Page 48 of Rogue’s Reckoning

FOURTEEN

ROGUE

"I’ve already told Willow,” I hear Natalia laughing as she and Ghost enter the main room. She’s been around the clubhouse a lot over the past few weeks. At first, she was hesitant, wary of us all. Not that we could blame her—all she knew about us was what happened to Willow. But the brothers like her, and Ghost’s so fucking in love with her he can’t think. “Well, she guessed. I’m not able to eat much, and the smell of food makes me nauseous, and as Willow’s been through this once before, it didn’t take her long to guess.”

“What’s Willow been through before?” I growl, needing to know what’s wrong with Willow. I pull a long drag from my cigarette and watch the two of them, my brow raised as I wait for her to speak.

"Well?" I question, taking a sip of beer. She’s not answered my question. "What's this about Willow?"

I watch as she glances at Ghost, who gives her a slight nod. Natalia turns back to me. "Willow's been through pregnancy before," she says, her voice soft. "And she recognized the signs in me."

I still, the beer bottle freezing halfway to my mouth. "You're pregnant?" I ask, surprise tingeing my words.

Natalia nods, leaning into Ghost for support. "Yeah, we just found out."

I set my beer down on the table and rise to my feet. I cross the room in a few strides. “Well, I'll be damned,” I say, and the brothers in the room cheer. “Congratulations, brother,” I tell Ghost with a huge fucking smile. “I’m happy for you both.”

I know Ghost is over the moon. I can see it in his eyes. He’s lost his family—blood—but now he’s going to have a kid. Fuck, I couldn’t be happier for him. Our brothers join us and congratulate Ghost and Natalia, all wanting to celebrate the good news with them.

My body stills as I remember Nat’s words about Willow going through this before.

“Willow has a kid?” I demand.

“Yeah. Wren. She’s an absolute sweetheart. I love that kid so much,” Nat tells me with a smile.

My chest tightens at her words. Christ, Willow has a kid. Fuck. "Wren? That's... that's an unusual name."

Nat nods, a bright smile on her face. “Yeah, I love it. It suits her so much.” It’s clear to see that she does love the kid. I know that she and Willow are close, that they’re best friends, but Christ, hearing that Willow has a kid fucking kills me.

“How old is she?” I ask, trying to keep the pain from my voice.

Natalia blinks, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, um, she’s five.”

My jaw clenches as pain slashes through my chest. Fuck. What the actual fuck? “She had my kid?” I growl, unable to hide the pain any longer.

Natalia looks at me with wide eyes, like a deer caught in headlights.

“Darlin’,” Ghost says quietly, “you never told me that Wren was Rogue’s.”

The room falls silent, and I know my brothers are just as shocked as I am. Christ. What the fuck?

"I—I..." she stammers.

My fists are clenched at my side. I’ve never felt such an overwhelming sense of pain and betrayal before. Christ. "She kept my kid from me for five years?" I snarl, my voice low and dangerous.

“Oh no,” she hisses, trying to pull out of Ghost’s embrace. “What did you expect? Hmm? Tell me, Rogue, what did you expect her to do? The man she loved let her get tortured. He watched it happen and didn’t do anything about it. I’ve heard the screams from her nightmares of that night. You were supposed to love her. You were meant to protect her. Instead, you fed her to the wolves. Don’t you dare fucking stand there and get angry that she kept her child from a man who hurt her.”

My chest is heaving as I step forward, but Ghost steps in front of Natalia. Does he think I’d fucking harm her? “Easy, brother," Ghost warns, his voice low.

I stop, feeling fucking raw. "I didn't know," I say. "I didn't know she was pregnant when she left."

"Would it have made a difference?" Natalia snaps. "Would you have stopped them from hurting her if you'd known she was carrying your child?"

The room is fucking dead quiet. It was beyond messed up what happened with Willow. We all made mistakes, and I’ve lived with it every fucking day since.

"I fucked up," I admit, my voice cracking. "I've regretted that night every day for the past five years. I was wrong about what happened. So fucking wrong."

"It's not me you need to tell this to," Nat says softly.

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