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“I have a confession to make,” he suddenly tells me and those black orbs in his eyes sparkle up again. “Actually, we all do.”
“What are you talking about?” I try to battle the dread that is now rising in me.
“Well,” he starts by scratching the back of his neck, as he always does when he’s not sure how to start something. It’s amazing how close we’ve all gotten in this short amount of time. So, I’m trying to figure out if this is a red flag or not, but he’s got that poker face again. “We sort of knew that Leo was going to attack.”
“What do you mean you knew?”
“Thor dying wasn’t an accident. It was him. And, we knew he’d be coming to pay us a visit at some point. While they were here right now, our brothers attacked their compound. We knew we would easily deal with Leo and a few of his guys.”
“So, you’re saying you knew this and you didn’t warn me?” My heart starts hammering, as I look at him in disbelief.
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying,” he confirms.
“But… why?” His voice just floats through my mind. I can’t imagine they’d do anything to hurt me and yet, they failed to warn me about something like this. Why?
“You needed to face him,” Theron explains. “You needed to battle this fear, this crushing sense of inadequacy and guilt. I noticed you were starting to give in and we just decided to use this situation, to try and help you.” He pauses and looks at me. He can feel that tension, as well as I do. “But you need to know that you were never in any sort of danger. We allowed them to capture us, to take us ‘by surprise’ so they’d think they had the upper hand. But we were in control of the situation the whole time.” He draws in a quick breath, as if he’s scared, I won’t believe him.
The sincerity in his voice is unmistaken. I know Theron, just like I know Dex and Zarael. I trust them. They would never harm me. They’ve proven that already.
“You’re not as weak as you think you are,” he continues. “You just needed to see that for yourself.”
Chapter 28
Twelve months in this place passed by like twelve days. I’m looking at my own reflection in the mirror, almost not recognizing myself. There is a crown of flowers in my hair, which is now falling past my bare shoulders, all the way down to my back. My dress straps are thin, but they’re holding themselves up pretty firmly. I look down and I can barely see my toes. I feel huge. Even though the guys would never say that. More cushin’ for the pushin’, is what Dex said a few times and I just laughed every single time. Theron doesn’t say anything. He just places his open palm to my belly and waits. Sometimes, he feels it. Even when he doesn’t, he seems content just by knowing that little person is there, even if he or she doesn’t show many signs of his or her presence. Zarael is more like Theron than Dex. He talks to my belly, pets it. He tells it stories about the lake and that Native American legend he won me over with.
“Hey, sis!”
The door barges open and Vanessa storms in. She is wearing a lily colored dress that floats around her legs. Her hair is up in a messy bun, her cheeks slightly flushed from the summer sun and the week she has spent here with us. I turn to her and smile.
“You’re glowing,” she whispers.
“You mean I’m gargantuan,” I correct her, with a smile.
“Smart ass,” Vanessa pinches me on the cheek, then sits on the bed.
“Where’s mom?” I ask.
“She’s with Dex.”
“Oh, my God,” I shake my head. “Why did you leave her with him? You can leave her with Theron or Zar, but not with Dex. He’s got no social constraints.”
“That’s what makes him so much fun!” she laughs.
“Yeah, I doubt mom would find him as amusing as we do,” I chuckle, still shaking my head. “I’m a little nervous.”
It’s the summer and I’m shaki
ng. I can feel my fingers trembling, my palms all clammy. No matter how often I rub them against my dress, it’s no use. I feel a little exhausted, too. I haven’t been sleeping well. The baby is too active during the night and it leaves me with the sheets in a knot in the morning and vivid dreams.
“Why?” Vanessa asks me. She knows that I need constant touch and reassurance. Especially now. Luckily, the guys know it, too. “From what I understand, it’s a lovely little ceremony that binds you all together to one another and to the child. Sounds so intimate and wonderful. Why would you be nervous about it?”
“I guess I still have that silly fear that they might change their minds about me,” I reply, shyly.
“Are you kidding me?” Vanessa almost shouts. “Are you blind, girl? Have you seen the way these guys look at you? They worship the ground you walk on.”
Her words calm me down. She’s right. It’s these silly pregnancy hormones. The guys are wonderful. I couldn’t ask for better partners. I really couldn’t.
“You could have left one for me, you know,” Vanessa continues, joking as she always does, “but, noooooo. You had to take all three for yourself.”
