Chapter 49

"I was starving."I sat back in the kitchen chair, surprised at how much I had consumed.

"You need to eat to gain strength." Bredon had demolished two sandwiches and a large bag of potato chips.

"I feel good," she said and started to clean up our mess.

"I will do that." He stood and gathered our plates.

"Breed." I waited for him to meet my gaze. "I think it worked."

He took my hand and kissed my knuckles. "It will."

"I hope so." Tears burned my eyes, and my throat felt thick. "If it doesn't…I want to do as much as I can. I don't want to go back to sleeping my time away."

He put the plates on the table and pulled me into his arms. "You are very brave."

"I love you. I want to spend my time with you."

"We will have forever." He kissed me.

It was a sweet kiss that didn't turn lustful as our hands explored. When it ended, I asked, "You mean until one of us dies, right?"

"Lycans live forever, Sage. We can be killed, but it is difficult."

I took a step away from him. "Hang on." I put my hand up. "You live forever." I was trying to wrap my head around that.

"We can die—beheading, fire, explosions… I know of a couple who survived a plane crash. I would not say that the survival of something like that is guaranteed. It would depend on the impact."

"Humans die," I told him slowly. "Even if I am better, I will die eventually."

"No, you will not." He sounded sure. "You can be changed."

I resumed cleaning up. I needed busy work while considering his words. "Anton won't change me."

Bredon's body tensed. "I would not ask him."

I had questions.

"We can have children," he shared.

"Wait." I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. "You told me we didn't need to worry about birth control." I tried to do the math. I knew I'd had my period two weeks ago…

"It doesn't work that way," he said slowly, like I was a dummy. "We must ask The Lady to bless us with young. If she believes we are worthy, you can be impregnated."

"Oh." I leaned my hip against the counter. "That's handy." No surprises. "You said your Pack is dying out. Don't the members want children?"

"Many do." He put the trash in the can and then stood across from me. "Anton has been trying for years. He blames his mate for being unworthy of The Lady's gift."

Anton proved once again that he was an ass. "Are we going back there?" I asked in a small voice.

Bredon pulled me into his arms. "I don't know."

"I trust you will do what's best." I didn't want to ever see the Reddlands again, but I had to put my faith in Bredon.

"That is a worry for another day. We should sleep."

I followed him to the bedroom and fell asleep with Bredon wrapped around me.

Using the new laptop that Sig purchased for me yesterday, I was catching up on the news. I felt like I'd missed so much.

Talia came in and sat on the other end of the sofa.

I felt her watching me but didn't look away from my screen. "I feel fine. The healers are coming later this afternoon."

"I wasn't going to ask. I know it makes you pissy." When I looked her way, her eyebrows were raised, like she was trying to look innocent.

"It doesn't make me pissy." I wanted to giggle at her use of the word. It had sounded like "pee-sseee." "I'm tired of talking about it. I feel much better, so I want to enjoy it." Bredon sent them photos he tried to secretly snap of my bite mark every morning.

"I am happy that you are better. I was worried."

"You were worried about Bredon, too."

"He would follow you." She frowned. "I would miss him."

"Did you and he ever…?"

She leaned away from me. "No."

"You're very beautiful. I wondered." I wasn't going to apologize. They had known one another for centuries. It would've made sense.

"Bredon is my protector. I have always known he was not meant for me."

"I was just curious if something had happened eons ago." I didn't like how serious she looked. "One drunken night after a polar bear hunt, you could've warmed one another up…?" I tried to tease, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Never." Talia's fierce frown reflected shock that I would think that was possible.

I closed the laptop. "Have you talked to Justin recently? What's happening with the gallery?" I needed to catch up on this area of my life.

"People have made purchases. The money is in my account." She grinned proudly. "They asked for more."

"That's great. I knew it was a good fit for you." I was happy for her, but I did need to caution her. "You don't want to flood the market."

"That is what Justin said." She relaxed and crossed her long legs. "I like that you can give me advice. Over the years, not everyone has…" She let that hang in the air.

"They took advantage of you." I frowned. "Talia, very few artists understand the business of art. Creating feeds the soul. Spreadsheets kill it." I wrinkled my nose as I grinned. "I saw that on a coffee mug once."

She didn't look pleased. "I did not like learning that I had been swindled."

"Understood. I wouldn't want that for you."

"That is why I stopped painting."

"You paint?" I'd found no canvases in the storeroom.

"It was over a century ago."

My mouth had fallen open. I closed it and blinked several times quickly. "I'm still not used to how old you are."

"I stopped painting because I was angry. Then Anton began to complain that I was not bringing in money. Sig and Bredon covered for me. I began to hear things about photography. It would give me an excuse to get away. I moved to Boston to learn."

"When was that?"

She narrowed her eyes as though thinking. "Nineteen-ten."

I let out a deep breath while I absorbed her story.

"There was a human there. She was a wealthy widow and a supporter of female artists. She had an estate and invited teachers and other artists to mentor others."

"That sounds amazing." She'd lived a fantastic life. "I hate that you must pay Anton to pursue your art, but I'm happy you can leave."

She looked away and wet her lips. "Bredon arranged for me to stay with another Pack after…"

I watched her face take on a haunted look. "Something bad?"

"Yes." She nodded. "It was a long time ago, and leaving saved my life."

"I imagine that you have experienced many good and bad things."

"Bredon arranged for me to travel when I could not stand living in the manor." She frowned. "He has never told me what he had to do to secure my safe passage, but I am sure it was costly."

"You and Sig are his family."

"And now, you are."

I grinned, happy to be included.

The front door opened, and Bredon entered, followed by Sig. "We have a change of plan. The healers are coming earlier. Is that agreeable?" he asked me.

"Sure."

"Their Pack is having a run tonight. We are invited."

"What's a run?" I asked.

"Packmembers gather. Usually, there is food and drink, and we change forms and run." Bredon sat on the arm of the sofa next to me.

"Will it be safe?" Talia asked.

"I will stay close," Sig informed her.

"I will not participate in the run," Bredon glanced down at me. "I will stay with you."

"Don't you want to run?" I asked.

"He cannot leave you. His wolf would not venture away. Your mating is still too new," Sig explained.

Bredon tilted his head. "Do you want to attend?"

I needed to learn more about his world. "Sure. It sounds interesting."

He pulled his phone from his pocket. "I will make the call."

Two hours later, I was getting redressed. Simon and Theresa were interested in my recovery. I would join them in the living room once I tucked my shirt into my shorts.

"I have your juice," Bredon raised his voice as I walked down the hallway.

"Great." I joined them, sitting beside Bredon.

"You have made a miraculous recovery," Simon told me.

"Bredon and The Lady did it." I grinned at my impressive mate.

"May I add this information to our files?" Theresa asked.

"No names," Sig told her.

"I think it is important that you record what has happened." Bredon's arm encircled my shoulders.

"Thank you." Theresa smiled shyly.

"Are you coming to the run tonight?" Simon asked.

"We are," Bredon answered.

"You will enjoy the food. My mother and sisters are cooking. They've been preparing for two days," Theresa said. "My youngest brother's mate is human. She will be there."

"That's good to know." I was hoping that I wouldn't feel weird being the only human.

"There will be others. My brother won't participate in the run. He will stay with Julie, or they will go home."

"Bredon isn't going to run." I frowned at him. "Although, I think it would do him good. Now that I'm better, he can relax."

Sig glanced at my mate and then snickered. "Bredon never relaxes."

"We'll see about that."