Anybody still here with me? ╯︿╰
Fen brings to light something I've been oblivious to all this while.Maya’s custody.I don’t think I have ever considered what would happen in that aspect, and now that I listen to what could and may happen, my blood runs cold.“I… I can't give Maya to Hunter. That’s impossible.”Fen nods and his expression becomes less stony. He must have heard how bad my voice quaked and I despise myself for that, but I can't give Maya up for anything.“I know it’s hard to take” I swallow and Fen’s expression turns disconcerted, yet he continues “But it is one of the things that might happen when you go public with Roman for the werewolf world to see.”“But Maya is my daughter. She’s mine.”My heart palpitates and I sound like someone trying to convince herself of a fact right now. Fen shatters my whole outlook not a second later.“She’s not just your daughter Scarlett. She’s Hunter’s too, and he has rights to his child.”“That shouldn’t be the case when we divorce. He’ll cut off our mate bond. He’l
I kick the door of Roman’s library open and wince at the way it bangs against the wall. Danis looks up from his table by the side of the window and I'm surprised to see him wearing glasses. They’re almost like mine, but I know they’re medicated. The worry in his expression has me pausing for a moment before I make my way to him as fast as I can.Two piles of books are on the floor and one is larger than the other.“Did Fen tell you?”I nod and Danis looks away. “I’m sorry I didn't say this on time. It’s always been at the back of my mind, I think I simply… forgot.”Somehow the way Danis makes this sound like it’s his fault makes me feel how young he is. He’s only twenty-two or twenty-four, yet he doesn’t act his age at all. I’m pushing twenty-nine, almost close to thirty, and I freaking didn’t consider that my daughter’s custody would be an issue!“If you’re going to allot blame, heap it all on my head. I’ve been a dumb bitch, and a very irresponsible mother.”Danis’s brows crease
“Wow.”Danis drops that word as he saunters past and I open my eyes to see him walking towards the gate.Maya pops her head up from the little sandwich we’ve formed with Roman and cries after him. “You’re meant to train me today Uncle Danis! All we did yesterday was read!”The pout in her tone is evident and Danis stops like someone’s pressed the pause button on him.He turns with a slight frown on his face and he looks at Maya with slightly imploring eyes.“Can’t we do this when I come back? We read yesterday to help you with your concentration, remember?”Maya grumbles and something burns me in one swift motion. I barely have time to stop myself from crying out in pain before dropping my daughter. My heart misses a beat as Maya goes falling, but Roman catches her just in time.A sudden silence descends on the courtyard.The guards who witnessed what happened all look at me warily when I meet their eyes and when I look at Roman and Maya they both share bewildered expressions.I dire
“You didn’t mean to, did you?”Maya’s eyes brim with tears and she shakes her head. “No. I’m sorry mummy.”My instincts have me kneeling so I can be at face level with her and I place my hands on her shoulders as I look into her eyes.“Look at me, Maya.” A tear rolls down her cheek but she does. She’s scared. I can feel it in my bones.“It’s not your fault, okay? You can’t control how you feel in some situations and this was one of those situations. You were upset Uncle Danis wasn’t going to teach you, right?”She nods and I wipe that tear working its way down her cheek. “I wanted to see him do magic again.”Her reply has humor rising in me and I chuckle.“There’s no problem with that. But you’re a special child, baby. You’re not like every other pup, you have some things that make you different, but if you can learn to control them, you can be the most special different pup the world has ever seen.”“Just like Uncle Danis?”I feel like she gave me a punch with those words and a wry s
“You were worried a while ago. What is it?”The thought of leaving Roman in the dark about Maya’s custody issue doesn’t appeal to me so much anymore. I was planning on keeping it a secret from him, but now I know he’ll do anything he can for her.He’ll do anything he can for the both of us and denying him the knowledge of those things would hurt him as much as it would hurt all of us.“Another problem has reared its head.”Roman looks up from the file he’s perusing to cock an eyebrow up at me.I take a deep breath and say it.“Maya’s custody. Fen brought it to my notice today and it turns out..”“Shit!”Roman sits up immediately and open shock and bewilderment lines the planes of his face. It’s the first time I've seen those expressions on him in this form and oddly, it calms me because it’s from him.Roman looks at me and I nod.“That was the same thing I said when I realized what would happen.”“That can’t happen.”Warmth blooms in my heart gradually as I hear Roman’s remark and I f
Roman hashes out the details for the first party the Ironclaw pack has thrown in years with me and working with him comes easily.I don’t know what overcomes me. I just know I want to get it settled right away if I'm indeed going to do it and I think it’s already settled.I put forward decor plans, a list of packs to invite, strategic rooms to guard to throw Hunter off if he comes here and starts snooping around.With barely a week to the Alpha conference, we settle on throwing the party in the next four days which means I have four days to get my shit together and stop thinking I will fail miserably at this.I go to find Danis first. The list in my hands is clenched firmly and one or two Ironclaw guards nod to me as I make my way up the stairs. Roman’s mansion is huge and walking through it lately has made me extra aware of that.It’s also enabled me to find the ballroom they hid in here, yet even that fills me with inner conflict because do I make this an indoor event or an outdoor
“What?”Danis walks to the open window and proceeds to shut it as she speaks.“I said decide for yourself after you’ve met them. We’re going to meet them now.”I frown, a tad bit confused.“We’re going to meet your parents?”Danis nods and moves to the next window “Only my father and my siblings. That’s why I'm dressed. I have been summoned.”He says those words like they leave a sharp sting in his mouth and I frown more because I'm still a tad bit confused.“You want me to go with you…….. why exactly?”He turns and sighs, stuffing his hands into his pockets and standing in that wholly Danis macho-like way.“Let’s say they summoned me, yeah? And now I have to go, but a summons from my father is him asking me to come back, and he’s bringing my siblings as mandatory muscle.”“So you’re taking me as…. Your line of defense against trained werewolf sorcerers? Possible battle mages?”All the stories I read on battle mages and sorcerers come floating back and I shiver. I shiver and I laugh.
Roman's pov.I stagger from the amount of emotions flowing in through the mate bond.Scarlett.Something’s wrong with Scarlett.I reach the door to my office and push it open. It goes flying from its hinges and clattering onto the floor.My mind is hazy with pain as I reach for my phone. I call Fen’s line on speed dial and curse under my breath as another wave of queasy sickness overtakes me.Fenrir whimpers in panic for his mate and potent pain shoots through me.The pack must have been attacked. Something…. Something very bad is happening to my mate.“Fenwick of the Ironclaw pack here. State your business.”“Scarlett!”Fen’s worry leaks in through the mindlink and as it opens up I get a bit of relief from the pain surging through me.Fen’s footfalls echo through the line as he runs and the sound of the wind whipping past flows in from his end of the phone.I try to rouse my strength but I can't. Weakness flows like medicine through my bones and it disables me.For the first time eve