bChapter /bb157 /bbAmalie /b

    “Mommy!” Rose cheers as she sees the three of us return home.

    Cal sets me down on the ground. I open my arms and Rose runs into them. I don’t think I will bever /bget tired of hugging Rose.

    “You better?” Rose asks me.

    “We will know in a few hours,” I tell her.

    This answer does not satisfy her at all.

    “We tell Grandpa Will now,” she says stubbornly as she tries to get out of my grasp.

    “Rosebud, that is not how this works,” Iugh at her.

    “Yes it is,” she says stubbornly.

    I just know that if she was standing, she would have stomped her foot. “What have you been up to while we have been gone?” I ask, trying to distract her.

    “y hide n seek with Uncle Sam,” she says as she points to my Gamma. He is standing awkwardly by the corner of the house.

    He notices us staring at him. “I wasn’t sure if you really wanted me at the hospital or here?” Sam says nervously. I have never seen him like this, this nervous. He usually acts aloof and distant. He mirrors Cal, a lot.

    “Any reason why you have been avoiding me?” I ask as I walk over to the Gamma.

    “Things have been hectic,” Sam shrugs his shoulders.

    I turn and raise an eyebrow at the twins. “Bull,” I say when I turn back to face Sam.

    “I have been,” he tries to defend again. “But I have also been avoiding you,” he sighs.

    “Why?” I demand.

    “You were taken because of meb, /bbecause I did not get here in time,” Sam says on the verge of shouting.

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    Chapter 157 Amalie

    “I told you that I forgive you,” I tell him.

    “Yesb, /bbut I cannot forgive myself,” he shouts. “Luna, my job is to protect you. I failed and you were

    taken. You were hurt.”

    “You were hurt on your way here,” I point out. “You would have been hurt either way, and I still would have been taken.”

    “We do not me you, and we should have never med you,” Cal tells him as he puts a hand on

    Sam’s shoulder.

    b43 /b

    “You are our Gamma and friend, we never should haveshed out at you,” Mark says as he gives Sam

    a nod.

    “Good, now that that is sorted, Rose was ying a game,” bI /bsmile as I look around at my mates and

    Gamma.

    “We hide!” Rose cheers as she escapes from my arms. She pulls me off to where she wants to hide.

    “Stay-” Mark starts to shout.

    “We will stay inside the property line and not to far,” Iugh as Rose pulls me around the corner of

    the house.

    “Amalie,” Cal sighs.

    “That’s not counting!” Iugh as Rose continues to pull me.

    I do understand where my mates areing from. But I can’t spend the rest of my life being afraid. Plus, I won’t let us hide very hard. I do not want to worry my mates or Gamma by them not being

    able to find me.

    I have a feeling that someone is always going to be after me no matter what. There will always be rogues attacking, vampires that do not tolerate wolves, and who knows what else.

    “Mommy, here,i” /iRose giggles as she pulls me behind a bush.

    We wedge ourselves between the bush and the house. We are notpletely hidden from view, but it will keep Rose from being seen.

    She giggles some more as she pulls one of the branches down to look through. “I not seenb,/b” she

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    …

    Chapter 157 Amalie

    43

    “No, bwe’re /bnot,” Iugh.

    “Ready or not, here wee,” Mark shouts. I can hear theughter in his voice.

    Rose lets out a squeal of delight as she snuggles into my side.

    “Hmm, where oh where could my little Rosebud be?” Mark asks as he slowly wanders around the yard. He catches my eye and gives me a wink.

    I have to suppress myughter at him.

    “I think I will have to check the bushes,” Cal says from the opposite side of the bush.

    I jump slightly at his voice. I was so focused on Mark, that I did not hear him stalk around the other

    side of the house. I look over at him. He has a smirk on his face. Cal shakes a bush that is fifteen

    feet away.

    Rose puts her hands over her mouth to keep herself from making any noises. Sheughs harder as

    the bushes continue to shake as Cal creeps closer to us.

    “Found them,” Sam says from behind us.

    I let out a scream as Rose jumps as well. I turn and see Sam smirking at me from the window that

    was located right behind us and the bush.

    “Going through the house, is cheating,” I say as my heart rate starts to slow back down.

    “No one said that the house was off limits,” Markughs.

    “You scare me,” Rose pouts.

    “Now that you sessfully found her, out of my room,” I hear Uncle Mike grumble from inside.

    I watch Sam roll his eyes before he leaves the bedroom.

    “We find you now!” Rose cheers as she stands up from her hiding spot.

    “Okay petal,” Cal says with a soft smile.

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    Chapter 157 Amalie

    :

    I stand up and get out from behind the bush. Rose follows me out from behind the bush. She grabs my hand and leads me to the porch. Rose sits on the step and pats beside her for me to sit.

    “You count,” she orders me as she puts her hands over her eyes.

    “One, two, three,” I say as bI /bstart counting. I look down at Rose and see her peaking through her fingers. “No peaking,” Iugh as catch her.

    Rose closes her fingers and giggles.

    “Four, five, six,” I keep counting.

    I catch a glimpse of Mark as he darts around the opposite side of the house. Sames out the front door. He and I make eye contact, before he vaults himself over the railing on the porch and takes off running. I catch a whiff of Cal’s scent as hees near where we are counting.

    “Twenty,” I say as I finish counting.

    “We ready!” Rose shouts as she jumps up.

    b43 /b

    She takes off to the left side of the house. I stand up to follow her. Roseughs the whole time as she tracks down her fathers and Sam. Rose searches the bush where we had just hid in. Pouting, she takes off to go find someone. She catches sight of something peaking out under the patio table.

    “Found daddy!” Rose shouts as shees up to the back side of the house.

    There, hiding under the ss table behind the metal chairs with cushions, is one of my six foot, six inches tall mate hiding under neath it. I want tough. He is bent like a pretzel to fit.

    Mark lets out a sigh of brelief /bas he gets out from under the table. “Ow,” Mark sighs as he untangles himself.

    Roseughs before she takes boff /bbto /bfind someone else.

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