Chapter 105

Kayla

Something warm and heavy across my midsection pulled me from sleep.

My eyes fluttered open, squinting against the bright sun streaming through the cabin windows. A light layer of frost had blossomed across the glass at some point during the night, casting tiny, colorful fractals onto the hardwood floors below. An untouched snow blanketed the ground outside, and the birds were singing in the trees.

The night had passed, and the guild hadn’t found the safehouse. The hardest part was over, it seemed.

But once again, that warm, weighty sensation pulled my focus. I looked down, and my breath hitched when I saw that Nicholas’s arm had draped over me in the middle of the night.

He was still sleeping soundly, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm, so I took care not to wake him as I slowly wriggled free.

I wanted to nuzzle closer to him, of course. Every fiber of my being wanted me to snuggle down into the warmth that his body provided, to press my forehead against his chest and breathe in the scent of him.

But I didn’t. Instead, I quietly got up and padded over to the kitchen to prepare some coffee.

My banging around woke the others pretty quickly, and soon, four steaming cups were doled out. I took mine and leaned against the counter, staring into the cup as if the dark liquid inside were the most interesting thing in the world.

Really, I just didn’t want to look Nicholas in the eye. But thankfully, he seemed none the wiser to our unexpected cuddling session, and immediately got to work planning the day with Noah.

While Noah and Nicholas discussed the next steps, I spotted Grace standing on the porch. She wasn’t moving—just standing there, coffee in hand, staring out at the snowy forest. I left Nicholas and Noah and went to her.

“Hey,” I said softly as the door shut behind me. “Need some company?”

She didn’t tear her eyes away from the view, but nodded. As I stepped up beside her, I couldn’t help but glance over at her. Her gaze was soft, but her eyes were shining as if she’d never seen the snow before.

Neither of us spoke as we looked out at the view, although words weren’t necessary. I could only imagine the emotions that were taking hold of her now, finally getting to see the outside world after years of being cooped up in that cell. And so I just let her enjoy it in silence, with the comfort of a friend at her side.

Finally, the warriors arrived, which meant that it was time to leave. Nicholas, Noah, and I got dressed to leave. I gave Grace the basket of things I’d prepared, which she took with a wide grin.

“How did you know I like to knit?”

My face flushed. “Lucky guess.”

Grace beamed and pulled me in for a tight hug. I promised to come and visit soon, and as we pulled away, her eyes caught on the little compass charm that I still wore around my wrist. “Where did you get that?” she asked, grabbing my arm.

“Oh… It was my mom’s,” I said, blinking.

She frowned and furrowed her brow. “I could have sworn my mother…” She shook her head. “Nevermind. I’ll see you soon.” And with that, she released me.

I took a step back, slightly confused. But Nicholas and Noah materialized at my side, and began ushering me out the door.

A few hours later, we finally returned home without a hitch. I was eager to flop down on my bed and just lay there until Hell froze over, but as we pulled into the driveway, I noticed a lone figure standing on the front steps.

A woman.

Anna.

As we approached, I felt my heart lodge in my throat. She had a large bruise on her neck, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. The moment she saw us, she came barreling down the steps, holding her pregnant belly and sobbing.

“Oh, thank the Goddess you’re home!” she cried. “We need to talk.”

Nicholas hesitated, glancing at me, but led her inside after a moment. Once we were behind closed doors, Anna broke down and told us what had happened—why she had a bruise.

“A crowd of people just… swarmed me while I was out,” she sobbed, rubbing her belly. “They were shouting things, calling me all kinds of awful names… Homewrecker, whore… One of them threw a rock at me, trying to hit my belly. I managed to move just in time, but the rock hit my neck.”

Anna’s voice trailed off in another fit of sobs as Jade carefully tended to her bruise and Emma pushed a steaming cup of tea in front of her.

Meanwhile, I was just in shock. No matter how I felt about this whole situation, Anna was a pregnant woman who hadn’t done anything wrong, and yet she had been attacked—by supporters of Nicholas’s and my relationship, apparently.

As if reading my thoughts, Nicholas met my gaze. He jerked his chin toward the doorway, and I nodded, following him into the kitchen. When he turned to face me again, his eyes were dark with anger.

“What should we do?” I whispered, folding my arms around my midsection.

Nicholas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Even if it’s not my baby, I can’t stand by while a pregnant woman is attacked by our followers.”

“Neither can I.”

There was a brief silence, and then Nicholas gave me a meaningful glance. I swallowed hard, knowing what he was about to say before he even said it.

“You think we should let Anna stay here until it’s safe,” I whispered. It wasn’t a question.

Nicholas said nothing, but the way his gaze softened told me everything I needed to know. I felt my chest clench painfully, and I stared down at my feet, unsure of what to say.

It was the right thing to do, of course. It was our supporters who had attacked Anna, after all. And besides, there was plenty of space in this big house.

But it didn’t mean that I liked the idea.

“Hey.” Nicholas touched my shoulder, the warmth of his hand pulling me back to the present. I took a deep breath and looked up at him, and his eyes were even softer now. “If you don’t want to do it, then it doesn’t need to happen.”

I hesitated, honestly considering saying no. Despite everything, I was still Nicholas’s wife, even if our relationship was fake. The thought of having the potential mother of his child in the house for the foreseeable future didn’t exactly fill me with joy.

And yet… If I had been in Anna’s position, I would have felt desperate. Hopeless. And no matter how I felt about the situation, what truly mattered was that she was a woman who needed our help, and we were fully capable of providing that help.

My mother would have said yes. She would have taken her in, even if it broke her heart.

Finally, after a moment of hesitation, I nodded. “She can stay for now. I think it’s best that way.”

Nicholas’s shoulders slumped as if with relief. His hand, still clutching my own shoulder, tightened ever so slightly—and for a moment, I thought he might pull me in for a hug. But he didn’t. Rather, he pulled back, smoothed down his shirt, and cleared his throat.

“I’ll go talk to her.”

And with that, he was gone.

Only once I was alone did I finally let out the breath I’d been holding. I bowed my head, inhaling shakily. My fingers found the edge of the counter to steady myself.

But then, suddenly, the sound of a familiar voice cut through the silence. Nora.

“It sucks, doesn’t it?” she said. “Losing the guy you fell for to another.”