I sighed, “I’ve been thinking a lot about kids.” Rain huffed, “Pups.” I switched between saying kids and pups. Everyone at the pack said pups so I always slid back into that habit there. Here they said kids so that was my default now. I knew Rain found it amusing. She’d always say pups and that was fine by me.
My grandpa said, “What about them?” I sighed, “I’ve always known the Ring wants me. I never thought someone I knew would be part of them. Gystepi proved me wrong. What if I’m missing other things? What if I have a daughter who is also the Truth Seeker and I trust the wrong person? I don’t want to wait forever to have kids. I’m just already worried about them.”
My grandpa put his arm around my shoulders. He told me, “There will never be a perfect time to have children. When you defeat one enemy, another pops up. They don’t even wait to pop up sometimes. It is natural after your encounter a few years ago that you’d worry. You can’t give those that hide in the shadows that kind of power over you though.” I agreed with that. It just sucked to feel like they were winning.
Rain offered, “We aren’t ready yet either. We like our life with Cayden the way it is, and he feels the same.” That was true. My grandpa nudged me, “If you’re not ready, then you aren’t. If you are deciding based out of fear, then you need to talk to one of the therapists here. You can’t let fear rule your life because then the bad guys win.” I might need to just to center myself. I was a strong believer in therapy and had done it before.
He nudged me, “If you want to wait until you’re twenty-five or even thirty years old; hell, seventy-five is fine. We will all be around for centuries. There’s nothing wrong with waiting. You have to do what is best for yourself and Cayden.” I smiled, “You’re always so wise, Grandpa.” He laughed, “I’ve been around for a while.”
He asked, “Are you going to kill Cora?” I snorted, “Does everyone but Cayden know about that?” My grandpa frowned, “Cayden has always been blind to her infatuation with him.” I answered him, “I'm taking her down at my tournament. If she doesn’t get the hint after that, then no one will doubt I’m some mate who’s jealous of an ex when I kill her.”
My grandpa laughed, “That’s what’s stopped you?” I reasoned, “If I just killed her then some people would doubt my reasons. Everyone knows she wants him, that could annoy me enough to kill her for no reason. No one will doubt she wants what’s mine after the tournament.” My grandpa raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
I tapped my temple, “I plan to make her tell everyone what she hopes to accomplish.” My grandpa asked me, “And what do you think that is?” I said, “For Cayden to see me lose, go on an off period, and have a child with her. She wants to be important and being Cayden’s baby momma gives her that. She wants to tie herself to him with a child. She even wants people on her side. Which is ludicrous. Everyone here knows if I was infertile my mom or brother could fix that.”
My grandpa nodded, “Yes, there are many children here as a result of your mother. They know of her devotion to you. If something was wrong, she would’ve fixed it when you were going through puberty. She’s good at sensing it right away now.”
I stated, “I plan to remove all doubt of why I am mated to the Commander of the Hackura Army. I am the granddaughter of Titus and Veronica Cambridge as well as Nathan Conners. I’m the daughter of Eric and Haley Conners. I won’t back down from a fight. I will take them all down to prove my place here, whether they like it or not.”
My grandpa assured me, “You have always had a place here, with or without being mated to Cayden. You are the Duchess and my granddaughter. I won’t lie and say I haven’t adored every second of you being here. I love having you here. It makes my soul ecstatic you are mated to Cayden.” Rain purred loving his kind words.
He turned serious, “I would torture someone within an inch of their life for not making you feel at home here. Because you are. This is your home along with Faerie and Black Mountain.” I replied, “No one can make me feel like an outsider in any place I call home. She may make me want to spit nails with deadly accuracy into her eyeballs, but she doesn’t make me feel unwelcome. She’d never succeed at that.”
My grandpa smiled, “I’ve held your grammy and mom back. They are ready to attack.” I chuckled, “I know. Mom told me today.” My grandpa laughed, “Of course she did. I told them you’d have had a plan.” I admitted, “I’ve had a plan from the moment Cayden told me he had an ex who cheated on him.”
My grandpa bumped my shoulder, “Of course you have. You are stealthy, like your mom. I see a lot of me in you too though.” I knew he felt my happiness about that in the bond. I asked, “What would you have done if mom’s mate was a Fairy?” My grandpa snorted, “A Fairy? I would’ve killed him. They could not have my daughter after what they did.” Rain said, “That’s fair.” Yes and no but I understood.
