*Lorelei*
“Miss Winter?”
I turned to find little Zephyr looking up at with large sky-blue eyes. She was an inquisitive child and was my little shadow here at the daycare where I worked.
I smiled kindly down at the little girl. “What is it, Zephyr?”
Zephyr crossed her arms violently, causing her thick auburn braids to bump against her shoulders. “Miles isn’t giving anyone else a turn with the new board ga.”
I frowned. “It’s a four-person ga,” I said with confusion. “Does he know that he’s supposed to be playing with three other people?”
“Yes, but he won’t listen to ,” Zephyr said with a pout forming on her lips.
I inwardly shook my head and smiled down at her. “Alright, thank you for telling Zephyr. I’ll be there in a mont.”
The little girl nodded seriously before turning to probably tell Miles that he was in trouble. I shook my head once again, this ti not bothering to be subtle about it, and giggled slightly. Even when I needed to help with conflicts between them, the children were fascinating and upbeat individuals.
It took so ti, but I was finally starting to feel like I belonged in the Midnight Sun pack. Everyone was so welcoming and although I’d felt shy and out of place at first, I finally felt like I found my place at the little daycare that I worked part ti in.
I was just in the middle of getting so supplies ready for a painting activity when Zephyr rushed over to so I quickly started to set the supplies aside, closing bottles and stacking things neatly before so tiny, curious hands could make a ss out of any of it.
“Hello, Miss Winter.”
I looked up at the handso brunette. I tried to hold back a grimace and smiled politely. “Hello, Russell. Are you here to pick up Tabitha?”
The man nodded, eyeing with his dark eyes. “Yes, I am.”
I straightened and adjusted the apron I was wearing. “Just wait here a mont. I’ll go and fetch her for you.”
Russell’s eyes widened and he put a hand out to stop . “Thanks, but in a mont please,” he said, his voice full of urgency. “I need to speak with you first.”
The grimace probably ford on my face before I could reign it in.
Russell was a nice man and I know he was still mourning the loss of his wife, which was why I was shocked when he’d started to show an interest in over the past couple of weeks.
He was a kind man. Many of the n in Midnight Sun were extrely nice, but I just couldn’t fathom the thought of putting myself out there again.
Not after Gray.
My heart clenched as I pictured Gray’s dark brown eyes in my mind. It had been a few months now since he’d rejected , and it still hurt as if it just happened yesterday.
I gave Russell an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, but I’m fairly busy at the mont. Let just fetch Tabitha for you so that I can send you on your way.”
I turned to do just that without giving the man a chance to answer, my heart feeling heavy as I did so.
Later that evening, I stepped through the door of my tiny apartnt. The people of Midnight Sun were so accommodating and understanding of my situation. I was able to get a good deal on the apartnt along with so financial aid to help support myself. I was so grateful, and I knew I was extrely fortunate.
I glanced around the small, cozy space as I set my bag down, my chest constricting as I swallowed back a sob.
I was lucky. I knew I was, but I was still extrely lonely as well.
I was sure that anyone who heard that would roll their eyes and tell to just start dating if I was actually so lonely.
I wished that I could. I had heavily debated it with a few male shifters showing attention since I arrived, but I wasn’t ready, and I wasn’t sure how long it would take before I was either.
I was just sitting down after making so warm chicken soup when the phone rang. I swallowed a mouthful of food before answering it. “Hello?”
“Hi Lorelei. It’s Zara. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad ti.”
I straightened on the sofa and set my bowl down on the coffee table. “Zara! It’s so good to hear from you. Not at all. How are you doing?”
“I’m well. My daughter is growing each and every day. Noah and I are very happy.”
I sighed in amazent. “Congratulations, Zara. I am so, so happy for you!” And I ant it. I owed her much for helping escape the Silver Fang pack.
“Thank you!” she chirped. “How are things in Midnight Sun? I trust you are all settled in. I would hope so though since it’s been a while. I apologize for not checking in with you sooner.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I said, amazed by her kindness. “Yes, I’m all settled in. I’m working part-ti at a daycare. It’s been so fun!” My throat tightened a little bit toward the end as I was suddenly reminded of my loneliness.
“I’m glad you’re doing so well,” Zara said happily. It almost made tear up. She lowered her voice. “I actually called because I have so news about Gray.”
I felt my eyes widen as the na ca through the phone, causing my brain to buzz uncomfortably. “Gray?” I echoed, my voice cracking, wondering when the last ti was that the na had passed my lips.
