AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s new,” I say.
“It’s the heater Jace was talking about installing,” she says. “Don’t you remember?”
My smile falters. “Must have happened after I was already gone.”
Footsteps sound at the door and I look up to find Soledad and Charlotte joining us, the two of them going to get changed. They wave before coming over and stepping into the water themselves…and it all feels so ordinary that it makes my heart stutter. The Rig is already starting to feel like a nightmare, fading as I settle back into my home.
I can’t forget, though.
Because that’s where all my memories of Javi live…and if he’s gone…
I burst out crying before I can stop myself, a sob wrenching itself out of my throat. I try to hide my face in the water, but the others crowd around me and Akari reaches out to put a comforting hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently.
“Hey,” she says. “You don’t have to do anything if it’s too soon.”
“That’s not it,” I say. “I’m just…I’m afraid that if I start to feel too comfortable, I’ll forget what happened, and I don’t want to forget everything with Javi.”
“That’s his name?” Charlotte asks. “Javi?”
I nod. “Javier Ortega.”
Soledad tilts her head. “Will you tell us about him?”
I look toward the water and the swish of waves from our movements reminds me of the Rig. It makes me think of all the moments that were hard…but all the ones that were nice, too. My nights on the Rig were scary, but I spent most all of them wrapped in his embrace.
“I don’t really know that much about him,” I say, my voice hollow. “He doesn’t like to talk about his past.”
Charlotte smiles. “That’s okay. Just tell us the love story. Can you do that? You know I love a good romance.”
I smile back—because talking about him, even a little bit, makes me feel like I’m with him.
“Yeah,” I say. “I can do that.”
So I tell them everything.
About the initial kidnapping, seeing my father again, being taken to the citadel. I describe the hunt, my father’s plan that horribly backfired to find the cruelest, toughest alpha to be my mate. I tell them that Javi has always been gentle, that even when I can tell he wants to be cranky, he can’t resist being kind.
And I tell them about our impossible baby.
“I didn’t even know you could get pregnant outside of your heat,” Soledad mutters. “He must have some pretty powerful swimmers.”
“Jesus, Soledad,” Akari snorts.
Charlotte shrugs. “He’s a big guy. I could see it.”
“I don’t know how it’s possible, but it happened,” I say. “I’m still not really sure how I feel about it. At first I was just scared, but now that I’m home, I’m just…confused, I guess?”
“You’re pretty young,” Soledad says. “You know you don’t have to—”
“She doesn’t want to hear that right now,” Akari snaps.
“No, it’s okay,” I say. “I know. And I’ve thought about it…but I can’t decide until Javi wakes up.”
“And you don’t have to,” Charlotte says. “I mean…gosh, that’s quick. What’s it been, three weeks?”
I nod. “Between heats. Crazy, right?”
“Next one’s right around the corner,” Akari says. “Just a couple more days and it’ll be the full moon again.”
