“What the hell just happened?” Zeo asks, looking bewildered.
“We just got invited to dinner,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I know that, but how? I thought she hated your ass?” he asks, and I shove him away.
“I guess her kids’ security comes before her hate for me,” I reply.
“I guess so. But back to what she found out. Who exactly could you have pissed off so badly that they would take their time to engineer such a deadly disease and even get the help of a witch or warlock?” he asks.
“I have no fucking idea, Zeo,” I say.
“Well, you better figure it out. Because soon they’re going to know that we’re on to them and trying to find a cure, and they are going to stop us. The first rule of war is to know thy enemy. We can’t be fighting a ghost,” he tells me.
“I know,” I say, letting out a frustrated sigh.
“Come on, let’s head back to the house. We have a lot of things to take care of,” he tells me, then walks back to the truck.
Just as I’m about to follow him, I feel a cold sensation run down my spine, like someone is watching me. But as I turn around to look, there’s no one there, yet the feeling still lingers.
Lena’s POV
As I drive back to the lab, my mind drifts back to when I received the letter from Leo, asking for my help, and the moment I decided to offer it. Maybe I should’ve listened to Zoey. If I had said no, I’d be back home with my kids, none the wiser about everything that’s going on here.
But no, my bleeding heart had to go and say yes. Now, not only do I have to find a cure, but I also have to go to New Orleans with Leo of all places, to convince his witch friend to help us. And then there’s the fact that this is all part of a direct attack, meaning none of us here in the pack are safe.
“Yeah, I should’ve said no,” I whisper to myself as I stop the car and get out. I take a deep breath, steadying myself before going back into the lab. There’s no point in thinking about “what ifs.” I’m here now, and the sooner I find a cure, the sooner I can get out of here and back to my life. But even as I say it, it doesn’t sound quite right. And the only reason for that is Leo.
I don’t believe for a second that he doesn’t know the kids are his. He must be respecting my decision by not saying anything. He’s really changed, but that doesn’t mean I can stay here. He’s still with Scarlett, and I don’t want her around the kids. If I stay here and watch the two of them together, I’m just setting myself up for another heartbreak. Especially since I can feel myself getting closer to him since I’ve been back.
Maybe I just don’t tell him about the kids. We find the cure, leave, and then things can go back to normal.
“Ugh.” My brain feels like it’s about to explode. I step into the lab to find Emmett and the monitors.
“How’s it going?” I ask him.
“Slow, but I’m taking my time. I don’t want to miss anything,” he replies.
“That’s good. We need to be extremely vigilant with this,” I tell him.
“So, did you find Leo?” he asks, turning around to face me.
“Yeah, I did. I told him everything, including my suspicions that this might be a targeted attack. He said he knows a witch that might help us, but the catch is, she’s based in New Orleans. So, we’ll have to go there,” I explain.
“How long will you be gone for?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m hoping the trip is as short as possible. You know I hate being away from the kids,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I know. But does it also have to do with the fact that you’ll be alone with Leo?” he asks.
“What are you talking about?” I ask him.
“Come on, Lena. I know some things about your past, and it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together,” he tells me.
“Nothing ever passes you by, does it? Yeah, I won’t lie, it also has something to do with that. I can’t let myself get dragged into him again. I can’t do that,” I say.
“But you’re the one who always tells me to fight for love. From what I’ve been seeing since I got here, he’s not over you,” Emmett says.
“Well, you must be seeing something different because he’s still with Scarlett. Leo is over me,” I tell him.
“Huh, I guess I must’ve read him wrong,” he says, his expression confused, like a baby deer. It’s cute.
“Yeah, you must’ve. I’m going to head over to the house. I need you to come by at six; we’re having a family dinner,” I tell him.
“Cool, then I also get to see the little munchkins. I’ve missed them. Who else is coming for dinner?” he asks.
“Leo and Zeo,” I tell him, and a huge grin appears on his face.
“Zoey is not going to like that at all. This is going to be interesting,” he says.
“I’m so happy my life serves as drama for you,” I tell him, but I can’t help but smile.
“I’ll see you by six. Lock up when you’re done,” I say, then head to my office to grab my bag before leaving.
I check my watch-it’s three in the afternoon, which gives me more than enough time to go home, whip up something for dinner, and convince Zoey not to kill our dinner guests.
I get into my car, and it takes about ten minutes to drive back to the house. Hopefully, the kids should be taking their afternoon nap, giving me time to talk to Zoey.
I park my car in the garage and head into the house. It’s quiet, with no sound from the TV or the kids, which must mean they’re napping. However, I hear a noise coming from the kitchen, so I follow it.
Zoey is making a cup of tea. “Hey, Zo…” I say, and she jumps, clearly startled.
“Jesus, Lena. You scared the life out of me,” she says, putting a hand on her chest.
“I’m sorry, I always forget that you don’t have hearing like mine,” I tell her.
“It’s fine, my mind was somewhere else. But what are you doing home so early?” she asks.
“I kind of had a breakthrough, but then hit a roadblock at the lab,” I tell her.
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