I breathed out shakily. “She sacrificed herself. My mom, Beth. She was her best friend?”

Sylvia nodded. “Beth and Ruby met in high school and then went off to college together. Became instant friends; they were inseparable.” Sylvia was touching her temple and stared off, lost in her thoughts.

“So Ruby was a powerful future seer, but she couldn’t see that if she stuck me with Beth and Tom for parents, that I would be beaten. That my mother would be abused and called fat and lazy by my no good father?” I stood up, angry.

Sylvia’s face softened. “There is a heavy price to pay for changing the future. Maybe she thought that fate was better than being captured, tortured, and killed at five years old before you could even learn to protect yourself.”

“Drake drowned! My childhood was taken from me! I should get to choose my fate. It’s my life.” I turned to Kai. “I’m going for a run. Don’t follow me.” I felt magic infuse my words as a command. Kai looked hurt. I fled the house. I burst out of the front door crying, and collided with Emma.

“Oh, Aurora, I’m sorry.” She laughed and then saw my face. “What’s wrong?”

I stripped down in front of her and changed into my wolf. Without asking, she stripped down too and followed me. I could hear her bones slowly cracking as her change took longer. If Kai had followed me I would have been mad, but something about Emma’s energy soothed me. I didn’t mind. She stayed a good distance behind me as I ran. I didn’t go my fastest, but I was running hard. I could hear Emma panting behind me. She didn’t try to talk to me through the pack bonds and I loved her for it. She seemed to know I needed space, but didn’t want me to be alone.

I ran and thought of my mother, Beth, and all we had been through. Did she just love me and treat me like a daughter because Sylvia messed with her memories? No, I couldn’t believe that. I thought of the sacrifice Ruby made and I got angry. Part of me was grateful Drake and I were placed with my mother because otherwise I wouldn’t know her. Another part of me wondered if Ruby’s seer abilities were that good. What if the future changed and she did all of that and there had been another way. I never bonded with my father Tom. It’s like a piece of me knew he wasn’t my real father. When Drake died and my father blamed me, he began drinking. That’s when the abuse started.

If Ruby hadn’t put Drake and me with my mother, then my father never would have started drinking and abusing us. I could have saved my mother from all of her heartache. I stopped at the top of the mountain and howled long and deep. Then I curled up next to a large pine tree. A moment later Emma trotted over to me. She nuzzled me with her nose and curled up next to me.

‘Are you okay?’ Kai sent to me.

‘I’m with Emma,’ I replied not sure if I was okay or if I would ever be okay. If this Matefinder gene was passed down to future generations then I didn’t want children. I didn’t want to curse them to a life of being hunted. If I didn’t want kids, then Kai might not want me. Emma’s soft and submissive presence put me at ease. We lay there a long time, curled up together.

After a while, I stood up and shook off the dried leaves stuck to my fur.

‘Ready to head back?’ Emma asked me. It was the first thing she had said to me since she followed me on my run.

‘Yes,’ I told her. ‘Thank you,’ I added. She gave me a nod and we slowly trotted back to Kai’s house.

It was late and everyone looked asleep. Emma and I shifted and got dressed. She gave me a quick hug and my vision changed. I was looking at a movie screen in my mind. Emma’s belly was swollen with pregnancy and I was walking down an aisle littered with red rose petals. I looked at my feet. They were barefoot with Henna designs and adorned with a silver anklet on each foot. I was wearing a red and gold silk Sari. I looked up knowing what I would see. That I would see Kai at the end of an aisle but then the picture dissolved. Emma was shaking me. My head was on her lap and she was stroking my hair.

“Aurora, come back to me,” she whispered.  “What is it? Have you found another mate? So soon.”

I shook my head. “I think I just saw the future; my future, our future.” I turned to Emma.

“My wedding.”

“Your wedding!” She screamed, then smiled.

“Yeah… Don’t tell Kai. I saw you pregnant again so it must be soon,” I told her. She motioned to zip her lips, but smiled.

I hugged Emma and she headed home. I thought I would sneak in the house and just glide into bed without having to talk to Kai about my running off after the drama with Sylvia. I was halfway through the living room when Kai stood up from the couch and scared me.

I jumped back. “Jesus!”

“Nope, just me,” he said putting his hands up.

“Very funny,” I muttered.

He crossed the room quickly and wrapped me in his arms. “I held Sylvia hostage until she told me everything. I’m so sorry, Aurora. For the first time in my life I feel powerless. I wish I could take the pain away for you.”

My throat tightened. Kai was a good man. Despite his huge and dominating appearance, he was so soft inside, so lovable. If we were going to have any future together he deserved the truth. “If I didn’t want children would you still want to be my mate?”

His eyebrows pinched before he smiled slightly. “First of all, I am your mate whether you want kids or eat meat or like the same music as I do. We ARE mates. There is no changing that. Secondly, I have always wanted children. I want to be a father, but if you don’t want children then what can I do? I want you and I won’t force you.” He pulled me back and looked into my eyes. In that moment I blurted out the stupidest thing. I didn’t even think.