Chapter 34
HARLEY
The warmth of her embrace felt like stepping into a memory, one I’d held onto for years, tucked away deep in my heart. I squeezed her tighter, afraid to let go, afraid that if I did, she would vanish back into the shadows, a dream slipping through my fingers.
Her scent—soft and familiar, like lavender and the faintest trace of cinnamon—washed over me, bringing back moments I hadn’t dared to relive in so long.
But then, gently, she eased me back, her hands still resting on my shoulders, her eyes filled with a tenderness that nearly broke me. “Harley, my love, we don’t have much time,” she said softly, her voice like a lullaby. “I wish we had forever, but we don’t. We need to catch up, to talk, and I need you to listen.”
I felt a wave of panic. “Mom… I’ve missed you so much,” I choked out, fighting back tears. “It’s been so hard without you. You don’t know how much I’ve wanted this, just to see you, to talk to you again…”
She nodded, her eyes shimmering, and she cupped my cheek, her thumb brushing away a tear. “I’ve missed you too, my little star,” she whispered. “I’ve watched over you every day. I wish I could have been there, right beside you.”
The words burst from me before I could stop them. “Mom, it’s been so awful,” I said, my voice trembling. “After you left, everything changed. Dad… he’s not the same. He brought someone else into our home, and she’s—she’s horrible. She treats me like I’m nothing, like I don’t belong there. And Dad… he just lets her do it. It’s like I don’t matter to him at all.”
My mother’s face softened with pain, and her hand slipped to hold mine, her touch warm and steady. “Oh, Harley… I’m so sorry,” she murmured, her voice thick with sorrow. “I knew it would be difficult for you. I worried so much about what might happen. But I need you to understand, none of this is your fault. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I know, but… it feels like I’m just… alone.” The word came out like a plea, and I hated the weakness in my voice, but it was the truth. “I don’t know how much longer I can take it. I just… I wish you were here, Mom. I wish you were with me.”
She squeezed my hand, her gaze intense and filled with a fierce love I hadn’t seen in so long. “Harley, listen to me,” she said firmly, her tone shifting. “I may not be able to be there in person, but I haven’t left you without help.”
Her words pulled me back, my attention sharpening. “What do you mean?”
“I sent someone to help you,” she said, a mysterious smile tugging at her lips. “Someone to look after you, to be there when you need strength, even when you don’t know it yourself.”
A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, but I didn’t dare hope. “Who? Who did you send?”
Her smile deepened, a knowing look in her eyes. “The one who brought you here, Harley. The one who made this possible.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “You mean… Shane?”
She nodded, her gaze steady. “Yes, Shane. He’s your protector, the one meant to guard you through the trials ahead.”
My mind reeled, trying to piece it together. Shane, with his strange, intense eyes, his wolf’s strength, his mysterious past—he had been sent to me? To protect me?