Twenty-Eight
Riley
“Are you being serious right now?” I demanded.
Mom gave me the most patient look she could muster. Considering everything she’d been through, she was handling things so well. I really needed to cut her some slack. “Give me a chance to explain everything.”
“Please do,” Hestia said with that smooth politician’s voice that she used to get her way. “I’m sure everyone wants to make a plan to move forward in the best interests of the child.” I caught her glancing toward the reception area where I could still hear Cian and Debra entertaining my son.
My son. I had a child! My mind was completely blown.
Having a biological kid had never been on my radar.
For a start, I didn’t want my child to grow up on the run like I had.
My childhood wasn’t terrible, since Mom and Pax did their best to give me normalcy, but always being on guard was exhausting.
I never really had friends, my schooling was spotty at best, and I missed out on a lot.
Would life be easier for Corbin in Greyhaven? I shook my head. Of course it would. Here, in town, he’d grow up alongside all sorts of supernaturals and learn how to use his magic safely. He’d go to school, make friends, do activities, be safe all the time without worrying about running.
“There wasn’t a lot of time to gather things when the curse broke, but I grabbed the letter Mira left for Riley to explain everything.
Boyce nearly caught me with it. He was furious that Mira had hidden Corbin away from him for four years.
He tried to change his name to Arthur, but Corbin won’t answer to anything else. ”
“Okay. Do you have the letter now?” I asked, nervous about her answer.
I felt sick knowing Mira had assaulted me, resulting in a baby.
When I looked at Corbin, though, I saw myself at the same age.
I didn’t hate him for how he came to be.
Mira’s actions were disgusting, but Corbin was an innocent child. My son.
With trembling fingers, Mom held the thick envelope out to me. “I haven’t read the one for you. She told me to read the others.”
Gareth paused my hand as I reached for it. “Do you want me to read it out? It might be easier.”
“Yeah, please.” Gar knew how much I struggled with reading and stepped in without letting anyone know about it.
Mom handed it to Gareth instead. He opened the envelope carefully and pulled out several sheets of paper. I caught Corbin’s likes on top of one page. Mira had left detailed instructions on how to care for our child.
“Oh, there are a couple of notes here. I’ll start with the general one.
” He set one aside, took a deep breath, and read out in his soothing voice.
“If you have this letter, I will be gone. Please look after my boy for me. He’s my whole world.
His magic is unstable and requires constant monitoring.
He likes to shift all the time and will eat meals as a dog if you’ll let him.
Corbin is a sweet, loving boy who deserves to be loved.
Please care for him and tell him his mama is watching over him. I love you always, Corbin.”
Gareth spread out the papers. There were vaccine records, medical information, what he liked and didn’t, his usual routine, then a separate, smaller envelope addressed to me.
“I know what she did to you was awful Riley, I just hope you can look past it for Corbin’s sake. All she ever did was tell the boy how great his daddy was. He’s asked for you every day.” Mom’s eyes were filled with tears.
My mother knew I had a soft heart. Yeah, I was disgusted by what Mira had done to me. That was going to stick with me a long time, still I would never blame a child. “Gar?”
Like I knew he would, my mate answered my unspoken question. “He’s our son now. He’ll stay with us. Molly, Pax, and Eason will go to Westhaven. Corbin stays with us.” I squeezed his hand.
Mom slumped in her seat in relief. “Thank goodness. I love the child, but I feel so weak, and his magic…”
“What’s wrong with his magic?” Pax asked. He leaned against the wall, studying us.
“Maybe she said in her letter to Riley.” Gareth picked up the much smaller envelope. “Do you want me to read this one too?”
“Please,” I muttered.
“Okay.” He carefully withdrew a sheet of folded paper.
“Dear Riley. First things first: I’m sorry.
It’s not enough, I know. What I did to you is unforgivable.
I just hope you’ll forgive me enough to love our son.
” Gareth’s eyes met mine over the paper.
“Boyce demanded I sleep with you and get pregnant. I didn’t want to do it that way.
He wanted me to use magic, and I thought it was kindest if you were asleep for most of it.
You didn’t deserve to be treated like breeding stock.
I hated what my uncle was forcing me to do.
He vowed to hurt you if I didn’t. You probably won’t believe me, but I always had a crush on you.
Would you have given me the time of day if I’d asked?
I didn’t think so. I think I used that excuse to pretend I was protecting you by drugging you and having sex with you without your consent. ”
“Oh, fuck,” I heard someone mutter.
Gareth continued. “As soon as you left, I ran away from my uncle. I’d been planning on leaving and wanted to take you with me.
Not sure if you would have trusted me enough to come, though.
When I learned I was pregnant, I wanted to find you.
That would have been a mistake. Boyce always knew where you were, and you were safer without me and our baby.
