Chapter Eight

Zenia watched Greyden sleep. Jericho had come to help him walk, and the alpha had brought her mate into his home. She came as well because she wouldn't leave him. She sat next to him, watching over him as he slept. Completely spent from his ordeal.

She'd never been so terrified in all her life. The dark magic had wrapped around his soul, and Savannah said it would take more than a potion to free him. This fake mate of his must have paid a lot of money to enact such a travesty.

Through the night, she held vigil, bathing his brow in a cool washcloth. Maybe he shouldn't have come here and found her. He wouldn't have almost died, wouldn't have been struggling with the moral dilemma of betraying his true moon-fated mate. She forgave him, of course she did. He was as much a victim as she was.

When the dawn came, Jericho came into the room to check on them.

"Did you sleep?"

"I was afraid to close my eyes." She bit her lip. "I've been wondering if he should never have come here. Never found out the truth."

"And have him live a lie? No, Zenia. It's not your fault. This rests directly on the shoulder of that woman who took your place."

She nodded, although she still wasn't completely sure.

"Does he know?"

Her gaze flew to his. She knew what he meant. "No. I thought I would tell him after the spell was lifted, but it's not the right time."

"When is it a good time?"

"I don't know," she whispered, wiping Greyden's forehead. "Maybe not ever."

****

Greyden blinked, seeing sunlight streak across the ceiling. Where was he? He turned and saw Zenia asleep in the chair next to his bed. Her head leaning at an uncomfortable angle. What the fuck happened? It was like he had a hangover but had no memory of drinking. Slowly the events from … yesterday? … filtered through his mind.

The potion.

The vomit. Lots and lots of vomit.

And pain. Unimaginable pain.

"Greyden?"

His gaze snapped to Zenia. Her eyes were dull from a lack of sleep, her hair limp around her shoulders. She rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing. It looked like she had been the sick one, not him.

"You took care of me?"

"I made sure you were comfortable."

"Thank you." He held out his hand and she hesitated. "Zenia?"

Slowly, she slid her trembling hand into his. He pulled and she ended up on the bed on her side, with him spooning her. It felt right holding her like this. She fit against him perfectly, like two puzzle pieces joining.

"I was so scared for you," she said.

He felt wetness drip onto his hand and realized she was crying. He turned her on her back and leaned over, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm okay."

"I know, but I don't like seeing you in pain."

"Even after I betrayed our bond?"

"You didn't betray me. Don't say that again."

"Is the spell broken?"

"No," she whispered. "It wasn't an ordinary spell. Savannah said it's ancient dark magic."

He took a deep breath. "So, what do we do now?"

"Savannah said help is coming. But I don't want you to go through that again. Maybe I'm not worth—"

He placed a finger on her lips. "Don't finish that. We might not know a lot of each other, but there's not a doubt in my mind you're worth it. That we're worth it."

"Greyden, there's something else I have to tell you."

"Sounds serious."

"It is," she whispered. She sat up and rose to go back to her chair. Her hands trembled. "Our night together, it … it produced a baby."

He sucked in a breath. Shock stole his words. Happiness filled him, then almost immediately it was replaced by anger. The woman, his fake mate, had kept him from his child.

"I debated if I should tell you," she continued. "I thought it might be best if I didn't."

"I-I have a child?"

Slowly, she shook her head and his heart plummeted. "With your rejection, my wolf disappeared. The baby suffered from this, and he was born too early. He only lived for an hour."

A son. For a brief moment, he had a son, who was taken from this world because he hadn't remembered Zenia. This was all on him. He caused his true mate to suffer and his child to die. Tears poured down her face. He rose and scooted to the end of the bed and gently lifted her from the chair to hold her in his arms. Then he buried his face in her neck.

"I carry that guilt with me every day," she cried.

"Shh," he soothed. He petted her hair as he rocked her. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. This wasn't your fault. It's why you were depressed, wasn't it? Why you tried to hurt yourself."

She nodded.

They sat there together, him rocking her for a long while. He didn't know how to soothe her, how to take away the pain she has lived with for five years. He hadn't known but his heart ached, sharing in her grief. This was on his shoulders. Zenia was a gentle soul, and to see her so broken when she did nothing wrong gutted him.

"I named him after you," she said. "Greyden Junior. He was so beautiful, and so very small. I held him until he passed and buried him next to my parents. If you want to take his body back to your pack, I won't stand in your way."

He cupped her face and kissed her on her lips. "If I take him, then I take you as well. Layton will be punished, as soon as possible."

She abruptly pulled back. "Who?"

"The woman who bespelled me. Her name is Layton."

Zenia moved off his lap to stare at him. "Oh my God. She was my friend. She was there, with me, at the Assembly. She got mad at me for ignoring her because I had found you. After that, she moved away suddenly and I never heard from her again. She … she took my place. She took you from me!"

"She murdered our child," he added.

"Yes." A fierce light entered her eyes. Determination. Anger. Resentment "I want her destroyed. I want her to pay."

He rose and pulled her body into his. "I vow to you, right here and now, on the life of our son, she will get what's coming to her."