“Yes,” Zara confird. “He’s here in Drogomor and is very sorry for what he did to you. He’d like to see you again and try to make things up to you.”
My mind spun as it failed to fully process the words that Zara was speaking. After all this ti, why would Gray want to reach out to now?
I rembered the way his dark eyes flashed as he rejected my profession of unwavering love. And even if he was sorry for being cruel, did he actually want to pursue anything with ? Even if he did, was I ready?
“Lorelei?” Zara said after a couple of monts of silence. “Are you there?”
I swallowed hard. “Yes, I’m sorry. That was just a bit of a shock I suppose.”
Zara seed to understand imdiately that I wasn’t sure what to do with the information she just gave .
“I see,” she said, her voice filled with compassion that almost brought tears to my eyes. “May I suggest you co and visit Drogomor soti soon? We would love to have you here, and it would be great to see you again. You could et with Gray in a neutral setting and maybe talk things over.”
Panic filled at the thought of seeing Gray again so soon after I had been wrestling with the idea of never seeing him again. Any kind of response got caught in my throat as my jaw hung open in disbelief at what this phone call had beco.
Zara continued as if I wasn’t currently losing my mind. “Gray is actually imprisoned here and—”
“Imprisoned?” I gasped in shock. “Whatever for?”
“It’s a long story,” Zara said.
I could practically hear her shoulders sag.
She sounded exhausted. “Don’t worry though. He’s completely fine, but he does seem desperate to make ands with you and is genuinely remorseful.”
Hearing that Gray was being imprisoned put a whole new unexpected layer to the situation. I felt awful for him, even though I was still hurt by his rejection. Even though he treated so badly, I still would have never wished that for him.
Still, as much as I still had feelings for him, most of those emotions were not positive ones. He hurt . He caused several months of heartache and nightmares. I still had nightmares about his rejection, and it felt like those wounds were just now starting to heal.
What if I decided to face him again and he just added salt to the wounds that already existed? I wasn’t sure I could handle even more heartache than I had already endured.
“I-I’m sorry, Zara,” I said finally, and I hated the way my voice cracked. “I’m just not sure I can face Gray after the trauma he caused .”
“I understand that completely,” Zara said. She let out a shuddering breath. “Noah and I have had our share of pain and bumps along the way. I know it’s not comparable to what Gray did to you, but there was a ti when I thought that Noah and I wouldn’t make it.”
That did little to convince . I took a deep breath, willing the tears away that were threatening to form. “I just really want to fully move on,” I said finally.
“It sounds to like Gray does as well,” Zara said gently. “I know what he did to you was awful, but he truly does seem like he’s hurting as well. Maybe he deserves it, but I do think it would do you both so good to talk things out again now that he’s remorseful.”
I could feel my protective walls crumbling very slightly as she spoke. “Maybe,” I murmured.
“At least hear Gray speak his piece,” Zara urged. “Then you can decide for certain if reconciliation is possible.”
That was true, I realized. Even if Gray and I weren’t ant to be, maybe this was what I needed to finally move on for certain.
“Okay,” I finally agreed. “I’ll speak to Gray.”
Zara was thrilled to hear that I was willing to et with Gray. She started to make arrangents for Noah’s aunts to escort to Drogomor, which I greatly appreciated.
***
Noah’s aunts were extrely kind and quirky. I enjoyed talking to them on the drive to Drogomor. Not even an hour into the ride, I found myself opening up about my situation with Gray and how I wasn’t sure if I could face him.
“He just hurt so badly,” I concluded after telling them the terrible story of my rejection. “I know it’s probably the right thing to give him a second chance, but I’m just not sure if I can.”
The three won glanced at one another, and their eyes were filled with so much sympathy and compassion that it made all choked up.
“You must not force yourself, darling,” said Genevieve, who was sitting to my right. She set a hand over mine.
“She’s right, dear,” Harriet chid in. “Although we have never settled down with mates ourselves, it is not too different from the relationships we hold with family mbers or friends. You must be aware of your limits.”
“Give the boy a chance,” added Marguerite with a decisive nod. “Do be open so that love can play out if it is ant to be. However, set boundaries as you see fit. You are a sweet girl, and we would hate to see you hurt again.”
“Thank you so, so much,” I told the three won, who were quickly becoming my good friends.
I sucked in a breath and tried to calm myself as we got closer and closer to Drogomor.
And to Gray.
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