CHAPTER 54
I wake with a jump when I realize who is in the room.
It is my worst nightmare coming true, he is here to take my baby.
His hand moves over my bump, and I jump, the muscles in my belly stretching from moving so quickly as I sit up in my bed against the headboard.
My heart pounds in my chest so hard I can hear it.
“Calm down, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you,” he says, grabbing my arms while I frantically look around, praying Dragus will come back.
I move away from his touch, ignoring the sparks moving over my skin from the mate bond.
The movement cost me my stomach contents as I scramble, trying to get off the bed.
But, being so round and tangled in the blankets, I spew on the blanket before I can make it off the bed.
I feel sick, my face heating with embarrassment as I cover not only myself, but also Silas from being so close.
“Sorry,” I blurt hasitly rushing to the bathroom. I feel more coming up, only just making the toilet in time. I flush the toilet and quickly wash my mouth out with water and wetting my face, trying to cool down.
“Dragus said you were sick, he wasn’t joking.”
I roll my eyes at his comment. Looking down at my shirt and pants, I am covered in it.
Walking into the room, I find Silas shirtless, and the bed stripped as he rolls the blankets up, walking to the door and placing them in the hall.
He turns around and stops, looking down at my shirt.
He steps forward, about to peel it off me when I step back.
“I’m just trying to help Lora.”
“Want to help, then leave,” I tell him, turning away from him and moving to my drawers in search of another shirt.
“Dragus will be here soon,” he says.
“Then leave, I don’t need you here Silas get out.”
“I am not leaving; I will wait for Dragus to return then I will go,” he says.
I grab some clothes and walk into the bathroom. He follows and I turn on him again when he tries touching me.
“Out now,” I warn him, but he doesn’t listen, completely ignoring my request.
“Just let me help you, I am not going to do anything to you geez,” he says, reaching for my shirt again. I slap his hands away when he steps closer.
“Dragus!” I scream, panic consuming me as I begin to feel caged in this small bathroom, my lungs restricting from feeling suddenly claustrophobic.
“It’s fine Lora calm…” he begins to say, reaching down for me.
I slap him. My own anger getting the better of me, my hand connecting with the side of his face with an audible flesh on flesh sound. My hands are shaking when I realize what I have done as his head snaps to the side from the force. His jaw clenches and unclenches.
“I’m sorry, just don’t be grabbing and touching me like that,” I stammer out as his eyes start flickering before he closes them, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and my blood runs cold.
Panic hits me when I realize Dragus must not be in the castle because he would have smashed the door down by now.
He rubs his cheek, his eyes opening. He reaches his hands out towards me and I put mine up which are trembling horrifically. In case I need to defend myself from him, and stepping back. When he grabs them.
“Just let me help.” I look to the door, willing one of them to come in, surely they could feel me by now.
“I won’t hurt you,” he says, making my eyes dart back to him, his thumb rubbing my palms as he grips my shaking hands.
He steps closer, his hands running down my arms to my shirt, pulling it up and over my head.
His eyes linger on my bump for a second, then he reaches behind me, turning the shower on and making me flinch away from him.
He adjusts the taps, leaning back slightly.
His fingers move to the waistband of my pants.
“I can undress myself,” I tell him sharply.
He steps away, raising his hands in surrender. “I’ll wait out there for you to hop out,” he says, turning around and heading into the bedroom.
The bedroom door suddenly flies open, smashing loudly into the wall. Matitus storms in, grabbing Silas and slamming him forcefully against the wall, pinning him there. Dragus races into the bathroom, nearly colliding with me as I dart quickly out.
“I didn’t touch her,” Silas says with his hands up. Matitus growls.
“Wait he didn’t do anything,” I tell Matitus. He lets him go and Dragus grabs me.
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have left,” he says.
“She threw up, that’s it,” Silas says, looking at me along with Matitus. I give a nod, and Matitus lets out a breath.
“It’s fine I will go, I promised to help Peter anyway,” he says walking out.
Dragus lets me go, and I walk into the bathroom, stripping my pants and hopping in the shower.
I just wanted to help her, why can’t she see that?
I never meant her any harm even after she slapped me.
I shouldn’t have been so handsy, yet the disappointment that flooded me when my mates ran in assuming I was attacking her, hurt the most. They really think that little of me to hurt her again especially while she is this far along carrying our child.