I pressed, “Why didn’t you want her mate here?” He grinned saying, “No one was what she needed. It would’ve been nice, but most were mated that would’ve been close to what she needed. Your grammy wanted your dad for your mom first. That’s a secret, by the way.”
I asked, “Why?” He laughed, “Something your Aunt Astrid had going, but it was my Veronica all the same. Your Uncle Bjourn met your dad and fought with him. We were looking at approaching your dad for your mom once she graduated if he hadn’t met his mate. Of course, we would’ve upped that timeline if we’d found he was looking for a bride.”
I pointed out, “But he was.” My grandpa smirked, “He was looking for your mother though. I’d known for years. From the moment the Fairies and Werewolves were at war I knew what Eric would want to end the war.”
He acknowledged, “Our informants were just a little late with the information that the Fairy Prince’s had agreed to meet with the Werewolves. Your uncles and I were all out on missions. Zader and Logan were here, but my sources and Bjourn’s only speak with us.”
He chuckled, “Your mom told me before they could. I’m not sure she knows we all knew the second they met. I played dumb when I talked to her on the phone letting her tell me herself, but we knew where she was.”
I snorted, “Please. You knew where she was, what she was doing, and that she was insanely happy.” He admitted, “Yes, we did. The moment she felt lust Bjourn jolted into action.” I threw my head back and laughed knowing that sounded just like my family.
He chuckled, “I won’t deny the anger I felt at hearing her Fairy brothers set it up. They had no right after her childhood. It grated at me that they also beat me to my goal. I’d planned to introduce the idea to your mother. They thrust it at her to save their people.” He gritted his teeth.
Rain whimpered sensing his anger from the bond and sorrow from our Fairy powers. He continued, “People who had done nothing to earn her salvation of them. I wanted your parents to meet. Obviously, that would’ve gone far more interesting than I’d thought, but I’d planned the whole thing to be slower. I wanted your mother to be happy. I’ve always wanted that.” I knew that.
He sighed, “After what the Fairy Goddess allowed to happen to her, I wasn't about to trust her choice of mate for my little girl. I should’ve known Aesir had handled it. Your dad is her perfect match.” I smiled, “I think he has done a great job with all our mates so far.”
I admitted, “I’ve been mad at the Fairy Goddess since I was sixteen years old. I’m glad Aesir has to agree on our mates. Who the hell knows what we would’ve ended up with otherwise.” My grandpa kissedmy forehead, “All my grandchildren’s matches are perfect. As are my children’s. Don’t stay out here all night, Cassie Veronica Shayla Conners.” I smiled replying, “I won’t Grandpa.” He left.
I stared out of the ocean and pulled my connection with Cayden closer to me, which told me he was feeling calculating, intrigued, and weighing his options. I pushed my love at him. I felt a happy emotion overtake him as he sent his love back.
I popped into our home and got into bed curling into his pillow. I tried to sleep, but in reality I flopped around the bed most of the night. Eventually, I got up and grabbed one of Cayden’s hoodies. Then I was able to fall asleep.
I woke up to Rain linking me, “Someone is outside. Get up!” I jolted out of bed landing silently on the floor. I kept all the lights off as I slunk around the house to where I smelled people. Scents I was well aquatinted with. Rain snarled, “Cora.” Her and her friends.
I heard someone say, “Cora, this is over the line. Just beat her in the tournament tomorrow.” Cora snorted, “I need her off her game to win.” Rain mocked, “But she’s better for OUR MATE in her mind! She can’t win a fair fight, but she should be the COMMANDER’S MATE! She is DELUSIONAL! Let me rip her throat out.” I nearly laughed out loud.
Cora arched her hand back and threw a brick aimed at the bedroom window. I shot it with my sunlight before it could hit. They whirled around. I smiled mockingly, “Vandalism of the Commander of the Army’s house is a serious offense. I do believe you can be whipped in public for that.” Rain growled, “Do it.” I replied, “We are handling this at the tournament.” She grumbled in my head.
All of them paled. Cora snarked, “You’d like that, so I couldn't beat you.” I laughed, “You’re not going to beat me, and we both know it. I heard you say you needed me off my game to win just seconds ago. I wouldn’t have needed to hear it because I’ve kicked your ass sixteen different ways already. I’ll take you down again tomorrow. Then after that I’ll be done being nice. If you continue to come for what is mine, you’ll die. Get out of here, now.” They turned around to leave.