As Corbin grew inside me, I used all my magic to hide us from the world.
He was born on Halloween. A whole eight pounds!
From the start, things were difficult. I didn’t regret it at all.
He’s my everything. He grew normally. Then his magic manifested at three.
It took so much to keep it under wraps. He had seizures when the power got to be too much.
I had to pull from him, which put me under more pressure. ”
Mom sniffled. Pax handed her a tissue from the mayor’s desk.
“I fell sick and knew it was only a matter of time before my uncle found us. When he did, I knew he’d kill me if I wasn’t already dead.
I wrote these letters and instructions in the hope that you’ll care for our son, even if he was born from the horrible thing I did to you.
Just know I regret it. I wish I’d told you what he wanted and let you choose.
More than anything, I wish I was there to see Corbin grow up.
I know he’s in safe hands with you, Riley. Please forgive me for his sake. Mira.”
We sat in silence for what felt like minutes, though it couldn’t have been. There was too much to process.
“Help!” Debra cried. “Corbin has collapsed!”
I was at Corbin’s side in an instant. He was lying on the tile floor with his coat under his head. His tiny frame shook with a seizure. Debra stood by helplessly, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I didn’t—”
“It’s fine,” I cut in, going to my knees next to him. “He’s got a health condition,” I added, worrying I’d been too sharp. Debra deserved my kindness since it was all she had ever given me.
“Oh, the poor dear! Is there anything I can do?”
“No. I don’t know what to do for him.”
Minutes passed as Corbin lay there, his body convulsing. Gareth and Keeley had their heads together, whispering frantically.
“It’s dark magic, Gareth! You can’t! It could damage your core.”
“I’m willing to risk it,” Gareth muttered stubbornly.
“Even if it leeches through your bond and steals your mate’s ability to shift? You’re bonded now, you have to think of both of you.”
Gareth made a frustrated noise. “I can’t let the boy die! There has to be something!”
“Move!” barked a figure in the doorway. A man in a hospital gown and slippers strode into City Hall. He joined me on the floor next to Corbin’s head.
“Oh, my!” Debra gasped. The man’s gown flared open, exposing his back covered in old scars and his bare ass.
“Riku, for fuck’s sake!” Another man followed and draped a blanket over the hospital gown, covering him from sight.
As soon as Riku’s fingers touched Corbin’s forehead, my little boy calmed. Riku sat back with a gasp. “Once he wakes up, someone get him to the nearest ward stone. He can fill the gaps before the next attack.
Who the fuck was this man, and what had he just done to my son? As if sensing my questions, he sat back on his ass with a grin. “Hi, I’m Riku. I think I’ve been out for a while.” He looked helplessly at the man who had covered him with the blanket. “Hello, sweetheart. Miss me?”
“You fucker!” the other cursed at him. “Six fucking months without you, Riku, and then you pull this stunt?”
“Gotta liven things up when I can. I felt this surge of magic and just raced right over. Don’t even know how I got out of the clinic!”
Hestia wore a faint smile, while the rest were openly grinning. Gareth just shook his head.
Next to me, Corbin roused. His eyes found me first. “Daddy?”
“It’s okay, Corbin. We’re going to a place to make you feel better, then Daddy Gareth and I will take you home. Do you want that?”
“The magic hurts.”
“Don’t worry, kiddo, Daddy’s going to take you somewhere to get rid of a lot of magic.” Gareth crouched next to me, soothing me with his nearness. “You’ll feel great after, okay?”
Within minutes, we were out of City Hall and heading for the nearest ward stone. Sean, Riku’s mate, carried the mage in his arms because Riku insisted on coming along. I heard them whispering to each other and caught sight of tender kisses being exchanged.
Taking horse form was the easiest way of getting through the woods with my precious cargo. Gareth and Corbin rode on my back, with Gareth telling Corbin stories about life in Greyhaven and all the fun he was going to have once he was better.
Corbin knew what to do without being asked. He clambered down from my back and touched the stone. As soon as he made contact, he flashed a brilliant gold before his magic settled and his cheeks took on a rosy glow. “I feel better.”
“Until the kid learns to control his magic, he should come up here once a week. It’ll solve your ward problem for now, but it’s just another sticking plaster, not a real solution,” Riku advised us.
After delivering those final words, his mate continued through the woods, taking them home to their secluded cabin.
“You’ll get used to Riku.” Gareth stroked my mane out of my face. “Come on, Corbin, I think you need some warm milk and some cookies. Do you want to ride, or follow your dad?”
Corbin shifted into a pony, proving he was a mix of both his parents. He was amazing. He trotted down the path we’d just followed.
“Hold on!” Gareth cried, trying to get back on my back. “Riley, hurry and catch up with our son.”
I loved the sound of that.