by Jaymin Eve
I shook my head. “We went true twin style there, doing everything together. Both of our fertile times were screwed up as a side-effect of the dragon mark.” Fucking Larkspur. I reached out and hugged Mischa, squeezing her frail body. “We need to get some food and sleep into you. You have to be healthy so my little niece or nephew thrives.”
She shook against me, but I sensed the tension which had been plaguing her for so long starting to ease. Sharing her secret had taken some of the burden which must have been weighing her down.
I had a thought. “You’re lucky those bitch twins didn’t hurt the baby when they attacked you in Krakov.” A sense of horror stole over me. The memories of her injuries were so much worse with the knowledge of her pregnancy. So much of her blood had coated the ground.
She wiped her face on her sleeve, and gave me a tired smile. “Yeah, I think the fact that the mark was keeping us safe helped. Then Grace healed me so quickly that I was okay, and I feel the baby moving now, so I assume it’s okay too.”
We needed to get another healer in to check on her. I wasn’t too worried, shifters were tough and so were their babies. I mean, I had no personal experience of course, but there had been a lot of pregnant shifters move through our packs over the years, and as far I knew there wasn’t much that could go wrong in healthy shifter pregnancies. Still, she was probably a few months along now and should be checked out.
We at least needed to find out the gestation period for this shifter-vamp hybrid fetus. Calculating this was left up to the magic users, because it changed every time in hybrid births. Just depended which genetics was stronger. I would think that if she could feel the baby moving, then she was a decent way along.
A quick glance to check that Braxton wasn’t watching, and then I reached out and smoothed down the huge shirt she had on. Sure enough, there was definitely a baby bump there.
“Cardia’s going to lose her shit,” I said, a burst of laughter leaving me. “Seriously, we’re going to have to make sure she’s occupied while you tell Max. Then he can have the joy of breaking it to her.”
A smile wavered on her lips. “It’s not really funny, Jess.”
I snorted. “Sometimes you have to laugh. Honestly, you and I might both be knocked up because fate was fucking with us. We should have known when our fertile periods were, and yet they made sure we didn’t. These babies are meant to be born. That’s just how fate works.”
Mischa let out a deep, ragged breath. “In the human world I’d just be a moron who let some dude have sex without protection. Max and I did talk about it, but when he told me that supes didn’t have to worry about diseases and such, and that if I wasn’t fertile there was no way to fall pregnant, I thought it was okay. Like I said, I’d never been fertile before and I figured I was just some sort of supernatural dud in the baby-making department.”
Sounded like she’d been waiting to bleed like humans. We weren’t the same as them and therefore did not have the same sort of fertility symptoms.
“Girl, you seriously need some basic supe classes. These are the things we learn in our first years of schooling. Or from our moms. Of course I didn’t have a mom here, and you clearly had one who was more concerned with keeping this world a secret so that no dragon marked hunters found us – are we both starting to see how this all happened? Bad timing really.”
Mischa leaned in closer. “I know it’s asking a lot for you to keep this a secret, but for now I think it’s better that everyone focuses on the dragon king. We’ll deal with the pregnancy thing after. I mean, it’s not like it’s going anywhere.”
Her hand rested against her tiny bump again, and I could see the protective way she already cradled the life in her body. If this was what she wanted, I could stay quiet for a few more days.
“I promise I won’t tell anyone – except for Braxton. I will never keep secrets from him again, and there’s no way he won’t demand answers. I’m pretty sure I can get him to give you some time to tell his brother. We understand that this is not our secret, but you can’t wait forever. Our pack is so close because we try to always be open and honest. Not to mention our parents are really worried about you. It will be better for all once they know the truth.”
Mischa gave me a side hug. “Thank you, I appreciate that. I will tell him, and everyone else, as soon as we’ve dealt with this crisis. I just want Max to be able to focus on this fight. Distracting him and his mate now … well, it could be fatal.”
We both knew there would be a massive fallout between Maximus and Cardia – a definite distraction during our fight with Larky. Supes did not share their mates well, and the fact that Mischa would give Maximus his first child would forever grate on his vampire mate.
We were interrupted then by the door swinging open. Jonathon appeared in the entrance. His face was neutral but his eyes darker than usual.
“Louis just arrived back. He said to tell you that it’s all taken care of, but that Larkspur will be here early tomorrow morning. He’s suggesting we all head out now and get some sleep. We don’t know when we’ll be able to rest again after this. Lienda and I are going to stay here with Mischa. Jo and Jack are leaving right now.” He strode closer to the little dragon marked child.
“Come on, Nash. Time for you to say your goodbyes.”
The dragon marked child hugged Braxton hard, before crossing to take Jonathon’s hand.
My father turned to me as he was leaving. “Go and get some rest, Jess. Just make sure to listen out for the alarm.”
I looked to Mischa, silently asking her if she was going to be okay or if she wanted me to stay with her. I was feeling strangely protective over my fragile twin … and the tiny baby nestled inside of her.
“Go,” she said softly. “Spend this last night with Braxton. It doesn’t sound like you’ve had much alone time.”
