The Broken Wolf
Chapter 46

“Why did you lie to him? You saved me.”

“You were just a tiny little girl hiding in a fallen tree,” he tells me, his eyes full of sympathy as he sits down on the foot of the bed. “I didn’t like that he was killing the boys, but I couldn’t hand over a little girl, especially one we didn’t even know about.”

“Did you help kill my brothers?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“No, I tried to talk him out of it,” he says, squeezing my hand. “I didn’t help him, but I didn’t stop him either. The boy’s murders have always haunted me. I’m not proud of the choices I made then.”

“Dad, it was my fault,” I whisper, feeling crushed by guilt.

“Molly, it wasn’t. Nothing was your fault,” he says, moving to sit by me at the head of the bed. He gently takes my hand in his and squeezes. He realizes I’m not wearing the splint and gives me a very weak smile, but I can’t return it.

I let him hold my hand, but it brings me no comfort. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so upset in my entire life. “It was, though. They told me we couldn’t play because it wasn’t safe, but I didn’t listen and tried to play hide and seek. I wasn’t hiding from you when you found me, I was hiding from them.”

“Kiddo, you were just a little girl. You couldn’t have known,” he tells me and tries to wipe my tears away, but there’s too many. “We had received information that there was no adult with you all and that’s why we showed up then. They shouldn’t have left you alone and unprotected.”

“Dad, it hurts so bad,” I tell him, and he just listens. “My wolf told me I wouldn’t want to break the spell because I’d know everything. She said it would hurt, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.”

There’s a knock at the door and before either of us answer, Seth opens it and enters. I tense up, and my dad can sense that I’m not ok with it.

“Seth,” my dad begins to tell him. “I think Molly just needs some time alone.”

“No,” he says and he looks like he’s considering physically throwing my dad out. “She’s my mate, Randall. I’m not leaving her like this.”

He takes a step towards me and I look up at him, my l*p quivering. “Please, don’t.”

Seth stops, but he doesn’t leave. He looks hurt, but I can’t handle everything I’m feeling right now. I look at him as another memory hits.

–

I’m in the living room at our home in the pack house. My mom is there, and the witch.

“You’re her mother, aren’t you?” Luna Celeste asks Lily.

Lily looks back at her, panic on her face. “What? No!”

“She looks just like you!” the Luna exclaims.

“You’re my mommy?” I ask her and she shakes her head sadly at me.

“Not anymore, Dear. Luna Celeste is your mother, now.” she tells me, and the little me in the memory feels so sad. No one wants me.

“How can you leave her like this?! She’s just a little girl!” the Luna exclaims.

Lily looks at me sadly. “She’s not safe. I need you to protect her.”

“From whom? What can be so dangerous that you’ll give away your own pup?”

“She doesn’t have a wolf anymore. There’s a spell containing her, for Molly’s safety. It’s unlikely to ever be broken.”

“If you leave her, you’ll never get her back from us.”

“I need you to promise me that you’ll adopt her, a b***d adoption.”

“That’s nearly unheard of, and has to be done by the king.”

“I know, but I also know that your husband is friends with him. Make it happen and I’ll never return.”

“Molly knows, now. She’ll come looking for you one day.”

“I’ll cast another spell, one that won’t be broken. She’ll never remember this conversation.”

“OK. And me?”

“I can’t do anything for you. But if the spell on Molly is broken you can never tell my mate about this. He can never know. The adoption will weaken him greatly, but it’s Molly’s best chance.”

The Luna nods at her and Lily turns to me. “I’m sorry, Molly. It’s what has to be done,” Lily says and with a wave of her hands, she casts a spell causing me to not remember the conversation.

—

“Hey, Love.” I hear Seth say and he’s kneeling at the bed now, next to my dad, looking at me. “Another memory?” he asks and I just nod, continuing to cry.

“Nothing good?” he asks and I just slowly shake my head, letting go of my dad’s hand and rolling away from them both. I pull the blanket all the way to my face, trying to hide away from the world, but this isn’t my home. I’m so uncomfortable here.

“I…I want… to go,” I say through sniffles and tears.

“Where do you want to go, Love?” Seth says, and I can feel how concerned he is for me. “I’ll take you anywhere you want.”

I sniffle and think. I know where I want to go, but so many people have been lying to me, and I don’t know what to do. Sage was right, this would hurt.

“Was Oliver’s mom in Benjamin’s pack?” I ask.

Dad places his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know, kiddo. Want me to ask?”

“Will they actually tell the truth?” I ask.

“Who lied to you, Molly?” Seth asks.

I bury my face in the pillow. “Everyone”, I sob.

I feel my dad move from his place on the bed and hear the door open and shut. The bed dips back down behind me from the weight of Seth climbing in behind me. He lays down and pulls me tightly to him. “I’m not leaving. Whatever it is, I’m here.”

“It was my fault that my brother, Jason, died,” I say, my voice barely even a whisper.

Seth holds me tightly as I continue to sob. “My dad was determined to eliminate any threat to the throne. If he hadn’t killed him that day, for whatever reason you blame yourself for, he would have another. On another day, he could have killed you, too.”

“He almost did that day,” I say, and I slowly roll towards him, looking at him through my tears. I slowly tell him what I know now, through the memory I relived.

Seth just listens to me, holding me and letting me cry. “Thank the goddess for your Dad,” he says and k****s my forehead. “You woke up today with memories of brothers that you didn’t remember having yesterday. You were so young then, you didn’t understand what was happening. It’s OK to grieve for them. I can’t imagine how you must feel.”

Dad knocks on the door and comes in, my mom with him.

“No,” I say, looking her in the eyes. “Don’t come in.”

“Molly, OK. I’m just here to help,” she tells me and takes another step in.

“Get. Out.” I say through gritted teeth, so mad that my mom knew my whole life that I wouldn’t have a wolf.

My mom is taken aback. “Molly, what’s going on?”

“You can tell Lily that my wolf broke BOTH spells,” I say and I see my mom’s face turn ghostly white. “You knew. You told me I’d have a wolf some day, and a mate, and the whole time you knew I wouldn’t.”

I can hear my mom’s heartbeat speed up from across the room and my dad turns to her cautiously. “Celeste? What is she talking about?”

“Molly, knowing didn’t change how much I love you,” she says to me.

“You wouldn’t have adopted me,” I spit at her.

“Celeste, why don’t you go back in the other room,” my dad suggests, feeling completely confused. “We’ll talk about it later.” and she leaves. Hopefully to tell Lily that I know, and I’m mad.

“They don’t know Oliver’s mom. I didn’t know his dad well, they weren’t with us long before he passed, but I don’t think he was either.” Dad tells me and that’s all the confirmation I need.

“I want to go to Oliver’s house. I want to stay there.”