Chapter Sixteen
Evie was bouncing on her heels when they walked into the hospital. It was Sunday morning, and the doctor had said her father was up and could now see more visitors. Stephanie had driven to the hospital the night before and stayed there, while she, Arthur, and Connor stayed at the house.
She turned to Connor, who gave her a warm, comforting smile. While she respected her parents’ rules in their home, she was frustrated about not being able to sleep with him. She snuck into the guest room when she was sure Arthur was asleep, but Connor made her march right back to her room. He said that while they were staying under her parents’ roof, they would obey their rules. Plus, he didn’t want to be a bad influence on Arthur.
Not that the last one was a problem. During dinner, Connor had told them some stories about his work for Creed Security and her younger brother was entranced. He practically had hero worship written all over his face when he looked at Connor. He even asked him for tips on how to build his body and learn to fight. While she didn't want Connor to have to relive the memories from before, she was surprised by his patience with her brother and how willing he was to give him some tips and encouragement.
"Dad," she called when they walked into the room. Charlie King was sitting up in the hospital bed with various wires sneaking under his gown. His thinning hair was mussed up, and he looked pale and tired. But he had a wide smile when his eyes landed on Evie and Arthur.
“Evie! Arthur!” He opened his arms and gathered his children in them. Both of them eagerly returned his hugs. “C’mon, now, princess,” he said to Evie, brushing the tears from her cheeks. “No need for that. I’m as strong as an ox, you know.”
"Uh-huh," she replied, trying to force a smile on her face. "Stubborn as one, too. Didn't your doctor say you should start eating healthier food?"
Charlie chuckled.
"I'm just glad you're okay," she said, giving him another fierce hug. She hadn't seen her dad in weeks, not since she had gone back for his birthday.
“Who’s this?” Charlie’s eyes narrowed, and he tipped his chin up.
“Oh,” Evie turned to Connor, “this is Connor, Dad. Connor, this is my father, Charles King.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” he said, extending his hand. Charles took his hand and shook it, but his eyes narrowed suspiciously at the other man. “And, Connor, you know my daughter how?”
“We work together, sir,” Connor supplied. “At Lone Wolf.”
A brief flash of recognition sparked in the older man’s eyes. While Charlie and Evie knew about Lycans, Stephanie and Arthur had no idea. “Of course. She’s told me about her job there.”
“Connor brought Evie here on a private jet,” Arthur interjected.
“It was the company jet,” Connor added. “With the good work Evie’s been doing, the boss was happy to help her out.”
"Glad to hear," Charlie said with a nod. "Evie's always been a hard worker."
There was a knock on the door, and they all turned toward the sound.
"Excuse me," a nurse said as she poked her head in. She looked at Evie. "Ms. King, someone out here would like to visit your father. I told her it's family only, but she insisted."
“Who is it?”
“She says she’s your mother. Amelia White.”
The blood rushed out of Evie's face, and her throat went dry. She looked at her father and Stephanie.
“It’s fine,” her stepmom said, holding Charlie’s hand. “If it’s okay with you, dear.”
“Of course,” Charlie said with a nod.
The nurse disappeared, and then, a second later, the door opened. An older woman dressed casually in jeans, a t-shirt, and boots strode inside. Her long brown hair was swept back in a ponytail. Amelia White looked young for age, certainly not old enough to have a daughter in her mid-twenties.
“Charlie,” she said in a worried voice. “I came as soon as I heard. I—Evie.” Blue eyes gazed at her warmly, but then narrowed as they landed on Connor.
"Hello, Mom," Evie replied in a tight voice. "I'm going to get coffee. Does anyone want anything? No? Okay then." She quickly pivoted and walked to the door, yanking it open.
Evie wasn't quite sure what she was going to say to her mother. It had been years since she'd seen Amelia White. Graduation, maybe? She'd never even been to one of her shows. She and her clan lived far away, in a remote area southeast of Kansas City. Bitterness built up inside her, and she swallowed it down like she always did.
“Evie.” She turned and saw Connor walking toward her. “Are you all right?”
She shrugged. “I’m fine.” Connor crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a knowing look. She sighed. “I’m just … I don’t know, okay?”
“Your mother. She’s an Alpha.”
She nodded. "Her aunt was Alpha to the Kansas Clan, and, since she didn't have kids, the leadership was passed down to her."
"Evie!"
Evie's head turned instinctively at the sound of her name. Amelia White was walking toward them, her face worried.
She quickly turned and began to walk away, intending to put as much space between her and Amelia as possible.
"Evie, please don't go." Amelia caught up with Evie before she could go any farther. She then looked at Connor.
