Everly POV
Something was going on with Macey and Kalen.
They had been joined at each other's hip for the last two days.
And it was always the same excuse, too.
They were dealing with the hotel renovations.
Yet as Kalen left this morning, I couldn't help but wonder because of the way Macey hung up abruptly
on whomever she was talking to when I came out to make something to eat.
"Where are the kids?" I ask her as she starts packing belongings into her bag and why was she so
dressed up?
"Kalen and John dropped them to school," she answers with a shrug, trying to push me back toward
the room.
"Go lay down, you’re on bed rest.I will bring your breakfast in."
"And Valen?" I ask her not hearing him get up this morning, usually he wakes me.
"Ah something about meeting the council elders with Marcus before they pick up Zoe," Macey answers
as she shuffles me down the hall to my room.
Their constant fussing was driving me insane.
"Zoe is coming home?" I ask, feeling relieved.
She could have come home yesterday, but they kept her a n extra night so she could meet with a
councilor this morning.
"Yep, and I think everyone is moving to the main packhouse today.Valen said something about
organizing it," Macey says as I climb back into bed.
I stare at her as I pull my blankets back up and notice she is all dressed up, which I thought was
odd.She was even wearing makeup.
"Where are you going? To see Tatum?" I ask her.
She chews her lip.
"Um, yeah, I was going to try to patch things up with him.Hopefully, he is in a better mood today." she
says, yet her jitteriness made me nervous.
I couldn't explain why I felt that way but she seemed off.
She had for the last two days and with everything going on, it was understandable, but for her to
suddenly hang around Kalen and my father? Two men, who for years she despised and now it was like
they were all best buddies, it had me rattled.
She walks off, returning with a tray of tea and toast.
"Sorry, Valen," she sighs.
It was fine, I would wait for her to leave my own coffee so she didn't get in trouble.
She leans down and gives me a kiss on the cheek as I pluck a piece of toast off the tray.
"You know I love you, right? You and Zoe," Macey says with a shake of her head.
"I would do anything for you, without question or consequence.You girls are my family, always have
been always will be.And Taylor and I wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for you both," she says.
My brows furrow in confusion and I smile sadly feeling the same way about her.Yet it struck me as odd.
Macey wasn't one to declare her love or show her emotions.She gives me a quick kiss before stopping
b y the door.
"I love you," she says.
"I love you too.Are you sure everything is okay?" I ask her around my mouthful of jam toast.
"Yes, I am fine.I will see you later," she says, then walks off.
Taking another bite of my toast, I shake my head at her strange behavior.I would be sitting her down
when she gets home and finding out what is going on with her.
Maybe I will ring Tatum later and tell him to pull his head in or get Valen to do it.
For the most part, my day was as boring as every other day I spent in this place.
Yet by lunchtime I was starving again and decided after dragging myself out o f the shower that I would
make something to eat.I was craving cucumbers and peanut butter.
My mouth watering at the thought of devouring the strange concoction.I slip my robe on, deciding
against clothes, knowing I would be uncomfortable and itchy.
Besides, no one was home yet, which had m e confused.
Kalen or Dad were usually back by now.
Valen would be fuming if he knew I was home by myself, yet I wasn’t going to ring him and snitch on
them; I was enjoying the peace and quiet.I didn’t feel like being stared at or criticized for my weird food
cravings, and that means I can sneak more coffee.
Wandering out to the living room, however, the devil himself calls, his ringtone blaring loudly from the
bedroom.
I waddle my fat ass back to the room, puffing and panting as I barely make it to my phone before it
rings out.
Snatching it off the dresser, I put it to my ear.
"Hello?" I rasp out.
"Hey, just checking in,"
Valen says while I try to catch my breath. I sit on the edge of the bed, my lower back was killing from
the fast pace, I made it back to the room and my hips throbbed.
"Everly?" Valen asks.
"Yeah, I am fine, just had a shower, and had to race to the phone," I tell him while tugging the towel that
was wrapped around my hair off.
I chuck it at the basket by the door but miss and internally groan, knowing I wasn't going to be able to
pick the damn thing up easily.
"I may be a little while longer.I am just visiting Tatum,"
"Good, maybe you can find out what is going on with Macey.She was odd this morning.Did she say
anything to Tatum?" I hear Valen ask Tatum about Macey before answering.
"He said he hasn’t seen her since their argument," Valen tells me, making my brows furrow.
"Why?" Valen asks.
"No, reason.I thought she was visiting him today is all.How was the council meeting?"
"Dunno, they cancelled last minute, and—" I pull the phone away from my ear hearing someone
knocking o n the door.
"Hang on a second, someone is knocking on the door," I tell Valen.
"Let Dad get it, also I need to speak to him, so can you put him on?"
"He isn’t here, he left this morning, hasn’t been back," I tell him, wandering down the hall.
"But I spoke to him this morning after the school run. He said he was on his way back to you?"
"He must have got distracted," I tell him as the knocking got louder and I drag myself back down the
damn hallway.
"Hold on, I am bloody coming!" I yell to whoever it is when I feel my feet get wet as I step into the
entrance hallway.I stop wondering if I imagined it.
The knocking gets worse when I hear yelling from the other side of the door to open it.Valen was yelling
in my ear, asking what was wrong, yet my eyes were on the huge puddle of water at my feet.
"Everly, who is it?" Valen asks as I stare, stunned.
My mouth opens and closes and I went to answer Valen when I hear the door burst open and smash
into the wall.
The sound makes me jump and more liquid gushes out of me, covering my feet and the floor.
My legs become soaked when I look up to see armed men race down the hall with their guns drawn,
straight toward me.
"Valen, get home," I tell him when a man stops in front of me.
He holds out a piece of paper, thrusting it toward me before looking down at the puddle I was standing
in and glancing at the men behind him.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" I demanded and growled at the man.
Valen, I could hear yelling through the phone.
"We are looking for Alpha John, we have a warrant for his arrest," the man explains.
"A warrant?" I ask, snatching the paper from his hand when pain ripples through my abdomen.
I clutch the hallstand, the paper crumpling in my fist as I clutched my stomach with my other hand.
"A warrant for what and who are you?" I growl through gritted teeth.
I look up to see the men in uniforms looking at me warily.
"My name is Deacon.I am a member of the werewolf council and your father is under arrest for his
experimentation on the rogues and creating the forsaken." I tried to pay attention to what he was
saying, yet pain like a sharp knife tore through my stomach.
I groan and grit my teeth, trying to breathe through the contraction.
"Ma’am, are you alright?" the man asks, a little startled, his hand reaching toward me.
I snarl at him and slap his hand away.
"Of course I’m not alright! My damn waters just broke, and you just broke into my damn house!" I
snapped at him, already feeling Valen getting closer.
"We have a warrant, Ma’am." he states.
"Fuck your warrant!" I scream at him as another contraction made my stomach tighten and more liquid
spilled onto the floor at my feet.
The man jumps back and they all glance at each other as if they had never seen a woman in labor
before.
"Ma’am?" the council elder asks.
I glare at him.
"Call a fucking ambulance you idiot!"
I snap at him, not in the mood for whatever it is they are doing here or their oblivious faces as they
gaped at me.
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