“All the more reason to take it easy. And if you are, you’re going to keep on staying with me.”
“All right.” They were, after all, going to be in this together—assuming there was any “this” to be had.
“I’m going out to fight now, but I have my cell phone with me at all times, and I’ve left you one on that bedside table.” He held his up and pointed to the one by the alarm clock. “You call or text if you need me, clear?”
His face was dead serious, his eyes focusing on her with an intensity that gave her an idea of how accomplished he probably was in the field: Nothing and nobody was going to get in his way if she called for him.
“I promise.”
He nodded and went for the door. Before he opened the way out, he paused and seemed to be searching for words. “How will we know if you…”
“Miscarry? I’ll start cramping, and then I will bleed. I saw it happen on the Other Side a number of times.”
“Are you in any danger if you do?”
“Not that I ever saw—not this early.”
“Should you stay on bed rest?”
“After the first twenty-four hours, if it’s going to take, it does—whether I am inactive or not at this point, our die is already cast.”
“Let me know?”
“As soon as I do.”
He turned away. Appeared to stare at the face of the door for a moment. “It’s going to stick.”
Of that he was far more confident than she, but it was gratifying to learn of his faith, and his desire for what she wanted.
“I’ll be back at dawn,” he said.
“I shall be here.”
After he left, she attended to herself in the shower, passing the bar of soap over her lower belly again and again. It seemed odd to have such a potentially momentous thing occurring in her own body, and to be as yet unaware of the particulars.
They would find out soon enough, though. Most females bled within the first week if they were going to.
When she got out from beneath the spray, she toweled off and discovered that he’d thoughtfully left another of her robes upon the counter, and she drew it on, along with some underthings in the event that a termination event occurred.
In the main bedroom, she sat down on the duvet to pull on her slipper shoes, and then…
There was nothing for her to do. And the silence and stillness were rotten companions for her anxiety.
Unbidden, the image of Xcor’s face returned to her once again.
With a soft curse, she feared she would never forget the manner in which he had regarded her, his eyes staring up at her as if she were a vision he couldn’t fully comprehend, yet would be e’er grateful for having seen but once.
Unlike memories of the needing, the sensations she had felt when that male had focused upon her were as incandescent as the moment she had lived them, unfaded through the months that separated her from that meeting. Except… had she simply imagined it all? Was it possible that the recollection was strong simply because it was fantasy?
Clearly, if the needing was anything to go by, real life faded fast.
The desire to be wanted did not, however—
The knock on the door made her gather herself. “Yes?”
Through the panels, a female voice replied, “It’s Xhex. Mind if I come in?”
She couldn’t imagine what the female was doing seeking her out. Still, she liked John’s mate, and she would always entertain his
“Oh, please do—hello, this is a welcome surprise.”
Xhex shut them in together, and awkwardly looked everywhere but upon her face. “So, ah… how are you feeling?”
Indeed, she had the sense a lot of people were going to be asking her that in the coming week. “Well enough.”
“Good. Yeah… good.”
Long silence. “Is there something I may help you with?” Layla asked.
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Then by all means, tell me and I shall do whatever I can.”
“It’s complicated.” Xhex narrowed her eyes. “And dangerous.”
Layla put her hand over her lower belly as if to shelter her young in case there was one. “Whate’er do you seek?”
“On Wrath’s orders, I’m trying to find Xcor.”
Layla’s chest constricted, her mouth opening so she could breathe. “Indeed.”
“I know you’re aware of what he did.”
“Yes, I am.”
“I also know you fed him.”
Layla blinked as the image of that cruel, strangely vulnerable face came to her anew. For a split second, she had the absurd instinct to protect him—but that was ridiculous, and not something she would sustain.
“Of course I will help you and Wrath. I’m glad the king has reconsidered his earlier stance.”
Now the female hesitated. “What if I told you Wrath couldn’t know about it. No one could, especially not Qhuinn. Would that change your mind?”
John, she thought. John had told his mate what had transpired.
“I realize,” Xhex said, “that I’m putting you in a terrible position, but you know what my nature is. I’ll use anything at my disposal to get what I want, and I want to find Xcor now. I have no doubt that I’ll be able to protect you, and I don’t have any intention of getting you anywhere near him. I just need the general area where he settles at night, and I’ll take it from there.”
“Are you going to kill him?”
“No, but I’m going to give the Brotherhood the ammunition to do so. The weapon that was used to shoot at Wrath was a rifle with a long-range scope—not the kind of thing anyone would take into the field on a normal night. Assuming they haven’t destroyed it, they’ll leave it behind when they go out. If I can get ahold of it, and we can prove what they did, things are going to take their natural course.”
Kind eyes, she thought… the male had had such kind eyes when he’d stared up at her. But in fact, he was the enemy of her king.
Layla felt her head nod. “I shall help you. I shall do anything I can… and not say a word.”
The female came over and put a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder. “I hate putting you in this position. War is an ugly, ugly business that specializes in compromising good people such as yourself. I can feel how this is tearing you up, and I’m sorry that I’m asking you to lie.”
It was lovely of the
“Xcor used me,” she said, as if trying to convince herself.
“He’s very dangerous. You’re lucky to have come out of meeting him alive.”
“I will do what is right.” She glanced up at Xhex. “When do we leave?”
“Right now. If you’re able to.”
Layla called upon deep recesses of strength. Then nodded. “Allow me to get my coat.”
SIXTY-FIVE
