Ashes (Dark in You 3)

As they added milk, sugar, and toppings to the drinks, Raini asked in a low voice, “How did Knox take the news?”

“Very well, thank God. I’ll tell the others tonight.” Harper had already invited everybody to the house later. “Um, thanks for pushing me to take the test.”

Raini smiled. “You can thank me by taking things easy. I get that you’d rather be at work, but pace yourself and work shorter hours.”

“God, you sound like Knox.”

Raini just snickered. “You don’t look as tired today.”

“According to the doctor I spoke to, the fatigue will start to wear off. It’s no wonder I looked like shit the past few months. Every bit of goodness I took in was going to the baby.”

“And you weren’t resting like you should have.”

Harper held up her hand and pledged, “I will not overdo it. My demon wouldn’t allow me to anyway.”

“Good. Then let’s get moving.”

As his visitor entered the office, Knox rose from his seat. “Pamela,” he greeted simply. Ever since Linda and Wyatt mentioned that Talia’s mother had appeared at their home, he’d anticipated that Pamela would eventually come to speak with him about McCauley. Pamela Winters wasn’t a she-demon who backed down. She was a hard, strong-willed woman who could crush a person’s confidence with just a look. In that sense, it wasn’t surprising that she intimidated Linda.

Pamela was also very conscious of public opinion, so he’d imagine that Talia’s lifestyle had been deeply embarrassing for the judge. That may have been why she rarely spoke of her daughter but raved about her son – a very well-known defense attorney who lived in Chicago.

Pamela gave him a gracious nod. “Mr. Thorne. Thank you for seeing me.”

Knox gestured for her to take the seat opposite him, and they both sat down. “It seems an inadequate thing to say, but I’m sorry for your loss.”

Pamela’s smile was brittle, and he got the feeling she’d heard the words so many times that she was tired of hearing them. “Thank you. I know Talia was an addict and had her problems, but she wasn’t a bad person.”

“I never thought that she was.”

“Even when you heard about the boy?”

Knox leaned back in his chair. “From what I understand, Talia had her reasons for giving him to humans to care for. I do not at all condone that she switched him for a human child, especially since she didn’t seek permission, but I do understand what motivated her to do so.”

That seemed to ease the tension in Pamela’s shoulders. “McCauley has been through a lot.”

“It would seem so.”

“Being with his family, his real family, would help him heal. Help him feel he belongs somewhere.”

“I hear you went to see the Sanders.”

“He’s my grandson; of course I did.” She let out a long, steadying breath. “I know that Linda and Wyatt are good people. I can see that Linda would be happy to keep and raise him. But she wants him for the wrong reasons. I’ve watched them together. He could be anyone to her. It’s not so much McCauley that she wants, it’s a child to care for.”

Knox couldn’t deny that. Linda clung to McCauley because she wanted a child, not because she loved him. That wouldn’t be good for the boy in the long run.

“I truly sympathize with Linda,” Pamela went on. “But there are plenty of children out there who need a home and have no family to care for them. McCauley does have family who can care for him. He does have somewhere to go. Linda could foster or adopt one of the others.”

Elbows braced on the arms of his chair, Knox knitted his fingers together. “I’m not opposed to him going to live with you, Pamela. But I won’t abruptly remove him from the Sanders’ home. It would not be good for him.” And it would be risky, considering there was every reason why Pamela might not want to keep him. She wasn’t the type of person who would blind herself to a child’s nature. “I’ll arrange for you and your mate to meet him and spend time with him. We’ll take it slow. If and when McCauley feels comfortable going to live with you, he can do so.”

Pamela’s fingers flexed. “With all due respect, he is much too young to make such a serious decision.”

“His demon is very tense right now, Pamela. It wants to protect him. It won’t appreciate you pushing McCauley to do anything he’s not ready to do. Win his demon’s trust and approval.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “Talia said she believed that his demon was latent.”

“It may have been latent for a while, but it isn’t any longer.”

After a long pause, Pamela spoke. “When can we meet him?”

“I’ll speak to the Sanders and ask what time would suit them best.”

“Linda will put off the meeting for as long as she can.”

“I suspect she will try to do so, but I will make it clear that the meeting must happen no later than Sunday.”

“Thank you,” said Pamela with a slight bow of her head.

“I have to warn you, Pamela. He may not be what you’re expecting. It seems that his demon has acted as a parental influence.”

Pamela was silent for a moment as she digested that. “Once it realizes that my mate and I will care for McCauley, it may settle down.”

“Let’s hope so.” After she left his office, Knox grabbed his cell and called Wyatt. It rang four times before the demon finally answered. “I’ve just had a visit from Pamela,” Knox told him.

A brief silence met that statement. “She wants to take McCauley.” Wyatt sighed. “She may change her mind once she speaks with him.”

“I don’t want to pluck him from your home, Wyatt. But the Winters want to be part of his life. I’d like him to meet Pamela and her mate, and to let him get comfortable with them. It may be that he doesn’t wish to leave you and Linda, but they’re his family. They should have the chance to build something with McCauley, even if it doesn’t result in him going to live with them.”

A long exhale. “You’re right. It can only be good for him to have family around him.”

“How has he been?”

“No different. Linda’s tried to form some sort of relationship with him, but it hasn’t worked. I worried that the longer he was with us, the more attached she’d become to him. But she’s not attached to him as a person, she’s attached to the idea of him.”

“Which is why it will definitely be good for him to meet his maternal family,” Knox pointed out.

“I’ll speak with Linda and get back to you with a good date and time.”

“No later than Sunday, Wyatt,” Knox warned. “For McCauley’s sake.”

“Right. No later than Sunday.”

Later that day, the girls, Jolene, Tanner, Keenan, and Larkin were scattered around the living area of the mansion, talking and laughing. At first, Harper’s demon was on its guard while so many people were on its territory, even though it knew and partially trusted them. After a while, it lost its tension, though it remained alert.

The day had gone by pretty fast, which could have been because Harper found herself disappearing into her mind between jobs – mentally listing everything she’d need to buy and do to be ready for the baby’s arrival.

Devon and Khloë had commented on her “acting weird”, not at all appeased by her promise to tell them everything later. Tanner and Keenan hadn’t commented, but they had watched her closely. Too closely.

Everyone in the room quieted when Knox and Levi finally joined them. Even as they all exchanged greetings, Knox made a beeline for Harper.

Sitting on the sofa, she smiled up at him as he bent down and dropped a lingering kiss on her mouth. “Hey,” she said simply.

“Hey.” Knox sensed her nervousness and gave her nape a comforting squeeze. His demon relaxed now that she was close – it had harassed him all damn day to find her and stay with her. He’d telepathically checked in with her many times, but it hadn’t done much to placate his demon. I missed you.