Chapter 20 Hunter #2
"I'm going to grab food from that vendor," Amelia says, gesturing toward a cart near the park entrance. "Do you want anything?"
"I'm good. Thanks."
She squeezes my hand once before letting go, standing and heading toward the vendor.
I watch her walk away, my mind spinning, trying to figure out what to do with this information.
Does she know? Has she caught our scents the same way?
Is that why she's been opening up to us, letting us in despite her fear?
Movement at the park entrance catches my attention.
Wyatt and Silas, walking hand in hand with the easy comfort of people who've been together for years.
The sight makes something warm bloom in my chest. They're finding their way back to each other, learning how to be Wyatt and Silas again instead of just Evie's grieving mates.
They spot me and head over, Silas carrying a bag that I recognize as being from the deli down the street. Wyatt's grinning, relaxed in a way he hasn't been in months.
"Thought we could have a little family outing," I say as they settle onto the bench on either side of me. "The kids wanted to come to the park."
"Good call." Wyatt leans back, stretching his legs out and tracking Riley and Isaac with his eyes. "They've been cooped up all week."
Silas sets the deli bag on the bench between us. "I also brought sandwiches in case anyone gets hungry. And those cookies Isaac likes."
"You're going to spoil them." But I'm smiling, grateful that Silas thought to bring food, that he's present and engaged instead of hiding in his study.
Amelia appears from the vendor, holding snow cones in both hands.
She calls to the kids and they come running, Isaac nearly tripping over his own feet in his excitement.
She distributes the treats with patient hands, wiping Isaac's face when he immediately gets blue syrup everywhere, reminding Riley to eat it slowly so she doesn't get a brain freeze.
"She's ours," I say quietly, knowing only Wyatt and Silas will hear me over the sound of kids playing and the general noise of the park as we continue to watch them with Amelia. "I caught her scent again. She's ours."
Silas' head whips toward me, his dark eyes going wide behind his glasses. "What?"
"You shouldn't be able to smell her with a blocker on," Wyatt says slowly, his expression shifting from relaxed to concerned. "Unless..."
We all reach the same conclusion at the same time. Our eyes move to Amelia, who's watching the kids play with a soft smile on her face, completely oblivious to our conversation.
"Her heat," I finish grimly. "The blockers are failing. She's going into preheat."
"Fuck." Silas drags a hand over his face. "Does she know?"
"I don't think so." Wyatt is studying her with worried eyes. "She would have said something if she'd noticed symptoms. She's been too warm lately, and I thought she was just flushed from activity, but..."
"We need to talk to her." I'm already running through logistics in my head. Kids need to be taken care of, the house needs to be prepared, we need to figure out what Amelia wants and how we're going to handle this. "Soon. Before it progresses too far."
But before we can figure out how to broach the subject, the kids come bounding over, Isaac demanding to know if he can have a sandwich and Riley asking if they can go on the swings.
Amelia stands, ready to push them, and sits back down between Wyatt and Silas with easy familiarity that suggests she's becoming comfortable with all three of us.
That's when I see her. Raven, walking through the park entrance with two women I don't recognize, her eyes scanning the playground like she's looking for something. Or someone. Her gaze lands on our bench, on Amelia sitting between my packmates, and her expression hardens into something ugly.
She changes course, heading directly toward us, and every protective instinct I have roars to life. I stand, putting myself between her approach and the bench where Amelia is sitting. Wyatt and Silas both tense, reading the threat in my posture.
"Well, well," Raven says as she gets close enough to be heard, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Look at this cozy little scene. The whole pack out for a family outing. How domestic."
"Raven." I keep my voice flat, neutral. "We're having a private family day. You should move along."
Her eyes slide past me to Amelia, who's gone very still on the bench. "I see you're still here. I'm impressed. Most nannies don't last this long. But then again, you're not just the nanny anymore, are you?"
"Leave her alone," Wyatt says, his voice hard in a way I rarely hear. He's on his feet now too, moving to flank me.
"I'm just making conversation." Raven's smile is sharp, cruel. "Catching up with old friends. You are friends, right, Amelia? Or are you something more? Temporary, I'm guessing. A warm body until they find someone better."
