Page 59 of Rejected By The Alpha Heir

“Can you try to remember?” I ask quietly.

Cleo looks at me and then over at Yelena. She sighs. “It’s the dreams,” she says, her voice so quiet and small. “I see things in them. And sometimes they happen.”

Yelena chokes back a sob, and I reach over with my other hand and rub her shoulder. This pretty much confirms our suspicions. Cleo is definitely the new Seer.

“What does that mean? Is it bad?” Cleo asks, climbing into Yelena’s lap.

Yelena is now crying, so I take Cleo’s hands and smile at her. “No, sweet girl. It’s not bad. It just means you have a Gift. That’s all.”

Cleo screws up her face. “Having bad dreams is a present? I don’t like that. I would rather have a stuffed animal or a toy truck.”

I laugh and shake my head. “No, not like a present. As you grow up, we’ll teach you more about it. But for now, you should tell your mom about every bad dream you have, okay?”

Cleo studies me but then nods and moves to stand.

“I want to go draw,” she tells Yelena. Yelena sniffles but nods, and Cleo heads off toward her room.

I scoot closer to her and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my embrace. To my surprise and satisfaction, Yelena leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispers, “For everything today.”

I pull her tighter and press a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m in this, Yelena. For you. For Cleo. Forever.”

“Cleo is a Seer,” she sobs, wrapping her arms around me.

I comfort her as she sobs, drenching my shirt with her tears.

“She is,” I whisper, “But she’s not alone. She has you to protect her. And me. I’llalwaysprotect her, Yelena. You have my word.”

Yelena pulls back enough to look at me. Even like this, with tear-streaked cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, she’s still the most beautiful woman in the world to me.

“Yelena,” I whisper, my eyes dropping to her lips.

She leans forward just enough, and I shift my arms so I am cupping the back of her head.

Seeing her like this, vulnerable and needing me, makes my decision easy. I close the small distance between us and press my lips to hers.

The kiss starts out soft and tentative, both of us uncertain. But soon, passion flares, our hurt and fear fading away as we lose ourselves in each other. My hands tangle in her hair as I deepen the kiss, drinking her in. She clings to me just as fiercely, kissing me with an intensity that steals my breath.

We break apart gasping, foreheads touching. The air is charged between us. As much as I want to go further, I know I shouldn’t. Yelena isn’t ready for that, and I refuse to ruin my precious second chance with her. I need to show her that I’m different now. That I’m ready to be the man she deserves.

"I should go," I whisper, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “And you probably want to check on Cleo.”

She blinks, surprised, but nods. “Okay,” she whispers back, scrambling to her feet.

To my surprise, she holds out her hand. “Come with me?”

I let her pull me to my feet and together we went to check on Cleo.

My heart feels full. I know I’m on the right path.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Yelena

The last two weeks have felt like a dream. Since the incident at the hospital and Cleo’s first confirmed vision, I’ve taken a leave from work. I can’t bear to be away from Cleo for more than an hour or two. Until we know how her Seer powers will manifest and what will happen next, I just can’t risk her accidentally revealing anything. I love my job, but my child is my first priority.

She and I are inseparable, spending the days baking cookies, making art, and…spending time with Austin.

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