Free Omega Moon Rising (Toke Lobo & The Pack) by MJ Compton Page A

Libby. Are you Luke’s mother? How does that make us related?”
    Abby wanted to sink through the floor. Libby didn’t have filters. Oxygen deprived at birth, she hadn’t developed as quickly as she should have. Her ADHD only compounded the problem. Meds. Abby had to see about getting Libby back on her Ritalin.
    “If you’d like,” Colette replied without even blinking. “Or maybe we can be really good friends.”
    Abby shot her a look of gratitude. Not everyone understood or was comfortable with Libby.
    “I have a stepfather, but I don’t like him. My real mama died today. She didn’t like Gary hitting us, but she couldn’t stop him.”
    “I am going to kill that son of scat-eater,” Luke muttered.
    Luke was always threatening to kill Gary. Too bad he never followed through on any of his promises to her. But she didn’t voice that thought. She didn’t want to cause any more awkwardness. “Gary’s too mean to die,” Libby said, as she opened the cupboard under the kitchen sink. “That’s what Uncle Dougie always says.”
    “I can be meaner,” Luke said. “I can be your stepdad’s worst nightmare.”
    Abby bit her lip to keep from making a snarky comment.
    “Libby, would you like to stay at my house tonight?” Colette asked. “Abigail and Luke probably might want to spend some time alone.”
    Libby slammed the cupboard door. “Sure.”
    Abby shook her head. “Libby doesn’t do well in strange places.”
    “Well, until she comes and sleeps there, it will always be a strange place,” Colette replied. Her manner was calm. Serene. Nothing disturbed her composure. “You and Luke are already starting off in a difficult situation. Why don’t you let us make things easier for you?” Abby didn’t know what to say. Why didn’t these people resent her for being pregnant and disrupting their son’s life?
    “I’m sorry to hear about your mother. What arrangements have you made? Is there anything we can do?” Marcus asked.
    “That’s kind of you, but—”
    “You’re part of our family now,” Colette said. “Let us help.”
    “Mama’s been sick for quite a while, and made her arrangements with Sendall’s Funeral Home. I just need to set a time. Everything else was prearranged. But thank you.”
    Colette shook her head. “It sounds as if you’ve been carrying a burden for a while. It can’t be good for you or the baby.”
    Ah. The Omegas didn’t really care about her or Libby. And why should they? They didn’t know the Grant sisters. Her baby, however, was half theirs. “So it’s settled. Libby will stay with us for a little while.”
    “Mom, maybe Abigail wants her sister here.”
    Abby stared at Luke. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had agreed with her about anything. She felt almost as if she’d fallen down a rabbit hole and changed her name to Alice.
    Colette sounded hurt. “Oh.”
    “It’s not that I don’t appreciate your offer. It’s been a rough couple of days.”
    “If I can’t go to Uncle Dougie’s, I want to stay with Colette and Marcus.” Libby was edging toward whiny mode.
    The situation was about to turn uglier than it already was. She tried to defuse Libby. “What if you get scared in the night?”
    “I want to go with Colette and Marcus.” Libby stomped her foot for emphasis.
    “Please don’t do this now,” Abby begged in a low voice.
    “You got married. You were going to leave me alone with Gary.” Libby’s eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets. Spittle gathered in the corners of her mouth. “I don’t want to live with you.”
    Abby stood and tried to put her arm around Libby, but Libby flung off the embrace.
    “Leave me alone. I’m going with Marcus and Colette.” Libby raced up the stairs to the loft. “I’m getting my stuff now.”
    “She’s upset about your mother passing,” Colette said. “She’ll be okay.”
    That’s what you think. She needs her medication.
    “Marcus, the slow cooker is in the backseat of the