Trace and Me Only!

"Can't I see them...one last time? Or...can't we bring them here?"

Jess shook her head sadly. "No, sweetie. I'm sorry."

Eventually she let on that she was fine, but she wasn't. If they were shopping, where she thinks they were going shopping, she'd have not trouble sneaking out under them to see her sister and nephew one last time.

A few hours later, Kaden came into the library after following their scents. "Time for bed," he told the girls.

Lilli wrinkled her nose. "No offense, Kaden, but I wouldn't go to bed with you if my life depended on it."

"Thanks, Lil. I love you, too," he played along.

Aiden pushed Kaden up against the wall, holding his shirt in his hand. "What'd you say?"

"She told me she wouldn't go to bed with me if her life depended on it. I said thanks. Chill, dude. Seriously."

Aiden took Lilli by the hand and walked out with her. "Night, guys," Lilli winked. "We'll meet up here later."

She looked up at Kaden and smiled trying to act like she was fine, "How was your meeting?"

He looked at her, knowing something was wrong. He shrugged. "It was fine. Just another meeting. Same old, same old. C'mon. Let's get you someplace to sleep. I bet you're tired."

"Yeah,I am a little tired." she said quietly

He nodded and motioned for her to follow him.

"Night, Beth," Jess smiled at her, going to Gideon, who'd just walked in. "We'll see you later."

"Alright, bye guys." she smiled kindly before following Kaden out.

"Up to you - do you want your own room or share mine," he asked her as they walked down the hall.

"Share I suppose." she said walking along side him.

He nodded, stretching and yawning before he walked into his room. It was more like his own luxury apartment. "So, you're going out with the girls later," he asked, taking off his shirt and pants and tossing them into the hamper. He was left only in his boxers.

"Uhrm, yeah. Shopping and...stuff." she said sitting down on the edge of his bed.

He raised his eyebrow, looking at her. "Stuff... What kind of stuff," he asked, sitting down on his bed.

"I dunno, whatever we feel like doing I guess." she shrugged

He watched her closely. "No family," he told her. "Hate me all you want; it won't change a thing."

"Can't I email them, call them or anything? Or at least mail them a god damn letter?" she whined. "I won't even put a return adress or a name on it, they could tell by my handwriting. What about my job?"

"You'll be listed as a missing person, along with many breedmates who are on the list without knowing they're breedmates. You can not contact your family at all. I can assure you that the rogues will find some connection between you and them and kill them."

"But it's my nephew's birthday next week, it's not every day he has a birthday....." she sighed and tried not to start crying again.

"If you go, they'll all die," he told her, getting frustrated. "Would you rather them live and grow, or die because you wanted to see them?"

"Live..." she said quietly, "It's just so hard knowing I can't see them after seeing every single day..."

"And yet you'll know they are alive." He sighed. "You'll need to get stronger quickly. You're like a child now, whining about having to hide when it's the only thing that will keep you safe."

"If I could've just been able to say goodbye..." she sighed and started taking her shoes off, laying back on the bed.

He rolled his eyes. Women. Always full of drama. "Get some rest," he muttered, going to his lazy-boy chair and reclining in it.

She laid down on the bed, feeling a little bad that he had to sleep in the chair.