"Should we get food for Little Jess first?" I asked randomly while we continued our way to my cousin while I cocked my head and studied my mate with a raised eyebrow in question. "Or should we see what she wants to eat first and then do it?"

Katie took her hand out of mine again, and I couldn't help but frown, even though I knew it was the only way for her to talk to me until I marked her as mine so that we could mind link each other.

Or when she gets comfortable enough to talk out loud...

'We should see what she wants to eat,' she replied, 'so I think we should go ahead and visit her first before we get her some food.'

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded while I rubbed my face and moved a hand through my hair. "Ok," I said before I cleared my throat. "Then we can continue to talk to her first. We can also see what she wants to be called or has been called because we do have a Jess and a Jesse."

'And your mom does go by Jessica sometimes,' Katie said, and I bit back a small chuckle while I slowly nodded, silently agreeing with her.

My mate bit the inside of her lip and tucked her head closer to her chest while she furrowed her brows. 'Do you think she would be fine with LJ or JJ?' she asked while she cocked her head to the side.

I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "That I do not know," I said before I cleared my throat and shrugged while I grimaced. "I think we will need to ask her."

My mate pressed her lips into a thinner line and nodded. 'What will we do if she wants to be called 'Jess' and not something else?'

"Then Mom will only be known as Jessica," I said and nodded. "It will be strange for a bit, but she is fine with whatever."

'They still might be confused though,' Katie said, and I couldn't help but laugh a little while I slowly nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, there is a chance that they will be very confused when we talk about them."

Katie furrowed her brows and cocked her head while she pursed her lips in annoyance. 'Why did Nikolia name her Jessica though?' she asked. 'I mean, did he know about her and that she was still alive?'

"I guess so," I said and pursed my lips in annoyance before I shook my head and moved a hand through my hair, biting back a tired sigh. "However, she never knew about him because she thought that he was dead."

She furrowed her brows further and pressed her lips into a thin line. 'Because she is like me?' She signed that softer and barely above a whisper while she looked around to make sure that we were alone before she looked at me.

I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded again. "Yes," I said before I cleared my throat and rubbed a hand across my arm. "Because both of you are special."

Katie pressed her lips into a thin line and slowly nodded. She didn't say a word and placed her hand back in mine before she moved closer to me and rubbed against me, leaving sparks in her wake.

Her brows were furrowed, and she bit the inside of her lip while she stared at me, and a look of worry flashed across her face.

I frowned and cocked my head while I studied her. "What?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and she looked at me and raised an eyebrow in question, silently wanting to know what I wanted. "What is it? What's going on through your mind, Katie?"

Katie smiled sadly and shook her head. She didn't say a word and squeezed my hand, and my frown grew deeper.

"Katie," I said, and she shook her head, silently telling me that she didn't want to talk about it. I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face while I shook my head, knowing full well that she wasn't going to tell me what was going on through her mind. "Will you tell me later?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "When we are alone and done with everything we need?"

My mate smiled and nodded in confirmation. She squeezed my hand reassuringly before she placed it to her lips, kissing it.

I love you...

My heart grew warm when I silently heard that, and I placed a small kiss on her forehead while I pulled her closer to me. "I love you, too," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

My mate bit back a small smile and moved closer to me, and I couldn't help but let go of her hand and tucked her closer to my side with her molding closer to my body as if she knew what was going through my mind and doing what I wanted her to do.

We stopped in front of the door that we had placed the young Jessica in, and my mate moved from my side but grabbed my hand instead.

She didn't say a word while she looked at the door and then looked at me, silently asking me if I was going to knock on the door.

I bit back a tired sigh and nodded before I knocked on the door, straining to hear if there was any sound from the other side.

Oh, Goddess, curse these soundproof rooms, I thought and pursed my lips in annoyance. They can be annoying when there is no need for them.

"Jessica?" I asked, softly. "It's Daniel, your cousin. I'm the older Jessica's adopted son. Are you in there?"

Nothing... only silence.

I bit back a tired sigh and leaned my head against the door, closing my eyes before I cleared my throat and grew serious. "I have Katie with me," I said. "Do you remember her? She is the redhead that also trailed after Jessica when you all were "rescued.""

Or in your case, taken away...

Again, there was nothing from the other side of the door.

I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Your aunt would have come to check on you herself, but she is in the hospital wing at the moment." I licked my lips and cleared my throat, hesitating ever so slightly, for I had no idea who else was near and didn't want them to hear anything about my mother or sister when I didn't know myself.

"Unfortunately, my mate, Katie, is selective mute. She isn't comfortable talking that much and only speaks through sign language."

Again, there was only silence, and I couldn't help but grow slightly concerned.

Oh Goddess, please don't let anything bad happen to her while we were away from her, I thought and looked at my mate to see that she was already looking at me with the same look on her face.

My mate hesitated and tucked her head closer to her chest. She took her hand out of mine again and cocked her head while she looked at me.

"What is it, Katie?" I asked and tucked my head closer to her, my voice barely above a whisper. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

'Is there anyone on this wing?' Katie asked and cocked her head closer to her chest while she furrowed her brows and pursed her lips in annoyance. 'Or are we alone?'

I cocked my head to the other side and listened. I breathed a small sigh of relief when I didn't hear anyone and shook my head when I looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question. "We are alone," I said. "Why?"

Katie licked her lips and looked hesitant. She didn't say a word to me and turned her attention back to the door.

"Katie," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, silently wondering what she wanted to do. "What is it? What is wrong? Are you ok?"

Katie shook her head and took a deep breath before she released it with a small whoosh. She cleared her throat again before she gently knocked on the door. "Jessica?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Jessica, Sweetie? Are you in there? We are here to check on you and see if you have eaten. Do you think that you can open the door for us so that we can come in and check on you? No one is going to hurt you. I promise."

I looked at my beautiful mate and bit back a small smile before I turned my attention back to the door. "She is right, Kiddo," I said and tucked my head closer to my chest, and my smile grew wider. "No one is going to hurt you, and if they do then they will have to deal with me and then Mom when she is out of the hospital."

I paused and smirked, my eyes flashing to my wolf's eyes before they turned back to my normal eyes while I continued to stare at the door. "You have my word..."