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sheĀ wasĀ taliaĀ hale,Ā theĀ alphaĀ āĀ sheĀ seeminglyĀ knewĀ thingsĀ beforeĀ theyĀ happened ⦠butĀ didĀ she?Ā itĀ seemedĀ toĀ beĀ aĀ facade.Ā taliaĀ hadĀ neverĀ wantedĀ toĀ beĀ oneĀ though.Ā sheĀ wasĀ happyĀ forĀ peterĀ whenĀ heĀ wasĀ beingĀ trained.Ā oh,Ā howĀ heĀ seeminglyĀ soakedĀ upĀ theĀ attention!Ā oh,Ā howĀ itĀ neverĀ seemedĀ toĀ beĀ enough.Ā taliaĀ enjoyed ⦠butterfliesĀ andĀ ridingĀ horses.Ā sheādĀ sneakĀ awayĀ toĀ theĀ preserveĀ andĀ exploreĀ theĀ thingsĀ there.Ā sheādĀ visitĀ theĀ swimmingĀ holesĀ andĀ greetĀ towneesĀ beforeĀ peterĀ wasĀ evenĀ doneĀ withĀ hisĀ trainingĀ forĀ theĀ dayĀ andĀ thatĀ wasnātĀ evenĀ beforeĀ noon.Ā whenĀ sheĀ wasĀ indeedĀ theĀ alpha,Ā itĀ wasĀ aĀ shock.Ā seeminglyĀ aĀ lossĀ ofĀ freedomĀ andĀ aĀ dutyĀ boundĀ byĀ somethingĀ thickerĀ thanĀ blood.Ā Ā
taliaĀ lovedĀ herĀ children,Ā thereĀ wasĀ noĀ doubtĀ aboutĀ it.Ā herĀ changesĀ toĀ theĀ packĀ cameĀ beforeĀ themĀ knowingĀ wellĀ enoughĀ sheādĀ beĀ standingĀ hereĀ oneĀ wayĀ orĀ anotherĀ atĀ someĀ point.Ā wasĀ sheĀ aĀ badĀ alphaĀ forĀ changingĀ theĀ norms?Ā orĀ aĀ betterĀ one ⦠andĀ still,Ā lookingĀ atĀ lauraĀ sheĀ canĀ rememberĀ theĀ veryĀ firstĀ momentĀ sheĀ heldĀ herĀ asĀ aĀ baby.Ā sheāsĀ remindedĀ ofĀ dreamsĀ sheĀ hadĀ ofĀ herĀ longĀ beforeĀ herĀ birth.Ā parentsĀ areĀ supposedĀ toĀ makeĀ theĀ worldĀ betterĀ forĀ theirĀ childrenĀ notĀ breakĀ andĀ destroyĀ it.Ā taliaĀ feltĀ guiltyĀ forĀ beingĀ theĀ oneĀ toĀ keepĀ peterĀ aroundĀ whenĀ theĀ packĀ wouldĀ haveĀ votedĀ himĀ outĀ forĀ beingĀ aĀ failure.Ā aĀ dud.Ā someĀ thingĀ needingĀ aĀ factoryĀ reset!Ā orĀ worse,Ā justĀ scrappedĀ entirely.Ā ifĀ sheĀ hadĀ allowedĀ it ⦠peterĀ wouldnātĀ haveĀ killedĀ her,Ā wouldĀ he?Ā becauseĀ sheĀ didĀ whatĀ wasĀ nessecaryĀ toĀ theĀ packĀ andĀ theĀ threatsĀ itĀ faced.Ā SORRY,Ā DAD.
