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Chapter 120: Something’s wrong with Her

Rowan

The castle was abuzz with its usual day-to-day activities. Servants and maids passed me in the hallway carrying baskets of laundry and trays of tea. I could hear the clattering of cookware as I left my office and walked toward the grand staircase off the foyer, seeing the door to the servants’ hallway that led to the kitchen slightly ajar.

It was nearing lunch, and I was definitely hungry. I stopped to let a maid pass by with a tray full of sandwiches and coffee, heading toward the library.

“For Miss Kacidra,” she said, bobbing her head as she noticed my gaze.

I nodded back, tucking my hands in my pockets as I followed the maid down the hallway toward the library.

Kacidra was seated at the long library table in the center of the room. She was peering down at a large textbook, her brow knitted in concentration. She looked up with a smile as the maid approached with the lunch tray, but she arched her brow as I entered behind the maid.

“Don’t distract me, Rowan,” she said with a laugh before giving the maid her thanks. Kacidra leaned back in her chair and bit into a sandwich.

I pulled one of the chairs out from the table and sat down, taking a deep, restorative breath before grabbing a sandwich

288 Vouchers

for myself.

“Want some coffee? You look like you could use it!” she asked.

“I didn’t get too much sleep last night,” I sighed, accepting the steaming cup of coffee from Kacidra. Kacidra snorted with mirth, bringing the coffee to her lips and sipping cautiously.

“Ouch, that’s hot-”

“Don’t you have class today?” I asked, motioning toward the mountain of books she had strewn across the table. She bit into her sandwich, flipping through the pages of her textbook for a moment before she met my eyes again, shrugging.

“I had class this morning. I have lab this afternoon, though. A test, so it’s a short class. I’ll be home before dinner.”

Kacidra was in her first year of medical school at the University of Mirage. She was studying to be a physician with the intent of going home to Red Lakes and setting up a practice there, something she said was desperately needed. Kacidra was sharp as a tack, and she seemed to be enjoying her studies. And Pete, well, I had never met anyone so devoted to their mate.

Her studies meant Kacidra and Pete would be living in Mirage for several years, and I had offered them residence at the castle.

Pete’s mother, a spirited older woman named Debby, was also living at the castle, but had insisted on being given a job while she remained under our roof. Debby had been given the task of tending to the hundreds of plants in the atrium, many of the plants native to the Isles where she was from, and all and

all, the family seemed content.

Kacidra’s presence was also a huge comfort to Hanna.

Especially now. Hanna could use all of the comfort she could get.

Kacidra asked, her voice a

to answer that question, so I

gazing into mine in search of the overwhelming anxiety I felt

wonder where everyone else is,” I muttered, taking another sip of my coffee. Everyone had gotten in just a few days

and Troy will probably be down here in the next couple of minutes, I expect. They all seem tired after

| asked, setting my mug on the table. I had no idea they’d ridden the train into town. Shows how much attention I’d been paying to everyone else

take the boys on the train,

All little

ago, I hadn’t seen them since Maeve and Troy left to start their new lives as the Alpha and

down with my parents and their son George, who was just two months older than Maeve’s

in, as if they were fully aware of the thoughts I’d just had and I’d summoned them. I pushed aside

library and looked around. She hadn’t been in this room yet since she arrived just a few

you said you wanted to modernize the place?” Maeve said as she held Oli in her arms. Charlie had his arms wrapped around her leg, resting his bottom

I reached down to scoop him up. I began to bounce Will on my

both looked like Troy and were very hard to tell apart. They were identical, but Charlie was slightly

a totally different personality. Will was loud and demanding, while Charlie was quiet

fearless. As Maeve looked around the library, he sprinted away from her on all fours toward the

looked like her; copper blond hair and a lean build. He was

other was a dark, steel gray. He was an interesting looking creature, and by the looks of it,

thoughts had summoned him, Troy walked through the library doors, and a chorus of excited “Dada!” rang out through the air as the boys made their way to their father like they hadn’t

on his hands

too was crawling still, but Oli was running, damn near sprinting toward

in my entire life. He shouldn’t have survived, and likely

I had a sneaking suspicion he

be reckoned with.

three boys into his arms as he walked over to the set of couches near the hearth. He

Troy asked as he fielded the advances of the boys,

replied stupidly. I

alone, Troy,” Maeve was scanning a

on a particular novel. She pulled it from the shelf, glancing at

in the hallway, and suddenly, Gemma and Ernest appeared, George toddling ahead of them into the library as he clutched a toy dinosaur to

toss her arms around Maeve while Ernest came over to the couches,

then pulled me off the couch into a tight hug. I hadn’t seen much of him since they’d gotten here. But he stilled, then pulled away, searching

was standing there, and I saw her face fall as she realized Hanna was not in the library with the rest of the family. Her eyes settled on mine, and I gave her

along with her, his hand wrapped around Mom’s “We don’t want to

We are all here to help. That was our reason for coming. But we can’t help you if you don’t open

 need to know what’s

it