Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Nathan

Andrew had to make Aiden take a walk. He was too worked up to be in the house. While he was gone, I paced the hallway. I wanted to join Runa again, to make sure she and the cub were safe, but I didn’t want to give Aiden the opportunity to barge in again either. My tiger was snarling almost constantly, and even my dad gave me a wide berth.

Night had fallen by the time the door to the bedroom opened. The witches stepped out, murmuring amongst themselves, and shut the door quietly behind them. When I glanced at the door over their shoulders, Laurie gave me a reassuring smile.

“She’s resting now. She’ll probably be out the rest of the night. She’s okay though.”

“And the cub?”

Martha dipped her chin once. “Alive and thriving. For now. If she continues to get upset, it could be detrimental to them both. As the father of that cub, it’s your job to protect them. Even from your own blood.”

Her gaze flicked to the door that screeched open as Aiden and Andrew stepped inside. My hands clenched into fists and I spun around to face him, but Andrew interrupted me before I could speak.

“He’s not going to say anything. I promise. If you’ll allow me, I’d like the opportunity to explain for him.”

“Explain what?” I snapped.

“Why for him?” Martha demanded at the same time.

Andrew guided Aiden to the couch, pushing until he sat down. From what I could tell, Aiden was still roiling with tension, but he kept a lid on the dominance and looked only at his mate.

Andrew turned to face us, his expression pensive. “I don’t know how much experience you have with dragons, but I’ve learned they’re emotional creatures. He’s prone to outbursts, even when he doesn’t mean it. I got him to tell me what was happening. It’s better if I explain it.” He gestured to the couch, inviting us to join him, and offered his hand to the women when they got close. “I’m Andrew, by the way. Aiden’s mate.”

Laurie made the official introductions, shaking hands with him. “I’m Laurie, and this is my aunt Martha. We’re part of the Laveau coven, based out of New Orleans.”

They sat on the couch, and Dad took an armchair. Andrew raised an eyebrow at me, but I wasn’t moving an inch. I crossed my arms, my stance wide and ready for anything.

“Don’t mind him,” Martha commented, waving a hand dismissively. “He’s doing his job.”

A flicker of a smile crossed Andrew’s face before he nodded. “I understand.” He drew in a breath, his shoulders going back. He looked like a CEO, all cool confidence and determination. It was no wonder he owned one of the most prestigious luxury hotel chains in the world.

“To start, I can assure everyone that while he sounded angry, that is not where Aiden was coming from, nor what he intended. His outburst stemmed from worry and regret. What happened to Runa was because she was trying to save me.”

“Yes, she told us,” Martha said dryly. “And there was no try. She succeeded. Had she not, you would not be here right now.”

“Wait. What happened?” I demanded.

Martha looked over at me, her expression calculating. “I’m not going to share that with you. If she hasn’t, then she doesn’t trust you enough to do so. If you want to hear that story, you’re going to have to earn it.”

I didn’t like it, but she had a point. Runa didn’t know half of my baggage. She never pushed me about it. I couldn’t demand it from her when I wasn’t willing to trust her with my story, either.

“In regards to the worry,” Laurie interrupted. “I believe we can address that part. Runa’s condition is fragile but stable. She is suffering from magic depletion. It would have taken a while to heal on its own, but because she is pregnant, it will drag the process out a little. What magic she regains now will be allotted to growing her babe. After she gives birth, she will heal faster. For now, it’s important not to upset her. Our magic is tied to our emotions. If she gets too upset, it will flare and without any reserves, it will only hurt her and the babe both. She needs to stay relaxed and avoid high-stress situations.”

“Should she be in the hospital? Aiden made the suggestion–” Andrew started.

Laurie shook her head, cutting him off. “We don’t believe that’s necessary. A witch is connected to the elements. Sticking her in a hospital would cut her off from that, and it would only hurt her. She needs a quiet place, close to nature, where she can heal.”

“Her cottage.”

Everyone turned to me, and I felt defeat settle on my shoulders as I explained. “She said she wanted to raise the baby in her cottage. Her family raised her surrounded by nature and she wanted to do the same for the baby. The only reason she’s out here is because she wanted to tell me in person. She didn’t think it was right to leave me in the dark.”

Something like respect ghosted over Aiden’s face before he put up a mask again. He was trying to suppress his emotions to keep his promise to his mate to stay calm, but he was awful at it. They were there, just under the surface.

“Then once she’s strong enough, we’ll move her back to her cottage,” he agreed. “My jet is parked in Tallahassee, but if necessary, there is a smaller strip closer to here. It’s shut down, but I believe I could make the arrangements to borrow it. Or buy it outright.”

