by Jade White
He inhaled the scent of her, the crisp, clean fragrance of her shampoo. He kissed the top of her head sweetly, the terrifying vision of his dream still heavy on his heart. He had to protect her, but he couldn’t do that if he didn’t know what the danger was.
But what he did know was that Olivia was hiding something. He had seen it in the way she’d acted, making excuses to go into work when she had weeks of unused vacation time. She might not know exactly what caused his dream, but she knew something.
Sable shook her gently until her eyes fluttered open. She struggled to pull herself from sleep, which was odd for her. Sable shook her a little harder, starting to worry that this woman who usually woke up so peppy now seemed to be extremely drowsy.
She finally opened her eyes and sat up a little, her expression colored with confusion, and her voice raspy when she asked, “What’s going on Sable?”
“We need to talk. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know you are hiding something from me. I need to know what it is, because I can’t protect you if I don’t know everything you know.”
Olivia nodded, not even questioning why she would need to be protected and what from. She took a deep breath and sighed, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Sable waited, internally screaming for her to get on with it, the anticipation was killing him. But internally, he knew that the only thing that would help her now was to be patient and let her tell him in her own words.
Finally she said, “I don’t know what to say so I’ll just say it. I’m pregnant.” She looked at him, waiting for a reaction. To yell, to laugh, or to cry. Anything.
Sable sat quietly, unmoving. The words were familiar, but he was fighting to make sense of what she said. Then the image of the broken condom in the trash. Foolishly trying to convince himself that nothing would happen. He understood now, and he was not prepared.
“Sable, please say something. I’m so sorry, I really am. But I know—”
He stopped her, shaking his head while he searched for the words. “This isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault, but my dreams finally make sense. I should have known you were pregnant, but I didn’t think the condom broke until after I tossed it and I should have realized that I was wrong sooner.”
Olivia flew up out of the chair, her face red hot with anger.
“You knew it broke and you didn’t tell me? Sable what the hell? I’ve been freaking out this entire time. You should have told me.”
“I didn’t want you to worry needlessly. The chances of anything actually happening were so slim that I didn’t want to upset you.”
Olivia laughed, the sound angry and tight. “It doesn’t look like that slim chance did us much good, now did it?” She was shaking she was so angry. He should have told her. Maybe she could have done something. But done what? The truth was, she wouldn’t have done anything.
Olivia slumped onto the sofa, the anger deflated by the realization that knowing wouldn’t have changed anything. It wasn’t like he’d done anything intentionally. And even though she was scared, and she wasn’t sure she could deal with being the mother of a shifter, she knew that he would never let her down no matter how much she yelled and cursed at him.
“I’m sorry Sable. I shouldn’t have yelled. I’m just so scared.”
She burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. Sable moved to kneel in front of her, holding her face in his large hands.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Everything is going to be all right.”
Olivia nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Sable sat quietly, thumb rubbing her temple while she absorbed the events of the last twenty-four hours. They had to come up with a plan, and soon. As soon as the council found out what they’d done, they would be all over them to get married and for her to go through the vetting process, which seemed like a moot point since she was already carrying Sable’s child. But the councilmen were elderly, and they liked things done a certain way, even if it didn’t make sense in today’s world.
She looked up at Sable, tears still threatening. “What are we going to do?”
Taking a deep breath and choosing his words wisely, he held her hands as he spoke. “Olivia, I know this isn’t want you wanted, but the law is clear. We have to get married. Both our governments require it, whether we agree or not. If we don’t, we both could face execution.”
Olivia was stunned. There were so many ludicrous laws still on the books, but they were never enforced and had long since faded out of practice. She had always assumed that this law was the same, and at worse they might face some sort of excommunication. But execution? They had to be kidding. This was the twenty-first century, not some dark ages feudal society based on ignorance and fear. She shook her head, her voice barely a whisper as she fought to keep herself under control. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be forced to choose between getting married and her very life.
Sable pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as she fought a battle with herself. He tried not to let her reticence hurt him; after all, he was going to be forced to marry too. But for Sable, his first dream had changed everything, and marrying Olivia simply felt right. He knew she would feel that way too, but she had to get there on her own.
He kept his voice low, trying to reassure her that she had options. “What if we talked to the council, and explained that we are willing to register and raise this baby together, but we only want to marry when we’re ready? I don’t know if they’ll go for it, but it’s worth a shot.”
Olivia nodded. If they could be reasoned with, maybe this didn’t have to be the end of the world.
“Good. I’ll call them tomorrow and ask them to meet us here. We can explain the situation and see if they’re willing to negotiate.”
“And if they’re not?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but let’s hope they can see our side of it.”
Olivia nodded, her eyelids growing heavy. Sable laid her gently on the sofa. Carrying a shifter baby was exhausting for female shifters; he couldn’t imagine how hard this was on Olivia. He tucked her in and left the room to let her sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a rough day for her, and the council likely wouldn’t negotiate the law. But he couldn’t look into her eyes and not at least try to convince the council to bend the rules. He didn’t want to tell her that it was likely a pointless conversation; they had to get married, and that was that. For now, he wanted her to rest knowing that he was in her corner. Tomorrow would bring its own problems. Tonight, he wanted to celebrate that he was going to be a father.
