Chapter 49

Natalie

The morning sun was shining on the copper roofs of the compound. From above, the variation in color from rust to sea foam green made the tops of the buildings blend into the forest foliage that surrounded it.

The Alpha— and of course he was not born an Alpha, but stole the title himself— had hired an expert architect and landscaper designer years ago when he found this remote spot. Unless you knew where you were going, it was difficult to find.

A young boy was playing in the dirt outside the largest house in the center of it all. His hair was growing dark, and at three years old one could already tell he would be a tall man. But for now, his eyes were sweet and his brow was only knit when he was concentrating on the mud huts he was building or figuring out a new toy he was given.

The child was the joy of the pack, the heir apparent with a heart of gold, and the cliche was proven that he was being raised by the whole village.

But one woman was the most responsible for his upbringing, and as she came out the front door into the yard, the boy squealed and put his arms in the air. She smiled, and reached down to pick up the grubby child, grunting with laughter at how heavy he was getting.

“Pretty soon you’ll be too big for me to carry,” she said to him.

“Never!”

She laughed again, and put him down.

“Time to start the day, Kai.”

She held onto his hand as they went for a morning walk through the gardens. They picked some fresh vegetables and visited the chickens. Kai liked petting the chickens, and liked it even more when they squawked and pecked in retaliation.

It was one of her favorite times of day, before the Pack was bustling with too much activity. She could almost forget where she was, how she got here. The years melted away and she almost convinced herself that she’d been here her whole life.

The past seemed so far away, so far that she stopped imagining that it could come back to become her future. At least she was safe here, for now. She had worked hard to ingratiate herself into the Pack and into the Alpha’s household, and then she had made herself indispensable.

Kai could go with other nannies, but he was most agreeable and well-behaved within her care. Their bond was solid gold, and she treasured that the tumultuous journey of her life had led her to him. She prayed every night that nothing would take him away from her, and that if the day came where she could ever leave this place she could take him and start a new life far from this place.

It was not a terrible home, but the mercurial moods of the Alpha still frightened her even when she could predict their arrival. She was valued, but not immune to his scorn and rage.

“Look!”

Kai’s sweet voice brought her back to reality. He was holding an egg that looked huge in his tiny hand.

“Well done, sweet boy!” She said, taking the egg carefully and putting it on top of their vegetable basket. “We’ll have a delicious breakfast this morning, won’t we?”

“Scramble!”

It was his favorite word, and it made her heart leap in her chest to hear it.

The tender moment was interrupted when a man’s voice called out to her from across the yard.

“Natalie!”

She sighed, picking up the boy, and walked back into the Alpha mansion. It was her home and her prison.

Killian

I woke up to the sight of Elena’s bare body next to mine. She was lying on her back, slightly twisted toward me, an arm across her chest as if even in sleep she needed to protect her modesty.

I rubbed my eyes to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. But it was real.

My head relaxed again on the pillow, and I shifted my weight carefully so I could face her. With the lightest touch I brushed a loose lock of hair away from her face. In response, she dreamily moved her head as if trying to catch whatever fly had tickled her nose.

It had been a long time since we were intimate, and even longer since it was initiated by her. Looking back, I actually couldn’t remember a time when she had propositioned me. She wasn’t unwilling when my body wanted hers, and sometimes I could see the relief that I wanted her at all. It made me a bit sad to think of the first years of our marriage.

We knew each other well, but still felt like strangers. Our bodies fit together perfectly, our bond too strong to be denied, but our hearts always remained distant. This was mostly my fault, as I was still hung up on losing Natalie. She was idealized in my memory, and I shuttered to think of the times I was thinking of her while in bed with Elena.

In the darkness of that bedroom, on this our second Honeymoon, I vowed to never let myself be blinded by a false memory again. Elena was the flesh and blood woman in front of me, and from now on I would do anything to protect her and keep her. She was mine, and for the first time, I was fully hers.

An image of Natalie appeared in my mind. Her body replaced Elena’s, so starkly different to that of her adopted sister. Where Natalie’s long and slender limbs used to entice me, I now felt almost nothing.

As the memory faded and I focused again on Elena’s alabaster skin, shimmering in the moonlight that crept through the curtains, my body shuddered with returned desire. I almost thought I should kiss her, wake her, and roll over her and take her again.

But then a soft whimper escaped her lips, and I just wanted to hold her. Her forehead was rippling as a dream overtook her, and her fingers started to twitch. I watched her body reacting to some negative scene in her subconscious, and I inched closer to put my arm around her.

Her body was hot, almost sweating, and I stroked her back gently trying to soothe her.

“Killian…”

Her voice was soft, and I could tell she was talking in her sleep.

“Shh…”

I planted a small kiss on her forehead, eliciting another whimper that turned into a choked cry when her lips parted to release sound.

“Please,” she said in her slumbered stupor, “please…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” I pulled her tighter to me.

Her next words were muffled against my chest, but I heard the words and felt the vibration of her voice in my heart.

“Killian, protect our baby.”