Chapter 29
The shockfrom Mal’s words left the room so quiet you could hear a pin drop. His shoulders were tense, he was obviously uncomfortable, but his chin was up and he looked determined, too. If there was one person he felt confident speaking honestly to, it was his dad. And the room seemed to agree with him. Leona had a look of betrayal and heartache on her face. Mal’s sisters all looked angry. They agreed with him. I would too. If one of my dads got sick and gave up fighting, I’d be angry too.
Mal’s dad gave his son a tremulous smile. “You would have been justified. I’m sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I only wanted to make things easier on you.”
“I told him it was too soon,” an aged voice spoke near the doorway. The sisters all parted to make room for a demon in plain white robes. He tipped his head, lifting his eyebrows at Mal’s dad. “I also said you should discuss it with your family first. You didn’t listen to me.”
Mal’s dad scowled. “Hush now, Conrad. I meant well.”
The man, who I assumed was the original healer, turned to Leona with a grimace. “I promise, I never meant to keep it from you. He made me swear a vow. I asked him to consider a facility, but he refused.”
Leona shot her husband a dirty look. “You’re lucky your son took action. I had no clue things weren’t as they were supposed to be. Malakai is right. Had I found out you took those moments away from me, I would have hated you for it.”
“Leona, sweetheart,” he pleaded, remorse clear on his face. “Please don’t be angry with me. I was trying to spare you. You know the survival rates for this disease.”
“Less than five percent,” Mrs. Malatesta said airily as she bustled into the room. “Which is five percent more than zero. It is a miracle that you survived, but it wouldn’t have happened without Mal getting you the help you needed. Now, I understand you have a lot of groveling to do, but it will have to wait. You need your rest. I’ll ask that the family clear out to make room for my team. We still have work to do.”
They all left, albeit reluctantly. I practically had to drag Mal with me. I pulled him into the waiting room, resting my head against his temple when he sat down and dragged me into a hug. We stayed that way for a little while, just giving Mal the time he needed to come to terms with everything he’d just heard. It wasn’t until Leona came out that he straightened. His eyes looked weary, and he still had an edge of heartache. Leona’s smile was forced and that same pain shone in her eyes as she sat beside Mal.
“Mom, I’m–”
“Don’t. Don’t you apologize now. You saved his life. If you hadn’t done what you did, he would have died.” Tears spilled over her cheeks and her voice tightened. “Thank you. Thank you for saving him.”
Stepping away, I gave room for Mal to hug his mother properly. I stuck close, just in case he needed me, but he needed the time to heal. Sitting next to Myra, I tipped my head at her.
“Doing okay?”
She let out a slow breath. “Yeah. It’s shocking, hearing what he tried to do. But honestly, I get it. If I was in his position and I was watching my family suffer for something I had very little hope of surviving, I’d probably do the same thing. I mean, I would’ve told everyone first, but yeah. I wouldn’t want to drag it out either.”
“I think telling everyone would’ve made a world of difference,” I agreed. “At least then you guys would’ve had time to come to terms with it.” Glancing back at Mal and his mom, I sighed. “At least there was a good outcome. I’m glad Mal spoke up for himself. Your dad needed to hear it.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Right? It blew my mind hearing him talk like that, though. Mal doesn’t say stuff like that.”
I pursed my lips thoughtfully. “Maybe he hasn’t said it, but I bet he was thinking it. He’s got a lot of opinions he keeps to himself.”
Her nose scrunched. “Why?”
I raised my eyebrow at her. “He’s the youngest in a huge family with six older sisters. When would he get a word in edgewise?”
“Huh.” She tipped her head thoughtfully. “You know, I never really thought about that. I just figured he was quiet because that was just who he was. Well, now I know I can pester him into weighing in. I can’t tell you how many fights have ended up three on three with no resolution because Mal wouldn’t pick a side.”
Rolling my lips between my teeth, I fought off a laugh. I doubted Mal would suddenly get involved in his sisters’ arguments, but I had a good feeling he’d speak up more. He found out the hard way what happens if he keeps his concerns to himself. If he hadn’t broken that habit, his dad might not have gotten the care he needed.
After the healers finished with Mal’s dad, Mrs. Malatesta agreed to let two visitors in at a time. Mal pushed to his feet, beckoning me closer, and tucked me under his arm.
“Mom said we can go in first. I want to introduce you properly.”
Ducking my head to hide my smile, I nodded. “Okay. Lead the way.”
I hadn’t really had a chance to be nervous when we first arrived. It was such a whirlwind of activity and revelations that I was stuck in caretaker mode. Now, though, I realized I was going to be meeting Mal’s favorite person on the planet. I combed my fingers through my hair self consciously, shuffling along with Mal’s guidance. Mal didn’t notice my nerves, and his eager smile settled me a little. An enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders and that stoic mask was wiped away completely.
Mal’s dad was resting when we stepped into the room, his eyes closed. I almost pulled Mal back into the hall to avoid waking him, but his eyes fluttered open when he heard our approach. He smiled softly at his son, his expression more curious when he noticed me.
“Dad, I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Zach, my mate.”
Mal’s dad’s eyes lit up with surprise and joy, and he beamed at me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zach. Call me Andreas.”
“Nice to meet you too,” I replied nervously.
His eyes flicked between me and Mal. “So, are you the one who boosted his confidence? I’ve been trying to get him to stand up for himself since he learned to talk. I never thought he would be the one to shame me publicly.”
Mal froze, a pained noise escaping his throat. I pursed my lips, raising my eyebrows at Andreas.
“That wasn’t nice.”
He chuckled. “I was only teasing. I’m proud of you, son. You had something to say and you let me have it. And I needed to hear it.” His smile slipped a little, and he reached for Mal, taking his hand. “I’m sorry for the pain I caused you. I promise, I had good intentions.”
“I know you did, Dad. And I’m not going to hold it against you. Not like Mom will.”
Andreas winced. “Yeah, I kinda set myself up to fail with that one. I’m going to be groveling to that woman for the rest of my life.”
“And it’ll be a long life too,” I added with a grin.
Mal laughed when his dad whimpered, shaking his head when his dad shot him a pleading look. They bantered back and forth, Andreas trying to wheedle his son into protecting him from Leona. Mal refused to have any part of it, but his eyes were dancing and his smile never faltered. He kept me tucked against his side, the gesture sweet instead of needy. He didn’t need me to take care of him anymore. But he still wanted me. And I loved that. I didn”t have to be the caretaker or the distraction. I could just be me and Mal would stay with me anyway. I sighed happily, melting against him, and just enjoyed the moment.
I was so busy trying to protect myself, I forgot that sometimes love was worth the risk. That if I just let go for a second, I could fall into something precious. My instinct when I first met Mal was that he was important. It got me moving, and I stepped in to help him, even though he knew nothing about me. Our paths collided in the most spectacular way. And while I let my head sway me a few times, I couldn’t resist falling for him.
Mal looked down at me and smiled. It was an easy smile, full of trust and love, and it lit me up from the inside out. He loved me back. He wanted me as his mate. That alone was something worth celebrating. Today was a day of celebration. And I was so happy I could share it with him.