Chapter 35

Sara’s concerned voice broke through Amanda’s thoughts. “Hey, oh God did we hurt you somehow? Let me see, I can make it better.” Without waiting for an answer, Sara began poking at her and running her hands along Amanda’s arms and sides then down her legs to check for any injuries or wounds of any kind.

Amanda realized that the tears had begun to fall unrestrained down her cheeks. “No. No, I’m not hurt. Not the way you’re thinking at least. I’m alright. Just a little bit heartbroken, that’s all.” She assured the pretty blonde woman and even managed to force a smile.

Sara tisked softly and shook her head a little then reached out and wiped at Amanda’s cheeks, trying to wipe the tears away. “Well, whatever it is must-have hurt pretty badly from the way that you were crying just now. The way it looks like you still want to cry.”

Amanda lowered her head as the tears only fell harder at both Sara’s kindness as well as her words. “Could you untie my hands, please? I won’t try to run or fight you anymore. I promise.” She muttered between soft sobs. It felt as if her heart had been torn from her chest and unceremoniously trampled upon now that she’d lost the burning fury of being face to face with her parents’ murderers.

It was as if she had nothing left to actually keep her mind from lingering on just how very much she’d been hurt by Cole. If she ever saw him again, she might very well just claw his eyeballs out. What kind of a man does that to a woman?

Sara untied Amanda’s hands and then pulled her into a tight hug and just held her while she cried until she cried herself to sleep. It had been a very long time since Amanda had been held by someone as soft and warm and motherly as Sara and it was like a balm on her injured heart. For the first time in a very long time, Amanda slept peacefully.

Once the girl was well and truly asleep, Sara shifted her around and laid her out on the floor with a pillow under her head and covered her with a blanket. She spent a moment untying her ankles as well before moving back up into the front of the van to sit beside her mate. She let out a heavy sigh as she relaxed her head against the seat, turning to study her mate while he drove.

Daniel glanced over at Sara and he offered her a warm and understanding smile. “Any idea what happened to her?” He asked, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the sleeping girl in the back.

Sara shook her head and frowned. “No. I can only see what is about to happen, not what has already happened.” She reminded her mate with a loving yet playfully scolding tone to her voice.

“Was she like that back in the woods?” He asked.

Again, Sara shook her head. “No. She seemed terrified of me, of course, but she didn’t seem—“ Sara trailed off, trying to find the right words.

“Broken?” Daniel asked, glancing back over his shoulder at the sleeping girl for a moment before quickly returning his eyes to the road.

“Yeah. I don’t know what happened between then and now, but whatever it is, it’s bad and it’s fresh. You should have seen how tightly she held onto me, Daniel. It was like she needed something. Someone.”

“Like a mother?” Daniel asked, his voice soft.

Sara nodded. “Yeah. Like a mother.”