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"Sweetie," he said, grabbing her hand. "Look at me."
Reika opened her eyes, looking at Owen. He felt his heart skip a beat, knowing she was okay. "You're alive."
She looked away, looking around the room, shocked. Finally, her eyes landed on Holo standing at a distance, waiting as well.
"I am," she said, looking back at him. Her eyes dropped, though. "But I'm not sure I want to be."
He squeezed her hand. "We will get our son back." He kissed her knuckles. "Or I'll die trying."
"How?" she said, her voice cracking slightly. "We can't."
"We will," he said, pressing his forehead against her. "We just need a plan. Once we have a plan, we are getting our son back and never letting him go."
And that was a promise.
THIRTY-FIVE
REIKA
She sat up, still feeling exhausted from everything. She wasn't at her full strength, but she was alive. She took a deep breath, allowing her body to calm for a second.
"Reika." Still holding her hand, Owen spoke to her in a gentle tone. "We will get our son back, but you need to rest. Your body has been through a lot in the past twelve hours."
"Rest?" She looked at him angrily. "How can I rest when our child is in the arms of someone else? Someone that wishes to do him harm."
"He won't be for long," Owen said, promising her. "But you need to rest. You are lucky to be alive. You understand that you could have died, don't you?"
"I am coming with you, and there is nothing you can say or do to stop me."
"You are not," Owen countered, shaking his head. "You are not coming with me, Reika. You can hardly stand, let alone fight."
"I will do whatever I have to get my son back," she snipped. She meant it too. If she died, she died.
"I'm afraid that is entirely true," Owen said, giving her a soft smile. "And I can't have you willing to throw your life away so quickly. Because our son needs his mother when this is all said and done. So, you will stay."
"No!" she yelled, knowing she sounded like a child throwing a tantrum now. She didn't care. What he was thinking was going to get him killed.
"Reika, if you show up with me, they will make good on that promise, and we will all three die."
"I am not staying," she argued back. She pushed herself up, and Owen sighed. She watched as he glanced toward her brother, Uldof, who was standing at the door.
She watched as he pushed off the wall, walking to her. Owen held his hands up. "Reika, this is for all of our safety."
Her brother grabbed her from behind, pulling her back to the bed. She fought, but as Owen had stated, she wasn't at her most powerful.
"Owen! Don't you dare leave me here! I'm coming with you. You can't do this alone."
Owen gave her a soft smile before he pushed the door open and slipped out. She watched him shift before rushing off to the Raff pack. A whimper left Reika's lips, and she tried once more to get free. Her brother had a good hold on her, pulling her back to the bed.
"Reika, stop," her brother ordered, setting her on the bed. She tried to fight him, but it was no use. He was stronger and always had been. "You are beyond fragile. You can't behave like this. You're going to end up hurting yourself more."
"Don't!" Reika roared back at him, shoving him off her. She tumbled back onto the bed. "That is mychild! They have my child, Uldof! It isn't like a stolen book or territory line being argued about! They stole myson! My baby boy was ripped from my arms."
"I'm aware of that," he snapped back. "But I'm also aware of the fact you can't fight. If you do, you will die."
Reika gripped her hands into fists. "You don't get it. How could you? You don't have children."
It was like a slap to Uldof's face, and it showed. He growled at her. "Just because I don't have children doesn't mean I don't understand what you're going through, Reika. I understand that you're scared and angry."