“Lupa,” Connor said, using the traditional honorific for female Alphas. “Apologies for not showing you respect right away.” He lifted his shirt to show Amelia the wolf’s head tattoo, symbolizing his status of Lone Wolf. “I ask for safe passage while I pass through your territory.”
“You brought a Lone Wolf here?” Amelia said in an annoyed voice.
"Technically, being a Lone Wolf means he can freely roam around, as long as he stays neutral," Evie pointed out. "Now, what do you want?"
“I need to talk to you. Alone.”
Connor cocked his head at her, and she nodded. "I'll go and find that coffee for you," he said before walking away.
"A Lone Wolf?" She laughed, then looked at Evie. "What have you gotten yourself into?"
Irritation built up in her. “What did you want to tell me? Say it, then you can go back to your clan.”
“Evie, baby,” Amelia pleaded. “I know you’re mad at me for leaving …”
"I don't want to hear this." Evie threw up her hands. "I know how it went. I was there. You and Dad divorced, and you gave him custody. Then you went back to live happily ever after with your clan. The End."
"It's not like that!" Amelia said. "There was more to it. I loved your father, and I love you."
"But you chose them over me." Evie put her hands over her mouth. She was shocked by her own outburst, but it was so hard to control the emotions churning inside her, especially after the last twenty-four hours.
“I had no choice, baby,” she said. “The clan was tearing itself apart. I had to step in.”
“Then why didn’t you take me?” Evie asked, her voice breaking at the unshed tears.
“Because they would have used you against me,” Amelia said. “I did it to protect you. Not all Lycan clans are like New York or San Francisco or those other big cities. There was a power vacuum when your great-aunt died. My enemies would have hurt you to get to me.”
A cold wave washed over Evie. She'd always been shielded from clan life, but, after working for Lone Wolf, she'd come to know the cruelty of some Lycans. "Why tell me this now?"
"It took me a long time to build up my power," Amelia explained. "And things have only been stable for a few years. Please believe me; I would have taken you if I could. Leaving you was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make."
It was difficult to believe Amelia. After all these years resenting her mother, she couldn’t expect Evie to change her heart just like that.
"I'm sorry, Evie," Amelia said, tears in her eyes. "Will you forgive me?"
Evie took a deep breath. For years, she’d denied this part of her, erasing it from her very being. It was easy enough; she didn’t even look like Amelia, except maybe for the hair color. “It’s going to take a while, but I … I’ll try.”
“I accept that,” Amelia said. “Your father tells me you’ve been living in New York and that you’ll be on Broadway soon.”
“You and dad talk?”
"Of course we do," she replied, a fond smile on her lips. "Mostly about you. He tells me everything. I'm sorry I haven't been able to see more of you these years. But I'm going to try, if you let me."
A strange weight Evie never knew was on her shoulders lifted. “I … I’d like that.”
“Good. Would you like some coffee? Maybe we can talk for a bit. I can’t stay very long, but I want you to tell me about what’s been happening with you.”
She gave her mom a tight smile. “Sure, that would be nice.”
“And you can tell me about your Lone Wolf.”
“He’s not my—”
"Uh-huh," Amelia raised a brow at her. "You may not think he's yours, but he's certainly staked his claim on you." Before Evie could say anything, Amelia hooked her arm through hers. "Let's go find some decent coffee around here.”
***
Even though Evie wanted to stay at least another day, Charlie wouldn’t hear of it.
“You’re finally living your dream, princess,” Charlie said. “You’re going to be onstage next month! You can’t miss any rehearsals now. No buts, young lady!”
Evie made them promise that they'd call her if anything at all happened, and told them she would be video chatting with them every day.
“Ready?” Connor asked as they pulled out of the hospital parking lot.
“Let’s go,” she said.
They gave a final wave to Arthur and drove them back to the air strip.
The flight back home was quick, and Evie joked that he had spoiled her and she could never fly commercial again. They landed late in the evening, and he drove them back to Manhattan in his truck. As Evie watched the scenery of the city go by, she couldn't help but think about how different it was from Kansas. And how Kansas City seemed so different this time around. Had anything changed? Had she? Whenever she left home and her family, there was this heavy feeling inside her, like lead building up in her chest. But now that she was back in New York, she felt … lighter. Like that weight inside her heart had lifted. She was home. Perhaps that was it. New York was now her home.
“We’re here,” Connor announced.
She still couldn't believe he went with her to Kansas. That he held her and comforted her, befriended her brother, and maybe even charmed her parents in his own way. "Let's go home."