, I did not have it in me to stand up to the women that unintentionally and intentionally made my life hell before I left this pack.
“It was good to see you, Georgina, Safiya.” I said and nodded in their direction. I did not wait for a response before I left through the door like one being chased by all the demons in hell.
*** *** ***
“Freda… Freda wait,” I heard Lyra call behind me as she rushed to catch up with my steps. I could not stop until I had safely placed Francisco in his car seat.
As much as possible, I wanted to keep him out of the eyes of people. I did not want him to suffer any bullying or hatred, because no matter how united the werewolf community was, the members of the pack would not help hating a child of the Alpha’s that was born to someone that was not their Luna.
They considered it an insult to her and their loyalties would make them restless until the insult was cleared or taken back.
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The 15
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That made me want to pack my and Cisco’s things and bolt the hell out of this pack.
I left him in his seat and handed him a rubiks cube. He liked them. “Hey buddy, help me fix this,” I said with a forced smile. I was feeling anything but smiley.
He nodded. I wanted to clear the confusion he was feeling which was very obvious in his face, but I did not have it in me to start explaining our confusing dynamics. Even if I tried, I doubted he was going to understand a word of what I said.
I looked at Lyra with a frown in my face and she bit her lip. “I need to leave,” I immediately told her and she shook her head. “You can’t. What about pops?” She asked and tears filled my eyes.
I hated that I was so much of a coward. I wished I could help it, I had been trying to help it but nothing had ever worked.
“I can’t, Lyra,” tears sprung from my eyes and I started to pace. Lyra walked up to me and grabbed me in her arms. She hugged me tight and smoothed down my hair. I held her until I was sure I was strong enough to hold myself on my feet.
“They will come after him. I want to stay with Dad. I will stay with him, but I’m scared. I’m so scared of what they could do to Francisco. I’m scared of what they will do to him,” I voiced my concerns as soon as we pulled back from the hug.
“I’m here, Freda. I swear on my life, Francisco will be safe. I’ll protect him with my life. If we have both of us protecting him, he will be fine,”she promised and her words managed to soothe my soul.
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“Besides, I’m not letting you run from your problems again. Never again.” She shook her head firmly and I gave her a weak smile in return.