With Everything I Am (The Three #2)(101)
He proved it in making it known he was taking her away from her home, her friends, her business by doing nothing more than ordering it so and not even having the courtesy to order it to her face. He proved it by making her say good-bye to her friends and neighbors by, again, ordering it done. He proved it by making Regan take her shopping for the numerous clothes (how she needed more, Sonia would never know) that Regan told her would be required in her new home. He proved it by doing all of this without asking Sonia what she wanted, where she wanted to live, who she wanted to surround her and what she wanted to wear.
Lastly, he proved it by his behavior the moment he arrived back safely from the fight and the hours after he swept her away.
Callum, her dream Callum, her handsome wolf, was a figment of her imagination.
No matter how he behaved sometimes, there was only King Callum and she vowed in her head that she would always, always remember that.
* * * * *
The worst part started when Regan received a phone call in the kitchen and came rushing into the living room where Sonia was sitting with Julianna and Helena.
“It’s over! Victory is ours!” Regan shouted with delight, Julianna and Helena cried out their joy and Regan looked at Sonia. “Callum, Calder, Caleb and Ryon are fine.” She looked at Helena. “Trenten is too.” She looked at Julianna. “Your brother is also with us and I’m sure Saint already knows his two brothers are safe.” Then she hugged herself and laughed out loud before Julianna, Helena and Sonia surged up to hug her and each other, so great was their relief. Though Sonia’s, obviously, was mixed with other things as well.
Then suddenly Regan grabbed Sonia’s face in both her hands and cried, “Oh sweetheart! I forgot! It’s time to get you prepared!”
Before explaining a word of this statement to Sonia, Regan started dashing around the house while Helena and Julianna, still wreathed in relieved smiles, gave her hugs and fond farewells but, Sonia noted, no explanations.
Regan was banging around upstairs when Sonia finally joined her in her bedroom. The six suitcases and one large cosmetics bag they’d purchased three days earlier were all open and littering her bed, her window seat and even the floor.
“The boys will be here soon. You go find the things that you want to take with you. Don’t worry if you miss something. Julianna can send it if you remember something you’d like to have.” Then she paused, whirled on Sonia and exclaimed, “Oh no! The boxes are in the garage. I’ll need to go get them. You! Pack your clothes. I’ll run and do that.”
“Regan, what on earth?” Sonia started but she was talking to no one. In the blink of an eye Regan was gone.
She followed her mother-in-law and found her in the kitchen for some reason struggling with large, flat-folded cardboard boxes and tape.
Regan glanced her way before babbling, “We should have done this before but I didn’t want… just in case…” She hesitated. “Well, obviously, if something happened, you’d be staying here so I didn’t…” She paused again and went on, “Anyway, Callum ordered me to do it and if we don’t get it done by the time he arrives, he won’t be best pleased.”
Even though Sonia had no idea what Regan was talking about she figured that last part was the sorry truth.
Regan continued, “And Caleb said Callum wants to leave for home the minute he gets to the city so we must be ready.”
“Regan, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sonia told her and Regan stopped and looked at her as if perplexed.
“You’re moving to Scotland with Callum,” she replied. “I thought I explained that to you.”
“Yes, but –”
“There’s no time to waste, Sonny.” Regan threw down a box. “You do this. Build the boxes. There’s that bubble wrap stuff and tissue paper for packing in the garage. Anything you want from here, pack it up in the boxes. I’ll see to your clothes.”
“Regan –” Sonia started again but Regan’s phone rang.
She lifted a hand palm up for Sonia to stop speaking and she answered her phone. While listening, the palm went down but she twirled her hand adamantly toward the boxes.
On a sigh (even though Sonia was going nowhere), she started to build the boxes as Regan listened, mumbling, “Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Right.” Regan flipped her phone shut and announced, “We have less time than I expected. The boys will be here in an hour and a half. Let’s get cracking.”
Before Sonia could utter a word, Regan flew up the stairs.
Sonia stood amongst the boxes and decided, for Regan, she’d do as she was asked. She could easily unpack them later when she told Callum she wasn’t moving to Scotland.
An hour and a half later, Sonia stood staring out her window in shock as her six full suitcases, one full cosmetic case, Callum’s three suitcases and five boxes full of her family’s Christmas decorations, her stuffed wolf, her photo albums and a few odds and ends were whisked away by one of Callum’s men.
That’ll make unpacking tonight a bit more difficult, she thought as she bit her lip and worry began to nag her.
Any hope she had of staying put was dashed fifteen minutes later when Callum arrived.
The door opened and Sonia, sitting and enjoying a mug of herbal tea with Regan in the living room, got to her feet, turned to her mate and opened her mouth.