Try none. I kissed her cheek with a swift peck and jumped to my feet.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
She just nodded before lying back on the couch and getting comfortable. I reached across and snagged a throw and dragged the blanket over her. She closed her eyes. Exhaustion was clear across her face.
My father must have deposited Nash with the Compass parents in record time, because he was back in the doorway before Braxton and I even made it outside. As we stepped into the main hall, he took a second to stare at the still form of his daughter before quietly closing the door and magically locking it down again.
I could see the true worry in his dark eyes; the color was more black than blue. “Is she okay, Jess? She won’t talk to me or Lienda, and frankly, ever since Krakov, she’s been suffering. I don’t know how to help her.”
I refused to flat out lie to him, and tried to think of a way to reassure him without completely spilling her secret. “She’s not exactly fine, but for now she’s dealing with everything, Dad.” I threw my arms around him and he lifted me up into one of his warm hugs. “As soon as we destroy Larky, we can all start to recover, get back to a normal life.”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it,” he said as he set me back on my feet. “But if anything changes, and you’re worried about her, I expect you to immediately come and tell me what’s going on.”
I nodded. “Promise.”
Braxton was quiet as we made our way back into the main part of the town hall. The members of Stratford were dispersing through the double front doors. Within a few moments the rest of the quads found us in the crowd.
“So are we heading to our place?” Jacob asked. “I’m pretty sure there are some meals in the freezer. It’s not ideal, but better than nothing.”
My eyes were drawn for a brief second to Maximus. Cardia stood beside him, the pretty and petite vampiress had her black curls artfully pinned atop her head. She gave me a nod but there was no friendly smile to follow. She actually looked kinda pissed, which I couldn’t be bothered dealing with right now. I’d never had the best feeling about her in the sanctuary. Something about her attitude scream
ed fake, even when she was trying to be nice. But for Maximus’s sake I needed to learn to deal with her. They were a package deal now.
Poor Mischa.
I forced a smile across my face. “Yes, I think one night of normalcy in the Compass castle is exactly what we all need.”
I felt homesick and couldn’t wait to get back to my pack home. Braxton tucked me in at his side, his lips grazing my temple while his right hand dropped onto my ass. That move was a hundred percent my dragon shifter, confident with a touch of arrogance.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You love me the right amount of perfect, you know that, right?”
He answered with another kiss, this time on my lips. I could not wait for tonight.
Eventually I was wrenched from his arms. Tyson held me captive before passing me to Jacob like I was some sort of parcel.
“Time to go, lovebirds,” the fey said, giving me a cheesy grin. I punched him in his shoulder, and he conceded by lowering me back to my feet and letting me walk from the hall.
As we crossed the foyer, pushing through the masses of supes, I saw a familiar elfin face.
“Grace!” I jogged to her side and wrapped my arms around the healer. “Thank you so much for what you did in Krakov.”
She had saved my sister’s life, and the baby she didn’t even know about. We owed her big-time, and I needed her to know how much I appreciated her help.
“Will you come and hang out with us tonight?” I said as I pulled back. “It’ll be fun.”
I knew she would immediately look at Tyson. Those two just couldn’t seem to get their shit together. If anything, it felt like there was even more distance between them.
“Come on,” I said, distracting her from the intense stare between them. “I don’t want to be the only girl.”
A throat cleared behind me and I turned to find Cardia glaring. “Oh yeah, right. Cardia and I don’t want to be the only girls.”
Whoops. My bad.
Grace looked so torn. She was still sneaking glances at the handsome wizard. Finally she nodded. “Sure, I’d love to hang out with you all for the night. My family left, so it would just be an empty house for me.”
I clapped my hands together. This felt like something fun and exciting. Sure, the world might end tomorrow, but tonight we would all be together and safe. I would cherish every second of this time with my pack. There weren’t many people left in the hall now. I was sad to see that Jo and Jack had already taken off with Nash. I’d wanted to say goodbye – though I felt reassured knowing they were safe. I gave Lienda and Jonathon one last wave before leaving them to their Mischa babysitting duties.
My father warned Braxton before we left: “If for some reason the king puts out a call again and Jessa is able to be controlled outside of Faerie, you must get her back here immediately. The only reason I’m letting her leave is that you’re a dragon, and should be strong enough to contain her until we can lock her down.”
I snorted. “Standing right here, Dad.”
I was hoping like hell the king had no control over me here. Surely if he could influence me even a little, he’d have tried to use it when I was in his castle in Faerie.
Louis pulled me to the side just before I was about to leave. “You got my message about the mystics?”
I nodded a few times, a smirk quirking my lips up. “I have a good feeling about taking them from the equation. How were you able to get them away from the king?”
Every facet of his purple eyes was visible, sparkling like precious stones. “Quale helped me. The mystics are connected, similar to the marked. He brought the other eleven across to a secure location. I have a potion which can render a supe into an unnatural sleep. Generally lasts anywhere from four days to two weeks, depending on the magic strength of the individual. If we can end this thing with Larkspur without much delay, he won’t be able to call on the mystics.”
Braxton, who was standing close by, tuned into our conversation. “Were the mystics with Larkspur? Does he know they’re out of commission?”
