Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
While I feed Thaddeus, Tobias walks Theo to the car, I can feel through the bond that Theo and Tobias are discussing something serious, just slightly too far away for me to hear them as they talk in hushed voices.
When Tobias walks in, I open my mind letting me slip into his.
Nothing, I know he is deliberately making sure he locks his thoughts up tight where I can’t reach them.
“What are you hiding?” I ask when I can’t read him.
“Nothing you need to worry about, stay out of my head, Imogen, you don’t like when Theo does it to you.”
“It doesn’t usually bother you,” I tell him. He looks at me, before grabbing a frying pan out, placing it on the bench. He starts cooking but doesn’t say anything else. I can feel they are up to something, and it angers me they are trying to hide it from me.
“Calm yourself, Imogen, remember who is in your arms,” he says, eyeing me.
I glance down and readjust him, letting myself focus on feeding him.
I play with his hands, letting him calm me.
When he finishes his bottle, I place him over my shoulder and rub his back.
Every day, I notice slight differences in him, slowly getting bigger and more alert to his surroundings.
I feel like I am going to blink and wake up one day, and he will be grown.
I don’t want him to grow up. Tobias makes breakfast, placing a plate in front of me.
“Please tell me I didn’t just make that, for you not to be hungry now,” Tobias says while he eats his own.
I pick up a piece of bacon and bite into it.
I have a different relationship with food now; I can still taste it, but it doesn’t have the same appeal anymore.
I force myself to eat, knowing Tobias made it and I can feel him through the bond worried because I don’t eat as much anymore.
By the time I’m done, Thaddeus is asleep again. I sigh. We really need to find a way for him to stay awake during the day so he sleeps at night. Tobias cleans up the dishes before taking him from me. I go to take him back.
“Go shower, your hair is a mess, and you didn’t have one last night.”
“Is that your way of telling me I stink?” I tell him. His lips turn up into a smile.
“No, you could never smell. But it might make you feel better, and you have been wearing the same clothes for two days now,” he says, watching me.
Getting up, I walk upstairs. Grabbing some clothes, I place them on the bed and go into the bathroom, turning the shower on.
Tobias comes in a few minutes later, placing a towel on the sink basin before leaving out again.
I can feel he is nervous about something, and I find it getting to me.
Washing quickly, I hop out of the shower and find Thaddeus in his basinet asleep, Tobias sits on the edge of the bed waiting for me.
“What is it?” I ask, drying myself. He doesn’t say anything, making me suspicious.
“I know you have something to say, so say it,” I tell him before dropping the towel and putting some jeans on.
“Mom is going to take Thaddeus tonight.”
“Are you asking or telling me? Because it sounded like you said she was taking him,” I argue.
“I’m telling you she is taking him for the night,” he says, his eyes holding mine. I growl, annoyed by his tone.
“No, he stays here,” I tell him.
“Imogen, let her take him, it gives us a night off.”
“No, I don’t want him away from us, what if Bianca—”
“Bianca is at the council under watch, I know you don’t like this but it’s happening whether you like it or not. Mom is taking him, Imogen” He states standing.
I close my eyes, frustrated before pinching the bridge of my nose. My nails dig into the palm of my other hand.
“Imogen, you will let her. I need sleep, you need sleep.”
“He doesn’t need to leave, though, Tobias. Theo doesn’t need sleep, and I feel fine,” I retort.
“You are not fine, Imogen. It is already organized. Thaddeus is going with Mom and Dad. They won’t let anything happen to him. This isn’t up for discussion, we already decided,” he growls daring me to go against him.
“So what, Theo wants this as well?”
“Yes, Imogen, one night that’s all,” he says, moving closer and rubbing my arms. I feel my anger dissipate as I feel the familiar spark rush over my skin.
“Fine, but only one night,” I tell him, giving him what he wants.
“Good girl,” he mumbles into my hair as he tugs me to him, holding me in his arms.
I spend the day doing housework before going out weeding the rose garden. When I come back in, I find Tobias packing a bag for Thaddeus. Tobias looks up when he sees me walk in through the kitchen door. I go over and wash my hands.
“Theo is coming home early. Mom will be here at four to pick him up.” I ignore him. They both know I’m not comfortable with this.
Walking out, I trot upstairs and check on Thaddeus. He is asleep, and I jostle him awake as I pick him up. His big green eyes staring back at me.
I remain in the room until I hear the door open downstairs, and I know Theo has returned home. I hear footsteps on the stairs before I see him come into the room. He leans on the door frame watching me and I can feel him rummaging through my thoughts.
“Don’t do that,” I snap, shoving him out.
“I was just checking on a scale of one to ten how pissed off you are with me.”
“A ten, now go.”
“Tobias said you were angry, but it’s one night, Imogen, you will survive, I promise,” he says walking in the room toward me. He holds his arms out for Thaddeus. I reluctantly hand him over.
“Come say hello to Mom,” he says, staring down at me. I sigh and get up, trotting downstairs. Theo is quick to place Thaddeus in his car capsule, while I quickly hug Caroline and Josiah.
“I promise, he will be fine. I raised three boys. I know what I’m doing,” she tells me.
I nod but still don’t like the idea of him leaving.
Caroline and Josiah are quick to leave, probably so I don’t change my mind.
As soon as the door closes, Theo and Tobias turn and face me.
I roll my eyes, annoyed, before turning my back on them and going upstairs.
Laying on the bed, I feel restless. My mind going everywhere at once, not able to focus on one thing. Feeling my mood get darker and darker with every minute passing by that he isn’t by my side.
“Are you going to just ignore us all night, or are you going to come down?” Tobias’s voice says, pulling me from my head.
I look out the window and see it is actually dark outside.
Grabbing my phone off the nightstand, I glance at the time.
It’s 8:30 PM. Four hours, over four hours, I have been sitting in the same position, time rushing by in what I thought was minutes but was actually hours.
“I’m good here,” I tell him, placing the phone down and laying back on the pillow. Tobias walks over before climbing on the bed. He shifts, placing his legs over me so he is straddling my hips. His hands go to mine before he pulls them above my head.
“We have all night to ourselves and you want to mope,” he whispers next to my ear. I feel his breath on my neck before his kiss below my ear, his lips moving down my neck then back up to my chin.
Feeling the bed dip, I turn my head and see Theo lay beside me, propped up, leaning against the headboard.
“What are you two up to?” I ask. Tobias kisses me hard, his tongue forcing its way in my mouth.
I hear him groan before I feel him shift, his knee going between my legs as he pushes them apart and pressing his weight down on me.
His hands holding mine above my head. Then something cold touches my wrists.
I peer up and Theo is placing some metal cuffs around my wrists, I go to pull my hands away when I hear the click of him securing them in place.
He yanks my hand higher, attaching the cuffs to the rope on the headboard.
“What are you doing, untie me, Theo.” I go to say more when his cool lips crash on my own. Swallowing my words as his tongue dance with mine. Tobias’s hands are on my waist before he slips my pants off, pulling them down my legs.