“Hold on,” Dad interrupted. “I’m not sure she’d agree to that.” His gaze flicked to mine. “You ever figure out why she was so mad? She said something about doing it on purpose. Doing what?”

I shook my head. I’d never gotten that explanation, and a quick look at the witches said they didn’t either. The door opened behind me, and I startled, whipping around just as Runa said, “Getting me pregnant.”

The witches were on their feet in an instant, rushing over to her. She put her hand up to stall them, using the wall to support herself. “I need to use the restroom. I’m not ignoring your orders.”

Martha sighed, moving to her side to prop her up. “You should have told me. I would’ve helped you. You’re still weak.”

Runa’s footsteps were shuffled, and I wanted so badly to help her, but the dirty look she gave me told me that wouldn’t be well received. I hovered instead, standing outside the bathroom until she came back out, Martha and Laurie at her sides. She rolled her eyes when she saw me, her expression sour.

“You can stop with the act now, Nathan. You got what you wanted. I won’t risk the seedling because of your underhanded actions.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Control your emotions, Runa,” Martha scolded.

“You try controlling your emotions when some asshole tricks you into bed to get you pregnant.”

My eyebrows shot up and my mouth fell open. “You think I got you pregnant on purpose? I didn’t even know who you were until a few days ago!”

She ignored me, moving towards the bedroom so slowly it looked like it hurt her to do it. I couldn’t take it for long, nudging Laurie out of my way and picking her up without a word. It pissed her off, but with Martha’s warning still in the air, Runa could only silently seethe as I brought her back to bed. I set her in the middle, sitting beside her so I could look her in the eye.

“I don’t know what gave you the impression that I was that kind of person, but I didn’t do anything on purpose. We were both drunk. I can’t even remember most of that night. I’m not going to say I regret making a baby with you, but you have to admit, I’m not in the right mindset for having a family right now.”

She looked suspicious, and it hurt more than I wanted to admit out loud. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest. I wanted us to be a team, but she saw me as the enemy.

“Tell me why. Because from my point of view, the grandson of my enemy came out of nowhere to find me and got me pregnant right as I was about to leave, so I had no choice but to stay under his protection.”

My head jerked back, my face twisted up in disgust. “I would never do that. Hell, I wanted you to stay here and not go back to Aiden’s mountains. I was frustrated and anxious when I found you in the woods. I didn’t know who you were. But you offered me a drink, and you didn’t look at me like a freak for being so paranoid, and I liked your company. So I stayed. I don’t know how we fell into bed together–”

“That was your fault,” she pointed out, a hint of a smirk on her lips. “I told you I was weak and struggled to make it to bed on my own most nights, and you demanded to help me. Neither one of us was sober enough to remain upright for long, and when we collapsed into bed, you started flirting with me instead of heading home.”

Vague, fuzzy memories drifted just on the edges of my mind. I couldn’t quite grasp them, but I didn’t think she was lying. I’d been told I was a flirt when I was drunk.

The bushes rustled outside the open window and my attention snapped towards it, a low growl emanating from my throat. My body tightened, poised to attack whatever it was that approached to protect my mate and cub.

“Nathan.”

Blinking, I looked back at her distractedly before turning back to the window. “What?”

“It’s the wind. There’s a dragon, two tigers, and two powerful witches in this house. No one would be stupid enough to come for us here. You’re safe.”

It was hard to pull my attention away from the window. My heart rate skyrocketed and my tiger pushed against my skin, demanding we go check just to be sure. Whatever it was, we could kill it and keep them safe.

A warm hand on my chin guided my face away from the window. Runa’s purple eyes searched mine, her voice calm and soothing.

“I don’t like to push. I’m not going to ask you again to explain it to me when you aren’t ready. Everyone heals on their own timeline. But I need to know why you were out there that day. I need to know you weren’t working with Aiden to trap me.”

It was hard to explain without giving her the whole story, but she was right. I wasn’t ready. I leaned into her palm, searching for some way to explain it without dragging up the worst moments of my life.

“I don't trust him. My dad told me how my uncle attacked Aiden and his mate. He never said what happened afterward. What happened to my uncle. I drew my own conclusions. How can I trust a man who murdered his own child? And why was he suddenly calling the rest of his children home? I figured he was trying to make sure none of the rest of us were threats and putting down the ones who were. When I lost my temper, Dad made me take a walk to get my head on straight. That’s when I found you.”

“Aiden didn’t kill his son.”