**
Olivia woke the next morning feeling refreshed and starving. She sat up, but dizziness overtook her and she was forced to lie back down. She groaned as the nausea roiled within her, surprised when Sable showed up immediately at her side.
“Can I get you something? Anything you want.”
She started to nod, and thought better of it, asking him for some toast and some fruit. He kissed her hand and stood, headed for the kitchen. Olivia closed her eyes again, willing the light-headed feeling to go away. She knew once she ate something, she would feel a million times better, but until then, she felt like death warmed over.
She heard the doorbell ring, then footsteps hurrying down the hall. Egan appeared in the doorway, food in hand, large smile on his face.
“Where is Sable?”
“The councilmen are here. He’s going to talk to them and try to leave you out of it. How do you feel? I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle.” Egan beamed with pride, looking tenderly at her already swelling belly as she ate.
“I feel awful.”
He chuckled softly. “I’ve heard that is pretty much standard no matter what species.”
She nodded as she chewed, relieved that she was already feeling better. She finished her toast and a few slices of peaches, washing it all down with some skim milk.
“That’s much better.”
“So when are you two going to get married?”
Olivia looked shocked. Surely Egan knew that she had no intention of getting married, at least not right away.
“We’re not getting married.”
Egan’s face paled. “You mean that Sable is talking to them because you intend to refuse? Are you sure?”
“He’s going to attempt to talk some sense into them. If that doesn’t work, then I guess I’ll tell them that I disagree with the law and I refuse to marry. I’ll register the baby—”
“Olivia, no you can’t do that. You can’t just refuse. They’ll kill you on the spot.”
“No they won’t, Sable will talk to them.”
Egan was frantic, his voice hardly above a whisper, “No, Olivia, he can’t. Our money holds no power against ancient laws. If the elders order you to marry and you refuse, they will kill you.”
Egan looked around. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”
Olivia started to argue, but decided against it. Egan returned a few short minutes later with a backpack.
“Be quiet. They’re still making small talk in the library. Follow me.”
Olivia nodded, following Egan down the hall and through to the other wing of the house. When they were as far away from the library as possible, Egan opened a room that Olivia had never been in and pulled her inside. He rushed to a picture, pulling it open like a door to reveal a wall-safe. He hastily typed in the code and the safe opened with a whisper of air as the seal broke. He pulled stacks of cash out of the safe, shoving it into the bag. He grabbed a notepad off the mahogany desk and scribbled a quick note on it.
“Sable will find it and know where to come for us,” he said by way of explanation. He replaced the picture to its original position and led Olivia toward a book case in the back corner of the room. He ran his hand across the books, counting to himself before he pulled on one of the leather-bound additions.
The shelf moved slightly, revealing a dark passage behind it. Throwing the backpack onto his shoulder, he grabbed Olivia’s hand. She pulled back, unsure of the dark.
“Do you want to live?” She nodded. “Then you have to trust me. Sable told me what to do if there was ever an emergency. Please. Let me save you. They’ve been looking for any excuse to get rid of you for years.”
Olivia gasped.
“Now that they have just cause, they won’t hesitate. Please, Olivia. We have to leave.”
She walked into the passageway, holding her hand on the wall as he closed the bookshelf and plunged them into darkness. He grabbed her by the hand and led her in the dark, his eyes easily adjusting. They went as fast as Olivia could in the pitch black, Egan leading the way.
Olivia felt like they’d been running for miles when they finally stopped and Egan flipped on a tiny computer screen. He moved the cursor to pan the security cameras. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he opened the door and led Olivia out onto a tiny trail.
Olivia had expected the passageway to spill out into the dense forest beyond the property line. But within minutes, the tiny path led them into the main park in the heart of the city. Glancing over her shoulder, Olivia couldn’t tell where they’d emerged from, which was surely the point. If the councilmen had discovered her missing, they surely would head straight for the forest, the exact opposite direction of where they were.
Egan lead her through the crowd, keeping his face down, backpack wrapped in his free arm just in case someone tried to steal it. He finally pulled her off the path and down another wooded trail.
They stopped at a small cabin-like structure that housed the security officer for the public park. Egan greeted the man and showed him a tiny mark on his wrist. Olivia recognized it as the same mark that Sable bore, though she hadn’t seen it on another shifter. The man regarded Olivia for a moment before nodding. He handed Egan a set of car keys and gave him a parking space number, and Egan thanked the man before dragging Olivia out of the guard shack and toward an underground parking garage.
They walked between the cars, following the numbered spaces until they reached 361A. A non-descript, mid-year car sat in the spot. It looked like it hadn’t moved in years. Egan climbed into the driver’s seat, throwing the backpack down on the floor between Olivia’s feet when she got in. He pulled out of the spot calmly, following the exit signs until they drove out of the darkness and onto the road. Egan headed north, out of town and toward who knew where.
