Chapter 22
Kayla
I grab a few paper towels and wet them and push the door to the stall open carefully. “I’ve got a wet paper towel I’m going to put on the back of your neck, okay?”
She doesn’t lift her head as I place them on her neck and then go back for more.
I take her a few more. “Here, for your mouth.” She doesn’t lift her head, but I push the towels into her hand.
Then I open the pack of Jolly Ranchers I just bought and pull out a cherry one.
“Here, put this in your mouth and suck on it. It helps; I promise.” She just groans, and I unwrap it and hand it to her.
“Open up.” She doesn’t fight me, and I can’t imagine how awful she’s feeling right now.
She drops her head back down to her arms. “How far along are you?” I ask softly.
“Suuuuper early. I haven’t even told anyone yet.”
I put a hand on her back and rub her back, trying to give what little comfort I can. “That’s amazing, Raechel. Congratulations.”
“Doesn’t feel so amazing right now,” she groans. She sucks on the Jolly Rancher so hard, I can hear it.
“Does that help at all?”
“Surprisingly, it does.”
“Good. My mom used to swear by cherry Jolly Ranchers when she was pregnant with my brother,” I tell her.
“She—” I don’t get to finish my thought before the door to the bathroom flies open, crashing into the wall with a bang.
I jump to my feet just as the door to the stall is nearly torn off its hinges.
“Angel.” Max’s voice is so low, it’s nearly a growl. “What happened?”
He looks at me, and my eyes widen in shock. “I didn’t do anything,” I confess. But if looks could kill, I’d be dead.
“Max,” Raechel groans, still on the floor.
“Stop scaring her.” He glares at me again and then tries to move past me.
We do not all fit in this stall, so I slip out.
Before I get all the way out, he’s moved in, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against his chest. It’s a pretty impressive move, especially considering she’s not short.
I step back and hold the door for him as he steps out of the stall.
He walks over to the sink and sets her down, and I take that as my sign to leave.
I start towards the door, but he shoots me a look. It’s enough to stop me in my tracks.
“Don’t move.”
I take in the look in his eyes and decide I’m done here; I value my life too much.
I dart for the door. It happens so fast, I don’t see him move.
He’s in front of me a moment later. It startles me so much, I let out a small scream.
But when I see his eyes, this time, I scream for real.
Terror fills me, and I stumble backwards.
His eyes are different. “Max,” Raechel calls out.
He moves away from the door, and I yank it open and run out into the hall and slam right into somebody.
Jackson’s in my face a second later. “What happened?” he grounds out.
I look over my shoulder. “Max...” I can’t even get the words out; I don’t even know what to say.
“I’m gonna kill him. Stay here.”
Shock runs through me, and I realize I have a whole new set of problems on my hands.
“No, Jackson, wait.” I try to grab his arm, but he’s an unstoppable force.
He slams the door into the wall, just like Max did.
Max is standing in front of Raechel, facing her.
But he whirls around, placing himself in front of her. “Jackson, stop,” I try again.
Raechel meets my eyes, and the look in her eyes doesn’t give me a lot of hope. “How good at staying in control is he?” she asks warily, still eyeing Jackson.
“What?” I ask in confusion. And then Jackson leaps...
and lands as a wolf. And then Max is no longer...
human. I fall back against the wall. Screams ring in my ears, and I can’t get out fast enough.
I turn and run for the door, but a wolf runs towards me.
Adrenaline and fear crash through me, and I grab for the door.
I throw it open and run into the hall, screaming.
Ransom and Bryce appear in the hall ahead of me with eyes wide.
“What is it?” Ransom demands.
I can’t even form words. “There’s a...they’re...wolves...”
Bryce swears and runs past me, disappearing in a flash. Ransom drops his hands to my shoulders. “Jackson?” he asks. I nod, terror still fueling me. “I’ve got to go talk him down; stay here.”
“No,” I scream, holding on to him. “Don’t leave.”
He gives me a regretful look. “I have to. Go in the room; you’ll be safe.”
“No, there’s nowhere safe. They—”
“Kayla,” Ava says, appearing beside me. “Come with me; everything will be okay. Bryce will straighten it all out.”
I laugh hysterically. “There’s nothing to straighten out; they turned into wolves.” I barely recognize my own voice right now.
“Kayla, look at me,” Ava says in a stern voice. “I know; give me a chance to explain.”
Ransom disappears, and I watch him go. “Come on.” She puts a hand on my arm and pulls me gently.
I reluctantly follow her back to the conference room, only because I don’t know up from down right now.
She leads me into the conference room and to a chair.
“Take a breath.” She sits down right next to me.
“That’s right. Breathe.” She waits a moment.
“So, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Jackson’s never told you what he is. ”
“What he is?”
She doesn’t skip a beat. “He’s a shifter; he can shift into a wolf.”
