XXVIII | Everything She Wanted

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"Hi there, Fishbait." Kaia's heart sank as she turned around.

"Oh my god," Kaia groaned, pressing her hands to her face. If Kaia hadn't been through what she'd been through since she'd first seen this man, she'd probably be screaming and trying to run away. But now, that just seemed ridiculous. "It's Lumberjack."

"You remember me, then?" he asked, his voice gravelly just like Kaia remembered.

"You tried to kill me," Kaia deadpanned, "How could I not remember you?"

"Yes, I am sorry about that," Jack interjected, "But at the time he didn't know how important you are. When he told me about what had happened, I punished him accordingly."

Kaia frowned and looked at Jack who had somehow managed to find his usual charming mask and put it on, covering up his wounds again. And now that he was wearing it, he looked years younger, his blue eyes glowing. "Right, well you understand if I don't forgive him, right?" Kaia said.

"I'm offended," Lumberjack mumbled.

"Quiet, Anthony," Jack said, his voice like a dagger. Anthony shut up, just scratching his beard. It was like Jack was swatting Anthony away, an inferior being.

"Can we leave now?" Kaia asked. Jack had put off leaving as long as he could. He'd insisted on having lunch together, which was the epitome of awkwardness. Kaia had spent the entire time trying to figure Jack out to no avail. The same boy from before had served them, and his nervousness only made the whole meal worse. It was peculiar how small Jack's Pack seemed. She wondered if it was this limited or if this was all an elaborate ruse, hence the weak kid meant to trick Kaia into depreciating Jack's following. 

Afterwards, Jack had forced her into fresh clothes. This initiative, though, Kaia met with less resistance. She'd still been wearing her dress from the Lunar Ceremony, and a change was welcome. Jack, however, had dressed her in a white sundress that hugged her chest and left little to the imagination. He'd said she looked beautiful, just like her mother. Kaia had shivered.

"Yes, of course," Jack mumbled, "Though I still don't understand why you insist on this. I showed you the truth."

"And I don't trust you. Let's go," Kaia shot back, gesturing to the door. Anthony jogged ahead and pulled it open for his Alpha. Again she didn't see many lycanthrope around the Mansion like she usually did in Kaleb's. It was like they were hiding or something, or maybe Jack was keeping her from seeing them somehow. 

Either way, Kaia couldn't gather any information to help Kaleb. She had a feeling that the Prowlers were going to have to confront this Pack one way or another.

The car was waiting for them when they left the Mansion. It was the same black SUV that they had gotten into last time, outside of The Neighborhood. They spend the ride mostly in silence. Kaia met Anthony's eyes once or twice in the rearview mirror, and she did her best not to let it be obvious how creeped out she was that he kept looking at her.

The only time anyone spoke was when Jack asked, "Kaia, do you remember much of your mother?"

Kaia had stared at him, a bit angry that he would ask that question. He didn't deserve to know anything about her, especially not how she remembered her mom. So Kaia just stayed quiet, turning back to look out the window. She watched the world fly past her and remembered what she'd said to Kaleb during the Lunar Ceremony.

When I met you, time stopped. Kaia wished she could freeze time right now. She could leave Jack behind, find Kaleb, and run away from everything. No one would ever know because the world wouldn't be moving. But then everything they were would be a secret, and Kaia knew that Kaleb deserved more than that. Maybe Kaia did, too. 

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