Chapter <b>194 </b>


    Amber’s POV


    Alice seemed to have some hesitation about meeting Roman again, and I couldn’t really me her. I still had my own reluctance. But he had been there for us when no one else was, and he had been a good friend. Even with the things that had happened…


    But, I didn’t know. Roman’s behavior toward me, I could forgive. But I distinctly remember that confrontation in the parking lot outside of one of the events in Julian’s pack, when Roman had made


    Alice cry.


    Dealing with Roman on my own right now was stressful enough. Could I really <i>expose </i>Alice to that too, after everything she’d been through? Her ne was working for right now, despite the power being weakened. If Roman pushed her to an extreme again, would the ne continue to work?


    As new worries flooded my mind, a knock on my door startled me.


    “I’ll get it,<i>” </i>Julian said, standing before I could argue. He left Alice and me at the table while he walked to the door and answered it. As he opened the door, I saw one of Rafael’s messengers standing beyond it. He handed Julian a crisp white envelope. It was too square to be a letter. Instead, it looked like some kind of


    formal invitation.


    “Thanks,” Julian told the messenger, then closed the door.


    “What is that?” Alice asked as Julian walked closer.


    “It’s for your mom,” he said.


    “You can open it,” I said. “I really wasn’t in any state of mind to handle any more surprises, particrly alone. I valued Julian’s presence and his help, and relied on him here and now to help keep me whole when all of my mixed feelings were threatening to rattle me apart.


    Julian nced at me for confirmation. When I nodded, he tore the envelope open and pulled out a single rectangr bit of cardstock. An invitation then, at least that was what it seemed like from this distance.


    “Rafael is holding a party to wee Roman,” Julian said. He flipped the card over to check the back. It’s tomorrow, and only for you and Alice.”


    Immediately, detecting his growing agitation, I pushed aside his worry. Or tried to. “Of course you are invited<i>,” </i>I said. “You will being with me.”


    “I will?” he asked, looking up.


    “Yes,” I said. “I want you there.”


    That seemed to calm him. Even his face started to rx a little.


    “Alice, though, I think we will hire a babysitter for you,” I said.


    “I want to go to the party!” she said at once, outraged by my suggestion otherwise.


    Again, I saw her face, tearstained and frightened after Roman had made her cry. The thought of reintroducing them had been a bad one, and I wasn’t in any kind of hurry to make that happen.


    “Please Mom? I will be extra good!”


    “It’s not that I think you will misbehave, honey,” I said. “But Roman will be there. And I don’t want to…”


    “It’s okay,” she said. “I want to go.”


    “I’ll be there,” Julian said. “I will protect you both.”


    Looking at Julian, I wanted to believe that. He always protected us in the past. But it wasn’t physical protection I thought we might be in need of this time, it was protection of the heart.


    I wasn’t worried Roman would strike against us physically. Instead, I thought he might try to kindle something romantic with me, or try to impose himself as Alice’s father, like he always tried to in the past, no matter how hard Alice pushed back against that.


    But between Alice’s pleading eyes and Julian’s unrivaled confidence, I found I couldn’t reject either of them.


    “Fine,” I said after a moment. “But if anything starts to feel strange, we leave, okay? We don’t have to stay the whole time.”