30: Goodbye

"Yes," I said. "You should have."

My chest tightened, but again, there was no mate bond forcing the feeling. It belonged entirely to me.

His jaw flexed. "I should have chosen you the first time he hurt you. I should have chosen you when he dragged you away from your father. I should have chosen you every damn time I walked into that dining hall and saw what he'd done, instead of waiting until he was finished because I was too much of a coward to face him."

I stared at him.

I had waited years to hear those words, and now that they had finally come, I didn't feel victorious.

I just wished he'd said them when they could have mattered.

"It's too late, Trent."

"I know." He wiped his face and looked at me. "But I'm going to do better."

I almost told him there wasn't going to be another chance.

By tonight, Rachel and I would be gone.

By the time Trenton realised what I had done, Opal would already have my daughter far from this place, and Ashley would be on Kennedy's back as we ran towards Winifred and whatever waited for us after that.

I opened my mouth.

For one dangerous second, I almost told him.

Then I remembered every time Trenton had chosen his brother.

Every excuse.

Every warning I had ignored because I wanted so badly to believe that this time would be different.

I couldn't gamble Rachel's life on a man finally finding his courage thirteen years too late.

"What does doing better look like?" I asked instead.

Trenton glanced back towards the mansion. "It starts with Rachel."

My heart jumped. "What about her?"

"Alastor isn't her father. I am." His voice strengthened despite the pain still written across his face. "I've already lost almost seven years with my daughter because I didn't know the truth. I'm not losing any more."

I swallowed.

"And when Alastor comes back?"

Something about him looked different then. I didn't see the Beta standing beneath his Alpha. I saw Rachel's father.

"If Alastor tries to hurt her when he finds out, he'll have to go through me."

I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around him.

Trenton froze, then his arms came around me. There was no spark, no heat rushing beneath my skin and no invisible force pulling our bodies closer.

I closed my eyes. "Goodbye, Trent," I whispered.

His arms tightened around me. "What?"

I opened my eyes over his shoulder.

Shit.

"I said goodbye to the bond."

He pulled back enough to look at me.

"OK." He relaxed, so I held him a little tighter, knowing this was goodbye even if he didn't.

******

Opal and I took turns watching Ashley sleep for most of the afternoon.

I kept watch while Opal slept, and when I finally managed to close my eyes for a while, Opal stayed awake beside her. I checked on Rachel three times in between, mostly because I couldn't help myself, and before I knew it, the clock was creeping towards 4:30.

I nudged Opal awake.

"Hey," I whispered. "It's time."

Her eyes opened immediately, and within seconds, she was sitting upright and alert. Trenton usually worked out in the gym around this time, partly because it kept him away from Alastor and what he'd do to me before dinner. Today, his little avoidance routine was finally useful for something because it gave me the perfect opportunity to get Rachel out without him noticing.

"I'm ready," Opal said. "Just tell me what you need."

"I need you to stay with Ashley while I get Rachel."

Opal glanced at the sleeping woman beside her. "I feel bad waking her."

"You don't have to wake her."

"But I want to say goodbye."

"This isn't goodbye. You'll see her at Winnie's before we leave for Mount Hecate." I looked towards the door, already feeling every second slipping away from us. "Besides, if you wake her up just to make her cry, I'll put her back to sleep myself."

Opal gave me a look. "Was that a threat?"

"Depends on how long you keep talking."

That got her moving.

I hurried to Rachel's room and found her still asleep. She had slept through most of the day, only waking up twice to pee and once to eat a bowl of cereal before climbing straight back into bed. Apparently, preparing to escape the only home you'd ever known was exhausting when you had no idea you were doing it.

The nanny looked up when I entered, and I told her she could have the rest of the night off. Her face lit up so quickly that I almost laughed. I knew she was sleeping with the head chef, and since tonight happened to be his night off too, I doubted either of them would notice if the entire mansion caught fire.