They’d been driving for almost an hour when Egan pulled off the highway and onto a dirt road. He drove slowly down the bumpy easement, careful not to jostle Olivia too much. When he parked in front of a small trailer, the owner met them on the porch with a shotgun. When she saw Egan, she slowly lowered the gun and walked into the house. She returned in moments, tossing him a set of keys and taking the set he offered her, along with some money he’d pulled out of the backpack. He motioned to Olivia, who got out of the car and handed him the backpack. The woman looked at her belly and nodded, gracing Olivia with a tender, knowing smile. Olivia smiled back, not entirely sure what was going on as Egan led her to a second car.
He headed back for the highway, heading north once more as the sun started its descent on the horizon. Olivia turned in the seat to look at Egan, his gaze riveted to the road and scanning every car and his mirrors for any signs of danger. He glanced at her momentarily, turning his attention back to the road.
“Egan. I think you have some explaining to do.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Sable led the councilmen to the library, offering them each drinks and a seat as he took a seat behind the massive desk.
Laskin stood behind Aldrich and the others, tablet in hand, poised to take notes.
Sable cleared his throat, leveling his gaze directly on Laskin as he began to speak.
“I guess I should start by saying that I’m aware that Laskin has been following me for at least a month.” He looked pointedly at Laskin, who colored visibly. Sable continued, glancing at the clock as he heard Egan walk towards the family room to deliver Olivia’s meal. He hadn’t had time to talk to his brother before the doorbell had announced the early arrival of the elders, and he cursed their bad timing. Hopefully, he could convince them not to make any rash decisions while he worked on convincing Olivia that being married to him wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
“At any rate, Laskin’s inability to follow at a reasonable distance isn’t why I’ve asked you all to come today. As I’m sure Laskin has informed you, Olivia is carrying my child.” He paused to let the words settle. Aldrich shot Laskin a look that said this was the first he was hearing about the pregnancy, while the other two councilmen muttered amongst themselves.
Aldrich, furious, addressed Sable. Spittle flew from his mouth as his voice climbed higher in register until he sounded like an angry old woman. “I told you this would happen. I told you to be careful, but you never listen. You’re just like your father.”
Sable slammed his fist on the desk. “Do not speak ill of my father in my home. I don’t care who you are, this is my house and I will not tolerate it.”
Aldrich moved towards Sable, his expression daring Sable to deny his power.
“I told you to stop seeing that human woman and you didn’t listen. And now, look at the mess you’ve created. You must bring her to us at once so we can evaluate her worth as a breeder. The future of our species is at stake.”
Sable scoffed. “You’re being ridiculous. The species will not fall into ruin because of a handful of shifter-human babies.”
“It will not, but these laws are in place for a reason.”
Sable interrupted him. “These laws are in place because men like you think they have all the answers. But I’m telling you, what you think you know has nothing to do with reality. There’s no need to evaluate Olivia, she’s my fated mate.”
Aldrich laughed. “A human cannot be a fated mate. Never has a human been—”
“I had an announcement dream. All the signs were present. The message was as clear as day. Olivia is my fated mate, and there’s nothing you can
say that will change that. You and I both know that fate supersedes all laws of man.”
Aldrich’s anger faded somewhat, but he was still insistent. “Then you must marry her, immediately.”
Laskin stepped forward, his face flushed as he addressed Aldrich. “You can’t believe him! No one has ever been fated to be with a human. How is that even possible?”
Aldrich held up his hand to silence Laskin, who closed his mouth but flushed with anger. It was clear he was struggling to keep his cool as Aldrich continued.
“Fated or not, she’s pregnant. The law states that you must marry her within the month or be executed for treason.”
“The law is wrong. She’s not ready to marry and I will not force her hand.”
Anger flashed in his eyes, but Aldrich managed to keep his voice steady, “It isn’t a request. You must marry her or face the consequences.” Aldrich’s expression softened.
“Olivia is a sweet woman, with a good heart. Perhaps I can convince her to do the logical thing. I’m sure when she realizes that her life is at stake, she will do the right thing.”
Sable knew that Aldrich was wasting his breath, but the elder wouldn’t let it go. Sable silently hoped that Egan remembered what he’d taught him years ago. With any luck, he and Olivia were long gone.
Aldrich stood and began walking towards the hallway in search of Olivia.
“Wait!” Sable bellowed the command, hoping to keep them here a few moments longer. “I will not have you threaten her in my home. You may speak to her, but so help me, do not threaten her. I have been sworn by fate to protect her, and I will not shirk that responsibility. The child she carries is mine—”
“Are you sure of that?” Aldrich raised his eyebrow. Sable wanted nothing more than to slap that smirk clean off Aldrich’s face, but he had to keep himself composed in case Egan and Olivia were still in the family room.
