AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He didn’t do a damn thing wrong. This is all on me. I’m the one who woke up freaked out about not knowing where I was for a few moments, and now, I’m too ashamed to face him again. The truth is, he’s better off without a damaged person like me. He deserves someone far better than me and has none of the baggage I have allowed myself to carry around when I fool even myself into thinking I’m okay.
After our fabulous night, waking up at Miles’s house should have been something wonderful. It wasn’t him who pushed for anything. The fault rests solely with me, and when I fell asleep nestled against his warm, naked body, I was content, safe, and felt at peace in a place I never thought I would. Not even my dad was able to give me the level of comfort Miles did in that single night.
It was my dream that drove me to panic and need immediate space from Miles and everything that somehow had memories flooding back to gather myself.
In my dream, I woke to Grant sitting beside me rather than Miles. My body ached all over, my eyes hurt to open, and the scent of blood was strong in the air. When I finally couldopen my eyes enough to look around, I found Grant’s knuckles bloody, and he was holding a little wriggling bundle.
Dread had my body petrified both literally and figuratively as ice flooded into my veins.
My trembling hand went down to my stomach, where I felt the warmth of blood. It took everything in me to look down and find my shirt was drenched in life’s crimson fluid. I lifted the sheet around my legs and found more.
All of it mine.
“You thought you could keep this from me.”The gruff, menacing tone of Grant’s voice did nothing to help me in my recovery of what I just unveiled.“All of this belongs to me, including you.”He continued.“And now you’re mine once more.”
The nightmare felt so real, just like the others I’ve had in the past. Grant found me and uncovered a secret I have always been willing to die in order to protect.
My son.
A sweet, innocent boy created in hate, fear, and evil. My scars run deep, especially when it comes to Teague.
I still don’t know how I managed to hide my pregnancy from Grant, but I successfully avoided him ever knowing I was carrying his child after I was forced to let him into my body, but I did. After I left at two and a half months pregnant, I kept moving throughout to keep us both safe. I carried Teague to full term in Idaho. After giving birth, I allowed a wonderful family far from Grant to adopt him. I only asked them to keep the name I gave him and let me be in his life.
I named him after my dad, my protector, and I believe the person who managed to keep me away from Grant as muchas possible. I know having to leave me to my own took a toll on him just as much as my mom, and had Teague been a girl, I would have named her Jewel for my mom.
While I hid, my parents searched for someone who would know what to do for Teague when he grew up. I wasn’t sure much about the whole werewolf ordeal, so I didn’t know if it was something he would inherit from the man who donated half of his DNA or what he would be like.
Luckily, the couple who adopted him were fully human, but the woman he would call mom was the daughter of a werewolf and knew how to help.
So with those thoughts of Teague as I started to wake, the moment Miles’s lips pressed into my hair, I was set off and needed to escape.
I’ve thrown myself into work while also watching my surroundings whenever I leave Missy’s house or the office downtown. Ever since Grant’s return to my nightmares, I feel like someone is always watching me, but I have yet to turn up any proof.
Just good ole paranoia attacking my mind.
My phone begins to vibrate next to me from my position on the floor, where I spread out various pictures of Teague that have been sent to me over the years. I don’t need to look over to see it’s Miles again. He won’t give up, and the part of me who yearns for him loves it and wants me to answer, but the other part wins out. I’m not ready.
I should feel good. I gave him what every man wants, and he’s still trying to reach out to me.
Just as the vibrations stop, a pain sharp enough to cause me to clench my chest and double over until my face is nearly inthe floor pierces me. This isn’t the first time this has happened in the days that followed me fleeing Miles. They come at random throughout the day and even the night. It doesn’t last long, but it’s enough to steal the breath from my lungs for a moment or two before it vanishes as if it were never there. The memory of it is what lingers.
Looking over at my phone once more, I fight through the pain and pick it up. Instead of giving in and calling him back, I dial the one number I know the person on the other end will answer no matter what time it is here or there.
I don’t have to wait for a second ring when my mom picks up. “Hey, Alexa. How are you, darlin’?” My mom’s sweet, twangy voice has tears pebbling in my eyes once more.
“Hey, Mom.” I’m not fully at ease, though. Even locked away in my room upstairs at Missy’s house, I feel like I’m being watched.
“What’s wrong, Alexa?” The dread that instantly fills her voice nearly breaks me. “Did that boy do something to you?”
“No, he didn’t. I’m just …” Exhaling, I fall back against the side of the bed. “I don’t think I can do this with him … with any man.”
“Why?”
“He’s wonderful and sweet, kind—”
“So what’s wrong?” She cuts in before I can talk myself out of anything Miles again.
“He’s too good to be true, Mom.” I take a breath and continue, but she stops me.
