Chapter 14 - Dawson
“You gave us quite the shock when you passed out the other day,” Luna Aurora giggles as she enters Yvonne’s bedroom. “Are you feeling any better today?”
“I am,” Yvonne says as she props herself onto her elbows. “Alpha Dawson has been making sure I get enough rest, and if I don’t, he’s threatened to kick me out of Snehvolk himself.”
Both Luna Aurora and Rissa giggle as I make my presence known at the doorway.
“Hey! I only said that because you’re too stubborn and won’t listen to anything I say.”
“Well, that’s not happening, anyway,” Rissa assures her as she places a hand on her shoulder. “Now that you’re aware you’re a witch, you can’t leave.”
“Why?” Yvonne frowns as she throws her legs off the bed.
“Because, Yvonne…” Luna Aurora begins, sitting down beside her on the bed. “In one of my visions, I saw you. I had a premonition that you would come to help us with the demon dog.”
“Me?” Yvonne exclaims, and even I find myself curiously entering her room to listen to Aurora’s explanation.
It’s the first I’m hearing about this, and I wonder what it means. I glance at Yvonne, who’s back to securing her walls in place. Ever since we returned to Girdwood after mating in the hut, she’d been cold toward me, as if she regretted what had happened.
The only time she’d been remotely open and vulnerable was when she had the vision in front of the council. But then she passed out and woke up in her bedroom, only to appear cold and terse again.
I’ve attributed it to the fact that she discovered that she might be a witch. There’s no explanation for it, and neither of us saw it coming.
I guess I just need to give her time to process this.
She briefly holds my gaze before turning back to Aurora.
“Back when we fought the demon in Girdwood, I had a premonition that even Elias saw, too,” Aurora continues. “It was prophesied, in that vision, that a stranger with silver eyes would come to help us defeat the demon when my son was ready.”
“Your son?” Yvonne chirps, to which Aurora nods.
“Yes. The main alpha’s child is the key to defeating the demon, and somehow, you play a pivotal role in all of this,” Aurora explains.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Yvonne asks.
Aurora sighs. “I didn’t think you were ready to hear any of it. I mean, it is quite a big responsibility to bear, and you were dealing with a lot on your own already.”
There’s a moment of silence that stretches until Yvonne finally sighs and lifts her eyes to Aurora.
“I think I’m ready to figure out this witch thing,” Yvonne declares, and suddenly, my chest swells with pride for her courage.
“I’m glad you said that. Elias has set up a room in our house for me to practice my magic. Would you like to see it?”
When Yvonne hesitates, I take another step inside, clearing my throat to garner the attention of all the females in the room.
“You should go with them, Yvonne. I’ll watch Gio for the day,” I offer.
Yvonne frowns. “Are you sure?”
“Of course,” I immediately say, offering her a reassuring smile.
Though we haven’t gotten around to discussing what happened the other night when we knotted involuntarily, I’m more determined to give Yvonne the space she needs to gather her thoughts and decide what she wants without putting any pressure on her.
Besides, something tells me we have our whole lives ahead of us, and she won’t be leaving anytime soon.
“This is something important for you, Yvie. I’ll support you in any way you need,” I profess, to which she smiles hesitantly and turns to nod at Aurora.
When the she-wolves have left the cabin, I decide to prepare breakfast for Gio and me. I’d been doing this every morning since Yvonne passed out, and it’s become somewhat of a routine.
Truthfully, I’ve grown fond of the young boy, and being around him has become part of my everyday. So has being around Yvonne.
I still haven’t figured out why she keeps me locked out, though I probably have myself to thank for that since I was the one who rejected her in the past. She’d reminded me of that the other day, but all I’m doing is an attempt to make up for the past.
Gio’s eager footsteps down the corridor echo into the kitchen, and I turn just in time to see him bounce in with a bright smile, his radiant silver eyes glowing like his mother’s as he greets me.
“G’morning, superhero dude!” he chimes as he takes his seat at the table.
“Good morning, Champion!” I chuckle as I walk over with his sunny-side up egg, slipping it onto his plate. “I told you already, you can just call me Dawson.”
Gio shakes his dark head, and I pause for a moment to take in the mere fact that he looks so much like his mother.
From his eyes and hair matching her coloring, to the shape of his lips and his nose, he bears every one of her prominent features as if it were a matter of “copy and paste” when she conceived him.
I always knew that Yvonne was special. I’d felt it in those moments when we forged an unlikely friendship, and being around her made me feel like there was nothing in the world I couldn’t achieve.
I’d felt invincible around her, which was why I felt drawn to her back then. It’s why I feel drawn to her even now.
I can’t help but wonder if she passed down more than just her stunning features to her son. Does he possess any magic? Or are his gifts solely like those of his father’s—a werewolf?
