Chapter 71
A few days had passed since I had told my mates about my magic lessons with the moon goddess. Since then, Nicholas had been a bit distant, seemingly lost in thought, constantly looking concerned.
Brian and Cheney had been enthusiastic about the lessons and encouraging. They asked questions and showed interest in my new abilities. They were sweet and passionate about this new thing in my life.
Each time it was brought up, though, Nicholas’ brows would furrow, and he would eventually leave the room. I could tell he had something to say but didn’t know how to get him to open up to me.
He finally confronted me with his worries, "Beryl," he began, his voice low and hesitant, "I've been thinking about those magic lessons. Is it safe for the baby?"
Cheney and Brian exchanged glances, their brows furrowing in worry. It looked as though they had had this discussion between themselves already and had just now thought of a way to talk to me about it.
This bothered me a bit, but I sighed, understanding Nicholas's apprehension. The bond between us had always been strong, but my recent secretive lessons had created a divide.
"Nicholas," I replied softly, "I've been careful. The moon goddess herself is guiding me, and I'm doing it to protect our pack and our child. I’ve had the same thought, but I assure you, I will never do anything to harm this baby."
Cheney nodded, agreeing with me. Since our big fight and reconciliation, we had grown closer than ever. "She's right. Anything that keeps her and our child safe is worth it."
Brian chimed in; his voice gentle but firm. "We trust her judgment, Nicholas. We should support her. We have to trust and build trust here, all of us."
Nicholas looked torn, torn between his concern for me and his desire to be by my side. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tender embrace. "I just worry about you, about us."
I leaned into his embrace, feeling his warmth, but also the tension in his shoulders. "I know, Nicholas. But we're in this together, no matter what." I wondered what was holding him back from me.
Little did I know that there was a female from the dissenting pack that was trying to come between us.
Nicholas:
After confronting Beryl with my concerns, I assumed the magic lessons would end, at least until after the baby was born. I was surprised and hurt that she seemed to have no intention of pausing them.
I was wandering aimlessly around the compound, trying to reorganize my jumbled thoughts, when I bumped into someone. I hadn’t even realized there was anyone around. This scattered action wasn’t like me.
I apologized at once, even before I turned to the person. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” Her eyes struck me first. They were an unusual shade of amber and were looking at me so intensely I took a step back.
“Oh, hi, again, sorry.” I stumbled over my words, and I wasn’t sure why. She laughed then, not taking her eyes off me. “It’s all right. It's an honor to be this close to such a powerful werewolf.”
She was practically purring. I was unsettled by her eyes on me, and the closeness of her. I took another step back, to give myself room to breathe.
Her scent was overpowering, something heavy and musky, that filled my nose and made my head swim. I had never had a reaction to a female like this before and I was unsure of what was going on.
“I’m Clara, from a visiting pack. We’re discussing bringing the packs together again today, but I needed to get out of that stuffy room. Did your father not tell you I was coming?”
“What? Why would he tell me? I wasn’t to be a part of the meetings today.” I took another step back, but she was still too close to me, even though she hadn’t moved. What was happening right now?
She laughed again, low and sultry, and something inside me stirred. She was pursuing me, and I hadn't felt like this in a long time. The cracks between Beryl and I had widdened over the past few months, and it felt good to have someone focusing on me.
I shook my head, to clear away the intruding thoughts there. She was smiling at me, like she knew something I didn’t, which apparently, she did. “I’m here to be presented as your mate.”
Her statement hit me like a brick in the face. “What? What are you talking about? I already have a mate.”
She was still smiling, not deterred by my shock. “We know. And we think that’s lovely, but there are three of you. One less might be a good thing.” She was smirking now. “It can’t be easy managing you three.”
Anger cleared my head, who was she to assume she knew anything about my relationship with Beryl. “Excuse me, I need to go. I have a family to get back to.” I turned and stormed away, but I could hear her laughing behind me.
“See you again soon, sweetie.” Her purr followed me across the compound and brought up thoughts of warm bodies and heavy breathing. I tried shaking the thoughts away, but every now and then they would creep back in.
What was going on with me? I had been with plenty of females in my life, but since I met Beryl, even before we were mated, the females around me had seemed insignificant, unimportant.
What did it mean that I was reacting to a female in this way now? Was the bond between Beryl and I breaking? Would I be better off with someone else?
I hated myself for even having these thoughts, but they kept coming, keeping me up at night. This only made the divide between me, and my mate widen, and I didn’t know how to fix it.