āohĀ heavensĀ no!āĀ taliaĀ exclaimedĀ inĀ onlyĀ aĀ wayĀ aĀ motherĀ could.Ā Ā āifĀ youĀ hadĀ beenĀ there ā¦āĀ well,Ā itāsĀ aĀ potentialĀ worldĀ taliaĀ didnātĀ wantĀ toĀ fathom.Ā herĀ heartĀ hadĀ brokenĀ wellĀ enoughĀ knowingĀ herĀ fateĀ toĀ beginĀ with.Ā itāsĀ theĀ reasonĀ taliaĀ hasĀ beenĀ tryingĀ toĀ breakĀ herĀ alphaĀ sparkĀ āĀ orĀ seperateĀ itĀ fromĀ herselfĀ evenĀ atĀ theĀ riskĀ ofĀ losingĀ herĀ life.Ā ifĀ sheĀ couldĀ giveĀ itĀ up,Ā orĀ giveĀ itĀ away,Ā perhapsĀ peterĀ wouldĀ haveĀ theĀ happinessĀ heĀ hadĀ alwaysĀ longedĀ forĀ andĀ takenĀ forĀ granted.Ā herĀ childrenĀ wouldnātĀ beĀ threatened;Ā atĀ theĀ time,Ā thatĀ beingĀ child.Ā howĀ sillyĀ ofĀ herĀ toĀ wishĀ lauraĀ wouldnātĀ beĀ here,Ā trapped.Ā thatĀ sheĀ wishedĀ coraĀ wouldĀ findĀ aĀ wayĀ toĀ resistĀ theĀ pullĀ thisĀ townĀ hasĀ onĀ everyoneĀ whoĀ hasĀ comeĀ acrossĀ it.Ā sheĀ rememberedĀ theĀ nightĀ ofĀ theĀ fireĀ wellĀ andĀ ifĀ lauraĀ hadĀ beenĀ there?Ā sheĀ mightĀ asĀ wellĀ beĀ checkedĀ intoĀ eichenĀ houseĀ withĀ noĀ chanceĀ ofĀ seeingĀ theĀ outsideĀ worldĀ again.Ā Ā āiāmĀ gladĀ youĀ werenātĀ there,Ā laura.Ā iāmĀ gladĀ youĀ gotĀ toĀ live ⦠andĀ haveĀ theĀ chanceĀ toĀ onceĀ more.āĀ herĀ eyesĀ waterĀ andĀ sheĀ sniffles.Ā handsĀ moveĀ toĀ lauraāsĀ cheeks,Ā brushingĀ awayĀ strayĀ hairsĀ soĀ sheĀ canĀ seeĀ her,Ā reallyĀ seeĀ her.Ā
asĀ forĀ cora?Ā Ā āletĀ herĀ whileĀ sheĀ can.āĀ youĀ canātĀ tameĀ aĀ wolf,Ā notĀ truly.Ā tamingĀ isĀ somethingĀ someoneĀ doesĀ themselvesĀ ratherĀ thanĀ theĀ otherĀ wayĀ around.Ā Ā āiāmĀ notĀ sureĀ derekĀ couldĀ handleĀ theĀ bothĀ ofĀ youĀ underĀ theĀ sameĀ roofĀ againĀ yet.āĀ itāsĀ theĀ motherĀ inĀ her,Ā rememberingĀ damnĀ wellĀ whatĀ theyĀ wereĀ likeĀ together.Ā evenĀ ifĀ itĀ hurt,Ā ohĀ itāsĀ physicalĀ hurt,Ā thisĀ longingĀ sheĀ hasĀ toĀ reuniteĀ theĀ hales,Ā taliaĀ knewĀ itĀ hadĀ toĀ beĀ oneĀ stepĀ atĀ a time.Ā Ā āareĀ you,Ā areĀ youĀ hungry? iĀ wasĀ goingĀ toĀ makeĀ chocolateĀ chipĀ pancakes . .ā
Laura didnāt want to hurt her mother further. Didnāt want to remind her that in the end it wouldnāt have mattered if sheād been in there. She died either way. It still stung, deep down, that after everything that Peter had lost, he was willing to lose one more, just for his own selfish reasons. That he couldāve filled them in on what he was doing. But he knew that she wouldnāt be the type of Alpha that wouldāve just let him kill someone, even if they were guilty. No, if Laura had been faced with Kate Argent, she wouldāve come close, but ultimately, she would see that she was locked away for life. That sheād have to live knowing that the Hale name continued on, despite her best efforts.Ā
And that never wouldāve been good enough for Peter. He didnāt care what was for the best of everyone. He only cared about what was best for himself.
āI donāt know what Iāll do with this new life, but... Iāll try and make you proud, whatever it is.ā She sniffed, pressing her forehead to her motherās, tears falling from her own eyes. Being enveloped in her scent, much like she had been so many times growing up.... It was overwhelming, but in a good way.
āI donāt know, Iām sure Derek would loveĀ us teaming up against him. We can recruit his girlfriend and heāll reallyĀ lose his mind.ā She snorted, smiling now. At the promise of chocolate chip pancakes, her eyes lit up.Ā āIāve missed your chocolate chip pancakes so much. I tried to make them with Derek, but the edges ended up burnt, and they tasted like cardboard.āĀ
Moving into the kitchen, there was still a lump in her throat. Something she had to ask.Ā ā... Have you seen him? Your brother?ā No Uncle Peter, not even Peter. She wanted him completely disconnected from her, even if her family refused to.