Page 30 of Broken Pregnant Mate
Last night, Oren and I slept alongside a little stream just inside the territory, and I tossed and turned all night, certain that Grayhides would get through the border and murder me in my sleep.
I’m grateful to be away from the Hysopp lands and nearing my temporary home, surrounded by the red rock and rising mesas, skittering lizards and knee-high brush, even if my entire face is still itching from biting and shaking the trees.
Turns out, biting a hundred palm fronds might lead to a little agitation.
Doingwhat?I send back, snapping my head around to look forward.
Being distracted during the mission.
Stop calling it a mission, I respond, because I can’t deny that he’s right—I am distracted. I’m thinking about Emaline. I’malwaysthinking about Emaline.
What wouldyoucall it then?
An errand.
Far too much work for an errand,Oren returns, sounding miffed.Besides, you’re avoiding the topic.
We’re on our way home. It doesn’t matter if I’m distracted.
Really?Oren sends.Then you’ve gone back on your word. A coconut could still threaten to fall on my head.
I stop in my tracks, causing Oren to tumble right into me. We fall loosely to the ground, him growling and pushing away from me, spitting once he’s upright like he’s gotten my fur in his mouth.
Did you just tell a joke? I ask, circling him and looking him up and down.Gods, maybe the witches did get you! They switched you out! Replaced you with another shifter! Now you have a sense of humor!
Oren does the equivalent of rolling his eyes and trots away from me, shaking himself as if trying to get the traces of me off.Anything to avoid talking about whatever is bothering you. That girl.
The instant flare inside me at his words—that girl—tells me that he’s right. Thinking about Emaline is tying me into knots.
What am I supposed to do about it? I snap, trotting myself to catch up with him. Oren doesn’t even bother glancing back at me, and I think about running ahead of him again, just to show him that I’m faster, but I’m so exhausted from the trip to Hysopp and back that I’m not sure I have it in me.
I suppose I’m just confused about what the problem is,Oren sends dryly.You like her, and she’s your mate. So why are you torn up over this?
BecauseI send back, realizing I’m confronting the topic for the first time with him.I am supposed to challenge JerrodBlacklock in a fight to the death. And I am not certain I’m going to win.
This time, Oren is the one stopping, and I’m the one nearly running into him. He shifts back to his human form, his skin glistening with sweat, and shakes his head at me, starting to pace back and forth.
I shift back, too, realizing just how thirsty I am. I reach for the flask in my bag just as Oren starts to speak.
“You’re not going to lose, Aidan.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “That’s very encouraging, but the pep talk won’t change the result of the real-world fight—”
“Trust me,” Oren says, circling around and glaring at me. “If there is anyone on this continent that you should listen to about this, it’s me. Firstly, because I am not in the habit of lying about anything. And second, because Iknowmy father. You seem to be forgetting that I have a special insider knowledge of the man.”
“And what does that change? You’re going to tell me about what makes him tick?”
“No,” Oren growls, looking to the sky as if the Gods are going to give him support. Then, he turns and fixes me with a glare. “I’m going to tell you that you can beat him. He’s loose, weak, and while he has a fighting spirit, he lacks discipline. Strategy. He allows his emotions—particularly anger—to get the best of him. He’s a narcissist and, ultimately, a coward. It’s not just that you can beat him, Aidan—youwillbeat him.”
I open my mouth, then realize I’m stunned speechless. Oren has stunned me completely—I had no idea that he thought that.
That he was so confident in my ability to beat his father.
“And we’re evenly matched,” I say, watching as Oren pulls from his own water, then replaces it in his bag. “Which means you can beat your father, too.”
“I can,” Oren agrees, simply. “But I’m going to let you have the honor.”
“Let me?”
