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“See that you are,”he barks.“Don’t make me send people for you.”
The line disconnects, and I lean against the glass, drinking in the last view of my family.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I have to do this.”
Turning, I walk faster and faster, and am soon running back to the Academy. Tears escape down my cheeks, my chest heaving with emotion. I refuse to look back, because if I do, I’ll never fulfill my destiny.
Chapter27
ONE AND A HALF YEARS LATER
“Are you sure about this?” I question for the tenth time. I have been away for so long, I know they won’t just be waiting for me with open arms. They are going to hate me and have a lot of questions.
Ones that I can’t answer. I may no longer be undercover, but I still need to listen to The Society's rules. It’s my price for saving Jonas’ soul.
I follow him down the hidden passageways to the courtyard, as he doesn’t bother replying this time. I don’t know why Chastity and the guys are here. They graduated last year, I heard.
“Keep your mouth shut and remember the rules we abide by, Ash,” he growls and I nod. I know better than to talk back to him. He’s a mean motherfucker at the best of times, but ruthless when pissed off.
Opening the hidden door that leads to the garden, I follow behind the man I have been shadowing for over a year. He’s tall with dark hair and a beard. Not to mention all the tattoos. I may have succumbed and gotten some ink myself, but I would never go to the extreme like he did.
Being undercover was fucking hard. I hated it, and the things I had to witness didn't help me sleep at night. I’m happy to be out of that hellhole, but I didn’t plan to return here.
Laughter greets me as I step out into the sunlight and I pause.
They can’t see me yet, and for that, I’m thankful. Chastity is standing there in a cute yellow sundress. She’s blatantly pregnant, and has a dark haired little boy on her hip. She’s booping him on the nose as he giggles and I’m frozen.
Jonas is talking with Bast, and drinking a beer. If I wasn’t lost in my head, I may have found that weird. They are at a religious Academy, out in the open, afterall. But I can’t stop staring at the little boy.
Doing the math in my head, I think I may vomit. “Are you coming, Spider?” he asks, and I shake my head. I open my mouth a few times and he grunts before leaving me in the bushes, hiding and watching the loves of my life, like some fucking Peeping Tom.
What the fuck happened while I was gone?
CHASTITY
Romeo squishes my cheeks between his hands and my heart just melts. I love this little boy with all my heart, as if he was my own. Speaking of… I search for my husband, but he’s not out here anymore.
“Where did Levi go?” I ask Jonas, and he throws his head back with a laugh.
“Elijah decided to give them both a bath with his juice box. After he grumbled, he mentioned going to the old apartment to shower and change. Do we even still have clothes here?” he asks me and I shrug.
“If we did, they would no longer fit me, but Levi should be okay. If not, I wouldn’t mind seeing him in his robes again,” I say with a smirk, and he leans over to kiss me and rub my stomach.
Charity starts to kick up a storm in my stomach and I groan. “Can you take him? I need to use the bathroom again,” I say with a laugh as I hold Romeo out to him. Jonas takes him and leads him back to the table where Tempest is chatting with Otto.
I look around the courtyard that’s filled with all of our family and love. Even my grandmother is here to celebrate Romeo’s first birthday. I close my eyes and sigh when my heart aches for the one man who isn’t here today.
I don’t know where he is, or what he’s doing, but I hope he knows that I love him, and that he will come home one day. There is someone here waiting to meet him.
I wave at Bast when he moves to join me, but I’ll be fine. “Love you,” I mouth, and he blows me a kiss. I’m smiling as I head back toward the Academy.
* * *
A manI don’t know greets me as I waddle over to the door leading back into the Academy. We had originally planned to have the party in Jacob’s backyard, but due to the weather a few days ago, they have some downed trees and the pool is a mess.
“You look just like Charity Cross,” he mumbles, his green eyes wide. I laugh and offer him my hand.
“Well, that’s because she was my mother. I’m Chastity,” I say politely, and he hesitates to shake my hand.Well, okay then.I do a small shuffle from side to side and look at the bathroom door longingly. “If you would just let me pass, I really need to use the restroom.”
