Lanie


    “What do you mean, we’re going to say goodbye to the twins in front of Gabri?” My jaw had


    dropped, gaping wide, and I shut it with a snap.


    I clipped my tongue between my teeth and tasted blood, but that was a better vor than the bitterness


    in my words.


    “We have to make sure she hears us and sees us, so it’s ryed to the High Council,” Ste said.


    I spoke to her in the tone of voice I’d used on the rare asions when she’d thrown a temper tantrum.


    Calm, but firm, and clearly letting her know that I was disappointed in her. “I understand that part,


    Ste. But you’re asking me to leave them behind?”


    She’d quicklyid out the n to us, but I was not convinced that it made sense. My mates seemed to


    believe that leaving the enve was a good idea, and I was having a hard time getting behind that, too.


    Leaving ina and Isaac here though, while we ran off…I couldn’t do that.


    “Gabri will stay with them.” Ste said.


    “Lanie, just hear her out,” Zane began, but I made an angry gesture to make him go quiet.


    “How can you even think I’d be okay with this?” I demanded of the three of them. Then, I turned to my


    daughter. “I don’t like this, Ste.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    You’ve grown up, but your brother and sister are little more than babies-”


    “They’re stronger and smarter than you give them credit for, Mother.”


    here!”


    “Because they’re hybrids!” I cried. “They’re special. Like you. Which is exactly why we can’t leave them


    I crossed my arms over my belly and hugged myself tight. I shook my head, not meeting the eyes of


    any of my mates. I couldn’t bear to look any of them in the face. “I swore when I rescued them from that


    cursed testing facility that I would never abandon them. They would never be alone like that ever again.


    I vowed to protect them and love them like they were my own, and that’s what they are. They are my


    children as much as you are, Ste. And now,what you’re asking… It’s too much. I won’t do it.”


    “They’ll be safer here than anywhere else, Lanie. And we can’t really fight with two children in tow. It’s


    better if they remain behind.” Mason tried to reach for me, but I shrugged myself out of his grip.


    “My mother will take care of them,love,”


    Xander said.


    I ducked away from Xander’s reach, too. I whirled on him. “Your mother ispromised!


    C


    This entire n revolves around that fact, which you seem to have conveniently or st upidly forgotten.


    Whether she knows it or not, Gabri is a tool for the High Council.


    How can you ask me to trust her?”


    “She would never hurt our children!” Xander snapped at me, sounding truly angry, probably because I’d


    called him s tupid.


    Oh, yeah? Well, so was I. I put my hands on my hands and stood my ground with him. “Of course she


    wouldn’t, if she could help it. But what if she can’t help it, Xander? What then?”


    “Because I trust our daughter, something you were telling us to do not ten minutes ago!”


    Xander growled.


    “Mother. I know this is hard. If there was another way, I would offer it, but I’ve seen the various paths.


    The only ones that work are the ones in which we leave ina and Isaac here.”


    me?”


    Tears filled my eyes. “How are they going to feel when I tell them I’m going away and not taking them


    with


    Ste hesitated. “They’ll be with their beloved Grammy. You can tell them we’re going away to do


    grownup things. They’ll understand.”


    “It will be a lie,” I said.


    Mason stepped closer but wasn’t foolish enough to try and pull me against him. “It’s not a lie. We will


    be doing grownup things.”


    I eyed him with a frown. “And Gabri won’t want toe with us? If we tell her the High Council is


    coming, she’s not going to want to stay here if none of us are.”


    “We’ll tell her that we’re taking Ste away for her own protection. Because she’s a Celestial and more


    important,” Xander said.


    life.”


    “Compromised or not, I believe with my whole heart that my mother will protect our children with her


    very


    “The High Council wants our children because they’re hybrids. What makes you think they’d just give th


    up?” I demanded.


    Hubris.


    The whisper tickled the back of my neck at the base of my skull. I instantly went on high alert,but


    nobody in the room had spoken or even used the mind link. Vaguely, from far off, I heard the sound of


    my name being called, but I stumbled forward andnded on my hands and knees…


    On a soft carpet of pine needles.