RULE 107: YOU MUST FORGET YOUR FAMILY ON THE OUTSIDE. THEY NO LONGER EXIST TO YOU.

✷ C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - E I G H T ✷

"I just sent out a group of my best warriors to take a look at the Border's edge to see if – on the off chance –  there's any evidence," Theo stated as his face softened from his cold and calculating concentration. Apparently, when he would enforce his Alpha Orders over the mind link, it took a great deal of concentration.

    "Even after twelve years?" I asked, doubtful.

    The Council told me Theo was very affluent; he would be very connected, and, thus, a smart leader, but I couldn't quite fathom what searching the Border would accomplish. Ma had been dragged over twelve years ago. More than likely, if there was any evidence, it would have either been washed away or carried away by some other creature that lurked Outside.

    I couldn't explain why this made me feel a bit upset. I should be thankful Theo was finally looking for Ma, but was he looking in the right places? I couldn't be sure as I began to feel on edge. I had to find out what happened. I didn't want to believe Theo's words, but they could be true: there could be a possibility Ma was not dragged over the Border, and I had to find out the truth — whatever the outcome.

    For twelve years, I had been content to believe Ma was dead, but something had awoken inside me, and I wasn't so sure I could leave the Outside now without knowing. There would always be questions taunting me if I did not find out the truth. I told myself I would have to be a bigger person and give up the search for Ma if it came down to it in order to secure a witch. But, now, I was doubting if I would be able to follow through with that plan.

    Three weeks was the timeframe I had left to find Ma and a witch. I hoped it would be enough time to achieve both goals. Technically, though, I did have longer than three weeks, but I didn't want to go past being on the Outside for more than two months; it was a risk I was not willing to take unless I absolutely had to.

    "I want to be thorough," Theo reasoned, not too thrilled with my pushback. "We need to cover all our bases. Now, does your family have any connections on the Outside?"

    "What?" I recoiled back. Why would he think I had connections on the Outside?

    Theo sighed heavily before looking me square in the eye. "Every person stuck inside the Borderlands has a family on the Outside — distant or not."

    I slowly nodded my head, relaxing. He was right. Pop talked about how his parents left behind their brothers and sisters in order to live in the Borderlands. His family did not believe isolation was the solution to the Supernatural's appearance, so his parents had to leave them behind. Therefore, I did have family on the Outside, but I had no earthly clue who and where they were.

    It was a similar situation for Ma. Ma's family was brought here by my very authoritative great-grandpa, but I did not know much beyond that. Ma's parents died when she was seventeen, and she was an only child. Ma's family — besides me — was all on the Outside, if they were alive at all. But, I was certain Ma had no way of communicating with them.

    "Not that I know of," I sighed, my breath blowing a piece of blonde hair in my face. I took a few seconds before I brushed my hair back into place. "But, I was eight years old. I doubt she would have entrusted that information with me."

    Theo nodded his head in thought. "Was it ever explained why she was dragged over the Border?"

    I stared straight ahead, my mind coming up blank. It always had been explained to me she was dragged over. I took that explanation at face value because it did not matter the reason why she went over the Border. After all – in any case – she was dead.

    "All I know is she was dragged over. That is what Pa told me," I responded, gulping at the lack of information I had to go on. It was looking like it would take a miracle to find Ma and what happened to her.

    I hoped, somehow, Theo would be able to pull off a miracle. I knew it was unfair of me to have such high expectations of Theo, but I felt he could live up to them. I couldn't explain why — I just felt that way.

    It must be the... bond, I thought. I had not really allowed myself to fully delve into the bond that was undeniably between Theo and me. I could feel my body wanting to be near him more with each passing day, but I've had plenty to distract myself with. However, it was becoming harder for me to be pulled away by the distractions.

    "You never asked any questions?" I could feel Theo's growing frustration, and I wanted to sink down into a puddle at my feet. I felt like I was letting Theo down even though I could have never predicted I would need to know this information.

    "There was no need to," I meekly murmured, staring at the wood grain of his desk. "She was dead to us. Why and how she got over the Border didn't matter."

    "Do you not see what's wrong with that — what's wrong with the Borderlands?" He expressed in a harsh tone. I looked up at him; his hands were gripping the edge of his desk, knuckles turning white. He cleared his throat before relaxing his hands. "I'm sorry, Sage, what I said was uncalled for. You're not the one to blame here."

