Chapter 79

Cassie

Exhausted.

I was exhausted and every part of my body felt like it had locked up which was to be expected. After all I had been driving pretty much non stop for the last twenty four hours. We stopped for petrol, the toilet and get road trip food and at first I tried to make it feel like a girly adventure but that had quickly disappeared. This wasn't a girls weekend away to reconnect with my mum. This was me running for my life and the lives of the three people in the world that meant the most to me.

In the end it was the only thing that kept me going. Long after my eyes got heavy from lack of sleep and my muscles cramped up so badly it was agony from being in place for so long.

"Is that it?" Next to me my mum leant forward. Peering into the grey hazy light to the small cottage ahead of us on the narrow private road.

"I think so." The car bumped on the uneven road , rattling my teeth. "This is where to coordinates lead to anyway." One last massive dip, that lurched the car to the side and we pulled up to the front. It was a pretty place or at least it would be with a little work. The bones were there, all I needed was a little love and attention and it would make someone a beautiful home.

But whose home was it?

"Stay here. I want to see who -"

My mum caught my arm before I could exit the car. "I don't think anyone lives here Cassie." She said without looking at me. "It feels abandoned doesn't it?"

Tearing my eyes away from her I let my eyes travel across the white walls and the trailing vines that looked like grey veins in the rain. She did have a point. It did feel empty.

But that made even less sense. Why would Ian have sent me here unless it was to someone else who could help me?

"Let's go and explore. I could do with stretching my legs anyway." She was out of the car before I could stop her. Grumbling under my breath I hurried after her.

"Mum stop." I ordered as I rushed after her. " You should stay in the car. You're still healing. Let me-"

She stopped me in my tracks with a look. "And you are pregnant with my grandbabies. So you should stay in the car." She winked. "Or we could just look around together. Watch each other's backs?"

"Sounds good." I muttered. I didn't think we needed to watch each others backs though. I didn't feel any kind of threat. My wolf was calm and almost content. Like she realised that we were finally safe.

"Doors locked." As if to prove her point she tried the handle again. "Why would you be told to come here until-"

Why indeed? Squinting my eyes I pressed my nose up against the dirty glass of the window and peered inside. It was hard to see but I was sure I could make out a couch in front of a fireplace. It looked cosy. Old but definitely not abandoned. It looked like someone's home.

Only there was no scent of anyone around the place that I could pick up.

"Maybe we should look around back?" My mum went to move passed me.

"I have a key." I blurted. I'd almost forgotten the key that had come with a note.

"You have a key?" My mum parroted back in a high pitched voice.

"Yeah." Digging it out of my pocket , I slid it into the lock. The door opened with a squeak. "Ok." I glanced over my shoulder at her. "Stay close to me and stay on guard. I don't know if this is a trap." I stepped into the open planned room. Couch on one side, all warm leather and patchwork throws facing the giant stone fireplace and on the other a long roughly hewn table that looked like it had been made out of one piece of wood. It was all beautiful. Homely.

"Wow." Ignoring me completely my mum moved around me. "Someone really likes you. Who gave you -"

I shook my head. I trusted my mother but I didn't want to say Ian's name out loud. If it ever got out that he had helped then his life would be in jeopardy and I didn't want that.

"I wonder who lives here." She said quietly as she ran her hands over the back of the sofa.

I didn't answer her at first. Something had caught my eyes. Another envelope with my name on.

Absently I picked it up and ripped it open. There was a card inside. One with a little house on the front and the words welcome home in pink cursive under it. Flipping it open I read the words written inside.

Five words to be exact.

You will be safe here.

I blinked at them stupidly.

"I think we live here now." I whispered.

"What?" Turning on her heel my mother stared at me with her mouth open in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I think this is where we will be safe." I looked around again. It really would be perfect after a deep clean. The envelope was still heavy and I peered back inside. Taking stock of what else was in there.

Identifcation and what looked like a bank -

"Who-"

I cut my mum off, stuffing the envelope into my back pocket. "It doesn't matter who mum, we are safe here and anyway the real question is why?"

Why would Ian , who was devoted to Julian and closer than his brother give me everything I needed to start over? What were his reasons?

With a sigh my shoulders slumped. I was too tired to think about it. When we had rested I would deal with what all of this could mean but right now all I wanted was a hot shower and to lay down for a while.

Why my husbands most trusted friend had just helped me escape would have to wait until after I had slept.