Watching him curiously, I take a seat just as he lifts his eyes to mine.
“Not respectful,” he says with a strange little pout, to which I frown.
“What’s not respectful?”
Gio sighs. “I no call you Dawson. Uncle Dawson, yeah?” This brings a hopeful smile to his face.
“Sure,” I smile as I lift my fork, a thought suddenly crossing my mind. I look up to see Gio digging into his breakfast without a care in the world, and I can’t help but wonder if he knew his father.
I haven’t heard much about the man, not from Gio nor Yvonne. They never speak about him. What kind of werewolf was he? Did he die? Did he leave the Moonshine Pack, leaving Yvonne and Gio alone? Is that why she was faced with their cruelty?
“So, tell me, Gio … who did you use to call ‘Dad’?” I ask, almost regretting the question when it leaves my mouth, until Gio looks up and shrugs nonchalantly.
“No one,” he says, going back to his meal.
Hm…
So, he didn’t know his father. He must have been gone before Gio was old enough to meet him.
“Did Mama ever tell you about him?”
Gio’s eyes widen as he looks up, a sudden, thrilled glint sparkling in them when he nods eagerly.
“Mama did!” he beams. “She says she had me when daddy and her danced!”
My heart skips a beat as I freeze. “What?”
Gio nods as he stabs his fork into his bacon, the sound sending a shiver down my spine.
“Mama say daddy used to like reading, like her. He read all her favorite stuff!”
Blinking at the boy, I immediately lose my appetite, suspicion rearing its ugly head.
It can’t be possible that Yvonne met her mate and conceived their child during a dance, when that’s exactly what happened when she lost her virginity to me.
And the part about her favorite books?
That’s something we bonded over in the library when I revealed my love for literature.
It can’t be….
If it’s simply a coincidence, I decide not to think much of it until I can ask Yvonne who Gio’s father is. But as the day drags on and I spend more time with the boy, I can’t put my suspicions to rest.
The unsettling feeling grows until there’s no room left to stay silent; my suspicions roused the longer I dwell on the thought that maybe Yvonne hasn’t been entirely honest with me.
Because she’s working on discovering her gifts, she spends the whole day out and doesn’t come back until after I’ve tucked Gio into bed.
Waiting for her in the living room, I’m tapping my foot impatiently on the rug as I sit on the armrest of the couch. As soon as Yvonne walks in, I’m on my feet, unable to hold it in any longer.
“Is Gio—”
“He’s asleep,” I cut in abruptly as I march forward.
As if I’m stalking her, Yvonne freezes on the spot, her eyes widening as her cheeks pale. She can probably see the upset in my eyes and asks, “What’s wrong, Dawson?”
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong, Yvonne,” I huff as I stop just a few feet away, clenching my jaw just as my hands curl into fists at my sides. “Who is Gio’s father?”
Yvonne startles with a gasp, her brows furrowing. “Dawson, where is this coming from?”
“Don’t give me that, Yvonne,” I say sternly, my voice low enough to cut through her as she gulps. “Just tell me who his father is, and I can be on my way.”
“It’s none of your bu—”
“It’s none of my business?!” I roar with a chuckle. “Oh, I think it is very much my business.” I narrow my eyes, glaring at her now. “Is it just a coincidence that you conceived Gio during a dance? Or that his father enjoys reading the same books you do?”
Yvonne’s eyes fly wide, her jaw dropping. “He told you that?”
“Answer my question first, Yvonne!” I demand, noticing Yvonne taking a step back.
“Dawson, it’s not…” she gulps again, still being evasive.
“Just tell me the truth, Yvonne,” I grind out through gritted teeth, taking another step closer.
“I—I can’t,” she murmurs, her eyes becoming glossed over with tears as she snaps her head to either side as if she’s searching for an escape. She seems to find it, or thinks she does, when she makes to dart away.
But as soon as she takes one step, I grab her wrist to prevent her from leaving, and my vision is suddenly snatched.
Where my fingers are wrapped around her wrist, an electric current surges up my arm, keeping me bound in place until my vision becomes blurred. I look down at my hands and notice they’re not my own—they’re dainty and thin, pale as I turn them over before lifting one hand to my face.
I remove whatever is blurring my vision and place it down on the bed, recognizing the eyeglasses Yvonne used to wear.
My lungs feel scorched, and I lug in a deep breath, realizing that it’s panic I’m feeling.
Then I place a hand on my belly, and hear Yvonne’s voice saying, “He’ll never accept you, baby—he rejected me …
Dawson will never accept a child from me… .”
I gasp when I’m sprung out of the vision, realizing that I’d been seeing through Yvonne’s eyes, five years ago, when she discovered she was pregnant.
Five years ago, when she disappeared.
She left while she was pregnant with my child.