Cassie had been amazingly silent since Mica’s little adventure began, but as she stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, the first thing Mica spotted was the sat phone and note left on the coffee table.
Moving to it, she couldn’t help but smile.
Cassie’s having a meltdown and threatening to leave Haven. Please call her—Merinus.
Choosing the contacts option, she was thankful to see Merinus had added Cassie’s number.
Remembering phone numbers was her weakness. She used speed dial for a reason.
“I’m sorry,” was Cassie’s answer before the first ring ever went through.
Mica felt her lips tremble. Cassie didn’t cry often, but when she did, her voice had a particular sound, a raspiness that was unmistakable. And from the sound of it, Cassie hadn’t been simply crying, she had been sobbing for long periods.
“Cass, stop crying,” Mica ordered as she fought her own tears now.
God, she wished the other woman were here. At the moment, she needed a shoulder to cry on herself, and she needed someone to help her figure out exactly what was going on.
“I can’t.” The sound of Cassie’s tears tore at her heart, and at that part of her that couldn’t understand what had happened.
“Look, I can’t cry.” Mica blinked desperately to hold the tears back. “You have to get control, Cassie. If I start—”
If she started crying, she too wouldn’t be able to stop.
“I sensed it,” Cassie sniffed. “I sensed he was your mate, and I sensed he would betray you, Mica. I sensed it, and I didn’t warn you.”
Mica sat down slowly, resting her head in her hand as she listened and fought to just hold the tears back.
“I could sense the mating heat on you, but I knew something would happen, that he would turn away from you, Mica. I knew it. I knew because I could feel the presence of another Breed. Maybe he’ll be your mate, Mica. Oh God, maybe you should just hate me,” she sobbed. “I should have told you.”
Mica wanted to laugh. Her only fear was that the sound of it could possibly be more hysterical than amused. This was so Cassie. Knowing and not telling, fearing that the telling would somehow change what the future was supposed to be.
Somehow though, Mica had always thought Cassie would warn her about something like this.
“Say something,” Cassie sobbed. “I keep feeling your pain, Mica. I feel it clawing at my chest and I can’t stop it. And I keep hearing a f**king Wolf howl and no one here is howling this week.”
“Stop crying, Cassie,” she whispered. “It’s okay, I promise.”
“I was at Dr. Armani’s office when Ely called her earlier. I know what he’s done. I didn’t know before, Mica, I swear I didn’t know. I had no warning that Navarro could walk away from mating heat so easily.”
“I know.” Mica wrapped her arm across her stomach and rocked forward. “It’s okay, Cassie, I swear.”
But it wasn’t okay. Because even she didn’t know exactly what Navarro had done, or how he had managed to do it.
Cassie was silent for long moments, the sound of her heavy breathing and occasional sniffs all Mica heard.
She held the phone to her ear though; as fragile as the connection was, she needed it desperately.
Cassie finally spoke again. “Dr. Armani is going over the tests results Dr. Morrey sent her. Dad spoke to me this morning though, he’s already heard there may be a mating. I pretended not to know anything.
The last thing you need is our fathers heading to Haven right now.”
Mica cringed. “Thanks, Cass. That’s definitely the last thing I need right now.”
Her father would likely rupture a blood vessel. She could hear him screaming now, she could hear the anger, the concern, but even more, the fear that his baby girl would be harmed in some way.
He loved her. He just didn’t know how to let her grow up. In his eyes, she was still that child that he needed to protect from the world.
“Have you spoken to Navarro since you were with Dr. Morrey?” Cassie asked, her voice still rough, weary, but thankfully she was no longer sobbing.