Page 45 of Fighting the Lies

“I haven’t even introduced you. Mom this is Scott. Scott my mother.”

He held his hand out and shook Mrs Bryant’s hand.

“Good to meet you. I won’t lie and say I’m a little concerned with my daughter falling for a lion as their reputations proceed them, but I can see that you make her very happy, so I will withhold judgement for now. Just know that I have a sword, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

“Message received, loud and clear.” He laughed.

Emma yawned and leaned further into him.

“If you will excuse me, I think I need to get this young lady to bed before she falls asleep here.” He stood and pulled Emma up into his strong arms.

“I’m fine, honestly.” She yawned again. “Ok, maybe I need a little sleep but first.” She tapped at his shoulder to get him to face Kas, “I heard what you said to Nuka. Is he leaving?”

“My brother will not be bothering us for the foreseeable future. He’s lost everything.”

“I know how hard it was for you to cast him out.” She slid out of Scott’s arms and placed her hand on Kas’ chest. The polar bear took her hand in his and kissed the top of it.

“Not as difficult as you think. You, Scott, and everyone else in this house are my family. I’ll do all I have to, to protect you all. Nuka removed himself from that protection when he attacked first Selene and now you. I should have told him to leave the first time, but I was scared. This time, however, I will not fail you all.”

“You’ve never failed us.” Scott felt a moment of passing jealously when Emma stood on the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss to Kas’ cheek. It passed, though, and he stepped forward to pat the polar bear on the back.

“I have to agree with the sexy little lioness; you’re one of the good guys.”

“Scott.” Kas looked downcast for a moment. “You know you are a part of this pack as much as anyone don’t you?”

“I think the one good thing to come out of this little fiasco is that I’ve done a lot of growing up.”

“Hallelujah.” Kas reached for the sky in a playful gesture.

“Hey, I wasn’t that bad.”

Kas raised an eyebrow.

“Ok.”

“He better have grown up, judging by the smell of my little girl.” Isabella mused.

“Mom.” Emma shouted.

“Smell?” Scott inhaled. Arousal? No. That was what she should be smelling of given they wouldn’t be sleeping straight off. He sniffed again. It was her usual musk that had him hard in seconds, but it was something else mixed into it. It was like a concoction of the two of them together. Emma placed her hand over her stomach. His mouth dropped.

“Er…I…er…bbbb…aaa….bbbb…yyyy.” He muttered in complete gibberish. The air left his lungs in a whoosh of shock. He wheezed.

“So much for growing up.” Emma slapped him hard on the back. His lungs filled with air again.

“You’re pregnant? How did that happen?”

“Do I really need to give you a birds and bees talk? Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll explain everything.” He nodded agreement and followed her in a bit of a daze. He was going to be a father. They’d only slept together once. How was that possible, and what freaky God decided to let that happen? Did that mean he couldn’t sleep with her any more? Fate transpiring to keep them apart until she had the baby. He would explode.

“Sit.” Emma ordered when they entered his room. It was as he left it, right down to the Guns N Roses and Metallica posters on the wall. The picture of Marilyn Monroe in that dress would have to go. Everybody knew she was a shifter, because she had a perfect figure, but he didn’t want Emma having to look at it. “Get your mind off the posters and concentrate on the fact that you’re going to be a daddy.”

“Daddy.” The word warmed his heart. It sounded like something that should be so fantastic. Especially with Emma as the mother.

“Yes. Selene’s candles masked the fact I was fertile. When we made love, we also made a baby. That is why I asked Kas to get me out of there right away. Nuka told me you were otherwise engaged, and I feared for the baby’s life when Ciaran figured out the truth.” Emma twiddled her foot on the floor, when she spoke about him being otherwise engaged.

“Engaged. Oh. He told you.” He cast his eyes downward in shame.

“Did you do it? Will this child be your only one, or will there be more?” He ran his hand down her cheek. Emma tried to pull away, but he drew her in with his stare. It penetrated her thick skin built up from layers of abuse at the hands of her father.

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