lot of times before that.”
“Because look at you,” she said, glaring up at me from the floor. “What happened to the sweet boy that I raised?”
“You happened,” I said. I moved into the back of the house, checking the bedrooms for Rosemary, while Penn kept an eye on the door. As I searched, I called back, “You and dad. You didn’t take care of us like parents are supposed to.”
I headed back toward the living room, passing the doorway when my dad had notched our heights into the wall, the same one I’d dug my fingers into when the alpha’s men dragged me out of the house. There were still gouge marks in the drywall that had never been repaired.
I shook my head at Penn. No Rosemary.
“Where is she?” I asked my mom. “The alpha’s house?”
“They’re getting married,” she said.
“Yeah, I’m sure they’re fated mates,” I said. “Answer the fucking question, Mom. Where are they?”
My mom didn’t seem that bothered when I implied that she never loved us, but she sure got a look on her face when I swore. “I’m not helping you.”
“Fine,” I said. I headed for the door, but I couldn’t quite do it. I turned back. “Mom. Come on. Come with us. Rosemary and I may be grown, but we still need our mom.”
The confession made me ache; I felt like I’d just showed her—and Penn—something so personal, I was almost rude to share it. Penn, though, stared at me with compassion behind those steely eyes.
I didn’t even know what I’d do with her, but I had to try. I didn’t want to leave her here with the pack when everything was going to shit.
For a second, she stared at me, her chin lifting, and I dared to hope.
“I’m staying with your father,” she said. “You might have betrayed him, Jacob, but I will always—”
I didn’t even hear what she said next. It all faded behind me as I walked out of the house and left her behind.
I had to find my sister.
Chapter Eleven
Maddie
* * *
The four of us swayed through the quiet train car, passing the other first class compartments. The lights were dimmed for evening, and everything seemed peaceful.
When we stepped onto the platform between cars, the wind rushed past us noisily and yanked at my clothes.
“We need to reach the back of the train,” Silas explained as he led us into the next car.
We walked through a few second class cars with sleeping bunks above the seats, then the dining car, the counter shuttered for the night. Then we passed through several second class cars packed with people trying to sleep on the narrow seats, and the sound of snores and deep breathing and whispers floated up past us as we traveled through.
It was strange to go from the hush of those cars to the roar of the wind on the platforms between, and back again. The force of the wind seemed intent on yanking us off the platform.
“We’re almost to the engineer’s car,” Silas said when we emerged onto the platform. “And they don’t usually invite people in. Choices: we can fight our way through or we can go up.”
He raised his finger, indicating the ladder along the back of the train.
“We’re trying not to cause a ruckus,” Rafe said. “We’ll go up.”
“I have a feeling ruckus is inevitable when you travel with Silas Zip,” Jensen said, but with more amusement than rancor. He reached out for the ladder and began to climb.
“You next,” Rafe ordered, resting his hand on my shoulder as his gaze scanned behind us all.
I sighed under my breath. He was being so protective, trying to keep me in the middle of the guys no matter where we were. I didn’t know how we were going to work together long-term if he didn’t get over that. Rafe should know by now I wasn’t fragile.
But now wasn’t the time for that conversation. I gripped the cold metal rungs and started to climb.
On the top of the roof, Jensen was waiting for me, on his knees. He grabbed my arm as I climbed onto the car. The wind up here was even more intense, like a gale trying to push us off the roof. Silas and Rafe followed us up, and even Silas seemed to wince, pulling his neck gaiter up over his mouth to cut some of the wind.
The car was wide and flat at the center, rounded at the sides, so there was plenty of room to walk.