Two days later, Audrey sat at the kitchen table with her laptop in front of her. Earlier she had sent out an email to her clients letting them know she had been extremely sick and in the hospital. Now, she was answering return emails and rescheduling various project. Her clients were understanding. It felt really good to get back to work, even if her commute was only to the kitchen table and she was only answering emails.

If it weren’t for the poultices Ivy had gotten from her friend, Audrey knew she wouldn’t be sitting there. She would still be laid up and in a lot of pain.

Magic was really cool.

“You’re not tiring yourself out are you?” Forrest kissed her on the back of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m just answering emails and setting up my schedule for next week. Nothing major.” She tilted her head.

“So no actual work until next week?”

“I’m taking the rest of the week off.” She smiled at her mate. “And when I start back to work next week, I’m only working about four hours instead of my usual eight to twelve.

“Good.” Forrest winked at her. “I don’t want you wearing yourself out. Plus, what you make is yours to spend how you want.” He nuzzled the back of her neck.

“What are you up to?” She was having trouble thinking of anything except her growing need for Forrest.

“Who said I was up to anything?”

Audrey rolled her eyes. “The look on your face.” She turned so she could look at him. “What are you planning?”

“This weekend we are taking Ivy and Ben up on their offer to watch Seth. That means we are going to have the whole house to ourselves.”

Will Seth be okay?” Audrey shook her head. “Of course he will be okay. Ivy’s a witch and Ben’s a bear shifter.”

“Audrey, he will be safe.” Forrest cradled her face in his hands. “I know your worried about your parents, but Seth will be safe with Ben and Ivy. I think Ivy’s adopted Seth as her little brother.”

She sighed. “I know I’m being silly. I know that they will protect him.”

“You’re not being silly. You’re being a mom.” He kissed her forehead. “The sheriff will find Edmund and Olivia.”

“I hope so. I’ll feel so much better when they are behind bars. I still can’t believe they actually had Ellie and Daniel killed and then tried to have Seth and me killed. What kind of people have so much hatred in them they murder their own child?” Audrey felt so stupid not knowing about her parents’ hatred toward shifters.

“I don’t know. I’ve asked myself similar questions.” Forrest hugged Audrey tight to him. “What I do know is that we can’t let them win. If we let our worries and fears override everything we do in our lives then we let them beat us, and we can’t do that. We have to love and live our lives to the fullest.”

The doorbell rang causing Audrey to jump. “I really hate doorbells,” growled Audrey.

“I’ll go see who it is. Go to the kitchen and stay there until I make sure it’s clear. You know what to do.” The laughing and joking Forrest was gone. In his place was a predator ready to protect his mate.

Audrey closed the laptop and walked into the kitchen. She looked around until her eyes came to rest on the block filled with knives. She pulled the biggest one out and waited in the far corner of the kitchen not far from the large walk-in pantry that contained an entry to one of several tunnels running under the houses.  Holding the knife in a death grip, she heard someone walking toward the kitchen.

“Audrey?”

Relief flooded through her when she heard Forrest’s voice. “I’m here.” Audrey looked at the knife in her hand. She knew she should put it back in the block, but she couldn’t seem to make herself do it.

“It’s okay babe,” said Forrest as he gently took the knife out of her hand and laid it on the counter. “Sheriff Anderson is here to see you.”

Audrey nodded and let Forrest lead her to the living room.

“Audrey, how are you doing?” asked Todd.

“I’m doing as well as can be expected.” Audrey noticed the sheriff looked tired. “Are you okay?”

“I received a call this morning from your parents’ housekeeping service. The ladies went to you parents’ house to do the bi-weekly cleaning this morning. When they let themselves in, they were greeted by a horrible stench. They started searching for the source.”

Audrey nodded. “Edmund and Olivia have been using the same company for years.”

The sheriff nodded. “The housekeepers found your parents in their bedroom. They were dead.”

Audrey blinked several times. “Dead,” she finally said. She was stunned. This wasn’t what she was expecting to hear.

“It looks like a murder-suicide. I doubt there will be much of an investigation, because a note was found on your father’s desk downstairs in his office.”

Audrey sat down. “I can’t say that I’m upset. I know that sounds horrible, but after what they did…I’m actually relieved that I don’t have to worry about them trying to harm Seth. Does that make me a bad person?” She looked from Forrest to the sheriff.

Forrest sat down next to her and put his arm around her. “No, that doesn’t make you a bad person. They hadn’t been parents to you in years.”

“The bodies have been sent for an autopsy which is standard procedure in situations like this. I need to find out what funeral home you want the bodies sent to after the coroner releases them,” said the sheriff.

“You will have to contact Stanley Morrison, their lawyer. He will have all the information about their funeral wishes,” said Audrey. Her voice was void of emotion.

“I had your sister and brother-in-law’s car wreck reopened. The investigators are going to go through your parents’ financial records to see if there is any connection and hopefully lead us to anyone else who was involved. It may take some time,” said Todd.

Audrey nodded. “Be careful with Stanley Morrison. I only met him once and that was enough. Something about him made my skin crawl.”

“I’ll let the investigators know about him. I will keep in touch with you,” said Todd.

Audrey watched Forrest walk with the sheriff to the front door. She didn’t feel sad. Her parents had destroyed any love she had for them years ago, and the kidnapping was the last nail in the coffin, so to speak. With them dead, Seth was safe. But what about the people they might have talked to or hired? “I think I need to take a self-defense class and maybe a concealed weapons class.” Audrey said to Forrest when he returned.

“Audrey…”

“Don’t Audrey me. It makes perfect sense. I don’t shift like you, Seth and the others. I’m not a witch. I need to be able to protect myself long enough until you can get to me. We have to be realistic. You can’t guard me twenty-four seven.”

Forrest sighed. “As much as I hate to say it, but I agree with you. We will look into the classes next week. Are you okay about your parents?”

Audrey took a deep breath and let it out. “Did I wish them dead? No. Did I want them to pay for their crimes? Yes. Am I sad? A part of me is sad that they weren’t the parents they should have been. But am I sad about their deaths? Honestly, I’m relieved. They made it very clear I was no longer their daughter, and they had no issue with having the hunter kill me. I’m more worried about the people they’ve associated with and what they might have told them.”

Forrest pulled her into his lap. “We will deal with that problem when it presents itself. One thing I’ve learned is you can’t worry about what could happen. If you do, it will take over your life and you will forget to live.” He kissed her. “I love you.”

Audrey smiled. “I love you too.” She stared at her mate. “I believe we were destined to be together because you are the mate of my heart.”