Perfect.

Once she left, I sat beside Rachel and gently rubbed her tummy until she began to stir. Her little face scrunched up before her eyes finally opened, and she gave me a sleepy yawn.

"Mama, why do you have that sad look on your face?"

"It's nothing, sweetie." I brushed a few golden curls away from her face. "Do you remember when I told you we were going on a little adventure?"

"Yeah." She rubbed one eye. "Is it tonight already?"

"Yes, it is tonight."

Her sleepiness disappeared almost immediately. "OK, Mama."

If only running away from Drexel Forest was that simple for the rest of us.

I got her dressed and packed a few things she might need into one of her princess backpacks. I added some clothes, snacks and whatever else I could fit without making the bag too heavy, then lifted her into my arms and carried her back to where Opal was waiting.

"Miss Opal!" Rachel screamed the second she saw her.

Ashley stirred on the couch.

"Shh!" I quickly pressed a finger against my lips. "Honey, remember, this is a quiet adventure."

"Sorry, Mama," she whispered loudly.

I almost laughed. Apparently, whispering was something we needed to work on.

Rachel finally noticed Ashley sleeping nearby and leaned slightly out of my arms to get a better look at her.

"Who's that?"

"That's Mama's friend."

Rachel studied her for a few seconds. "Why does she look like that? Did she fall out of a tree?"

I glanced at Ashley. "Yes, baby. A very tall one. Come on."

I handed Rachel to Opal and led them around the side of the mansion where I knew there was a blind spot between the guards' patrols. Once we were hidden from view, I pulled out the small container of ointment I'd been saving and rubbed it over Opal's exposed skin before doing the same to Rachel.

It was the last of the scent-killing ointment Winnie had given me, and it took an entire month to brew. I had been saving it for Rachel and myself because the original plan had only involved the two of us. Now Ashley was coming with me, and there wasn't enough to protect all three of us.

So the choice was easy.

Rachel got it.

If someone had to leave a scent behind tonight, it would be me.

I crouched in front of my daughter and adjusted the straps of her little princess backpack.

"OK, Rachel, we're going to play a game."

Her eyes immediately brightened. "What game?"

"You're going to run through the woods with Miss Opal for as long as you can. You have to stay close to her, listen to everything she tells you and be as quiet as a little mouse. Then Mama will come find you in my wolf form."

Her eyes widened. "I get to play with Kennedy?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"YES!" She punched one tiny fist into the air.

"Quiet adventure," I reminded her.

"Yes," she whispered this time, although the grin on her face didn't get any smaller. She reached for Opal's hand. "OK then. Let's go, Miss Opal."

"Not so fast, little one." Opal straightened the princess backpack on Rachel's shoulders. "You need to kiss your mama first."

She set Rachel back on her feet, and I stooped in front of her.

Suddenly, I didn't want to let her go.

"Listen to Miss Opal, OK? Whatever she tells you to do, you do it. Stay very quiet, and if you get tired, you tell her. Don't try to be a big girl and keep running if your little legs hurt." I touched the backpack. "I put snacks in here too, so if you're hungry or thirsty, you tell Miss Opal."

"OK, Mama."

"And don't wander off."

"I won't."

"And don't let go of Miss Opal's hand."

"Mama." Rachel giggled. "I know."

I pulled her against me and held her tightly. "I love you, Rachel."

"I love you too, Mama."

I kissed her cheek before forcing myself to let her go, then quickly wiped beneath my eyes before she could notice the tears gathering there.

Rachel slipped her tiny palm into Opal's.

I stood and looked at Opal. There were a hundred things I wanted to tell her, but none of them mattered more than the one thing I couldn't bring myself to say aloud.

Protect my daughter at all costs.

Opal stared back at me, and something in her expression told me she understood every word I hadn't said.

"With my life, Luna Ava."

I nodded.

Then I stood there and watched as she disappeared into the woods with my daughter.