Chapter 375

Everyone froze, but Shelly dropped down and pulled Abby to her. “Baby…” But she trailed off, because what do you say to a child who is too observant to be kept in the dark?

“It’s okay, Momma. I’ve known for a while now.” She reached up and cupped her face. “I just wanted to spend the best year with you and Daddy, so I didn’t tell you I heard you and the doctor talking about me.” Rick dropped down next to them and hugged them both to his chest.

“It’s going to be alright,” he whispered to them, but I could tell it was to himself. He looked up at me, so ready to believe, and I nodded.

“I can’t fix it today.” I held out my hand. “But I swear I will fix it.”

Shelly looked at me. “How can you be so sure?”

“Magic.” I winked, but she shook her head. I crouched. “I can’t tell you, not before you are away from here. You can take a vow, Shelly, but Abby can’t.”

“I won’t tell anyone. I swear.” She looked at me with slightly wounded eyes.

“Oh, sweet pea, I never thought you would tell on us. But sometimes, especially with same-blood wolves, they can’t help it.”

“Like when the alpha commands us to tell him?”

“Exactly.” I smiled.

“But what about this?” Shelly moved back. “She’d already heard all of us talk about this.”

“Well, it can go two ways.” I looked down at Abby. “And I’m going to allow her to decide.” I smiled as I pulled her out of her parents’ arms, letting her stand on her own. “This is a big girl’s decision, so I want you to really think it through, okay?”

Abby looked at me and stood a little taller. “Okay.”

“Now, anything we talk about here can’t be told to anyone. Not a teacher, not the alpha, and not our friends.” She nodded. “Good girl. Now, because you are too young, the goddess will not allow you to enter into a vow. So we have two options.”

Rick shuffled closer. “What are the options?”

Shelly slid closer. “Will they hurt her?”

I smiled. “I promise they won’t hurt. But because you are sick and weak…” She looked down. I pushed her chin up with my finger. “We get to use that as a hidden strength.”

“How is that a strength?” She looked at me, confused.

“Option one.” I held up a finger. “I can use magic to erase your memories of this room, but you will have the feeling you loved it here and had fun. It will just seem like you were too tired to remember it fully.” I poked her nose. “Or… I could use magic to seal your lips about the stuff that happens here, almost like a vow, but one that uses magic to seal your lips.”

“What’s the difference?” Rick looked at Abby. “Between the vow with the goddess, and you?”

“Instead of being able to pick out the small talk and focus on the smaller things—like, am I assuming you had to do with Vince today?” I lifted my brow, and he nodded. “She won’t be able to talk about it at all.”

“How will that work?”

“Because she is so sick, and Vince is the one that made her that way. He will expect her to be fragile. He will expect her to clam up around an alpha. And if by the smallest chance he questions her… she can just say, ‘I went to Amy’s room,’ yawn, and then turn to you or Shelly and ask to go to bed. Or play shy. Or, honestly, just faint.” Abby giggled. “She will have options, just not the same as you.” I held out my hands. I waved my left hand. “So, option one?” I waved my right hand. “Or option two?”

Abby opened her mouth, but Shelly jumped in. “Isn’t it better if she just forgets?”

Rick looked between his wife and Abby. “I know, as a dad, I would want to just have her forget and pretend she just fell asleep. But also as a dad, I want her to make her own choices. And goddess knows, in Abby’s life, she doesn’t get many choices.” He looked at Shelly. “I want to keep her safe. I do. But there comes a moment when we have to let her choose, Babe. She might not get many choices in her life.” His last words were whispered, his tiny truth eating away at his soul. He has been preparing for Abby to die.

Shelly looked at Abby, who stood there so determined but patient. “I know what I want to choose, but I’ll listen to you, Momma.” She would still allow the adults to make her decision. “I trust you to know what’s best.”

I turned to Shelly, but her eyes were on her daughter. I watched her fight the urge to decide, to step in and take control, but she closed her eyes and shuddered. “No, baby. This is your choice to make. I believe in you.”

Abby’s face lit up. It was like she was waiting for this moment, this decision. “I don’t want to forget. I want option two.”