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Tears would do no good here. She had to be
strong in order to help.
So what is the next step? Paxton asked,
politely ignoring Alexia s obvious distress.
My father has already begun the short journey
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down there. He will call when he has any more
information. So we wait. Ian gave Alexia an
understanding look, knowing that waiting was
about the hardest thing to do.
Well, I trust you will keep me informed as to
anything you might need from me. If there isn t
anything at the moment, I will retire. You are
welcome to wait out the day here if you d like.
With that, Paxton rose and left the room.
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Chapter Eight
lexia and Ian left. There was no reason to wait
A till dark when they could be more comfortable
in her home. Ian drove without argument from
her and she sat sullenly in the seat beside him. She
felt so helpless, so disgustingly helpless. She
couldn t imagine either of her parents just sitting
back and waiting if it were her in danger. But
what choice did she have? It wasn t as if no one
was doing anything.
Kairos was heading down there now. He would
find out some more information and let them
know how best to help. She just wished it was her
taking that control and making those decisions. It
left her with nothing that she could do to aid her
parents right now and that just plain sucked. Even
after they discover why they are being held, there
was a very good chance there still would be
nothing she could do. The fear and guilt ate at
her fear over the impending loss and guilt over
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surviving, not being there when it happened. She
would have rather been taken along with them,
forced to die at their sides rather than live without
them. What did her life mean without them in it?
Alexia looked over at Ian. His shaggy white
hair blew in the open window and his muscles
bulged in the black shirt of Paxton s. He was
golden skinned and his face was a beautiful mask
of calm. What would it be like to feel that kind of
calm, to be so uncaring, so accepting of whatever
life handed out to you?
I wish I could tell you that everything was
going to be fine, Alexia, but I can t. I can say that
no matter what is going on, I will do everything in
my power to help them all.
She wanted to be reassured by that, but the
chances were not good, and he wasn t promising
that he could help them, just that he would try. The
world she lived in was so difficult sometimes. It
wasn t as if there was a law enforcement agency
that she could call up and get help from. No FBI or
CIA that could go out and take over negotiations
and then a court of peers to decide what justice
called for. Each species of creatures had its own
laws, its own sense of justice and its own
punishments. None conformed to another, which
meant all the captured keepers were now subject
to whatever the elves wished to do to them.
Retaliation was always an option of course, but
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not a very good one, especially when dealing with
the elfin populations.
When they got to the house, Alexia couldn t
make herself get out of the car. The house was
empty and now she wondered if it was always
going to be that way. She just couldn t imagine her
life without her parents. They were the only ones
who accepted her. Even Ian, who wanted to be her
mate, couldn t really accept what she was. He only
saw in her a strong healthy mate, no more than
that, and that only because his wolf told him so.
That wasn t real acceptance, real love. The only
two people who had given her that were being
held captive by a bunch of fucking elves and she
was powerless to do anything about it.
Alexia raged inside her head and slammed her
fists into the dashboard, cracking the cheap plastic
and cutting her hands. She didn t feel better after
she had done it, but at least now she could just
concentrate on the blood trickling out of the
stinging wounds.
Do you want to go somewhere else? Ian
asked gently, politely ignoring her outburst.
How can you be so calm? Your brother is
there, too. Don t you care about him at all? Alexia
turned accusing eyes on him.
His face saddened and he gave her a lopsided
smile. I love my brother. He has always been my
companion, but I am too old, have seen too much,
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to not hold out a little bit of hope. My brother and
I have both gotten ourselves out of worse
situations than this. And until we know why they
are being held and have seen their punishment
executed, I refuse to live in fear of possibilities.
Alexia was startled out of her self-pity by his
sincere words. Not that it changed her opinion.
Maybe she just wasn t old and wise enough to
have the same kind of foresight he had. Try as she
might, she couldn t see that much hope in the
situation.
She forced herself into action and got out of the
car. Ian followed silently, giving her the space she
needed. She hurried into the house and went
straight to her bathroom.
Her palms were already healed by the time she
was undressed, a perk of her magical parentage.
She rinsed her hands in the sink, almost missing
the sharp sting that had distracted her mind for a
moment. She wasn t relaxed enough to sit around
and wait so she stepped into the shower, hoping
the hot spray would help. She stood under the hot
spray for twenty minutes, letting the warmth seep
into her terror-chilled soul.
We don t have to be alone, her wolf thought to
her, keying in on her depressive feelings.
Even if we mated with Ian and joined his pack, we
would still be alone. It s not as if there is anyone else
there that has to hide from the sun, not to mention my
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unique merged form that will always set me apart.
Her wolf had no answer to that.
The water grew cold so she quickly rinsed her
hair and stepped out into the steamy bathroom.
Her wolf was curled up by the door, looking as
depressed as an animal was capable. Alexia could
feel more than see the emotion in her wolf, and it
mirrored her own hopeless loneliness.
At least she wasn t alone in her sorrow.
Alexia took special care combing and braiding
her hair, then she spread lotion over her skin. She
knew she was procrastinating, but couldn t help it.
She hadn t remembered to grab any clean clothes
before coming in, which meant she would have to
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