I would think she’s crazy, certifiably so; but I know what I just saw.
I can’t even ask a question because I have no idea what to even ask.
The door to the conference room opens, and I turn, ready to jump out of my chair and flee if need be.
But it’s only Raechel that stalks into the room.
She drops into the nearest chair. “What a mess.”
Ava walks over to her. “What happened?”
Raechel shakes her head and looks over at me. “You good, Chica? You’re looking a little pale.”
“You’re not looking so good yourself,” I tell her.
“Yeah, are you okay, Rae?” Ava asks dropping into the chair next to her. “What happened?” she repeats her question.
“Max overreacted, scared Kayla. Kayla made the mistake of screaming and running.”
Ava winces, and I look between the two of them. “What was I supposed to do? He turned all freakish.”
Raechel rubs a hand over her face. “Max and Jackson went at it.”
“Why?” Ava asks. “Surely Jackson doesn’t bother Max; nothing fazes him.”
“Yeah, well, he just found out his mate is pregnant.”
Ava’s mouth drops open. “He what? You’re pregnant?”
“Yep.” Raechel pops the p.
“No wonder Max lost his mind,” Ava says.
“Yeah, he’s already on edge around Jackson. And then he found out about me, and then it all went downhill from there.” Raechel looks over at me. “I need you to know; Max would never hurt you.”
I’m already shaking my head. “You don’t get the way he looked at me.”
Raechel sighs. “I do; I really do. But he was just protecting me; he wouldn’t have done anything to you.”
I eye her. “Agree to disagree.”
“Wait, can we just go back a minute,” Ava says and turns fully to Raechel. “Um, you’re pregnant. Congratulations!” They hug a moment. “We’re pregnant at the same time! How cool is that.”
Raechel gives her a wry grin. “I don’t really look it or feel it, but I really am happy. Max and I have been trying for a while.”
“Aw, Raechel that’s so great.”
Raechel takes a breath and then gags. “Those onions! Seriously!”
“I have to go to the bathroom.” I stand up and grab the leftover trash and take it out of the room and then stride towards the women’s bathroom.
Hopefully, the men have found a new place to congregate.
My mind is so full, it feels close to breaking.
I think of Noah somewhere without me, scared, and my mind goes into overdrive.
I put aside my own fear and uncertainty with everything that went down and request an Uber.
I’m going to go find him. I hear voices and turn into a seating area where Bryce, Max, Ransom, and Jackson are all gathered.
There’s an intensity to the voices that leads me to believe they’re still going at it.
I notice instantly that Max and Jackson are both now wearing black sweatpants and black t-shirts that look a size or two small, especially on Max.
Jackson strides over to me, and I can’t help it.
I take a step back. He goes still. “Kayla.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to find my brother. Alone,” I add a moment later. Silence settles over the group of men. My nerves ratchet up a notch when Max approaches. I take another step back, and he clocks it with an intensity that scares me.
“Kayla,” Jackson says in a tight voice. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Ever.”
I hear the earnestness in his voice, but I don’t want to deal with it right now. “I’m sorry,” Max says quietly. “I didn’t mean to scare you; I would never hurt you or any female.”
“I just want to find my brother. Alone.” I eye each of them. I turn away and walk from the room, making sure I have my phone and wallet in my pockets. Somehow, I still do.
“Kayla.” I recognize Jackson’s voice, but I don’t slow my stride.
Somehow, he gets past me and stands in front of me.
I try to go around him, but he moves with me.
Frustration burns through me. “Get out of my way, Jackson. I need to find Noah. He’s out there scared and alone and—” I swallow down the emotion threatening to overwhelm me.
“Where are you going to go to find him?” he asks.
“I don’t know, but I do know we’ll never find him by just staying here doing nothing.
” He finally moves. “Thank you.” I stride towards the hotel doors and throw them open.
A quick glance at my phone shows that my Uber is here.
I give him the address, and we’re off seconds later.
I don’t see Jackson anywhere as we turn around and head back to my apartment building.
Once I’m inside, I race upstairs and hurry to unlock the door.
My hands are shaking so badly, it takes me three times to get the door opened.
I finally get it and shove the door open.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t for everything to look exactly as I left it this morning.
I take in Noah’s pajamas on the bathroom floor, his usual if I’m not here to tell him to pick them up.
I see his unmade bed and look around for his tablet.
Hope fills me for one blissful second, hope that we can track it.
But it crashes just as quickly when I pull back his blanket and see it on his air mattress.
I pick it up and hold it to my chest, fighting tears.
I rub my hand over my face. I refuse to let them fall because I refuse to fall apart again when Noah needs me.
I grab a bag and pack enough for me for a few days, and then I pack for Noah.
He’ll need clothes when I find him; because make no mistake, I will find him.