“Kat, have you met Amelia and her two boys, Thomas and George?”
“N-no,” Katalina stammered, still in the hallway. She shifted from one foot to the other, contemplating escape.
“Come say hello. Amelia, this is my daughter, Katalina. You see, I have my child here where it’s safe.”
Great, I’m being used to put across his point!
Katalina sighed, having no choice but to say hello to Amelia. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
Amelia gazed at Katalina, her mouth in a hard line. “Hello, Katalina, I’m pleased you are back home, but your father is trying to distract me.”
Katalina smiled. “I gathered that, and it’s just Jackson. My father died a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, erm, I-I’m sorry,” Amelia stammered.
Katalina smiled sadly but said nothing. Jackson eyes darted between them looking agitated, his plan clearly not going to plan.
“Hey, Thomas, George, do you want to come with me and see my dog, while your mommy and Jackson talk?” Katalina crouched down as she asked them.
“Sure!” they both chimed in unison, ripping their hands from their mother’s grip.
Amelia look startled. She clearly didn’t want to let them go, but didn’t have a valid excuse to say so. “Boys, we’re leaving, so you can’t today.”
“Aww!” they moaned.
“Amelia, please, you’re safest here. At least wait until I can have someone go with you,” Jackson pleaded.
“This place was attacked just a short while ago. I’m taking my chances at home. I’m sure they wouldn’t attack a mother and her children anyway. It’s you they want. As far as I’m concerned, the further aw—”
Bass’s voice cut through the room, halting her conversation. “They would.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Dark Shadow would attack a mother and child.”
Amelia gasped, clutching her chest. “A-and who are you?”
“Sebastian Evernight.”
“Evernight? Is-isn’t that a Dark Shadow name?” he asked in a small voice.
“Yes.”
“Oh, my God!” Amelia gasped, reaching for her boys’ hands again. She turned her angry gaze on Jackson. “You want me to stay here with him? Nowhere is safe anymore.”
“He’s not going to hurt anyone,” Katalina said firmly, cutting Amelia’s ranting short.
“And how would you know that?” Amelia had gone from concerned to outraged. She stood, glaring at Katalina.
“Hey now, don’t you talk to her like that.” Jackson cut in.
“That’s all right, Jackson. I can take care of myself.” She took a step forward. “Because I know him. I know he’d never hurt anyone unless provoked, and because he’s just defended all of you, against his own pack. He’s killed to protect River Run. And because he’s my mate.” Katalina glared, her eyes unblinking. “Now listen to Jackson and stop acting irrationally. It doesn’t make sense for you to take off with two children unprotected when it’s clear some of Dark Shadow would like us all dead.”
Amelia stared dumbstruck. Her boys snickered.
Katalina turned and strode out of the room. She took Bass’s hand as she left, dragging him with her out into the hallway. When Katalina left, Amelia started her ranting again.
Katalina dropped with a huff onto the stairs, using the steps as a seat. “Is it too late to change my mind and hide at my grandmother’s forever?” she asked the floor.
Bass just laughed. Arne stuck his head on her lap. She scratched behind his ears, trying to block out Jackson’s voice becoming more irritated by the second.
“I just made that worse, right?” she asked Bass, looking up to find him standing by the front door, his fingers playing with the net curtain hung hanging over the small window.
“You were doing okay until you mentioned your mate’s a Dark Shadow.”
“But my mate is a Dark Shadow and they are just going to have to deal with it.”
He glanced at her with a smile just as Amelia pulled open the front room door. Her twin boys followed, seemingly enjoying the drama. “We are leaving!” she shouted, grabbing the boys’ coats and throwing them at them.
“No, you are not!” Jackson boomed back.
“What’s going on?” Karen asked as she rushed in from the kitchen. It was utter chaos, shouting, staring. The back door banged open as Cage ran in. He froze for a second as he took in the scene, and then decided what he had to say was more important.
“Bodies are all collected and covered in the back of the truck.” His voiced carried over the ranting and raving.