Chapter 179
0179
(Lily POV)
After Charlotte left, James and I ate breakfast. We then took turns showering and changing clothes. ( Yes, a part of me wondered what it would be like to shower with James, but I am not ready for that yet.)
Once we were both dressed and ready, James asked me if I was okay with doing a video call with Brady and Dr. Hyder. He told me that they were really worried about me, and he said that the four of us needed. to talk about the security breach at Black Moon and how to deal with it anyway.
Lagreed Given the way that I left, I was a little nervous to talk to Brady, but I knew I had to work past the
awkwardness.
We sat down on the couch and James initiated the video call using my laptop. (No, I cannot afford a laptop, but Charlotte gifted me hers after her parents bought her a new one). Within just a couple of minutes, the faces of Dr. Hyder and Brady appeared on the screen.
“Lily,” Brady said softly.
“Hi, Brady,” I responded.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.
“I am fine.”
“I miss you,” Brady said.
I felt James stiffen next to me.
“Lily, when it is safe, I want you to come back here,” Brady added. “You have been gone too long. We
need you back. I need you back.”
I could feel James’ jealousy and rage at that second comment. He immediately put his arm protectively
around my shoulders. He also reached over with his opposite hand and began to rub my upper arm.
hurt in Brady’s eyes when James did both of those things, and I felt like I wanted to disappear.
This is exactly what I had hoped to avoid when I left Black Moon,
Thankfully, Dr Hyder intervened before I had to respond to either of Brady’s comments. He gave me a fatherly lecture about leaving Black Moon without telling him or anyone where I was going. He also asked me a series of questions about how I was able to leave the pack without anyone noticing.
was really honest, explaining that my departure was much quicker than I originally planned. I told them
Rose insisted that we leave immediately after those guards gave me a box of chocolates.
Dr. Hyder of course wanted to know who the two guards were, and I told them. I watched as Brady’s face paled and Dr. Hyder looked at him confused.
“We have never employed any guards named Hunter or Kyle,” Brady explained.
Oh, sh&t. I did not know who was looking for me, or why I was in danger, but I had watched enough true crime documentaries to know that is bad.
“What did you do with the chocolates, Lily?” Dr. Hyder asked.
“I did not want to leave them there or throw them away in case someone else might try to eat them… Rose was really uncomfortable with how they smelled… so I took them with me.”
“Where are they now?”
I looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I still have them. They are hidden under my bed. I know I
should have thrown them away, but –”
“No, Lily, I am glad you didn’t,” Dr. Hyder said gently. “We need to have them tested. James
an address, will you mall the chocolates there?”
James nodded. “Of course. We can get that done today.”
if I text you
After that, the conversation shifted to how to keep me safe. Dr. Hyder encouraged James and I to stay
where we were for the next several days until they could get more information about the current threat
and how to deal with it. He also encouraged James to figure out some cover story to explain where he
was, because Dr. Hyder had received reports that Margie and Stephanie were getting a little desperate to
find him.
I watched James’ face as Dr. Hyder brought up Stephanie. James was largely stoic; if anything, he
seemed mildly annoyed.
Next, Dr. Hyder told James that he had talked to all the allies, and they were ready to go back in as soon as James was back in town and ready. Until then, the werewolf council would stay at the pack doing an investigation about the little it knew so far, so it was unlikely anyone would be hurt in the interim.
I could n
not follow all of the conversation because I did not know much about what had been going on, but it seemed like everything was clear for James and I to have some time together the next several days. All we had to do was come up with some sort of cover story for James.
Given the circumstances, I knew I should feel worried, but a part of me felt a little happy too. I only had to work two shifts at the girls’ home this coming week, and most of my training for the team was done, so l
James must have sensed how I was feeling, because he gave me a small smile and leaned over and gave me a kiss on my forehead.
Unfortunately, when I looked back at the laptop screen, the look in Brady’s eyes broke my heart. It reminded me once again of all the reasons that I left Black Moon, and of all the reasons that I did not want to be part of a love triangle. I hated the idea of hurting anyone, much less Brady after all he had
done to help me.
Eventually, after a few moments of silence, Brady asked me if I would be willing to share my phone number with him so that he could communicate with me while everything got sorted out. James immediately tensed yet again, pulling me closer to him. I was not sure what to say.
Thankfully, Dr. Hyder spoke up before I could. “Your pack has been compromised, Brady,” he snapped. “It
is not safe for Lily to be communicating with you.”
Brady started to get angry. “But it is okay for that a&&hole to communicate with her? And what about
this call itself? How is this safe?”
Dr. Hyder visibly got even more upset. “You need to start thinking like an alpha, and not like a jealous son- of-a-b&&ch. If James’ phone was compromised, the enemy would have found Lily weeks ago. And my phone and laptop are military grade; there isn’t anyone getting into my devices.”
Sighing, Dr. Hyder turned back to us. “We should limit communication for a while, though, just to be safe.
I am not saying do not reach out to me, but let’s try to be a little sparing about it, okay?”
James and I agreed, and the video call was disconnected soon afterwards.
James and I sat quietly for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything. Finally, he spoke.
“Dr. Hyder is different with you than he is with anyone else. He is gentle.”
I smiled. “Yeah, he is like a father to me. He reminds me of how my dad used to be before the whole
thing with Stephanie.”
James gave me a sad smile.
Then, almost out of the blue, he asked me something that caught me off-guard.
“Do you still have feelings for Brady?”
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