Chapter 158
Chapter 159
Julian’s POV
With Chase headed north and Olivia totally missing, I took a moment to call my Beta back in the pack lands and inform him of what was going on here. After explaining things, my Beta agreed to put out an alert, to close the borders to Chase and Olivia. If either were spotted in the pack lands, they were to be imprisoned at once until I could return and deal with them.
This didn’t totally put my mind at ease, as Amber and Alice weren’t within the pack lands where I could keep them safe. I could reach out to the Alpha of this pack, but there would be no guarantee that we could even track Olivia down.
Olivia was smart, and she had the financial means to disappear.
Moving forward, all of us would have to be careful.
After this call, feeling that I had done all that I could, I headed to the clinic to check on Alice. I didn’t have
a car anymore, so I walked as briskly as I could back across town to where the clinic was.
Inside, Carla waved me through immediately. She was working on something at her station. I didn’t have time to see what it was or worry why she was so distracted, not with my daughter’s health on the line.
I found Amber and Alice inside one of the exam rooms. Alice was being checked over by one of the healers Amber had brought on to help the clinic in her absence. We were supposed to have been long gone by now. Instead, here we were.
Amber made eye contact with me when I came in, but she didn’t ask any questions. Instead, she slid her gaze back to Alice and the healer examining her.
My eyes went there too. The healer was bandaging up some of the many scrapes, cuts, and bruises all
over Alice’s small body.
The shifting truly had seemed to have done a number on her. She looked like she had been in a fight with a wolverine. Immediately, some of the rage flared to life inside of me once more. Maybe it had been
wrong of me to let Chase go, after all. Perhaps I should have just killed him and been done with it.
Every protective instinct inside of me was flaring to life, begging me to do something and stop the pain Alice was still going through as she whimpered lightly.
“ Please be more gentle, ” I said, snapping despite myself.
The healer looked over at me. “I am being gentle p>
“She’s crying,” I said.
“ It will hurt worse if it’s left untreated, ” the healer said. She looked at Amber for support. I did, too. As a
1/2
Chapter 159
+15 BONUS
healer herself, Amber should have been able to tell this new person that her daughter deserved better
care.
Instead, Amber looked at me. “ I’m sorry, but the healer is right. Alice knows this too. It has to hurt a little bit now to save a lot of hurt later.” Amber’s own eyes held pain, even if the words were delivered as a healer would say them.
This had to be hurting her as much as it hurt me.
Yet neither of us were hurting as much as Alice herself.
“ It’s okay, Daddy, ” Alice sniffled. “I’m a strong girl. I won’t cry anymore p>
“I didn’t mean that, Alice,” I said at once, my heart breaking. “I know you are touch and strong. You can cry all you want, okay? I just… I wish you didn’t have to do this p>
“We all do,” Amber added.
The healer continued to work and eventually finished. As they turned to leave, I realized I had been a bit of a jerk. I stopped them before they were through the door. “I’m sorry, ” I said. “I didn’t mean to lose my temper. I just… she’s so special to me p>
“I understand,” the healer said. “A father should be protective of his children. I simply wish there was more I could do p>