The sorcerer grinned. “Quale arranged it so they were left behind to ferry the last of his marked across. The king was already on his way, so he may not be aware until he gets here.”
The magic user quickly switched topics. “I know you’re probably anxious to have me perform the gestation spell, but I’m not sure I can spare the time or power. I have to make sure I can hold the wards as long as possible.”
I wasn’t going to lie, there was some disappointment there. I really wanted the confirmation of pregnancy, followed by the knowledge that everything was okay. Still … it was definitely more important to keep everyone safe.
“It’s okay, if I’m pregnant, that’s not going to change today or tomorrow. Waiting is the right thing.”
Braxton draped an arm across my body, pulling me into his side. We were both anxious to know, but it didn’t change anything. Either way, we’d deal with it. And right now, everyone was waiting for us. Louis walked us out and locked down the hall again. Some of the members felt safer staying inside. Others, like us, were heading to their homes for a decent sleep. The sorcerer was going to be up all night keeping an eye on the perimeter and controlling the security systems here. He really did need all of his power. He was our best weapon, as well as an early detection system for the king.
Once we were past the fountain in the center of the town, I dropped back a few steps, and just as Braxton was turning to see what I was doing, I took a running jump and launched myself onto his back. Lucky I had wolf reflexes, because those broad shoulders were really far off the ground. I wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled myself into his back.
He twisted to see me better, his blue eyes twinkling as a lazy grin spread across his handsome face. “I have no idea why you wanted Grace to come tonight. If you think for one second I’m letting you out of the bedroom, you’re crazy.”
My entire body tightened, and I found myself slightly breathless just thinking about that. Braxton had a gorgeous bedroom on the top floor, one he’d won through bloody battles with his brothers. I had never slept in his room. We all tended to share the largest room downstairs when we slept as pack. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him take a female to that room either. On those rare occasions he’d been more inclined to go to their place.
“Are you actually going to let me into the sacred space?” I let my lips graze against his ear and felt the rumbles increasing in his chest.
“Babe, that room has always been yours. I was just waiting for you to figure it out.”
I buried my face against his neck. Perfect, he was just perfection.
“Are you concerned that our bond is still not fully formed?” I murmured.
He took a moment to answer, continuing to piggyback me toward their place. His voice was a little rough when he finally spoke. “I’m not happy about it, but as long as we’re together, the rest we can figure out.” The gruff tone got more pronounced. “When you were taken from us, well, that was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. Life is more in perspective now. As long as we’re both alive and free, everything is okay.”
I pressed my lips to his cheek, the slight stubble rasping across my skin. “I can’t wait for tonight, but I’m telling you now, food first, then sex. I need my energy.”
He laughed loudly. “Very true, Jessa babe. You’re going to need a lot of energy tonight. I’d better find you some cake.”
I groaned. He knew the way to my heart, that was for sure.
Beside us, the other five strolled along quietly. It was just on dusk now and the town was still all creeped out in silence. It was like an abandoned ghost city, and I couldn’t wait to feel the life return to it again. I don’t think I ever realized how much I loved my home until I was forced to leave it. I did enjoy the adventure, traveling the world, and planned on doing much more of it in the future, but I’d always hoped that Stratford would be here to return to. It was where I wanted to raise my kids, with family and pack close by.<
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As the large wooden wraparound porch of the boys’ home came into view, I wiggled my way down off Braxton and ran up to the door. Cardia gave me another glare and I wondered what the bitch’s problem was now. Did she think she owned Maximus and the house? I was sure she’d been staying here while the boys were in Faerie, but that was no reason to get all territorial.
I’d been here when they built the damn place.
I guess, if I was being fair, I might be a smidge on the upset side if my mate disappeared for weeks to look for another chick. I didn’t actually know how much time they’d been apart since Romania, but I was thinking a lot. When they had first mated, and I’d kind of lost my mind worrying that our pack dynamics were over, Maximus had told me he would choose me over Cardia, over his true mate. His loyalty and sincerity had melted my heart, but I’d still always known that was going to cause problems between them.
True mates was a magical bond – you were magically predisposed to love them – but it didn’t mean you always got along perfectly, or that they were even the best suited to you. Unfortunately, you didn’t get much choice in the matter. The fates decided who your true mate was, and you just had to hope they chose well.
So, I guess Cardia had every right to be upset about his choices. My eyes alighted on Maximus. I’d been avoiding his gaze, worried he’d somehow read the truth about Mischa in my face. Probably just my own guilt talking, but this secret felt so big and I was bursting to tell him.
Examining my emotions, I was glad I wasn’t mad at him. Sure, he made some bad decisions with Mischa, but there was nothing innately bad in what he did. Sex happened, especially during highly emotional times. I had no doubt Maximus would step up and be a great father and support to my sister. It just sucked that Cardia and Mischa would be caught in a territory war, one which could divide our pack. We had to make sure that didn’t happen. We had to think about the new pack young on the way.
Opening the front door, I stepped inside and the scent of home surrounded me, that rich, spicy heat that all of the Compasses exuded, all male and all delicious.