    "I'm sorry," was all I could say, feeling a bit like I had disappointed Theo. Despite him saying he was sorry, I couldn't help but feel I did something wrong.

    "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sage," Theo tried to smile. "It is whoever founded and perpetuated the Borderlands that is the one to blame here."

    I remained silent, not knowing what to say. I didn't exactly agree with his conclusion, but I also didn't disagree with it either, especially after what happened to Memphis. It was also no secret most of the people on the Outside detested the Borderlands just like the Borderlanders detested those on the Outside. Our mutual dislike for each other was rooted in different reasons, but the level of hatred was the same. I'd just never witnessed an Outsider's opinion on the Borderlands before.

    Theo looks deep in thought before saying. "My men have yet to find anything significant at the Border. How old was your mom when she disappeared?"

    "She was twenty-nine, I think."

    "Okay, I'm going to do a search to see if anyone around twenty to thirty received vaccinations twelve years ago. Hopefully, there will be a record of her there. She wouldn't be able to survive on the Outside without being vaccinated," he began typing away at his computer, the subtle click of each key echoing throughout his office.

    Hope started to bud within me. Maybe I had been premature in doubting Theo's abilities. This was his wheelhouse, after all. Letting out a breath I did not know I was holding, I concluded I was happy I included Theo in this search. I would not have thought to look at vaccination records myself; I mean, I didn't even know they existed.

    "The search will take a while to complete," Theo stated as his fingers stopped typing away at the computer.

    "Thank you," I expressed my genuine gratitude for his help.

    Theo looked up from the computer, his lips twisted in a faint smirk. "There's no need to thank me."

    "But I want to thank you," I sent a smile back at him.

    "Can I ask you something?" Theo asked suddenly, his eyes locked on me. My mouth went dry, and I responded by simply nodding my head yes.

    "Am I as bad as they make me out to be?" he inquired, running a hand through his hair. "As bad as the Borderlands portrays me?"

    His question was similar to the one he asked the day he found out I was from the Borderlands. By now, he must know that I did not hold him with utter contempt, so why was he bringing this up again?

    My heart rate increased, and my eyes peered at his lips. They looked inviting, and I tried to scold myself for such a thought, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from his thin but tempting lips.

    I sucked in a deep breath and scouted closer to Theo's desk so that my knees were bumping up against it.  My elbows rested on the edge of the desk as I leaned over the desk.

    "Honestly?" My eyebrows lifted up as I asked the question. Theo first responded by leaning in.

    We were now only a couple inches apart, Theo leaning over further than me. His eyes were directed towards me but not looking straight at me.

    "Honestly," he said back.

    I could feel my toes curling up as I softened my voice to say, "honestly, I can confidently say: you're not as bad."

    "Hm," he said, raising an eyebrow in slight surprise.

    "You're worse," I whispered in a light tone, now even closer to Theo.

    "Is that so?" His head tilted as he leaned in, his lips close to mine.

    "Mhm," is all I could get out.

    "Then let me show how bad I am," his smile widened as he leaned in, our lips coming together. My eyes closed as I melted into the kiss.

    The kiss was slow at first, a warm fire igniting in my stomach. His lips were soft yet firm. He pulled me in as our lips moved in sync like a finely choreographed dance. The intensity picked up after a couple seconds, but we never grew out of sync. Theo bit down lightly on my bottom lip before we slowly pulled away, breathing rapidly.

    He rested his forehead on mine, our eyes looking into each other. Theo's mouth opened to speak before he was interrupted.

    DING!

    "What was that?" I asked, turning towards where the noise came from, his computer.

    Theo backed away, taking a look at the computer screen."The results."

    "I thought they should have taken a while," I stated, puzzled at how fast the results came in. Was that a good sign, then? Was there a match? Had Theo found Ma? I could almost hear my heart beating as loud as the computer's alert.

    "They should have," he did not seem content with the results coming back so early. He clicked a few buttons before sighing. "It says there were no matches."

    "What does that mean?" I sat back in the chair, huffing out in exasperation.

    "It means either your mom does not want to be found," Theo looked up. "Or she's dead."

    "Oh," all the hope fizzled out of my body in one fell swoop.