Isaac has noticed something's wrong. He's stopped playing on the swings, his small face scrunched up with worry. Riley is watching with those too-old eyes, already moving to stand between her brother and the adults, always protecting.
Amelia stands slowly, her hands clenched at her sides. "The kids are right here, Raven. Whatever you want to say to me, this isn't the time or place."
"Oh, I think it's exactly the right time and place.
" Raven takes a step closer, and Silas moves to create a complete barrier, the three of us forming a wall between her and Amelia.
"You need to understand what you're walking into.
These Alphas? They're broken. Too damaged to really love anyone, especially after losing Evie.
You're just a placeholder until they figure out how to function again. "
"That's enough." My voice drops into the Alpha command that I rarely use, the tone that says I'm done being polite. "You need to leave. Now."
"Or what?" Raven's eyes flash with challenge. "You'll make me? We all know you won't do anything in front of the kids. You're too careful for that, too concerned with appearances."
Riley's voice cuts through the tension, loud and clear and furious. "You're mean! You were always mean and nobody liked you and that's why you had to leave!"
Isaac runs over and crashes into Amelia's legs, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face against her stomach. "Don't let her be mean to you, Mia. Tell her to go away."
Amelia's hands come down to rest on Isaac's head, her fingers trembling slightly but her voice steady when she speaks. "I think you should leave, Raven. The kids don't want you here, and neither do we."
"We?" Raven laughs, but it sounds brittle. "You think you're part of this pack? You think you're going to replace Evie? You're nothing. Just another temporary nanny who'll be gone in a few months when they realize you're not worth the effort."
"Get out." I don't raise my voice, don't need to. The command is absolute, leaving no room for argument. "Get out of this park and don't come near my family again. If I see you around Amelia or my kids one more time, I'll make sure you regret it."
Raven's face flushes red, anger and humiliation warring in her expression. She opens her mouth like she's going to say something else, but Wyatt steps forward, adding his presence to mine, and something in our combined Alpha energy must finally get through to her.
"This isn't over," she hisses, but she's already backing away. "You'll see. She'll leave just like I did. She'll realize you're all too broken to fix."
She spins on her heel and stalks away, her two friends following with embarrassed expressions. We watch until she's completely out of the park, until I'm sure she's actually gone, before I let myself relax even slightly.
Riley is crying, angry tears streaming down her face. Isaac is still clinging to Amelia like she's the only solid thing in a tilting world. And Amelia herself is pale, her hands shaking where they rest on Isaac's head, her breathing too fast and shallow.
"Hey." I crouch down in front of Riley, pulling her into my arms. "It's okay, sweetheart. She's gone. She can't hurt anyone."
"She's so mean," Riley sobs into my shoulder. "Why does she have to be so mean?"
"Some people are mean because they're unhappy," I say quietly, holding her close. "But she can't touch you or Isaac or Amelia. We won't let her."
Wyatt has dropped to his knees in front of Amelia, his hands on her waist, murmuring something too quiet for me to hear.
Silas is behind her, one hand on her shoulder, grounding her with his touch.
Between the two of them, they're creating a cocoon of safety, bringing her back from whatever panic spiral she's heading toward.
After a few minutes, Riley's crying slows to hiccups. Isaac has calmed enough to release Amelia and climb into Wyatt's lap instead, seeking comfort from his father. Amelia sinks back onto the bench, her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.
"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm sorry she said those things in front of the kids. I'm sorry I brought this drama into your lives."
"No." Silas sits beside her, pulling her hands away from her face. "You didn't bring anything. Raven is bitter because we wouldn't give her what she wanted, and she's taking it out on you. None of this is your fault."
"She's wrong," Wyatt adds, his voice firm. "About everything. You're not temporary. You're not a placeholder. And we're not too broken to love you. I’m pretty sure we’re already kind of falling."
The confession hangs in the air, too big and too important for a playground conversation while the kids are in earshot. But it's out there now. Wyatt loves her. And based on the expressions on Silas' face, on my own face, we all do.
We're falling for this woman who walked into our broken home and started putting us back together. And whatever Raven says, whatever doubts Amelia has, we're going to prove that this is real.