Chapter 44

Kadeem

Kadeem gasped as water flooded his mouth and nose. His arms windmilled through the churning water, searching for anything to grab onto.

But there was nothing. Only the deep end of the pool, stretching endlessly below him.

Panic seized his chest, squeezing the breath from his lungs. His heart hammered against his ribcage as if trying to break free.

Through the haze of terror, a single thought surfaced: I'm going to drown.

After everything he'd survived, this was how it would end. Not in some epic battle, not while protecting his pack, but in a stupid accident in his own gym.

He struggled to stay afloat, kicking his legs frantically. Then a flash of copper red fur and bright green eyes filled his mind. Ardal.

A surge of adrenaline shot through his veins, and with it came a rush of memories. Running through moonlit forests together as children. The first time he'd kissed her, nervous and fumbling, as teenagers. Their wedding day, when she'd walked down the aisle in a cloud of lace and roses, the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.

He couldn't die. Not now, when he was just starting to remember. When there was still a chance, however slim, to win her back. To reclaim the life and love he'd lost. With a roar, Kadeem redoubled his efforts, thrashing and kicking with all his might.

His head broke through the surface and he gulped in lungfuls of air, still struggling to stay afloat.

Kadeem hauled himself out of the pool, collapsing on the edge, sputtering and coughing, as he caught his breath. The quintuplets were still shrieking, and Susan sauntered over.

"Alright there, Kadeem?"

Ezra grabbed a towel and crouched beside him. "Should I call a doctor?"

He waved them off, pushing himself into a sitting position. "No, no, it's okay. I'm fine."

Physically, at least. Mentally, he was a mess.

Lottie's eyes were still full of tears, her cheeks flushed a deep pink. Kadeem forced himself up from the floor and shuffled over to where she stood, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

“Are you okay, Milo?” Kadeem asked.

Milo sat with a towel draped around his chubby frame. His eyes were wide and rimmed red, and his lips were trembling. Milo swallowed hard and nodded slowly, but his voice was shaking as he replied in a barely audible whisper, “I’m okay.”

Kadeem sat down on the edge of a pool chair. His throat and lungs still burned from the chlorine and every muscle in his body was sore. He raked back his tangled, wet hair. His clothes were sopping wet and dripping on the floor.

Kadeem heard the door open and glanced up to see Ardal. She was in her workout clothes, her hair in a messy bun, and she seemed to take in the entire room with one glance. His heart raced as their eyes met and he tried to steady his breath.

The kids burst with excitement. They all surrounded Ardal, chattering excitedly about how Kadeem had saved Milo from drowning. They were all trying to tell her at once, their voices rising and falling in a chaotic clamor.

"Mommy! Mommy! Kadeem saved Milo! He jumped right in!"

"Oh, Milo," Ardal said, wrapping Milo up in a tight hug. Her eyes flickered to Lottie. "Sweetie, you look like you've been crying."

"Yes," Lottie sniffed. "Kadeem was drowning, too. It was so scary."

Kadeem busied himself with drying off, trying to avoid Ardal's eyes.

"Thank you," Ardal said softly.

Annoyed, Susan slunk off in a huff, leaving Kadeem standing awkwardly in front of his ex-wife. He was still so overwhelmed from finally remembering her.

Simultaneously, he was heartbroken and lovesick. He felt overjoyed to know her again, but also wanted to crumble into pieces knowing how it all ended.

He couldn't speak - he could barely even breathe. All he could do was stand there, soaking wet and shaking with emotion.

Finally, he managed to grumble "you're welcome." He unceremoniously left her and the kids without another word, his wet shoes squeaking with each step as he walked away.

In the locker room, Kadeem peeled off his wet clothes and shoes, sinking onto a bench in the locker room with a deep, shuddering sigh. He felt drained of all energy, like his adrenaline had finally run out. His mind was a jumbled mess of emotions and he couldn't seem to separate one feeling from another.

In his mind's eye, he saw Ardal.

"If I stayed like this forever," she said, half-sheepish, half-smirk. "Would you still love me, then?"

He was 20. She was 18. He'd come to pick her up for their date, only to be told by her roommate, Julia, that she had locked herself in the bathroom and was refusing to come out.

"Ardal," he said, knocking on the bathroom door. "Open up."

After a lot of coercing, she let him in, hiding her face in her hands.

He immediately saw the source of humiliation. Her hair was a mossy green.

He had intended to be kind, supportive, gentle even. He failed utterly, bursting out laughing instead. "Good Lord, what did you do to yourself?"

Ardal uncovered her beet red face and slugged him in the shoulder.

"Ow," he chuckled, rubbing it.

"You deserved it!" She was so indignant, the features of her wolf began to show on her face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It was just a surprise, that's all. In fact, now that I'm looking at it more, it's not half-bad."

Ardal narrowed her eyes at him. "You're a terrible liar, Kadeem."

He seated himself on the edge of the bathtub and comforted her with a soft assurance: "It can be fixed." She stared at her reflection with disdain.

"Maybe," she said. "I was trying to save money by doing it myself." She shook her head. "That's what I get for being cheap."

"I'll help you pay for it," he said. "But, just for the record, you don't ever have to hide from me. "Brown hair, green hair. It makes no difference to me. I love you."

The shame faded from her face, replaced by one of tenderness.

She whispered a curious, "Really?"

He nonchalantly nodded in response and rose to his feet. He held her close as he embraced her.

Her mouth curved up into an awkward smile. "If I stayed like this forever, would you still love me, then?"

"I'll love you forever," he said. "Nothing will change that."

The door opened abruptly, dragging Kadeem back into the present. He looked up to see Ardal standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here," he asked gruffly, quickly grabbing his towel to cover up with.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have come in here." Her cheeks were tinged pink, and she averted her gaze to the floor. "I'll go," she said.

"Hang on," Kadeem said. "Did you need something, or..." He let his voice drop-off, unable to find the right words.

There was an awkward pause before she spoke again in a low voice, "I just wanted to thank you again for saving Milo today."

Kadeem's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, he got up from the bench, tightened the towel around his waist and walked over to his locker. "It was nothing," he mumbled. Twisting open the latch, Kadeem retrieved his clothes.

When he turned back around, she was gone.