bChapter /b83

    Cut after cut dug into me. Did she even realize what she was saying?

    “It doesn’t have to be so dire,” I said.

    She scoffed as she shook her head. “What about Olivia? She’s your fated mate, isn’t she? And I cured her infertility. Are you two having children yet?”

    “It’s not like that,i” /iI said. “You are attempting to simply everything.”

    “Things are simple, Julian. We’ve both moved on.”

    Jealousy seared through me, hot and bright. She’d moved on? With whom? Roman?

    “I think we’ve had enough for today,” she said and stood. “I’m going to take Alice home.”

    “Now, wait a minute,” I said, standing with her. Before she could walk away from me, I grabbed her arm, keeping her near me. I was careful to keep my hold light though, not wanting to hurt her. “We need to talk about this, and the future. Alice is my daughter, and that means –”

    “We can talk visitation,i” /ishe said. “But if you think for one minute that I’m going to let you steal custody of my daughter, then know that you have a fight on your hands.”

    Perhaps a remnant of the jealousy, anger rose within me next. “She is the heir of the Thorn pack. You cannot deny her that birthright!”

    “She deserves to be raised in a loving home!”

    “And you think I can’t give her that?” I demanded.

    She looked me right in the eye and said, “No. I don’t. I’m not sure you even know what love is, Julian.”

    In my shock, I let her igo/i. She stormed forward, calling for Alice, and then led Alice off the yground, away from me.

    I could hear my daughter. “I want ito /isay goodbye to Julian!”

    Amber replied, “You’ll see him again.”

    That was the only thing that gave mefort. Amber wasn’t fleeing with my child again, she was just creating space.

    Amber had thrown that insult, primed to hurt. Of course I knew what love was…

    Didn’t I?

    I was furious, but I didn’t want Alice or the other children to see, nor did I really want to take it out on Amber. So I walked towards the woods, shifted, and let my wolf run off the aggression and the pain.

    When I finally returned to my hotel, it was dark outside. I walked into my room, ready to head to the shower, when I noticed my phone still on the charger.

    I had been so excited earlier to meet with Alice and Amber that I had forgotten all about it.

    Checking the screen, I saw 15 missed calls from Olivia.

    I sighed. I thought of ignoring her, but with so many calls, it could be an emergency. So I called her.

    She picked up right away.

    “There you are, darling,” she said.

    I’d asked her not to call me that so many times, but it never mattered. “You called?”

    “I was hoping I coulde visit you…” she said.

    “Don’t,” I said at once, with some guilt. I hadn’t been truthful with Olivia about where I’d gone.

    The past few months had been something of a chore. Olivia hadn’t been happy with my many trips, my secret efforts to find Amber and Alice, nor had she been pleased by my overall distance, both physically and mentally.

    She could have children now, and wanted to have children with me. But I’d had no interest in sleeping with her, or truly, in pursuing her at all.

    All I’d been able to think about was Amber and Alice.

    “That isn’t a good idea,” I told her. “Just stay in Thorn pack. I’ll be back soon.”

    Olivia’s POV

    On the phone of the screen, Olivia could see exactly where Julian was. She had turned on tracking to his phone without his knowledge. It infuriated her that he wasn’t where he told her he was going to be.

    But she would have thestugh.

    “That’s fine, darling,” she said. “But I have a surprise for you… You’ll just have to wait and see…”