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My wolf snarled in defense of Toyin. No matter how this had happened or how angry I was, no one would come before Toyin or our child. He wouldn’t allow it, neither would I, but I didn’t tell her any different. Keeping my intent hidden was cruel, but I wanted to hurt her the same way she’d hurt me.
“She’s for me to worry about, not you. Get some rest.”
Toyin opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off. “Don’t bother. You do not have the right. Let us not forget you created this mess and now you have to deal with the consequences. No matter what they are. I’ll stay in Laz’s room since you two are in mine. Good night.”
I folded my arms over my chest and she glared at me but turned on her heels, heading to my room. The door slammed shortly after and I groaned my annoyance.
Another fucking door slamming.
I was already over this shit.
Chapter5
Toyin.
By the time the sun came up I was exhausted. I’d barely slept because my mind was clouded and heavy with thoughts of what Xander had told me the night before. I must have read a hundred stories online which all said the same thing and proved his point. We were doomed. There was no way we could be together.
Pure blood witches and royal blood werewolves were not allowed to mate. Millenniums ago, my ancestors had decided since love was blind with some of our coven, they would use fear to stop those members from following their hearts. If you ventured outside of the coven, there was the fear of extinction of the one you loved.
Not every member carried the curse, but that was by design. You had to decide if the risk was worth the reward. However if you chose wrong and were indeed one of the cursed witches, lives were lost. There were only two outcomes. You killed your true love and everyone they loved which meant you ended up brokenhearted and alone or you died in the process of trying to destroy the one you loved.
A harsh lesson, a profound risk, but according to the myths it kept covens and packs pure. Now, the same curse was keeping me from having my one true love. A shifter my heart already belonged to. By default I would be denying my son the loving family and home he deserved.
This was all my fault.
“Can I come in?” The deep rumble of Xander’s voice which touched places in me that it shouldn’t have, startled me. I had been so used to being without him that I’d forgotten he was here. Even though I hadn’t gotten any sleep, I was still in bed,hisbed. Xander stood by the door, staring intensely, waiting for permission. Before I could process what he was thinking his eyes landed on the crib in the corner. “He’s awake…”
I frowned because it was barely six and Rafe usually wasn’t up before seven or eight. When I glanced to the corner and noticed my baby boy sitting up smiling, my eyes shot over to Xander who entered the room, mumbling the answer to a question I hadn’t asked. “I heard him.”
Supernatural hearing. I’d easily forgotten how things worked in a shifter’s world and their capabilities. Xander was shirtless so I watched his back, the muscles flexing and moving as he reached for and lifted Rafe into his arms. A wave of emotion cycled through me. This was his first time holding his son, feeling the bond I’d felt since he was born.
“Do you know me?” The low rumble of Xander’s voice placed a smile on my face as he spoke to Rafe, who bounced and smiled in his father’s arms. Xander chuckled and kissed the top of his head.
His back was still to me but I could feel his smile, his acceptance of the way our lives had shifted. More importantly I could feel his peace and when he turned my heart melted. This strong handsome man, holding his son, a smaller version of himself was everything I wanted in my life.
Xander was beautiful all on his own. Tall, solid, muscular frame with intricate tribal ink down his neck, shoulders, and back. The beard he wore was longer than I was used to and so was his hair, which was now in short spirals, but every inch of this man was temptingly perfect.
There was also that painful fact that one look at him, forced memories of that one night and I was struggling to be okay with that being our only night.
Those dark intense eyes, full lips, wide nose were also present on the smaller version of himself who was smiling and clasping his father’s beard with his tiny fist. Alone, Xander was perfection but together with his son—our son—they moved my world into a stratosphere I didn’t believe possible.
“Laz said you named him Rafe...”
“Rafe Xander Bennett.”
He frowned, looking down at him again. “He has my last name? How? I wasn’t here.”
“I delivered him at the cabin with Mara.” Mara was the multipurpose pack member. She navigated in so many different lanes which was necessary for our world, but midwife was one of the most important. Delivering babies had to be handled with care for supernaturals and she was always there to ensure things went as they should. “She filled out the paperwork to get his birth certificate. We added you as the father. Laz signed your name. I couldn’t…” I swallowed hard. “You needed to be listed. He’s yours, you weren’t here. I’m…”
“Don’t say sorry. Thank you.” He nodded stiffly, smiling at Rafe.
“Rafe…” he murmured.
“It means wise wolf. He’s your son, it fits.”
“What do you call him?”
“Mostly Rafe, but sometimes Wild One.”
