Chapter 183

Maeve’s POV

I instinctively put a protective hand over my belly, trying to shield it from Eric’s gaze. Mirage only gave me a small knowing smile and I felt a sense of unease washing over me.

“What do you know about my baby?” I asked, my tone coming out harsher than I meant it to.

Eric smirked and leaned back in his seat, he was no longer looking at the fire, but instead, he was staring at my face, studying me as if I was his favorite book to read. I felt my stomach twisting in agony and it made me keep my unborn baby safer.

“Not much,” he admitted. “But I know that’s not a normal baby. It’s an Enigma, and if you aren’t careful, you both could be in danger.”

I continued to chew on my lower lip, shaking my head, not wanting to believe a thing he was saying to me right now. No, my baby was perfectly safe; there was no danger anymore now that Kenneth and Isabelle were gone.

Eric surprised me when he stood up and walked around the fire, nearing me inch by inch. The closer he got, the more uneasy I felt. He knelt in front of me, his hands resting on either side of my belly. I was frozen in place, shocked by what he was doing.

“Your baby is powerful; with us raising it… It can be the most powerful entity in this entire world. Two people who have the blood of the Red Oak Coven—”

“I’m not raising my baby with you, Eric,” I snapped. “Are you insane? I’m engaged to your brother.”

“My brother would never understand you, or this baby,” he told me firmly. “You need to be around those who truly get you. Your baby will need all the training it can get, and Xaden can’t even come here.”

“You have no idea what you are talking about,” I stand up, making him back away from me and my unborn baby. “Eric, I thought you were my friend, but you’ve been plotting against me the entire time.”

“I was never plotting against you because we are in the same boat. We were children of this tribe, born to be one thing and thrown away when we didn’t end up being that thing. My father only had me under the pretext that I was an Enigma, but I’m not,” Eric said, following me as I paced around, trying to clear my head.

I turned to face him, my eyes narrowed.

“I’m hearing you, but I’m telling you, I’m not raising my baby with you, Eric,” I told him fiercely.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed deeply.

“You and your baby will forever be in danger if you aren’t properly protected,” Mirage finally cut in, standing to her feet. She turned to face us, her eyes serious and never leaving my face as she approached. “Now that King Arlan knows that you are birthing an Enigma, he won’t stop at anything to get his hands on it. Do you think he’s any different than your father? Eric is living proof that he isn’t.”

I swallowed and glanced at Eric; Mirage was right. If Eric’s mother really was part of my mother’s tribe, that meant the King wasn’t any better than my own father and I knew how selfish and manipulative my father was. The King went from hating me to liking me all because of this baby inside me.

I felt a wave of nausea consuming me at the very thought. I couldn’t let anything happen to my baby. I needed to be prepared for anything and that meant I might need the help of this coven.

“What is it I’m supposed to do?” I ask, hating how vulnerable my voice sounded.

“We want you to set up a meeting between us and King Arlan,” Mirage told me.

My heart hammered in my chest hearing her words. Bringing these human witches to the kingdom could cause a war. It could put everyone I care about in danger.

“That could end up bad for everyone in the kingdom,” I told her. “It could cause mayhem.”

“Or it could cause peace,” Mirage rebuked. “We don't wish to cause a war, we only want to talk.”

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

“Get us a meeting with the king,” Mirage stated, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Why me? Why not Eric?”

“Because my father doesn't trust or respect me. He doesn't listen to a thing I say, especially now that I know the truth. He'd rather brush me under the rug and pretend I don't exist,” Eric said; his tone dark and gloomy.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stared between Eric and Mirage.

“You are the only one who can get into the kingdom and speak to the King. The King also holds something dear to the coven that we need back. You are the only one who can get close enough to him to retrieve our item.”

“What item?” I asked skeptically.

“A spell book,” Mirage answered. “It belonged to your mother. It is a powerful spell book. It can only be used by Enigma wolves.”

I gasped as I put my hands on my belly. The thought of my baby being used to cast spells out of an old spellbook didn’t sit right with me.

“What kind of spells are in this book?” I asked, staring between the two of them.

“It’s mostly dark magic,” she told me, making me take a sharp breath. What would my mother want with dark magic? “Why would my mother have this book?” I found myself voicing the question out loud.

“She’s been chosen to protect it at all costs. She was trusted the most out of all the witches in any coven,” Mirage explained. “With it falling into the wrong hands, it could do serious damage. The only thing protecting right now is the fact that Enigmas are extinct…” she glanced at my belly. “Until now.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and let out a shaky breath as I nodded, understanding dawning on my face.

“Okay,” I told her. “So, you need to get this book back so it’s safe within the coven. Where can I find this book?”

“There’s a safe in the palace library. I’ve been trying to break into it, but it can’t figure out the lock,” Eric told me. “You might be able to get close enough to the King where you can figure it out or find it. I was never successful because he barely lets me near me.”

My heart ached for Eric a little; knowing his father resented him so much. I knew the feeling and I would never wish that on anybody.

“Okay,” I breathed. “So, I’ll find a way to get the book back and maybe get a meeting set up with the King. But you have to promise me that nobody will get hurt. There will be no war if I do this for you.”

Mirage smiled and reached her hand out to shake mine.

“I promise you; the witches have no intentions of causing any distress or harming anyone,” she told me. Something about her tone made me think she was choosing her words wisely. But I was too tired to really analyze it too much.

“Now, can you take me home before my mate freaks the fuck out?” I asked him.

He grinned and nodded.

“I have a chopper, which I used to bring you here. We’ll take that home,” he agreed.

I nodded and then turned to Mirage.

“I promise, I’ll help your coven. I mean, you are technically family, right?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. She was part of my mother’s coven, and a coven was family by nature.

She gave me a genuinely warm smile as she hugged me tightly, pulling me into her chest.

“Yes,” she breathed. “We are family. This is your home. You are always welcome here.”

When she pulled back, she had tears in her eyes. Then she turned to Eric and gave him a quick hug.

“Fly safe,” she warned.

He nodded.

Within 30 minutes, we were in the air, flying home. I had no idea how far away the Kingdom was, but I knew the Lost Island was a long way away from it. I sat with the headphones on, staring out the window, watching life move on around me. I remained silent, kind of stewing over the fact that Eric kidnapped me in the first place, but it ended up working out because I was able to meet Mirage and now, I have a mission to protect my baby and protect the peace.

“I’m sorry,” Eric said, glancing at me from over his shoulder. “Kidnapping you was wrong.”

“Yes, it was,” I told him flatly. “Why couldn’t you just tell me all of this and then ask me to go with you to meet with them? Did you really think I’d say no?”

“I didn’t think Xaden would allow it,’ he muttered, rolling his eyes. “I still think we make a better team than you and Xaden ever did. We could raise your baby right and train him to be powerful. He’s going to need the coven…”

My final straw was finally broken, and I glared at Eric.

“Let’s get one thing straight, Eric. I will never, and I mean never, allow you to raise my baby or be with you in any kind of way other than my brother-in-law. I am marrying my fated mate like the goddess intended and I am having his baby. You can either get on board or stay out of our lives.”

His expression darkened at my words and his lips pressed in a thin line. For a moment, I worried I overstepped or pushed him too far. An iciness rolled off him in waves and it left an unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“I won’t overstep again,” he said through his teeth. “We are almost home. You sure you can handle your mission?”

“As long as nobody gets hurt, then yes.”

“And one other thing, Maeve,” he said after a pause. “Nobody can know about this. Not even Xaden.”