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Sophie fidgeted with the sleeve of her sweater as she and Callum waited outside an office to speak with Patrice. Her nerves were getting the better of her, and she had no idea what to expect from the council member. Why was it so important to meet? She just wanted to get Serena and retreat to Callum’s room again.
Serena was with Thea who had been eager to snuggle with the baby again and Sophie was thankful someone so loving had been tending to her niece during her absence. Still, she wanted to get back and get to know the baby better now that she was here.
“It’s going to be okay.” Callum wrapped an arm around her and drew her closer. “Patrice is no-nonsense, but she’s honest and fair. They only want to know what happened.”
Sophie nodded; she could understand that. “I could be in here for days if I told them everything.”
Callum opened his mouth, but the door opened before he could say anything. Instead of Patrice, a man stood in the doorway.
“Callum, it’s good to see you well and on your feet,” the man greeted.
“Thanks, Charles. This is Sophie, my mate. Sophie, this is Charles, Patrice’s mate and Nate’s dad,” Callum said.
She took the hand Charles extended to her. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well, come on in,” Charles said, motioning them in.
The office was empty of pictures. In fact, the only furniture in the room was a filing cabinet, desk and four chairs two on each side of the desk.
“Good morning,” Patrice said pointing to the chairs opposite her. “Won’t you please have a seat?”
Sophie sat down next to Callum and let out a breath. The woman across from them eyed the two of them before leaning back in her chair as her husband took a seat beside her.
“I’d like to know your accounts of what happened after Eden and Xander left you at the complex,” Patrice began.
Callum cleared his throat and spoke up, filling in all the details of their move, accident, and escape before meeting up with the group in New York.
Patrice listened intently, making notes on a pad on her desk as Callum spoke. When he’d finished, Patrice turned to Sophie. “It’s my understanding that you were with the hunters for an extended period of time.”
“That’s correct,” Sophie said as she moved in her seat. She didn’t want to tell them about her imprisonment or about Serena and her suicide attempt. Sure, she wanted to help, but the memories of it were just too much.
“You also played a key role in the takedown of their village the other night,” Patrice continued.
Sophie nodded her head in agreement.
“Do you know where any of their other facilities are?” Patrice asked.
Sophie shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t. When I was transported it was always in the back of a van or truck. I never saw. The only reason I recognized the village we attacked is because Callum and I stumbled upon it by accident. I could never forget the smell of the place and it was the largest compound I was ever held at and allowed to walk around so freely.”
“I see.” Patrice leaned back, her chair creaking with her movements. “Would you recognize any other places if you saw them?”
“Not from the outside. If I were on the inside – probably.” Though she’d prefer not to have to step foot in one of those places ever again. She’d made it her goal to learn the layout of every place she was kept. If she ever did get inside another facility she’d already been held in, she had no doubt she could navigate it easily.
“And you were a doctor for them?” Patrice asked, her eyes narrowing.
Sophie swallowed and looked at her hands. “I was very young when I arrived in their custody. One of the doctors took me under his wing and trained me.”
“So you learned from a hunter?” Patrice asked leaning forward. “I highly doubt your training was adequate.”
“Patrice, lighten up on the girl. I think it’s pretty clear she’s on our side,” Charles said.
Patrice inhaled and settled back against her chair. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I can understand how it must look,” Sophie said. She did understand the woman’s reluctance. Spending years behind enemy lines was enough to make anyone crazy, and from what she’d learned from Callum the group had been betrayed by one of their own recently, too.
“What did you do with this doctor?” Patrice asked.
“I helped him treat shifters and document his studies.”
“Would it be possible for you to prepare a report for our team of doctors?” Patrice asked.
“I can do even better. Lou used a cloud to store all his notes. Since I did most of the work, I had access to his password, and I know for a fact he didn’t share any of his information with anyone else so no one should’ve tampered with it. I can give you the log-in information,” Sophie said.
Patrice smiled. “That would be wonderful.” She pushed her pen and notepad across the desk.
Sophie wrote down the log-in information and pushed the paper back.
“I don’t suppose you have any idea what was in that cooler that was brought back?” Patrice asked.
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t, sorry. Whatever it is must be important. Chad is...was... a jerk. He wouldn’t have risked his life if it wasn’t something they needed.”
“Do we have any idea what it is?” Callum asked.
“Not yet,” Patrice said. “The only thing the doctors have found is that it is someone’s blood, but it’s unlike any blood we’ve ever seen before. They are working to break it down now.”
“Let me know if I can be of any help,” Sophie said.
“We will. In the meantime, I’m sure the two of you want to rest and get to know your newest addition.”
Callum stood. “Thanks, Patrice.”
Sophie got to her feet and linked her arm with Callum’s, allowing him to take the lead out of the office. When they got into the hall and the door was shut, she let out a breath.
“That wasn’t too bad, right?” Callum asked.
“Better than I thought,” she said.
“I’m guessing this isn’t the first time you’ve been pulled into an office?” Callum let his arm slide down to wrap around her waist.
She shook her head. Lou had mostly been the one to pull her aside to yell at her for something, but others had reprimanded her on occasion, too. She wouldn’t have to worry about it ever again.
Callum kissed her temple. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
He was right. This building was safe and the people here seemed good. Even Patrice. As Callum had said earlier, she was nice despite her prickly demeanor.
“Let’s go get Serena,” Callum said as he led them down a hall.
***
Sophie zipped Serena up in her sleeper and trailed a finger down the infant’s cheek before slipping beneath the covers of the bed she shared with Callum. She settled against the pillows and leaned back, letting her eyes slide shut.
For the first time in years, she could lie back and just relax without fear of anyone barging into her room and harming her. She was safe and everything was perfect.
The bedroom door creaked open and she peeked her eyes open enough to see Callum come in. He strode to the bed, pulling his shirt off and tossing it in the hamper.
“Everything okay?” she asked as he unfastened his pants and dropped them to the floor, leaving him standing in his form-fitting boxers.
“Yeah. Just saying bye to Nate and Xander.”
“Bye?”
Callum climbed in beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close to him. She rested her head on his chest, finding comfort in the steady patter of his heart. “They’re going back out to search for Terrence.”
“Do they have a new lead?” she asked, hoping there was still a chance Terrence would be found alive and well.
“No. They’re going to retrace their steps and see if they can come up with anything new.”
Sophie nodded and snuggled closer to him, enjoying the way he kept her close. “I wish there was more we could’ve done.”
“We’ve done plenty.” He kissed the side of her neck. “Taking out their village should be a major setback for them.”
“I hope so.” She really did hope it hurt them. Hunters had made her life a living hell for years. It was about time someone made them pay for the evil and atrocities they committed. A thought occurred to her. She swallowed before asking, “Don’t you usually go with them?”
“I do.”
“You stayed because of me...us,” she said quietly.
“My place is with you and Serena. Things are different now that we have a cub to raise. Nate and Xander understand that,” Callum said.
“I’m so glad we found each other,” Sophie said, turning so she could look into his eyes.
“Me too.” He tucked a finger under her chin and placed a tender kiss to her lips. “I love you, Sophie.”
“I love you too,” she said against his lips. After years of wishing and longing, she was finally getting her happily ever after.
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