Chapter 140 Chapter One Hundred and Forty

Chapter 140 Chapter One Hundred and Forty
I was horrified by the extent of the burns on her face but at the same time, I felt sorry for her.

Mama was shielding the other children and I wrapped my arms around Salem.

"It's okay" I whispered. 

The servant dropped to her knees, shaking in fright. 

"Forgive me, Luna. I didn't mean to scare the children. I was only doing my job"

"It's fine," I said quickly, waving my hands for a guard. 

"You can leave. The other servants will handle it from here" I couldn't tell the expression on her face but she nodded and turned to leave.

I turned back to Salem who was still shaking, her eyes full of fright. The sight of that woman must have been very surprising to her.

"It's okay. You're fine" I assured her but even as I said it, her eyes didn't stray from the door where that woman had disappeared. 

I led her back to the table and dinner continued, albeit awkwardly. 

I made a mental note to speak to the head about that woman. 

It was terrible that she suffered from extreme burns and I would never put her out of a job because of that but it'd be best if she didn't show up around the children for now. 

Maybe she could be shifted to another department and paid just the same. 

After dinner, I saw the children go to their rooms. Mama and Papa were tired from their journey so they went straight to sleep. I cuddled beside my mate, happy to have his arms around me as we fell asleep.

"Nooo!!!!" A loud piercing scream tore through the night. I jerked up in bed, reaching for the night light. 

Xander was already on his feet, grabbing his pants and we bolted out of the room.

My mother stood in the hallway, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"The noise..." she mumbled as I walked past her, knowing exactly where it came from.

I pushed the girls' room open and my eyes landed on Salem's bed. Her tiny body writhed on the bed as screams poured out of her throat.

She was having a bad nightmare.

I walked over to her quietly and gently pulled her into my arms. Her body jerked once and then her eyes flew open. She struggled for a moment but as soon as she recognized me, her body instantly relaxed.

"You're okay" I whispered soothingly as she whimpered in my arms, body shaking.

"You're okay" I kept repeating until she was quiet but from the rhythm of her breath, u knew she wasn't asleep.

Cautious footsteps drew nearer and I looked up to see Xander peering over me with worry on his face.

"Is she okay?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I think. It was a nightmare" I looked over at the girls who were still asleep.

"You can go. I'll stay with her for a while and come back" he looked like he'd protest but instead he nodded his head and then he walked out, closing the door with a soft thud.

"Light?" I asked, only noting just how dark the room was. The twins didn't like sleeping with lights and Salem had slipped into that pattern when she arrived.

"Yes please" she mumbled and I flicked the lights on. Sage shifted in her sleep but settled right after.

"I had a bad dream" Salem spoke, surprising me. But I was glad she wanted to talk about it.

"Do you want to tell me what it was about?"

I sensed her hesitation.

"That woman" she mumbled and I understood immediately. 

"She looks different from us. Does it scare you?" She nodded.

"It's not her fault you know. Something bad happened to her and that's why she's like that. You don't have to be frightened of her"

"But.... She reminded me of a bad person"

"A bad person?" I asked confused and she nodded.

"Honey, she's not a bad person because of her face"

"No..." she started and then sighed.

"Can I not see her again?"

I'd already made arrangements, but I felt the need to speak to Salem about that woman. But she was a child and wouldn't grasp everything now so I hesitated. But I'd revisit the issue another time. 

"You know you're safe here. And nobody can hurt you"

"Yes. You're very nice to me"

"Not just me. Everyone is. We're your family Salem. And you must let me know if anything bothers you. Anything at all"

"I will. Thank you" she tightened her arms around me and I let her hold me. I patted her back and hummed a lullaby until she fell asleep. 

Gently, I pulled away and tucked her in. I eyed the light that illuminated her side of the room. 

I couldn't leave her in the dark after her nightmare but the girls hated the light a lot. 

After a moment's debate, I reduced the lighting. 

They'd have to stay in separate rooms from now on so neither would be inconvenienced by the other's preference. 

I checked on Sage and Freya and then I slipped out of their room, closing the door gently.

"Anna" I jumped in fright at the sound of my mother's voice. I'd not noticed her outside their bedroom.

"Have you been standing here?" I asked in worry and she nodded.

"I couldn't go back to sleep. The screams..."

"Sorry about that. Salem had a nightmare"

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah. She's sleeping now"

"Was it because of that woman she saw earlier?"

I nodded and noticed the shift in my mother's expression.

"I didn't know you hired that kind of person" I frowned at my mother's choice of words

"What's wrong with her? There's been no complaint about her conduct so I know she's doing a good job. I didn't know you were discriminatory against people's appearances" I folded my arms as I stared at her in disapproval.

"I'm not" she countered sharply, clearly offended by my insinuation but I didn't know what to think when she'd just made a statement like that.

"I'm only concerned about you. That little girl...the woman with the face burns. They rub me the wrong way"

"Are you going to say that woman is my childhood friend that for burnt with her family back at your pack?"

She hesitated and I scoffed.

"Mama. You can't possibly believe that. You said they were burnt beyond recognition. Weren't the bodies recovered?"

"Yes but..."

"You're being paranoid and there's absolutely no need for that"

"I can't help it. My intuition is never wrong. And this...it just feels like a huge trap"

"Again, you're paranoid. You should get some rest. I have my mate and nothing will happen"

I steered her towards her bedroom, killing off the protest. 

There was no way someone who had died over thirteen years ago would suddenly reappear. And Salem being her daughter was even more ridiculous. 

And even if that were the case, what would they possibly want in our home?

"My daughter" she spun around and grabbed my hands.

"Please be careful. If you think something is suspicious, promise me you'll look into it"

"I promise" I said with a smile and waved her as I returned to my bedroom where Xander was waiting.

"Is she okay?" I nodded.

"Let's go back to sleep" I said and he enveloped me in his arms and carried me to bed.