Walking out, I go to the stables, the storm raging outside as I see Peter trying to shut the stable doors which had blown open with Pluto. The wind moves so quickly it is bending the trees, leaves and debris flying everywhere.
Shutting the doors, I step inside. “Storm came out of nowhere was fine a few minutes ago,” Pluto says. The horses all spooked in their stalls.
“You can stay in the castle tonight Pluto, where is your brother?” I ask him.
“Out in that,” he says worriedly.
“I will have a room set up for you both, what needs doing?”
“Nothing now Pluto and I got it all sorted.”
“Sorry I was a little distracted,” I tell them.
“Well, I am going to head home,” Peter says.
“Not in that you’re not. Come, you can stay in the castle tonight,” I tell him.
“No, it’s fine Silas, it’s not that far.”
I shake my head. “No, you’re staying you will blow away in the wind out there you’re too scrawny,” I tell him.
Pluto chuckles as Peter looks down at himself. “Fine, I will tell Abbie,” he says, walking toward the back of the stables.
“Abbie is here?” I ask, following him.
“Yeah, her and Claire ducked in here when the rain started to come down on their way back from the greenhouses, they were near the fire heater up the back.” he says. As we enter another room, I find Abbie sitting on a chair, Claire on her lap trying to warm up around the fire.
“Have you seen Dakari?” she asks looking up as we turn around the corner.
“He was at the orphanage, he will be back soon,” I tell her. She nods looking back at the flames. Claire looks over her shoulder at me, watching me in that weird eerie way she does sometimes.
“Come on, it is freezing out here, come inside,” I tell her.
“No, I will wait for Dakari. The wind is terrible,” she admits. I walk over, putting out the fire pit before turning around and reaching for Claire. “No, it’s fine, Silas. We can wait,” she protests.
“Stop being stubborn, come on,” I tell her, grabbing Claire from her and taking her hand and hauling her to her feet. Her belly is nearly as big as Lora’s. I let her go once she is standing but continue to carry Claire.
Walking to the front of the stables Pluto stands up. “Did you put the fire out?” I nod.
“Keep a grip on Peter, don’t want him to fly off in the wind,” I tell him, and he grabs Peter’s hand.
“Really I’m not a baby,” he says, shaking him off. I open the door, the wind gust pushing the door in nearly as I hold it.
“On second thought,” Peter says, grabbing Pluto’s hand, making me chuckle. I turn to shield Claire from the wind.
“Hang on to Pluto until I close the door,” I tell Abbie.
Pluto grabs her hand, and we all step out.
I force the door shut, bracing it with some wood.
Turning around, I grab Abbie’s other hand and we run for the castle.
This was by far the biggest storm we have had in years.
The wind is so strong that branches are breaking off and flying from the trees.
Making it to the castle doors, I pull them open.
Abbie takes Claire from me, and we all step inside.
“Hate to see the damage tomorrow,” Peter says, and I agree this storm is going to wreak havoc.
“Can I borrow the castle phone to call my mom?” Peter asks.
“Of course, if you are worried, I can go get her,” I tell him.
“No offense but I think she would rather take her chances,” Peter says.
“None taken, go call your mom,” I tell him walking into the study. Pluto follows me as I sit in front of the fire.
“Can you watch her for a second, I just want to go find us some dry clothes.”
“Sure, come here Claire, the fire is warm,” I tell her, and she rushes over plopping down on the mat.
“Where do you want me?” Pluto asks.
“Anywhere, plenty of rooms on the bottom floor just pick one, the last one is where Elora is though,” I tell him. He nods, walking off. Claire watches our exchange. Getting up I grab the throw blanket off the couch before wrapping it around her.
“Better?” I ask and she nods.
“You scare her,” she says, making me look at her.
“Who?” I ask, wondering who she is talking about. Abbie didn’t seem scared; she was used to me now.
“Aunty Elora,” Claire says. I sigh, I know I scared Elora. Can feel her fear, so that I did know already.
“How is your grandma?” I ask, changing the topic. Her eyes glaze over for a second.
“I can show you,” she says, and I furrow my brows. Claire is five now but watching her, her eyes are that of someone much older, almost ancient. Wise and knowing, it creeps me out, but I know she doesn’t mean it.
“Show me what?”
“Why she is scared?”
“I know why she is scared,” I tell her, and she nods.
“Aunty Elora is scared you will take your son away from her; she will leave and she will swing from the roof,” Claire says.
“What do you mean?” I ask. Did she say son?