Jason cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. He looked at Justin before he looked at me with something in his eyes that I didn't know and wasn't sure if I liked or not.

"Why don't we go ahead and sit down and get comfortable first before we start talking about anything?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at me. "That way we can make sure that if something happens then you won't end up hurting yourself."

My heart became filled with dread and fear, and I couldn't help but sink lower in myself with tears forming at the corner of my eyes.

They were not able to help them...

I bit the inside of my lip and blinked back tears while a wave of emotion washed over me. My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest, and I tried to calm myself down but couldn't.

I have failed...

Oh Gods, forgive me, for I have failed.

"That doesn't me we don't have bad news to give you, Blaire," Jason said and tucked his head closer to his chest while he offered me a tight smile, and I looked at him with a grief stricken face, not able to hide my emotions, even though that was all I wanted to do. "It means that we are worried about your safety just as much as we are worried about theirs."

"What happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, and it cracked when it became filled with pain and sadness. I cleared my throat and licked my lips, blinking back tears. "Please, tell me. What happened to them? Are they ok? Where are they?"

"Go ahead and sit in one of the chairs, Blaire. We will talk about everything with you once you do so. Ok?" Jason gestured toward the sitting area, and I looked that way before I looked at him with wide eyes filled with pain and fear.

Jill hesitated but placed her hand on my back. She didn't move her hand like I thought she would when I grew tense underneath her hand and led me over to the seats, muttering something under her breath that I couldn't hear.

Numbly, I did what I was told to do and walked over to the sitting area. I sat down and watched as they sat down as well with both Justin and Jason in front of me and Jill at my side.

"Is everyone alive?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper while my voice cracked. I cleared my throat and licked my lips while I shifted in my seat, and tears pricked the corner of my eyes. "Please, Jason. Is everyone alive? Did anyone else die?"

Were we too late?

Jason offered me a tight smile, trying but failing to calm my fears while he shook his head. "No one died, Blaire," he said with a small hum in his voice and tucked his head closer to his chest. "Everyone is safe and alive, including..." He trailed off and furrowed his brows while he tried to think of some name that seemed to have disappeared from his head.

My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest, earning a worried look from Jill. My hands shook with nervousness and fear that I tried but failed to keep hidden while I looked at this man, this Alpha. "Alina," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Her name is Alina."

Jason nodded. "Alina," he said and leaned back in his seat. He cleared his throat and folded his legs across one another. "She is alive and is going to get the help that she needs."

"So there were no more deaths?' I asked, and Jason shook his head. "What about Mrs. Garnes? What happened to her?"

Jason and Justin looked at each other and grew hesitant before they looked at me. "I do not think that it is something that you should concern yourself with, Miss Farley," he said and tucked his head closer to his chest, offering me a small smile.

I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes, and Jason raised an eyebrow in question but didn't seem bothered by it. "Her biological daughter is still someone that is under my care," I said coldly. "She might be an "adoptable" or something along those lines, but she is someone that I will protect and have protected before."

Even if she doesn't know it and will never care about what I had done for her, too, I added silently while I stared at the men in front of me. I pressed my lips into a thin line and didn't say a word while I folded my arms across my chest.

Jason and Justin looked at each other before they looked at me. They both had equal expressions on their faces, and I could tell that they were not pleased about the way that I was acting and talking to them.

"Please," I said and tucked my head closer to my chest while I stared between the two of them, and my heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest. "I want to know. What happened to Mrs. Garnes? Is she ok?"

"She is in jail," Jason said, and I raised an eyebrow in question, making sure to keep my face blank and dampen the hope that was in my chest. "She is going to be charged with child endangerment, child abuse, and child neglect as well as other charges that might come up while the police continue their investigation."

I bit back a small snort and rolled my eyes while I set my jaw and pressed my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word while I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my eyes while I looked at them. My whole body was tense, and my heart ached because I had a feeling that they weren't going to do anything to Mrs. Garnes and the abuse she had put us through.

"What is it?" Jason asked and raised an eyebrow in question. He cocked his head and studied me with a small frown on his face. "What are you thinking about, Blarie?"

I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "I do not think that they are going to do anything," I said coldly while I tucked my head closer to my chest. "They haven't done anything in the past, so why would they do something now?"

"Because we are taking care of it," Justin said, and Jason nodded in confirmation. "We aren't cops, but we do know a few people and some of them lived in your city."

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Those cops aren't going to do anything, though," I said and shook my head. "The charges aren't going to stick, and if they do, then it won't matter because it is a little too late for some."

Especially for me... I pressed my lips into a thin line when that thought crossed my mind but made sure that my face was blank.

My whole body was tense, and my heart ached with the knowledge that I would not be able to help them during this transition.

"I know," Jason said and slowly nodded. He cleared his throat and moved a hand through his hair when he grimaced. "However, it is not too late for others. There is still hope and still a future for all of you." He tucked his head closer to his chest while he stared at me, offering me a tight smile.

"I need to see them now," I said. "When can I go see them, or can I go ahead and see them now?"

Jason hesitated and shook his head, and my heart started to break. "You'll see them in time," Jason promised, and Justin nodded in confirmation. "I can see if you can see them at the end of the week if that is ok with you, but for now, I think that both you and them need to get settled into a new normal before you do."

But what was normal? I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes. I didn't say a word while I stared at him, waiting to see what else they had to say and if there was anything else important.

"The couple that is watching them are people that I know and trust," Jason said, not commenting about me narrowing my eyes at him and scowling. He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat while he tucked his head closer to his chest. "They will make sure that all girls and boys are helped mentally, emotionally, and physically."

"They will also set up homes for them with people that are able to assist in any needs that they may have, including the ones that are older and will be turning eighteen soon," Justin added, and Jason nodded in confirmation.

"Do they know what happened to them?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I stared at the two people in front of me. "Or did you leave them in the dark?"

"We made sure that they know a bit," Jason said, and Justin nodded in agreement. "They do not know everything, but they know enough that they are willing to help no matter what happens in the future."

"But they are in safe hands?" I asked, biting the inside of my lip. My voice was barely above a whisper, and I stared at them with wide eyes filled with pain and sadness.

Jason and Justin bit back a small smile, and they slowly nodded. "They are and will be," he said and nodded in confirmation. "They will be safe and sound. You have my word."