Fate Stained - Part Two
Chapter 25 - Developments

“Hey” I muttered, walking into the living room of the pack house.

Jayce sat in his arm chair, fully immersed in whatever papers he had in his hand. I could tell from the binding on the paperwork that it was something that Cameron had given him to look over; no doubt important pack business that I should have been involved with instead of being off sulking to Moira and my brother about my mate’s lack of attention to me.

Jayce looked up from his work, the corner of his mouth raising slightly as he stared back at me. Even though our last interaction had been quite cold and distant, he gazed at me now with nothing but love and devotion in his dark eyes. My heart hammered in my chest.

“Hey back” he breathed, “You’re home”

Of course I’m home.

“What’s that?” I said, nodding to the papers in his hand.

Jayce sighed, his head leaning back in his armchair and the paperwork resting on his lap. I made my way of to the chair and looked down, a packname jumping out at me off the paper straight away.

“Point Invictus? What business do we have with them?”

“It’s Fern’s pack”

Shit.

“Oh”

“Yeah. I know”

The large Alpha groaned and stretched his arms and legs, my bet was that he’d been sitting in this chair now for hours, mulling over Cameron’s file, trying to think of a game plan that would keep Fern Creek, it’s wolves, Fern and myself equally safe. An Alpha’s work was never done.

“Can I help?” I asked, propping myself on the arm of the chair.

Jayce hummed, dropping his head to the side so it rested on my arm. My wolf grunted happily with the contact from her mate, enjoying the closeness that she’d been craving so badly. Lifting my hand, I gently stroked my fingers through Jayce’s thick, dark hair - smiling as he made a noise that could quite easily have been mistaken as a purr.

“This helps” he breathed, “You just being here helps”

“You’re tired”

Jayce nodded, nuzzling into me further until the weight of his head made it’s way into my lap.

“Maybe it’s time for bed then”

Since Norah left, Jayce had been sleeping in the spare room of the pack house. To begin with, it’d been so I could rest while I was still unconscious after the attack, but now I knew it was more likely to do with his and Kyanite’s agreement. It was one thing that I was expected to abstain from sex for the remainder of my pregnancy, but to sleep alone every night? That just wasn’t fair.

“Yeah. I’ll head up shortly. You going to bed now?”

I massaged Jayce’s skull through his hair, smiling as he groaned happily. I guess having an Alpha wolf as a mate wasn’t much unlike having a big hairy puppy that enjoyed head scratches and cuddles.

“Yeah, I’m tired” I answered, yawning loudly.

Jayce sat up, raising himself slightly on the chair so he could place a kiss on my cheek.

“I’ll see you in the morning then, love you”

I chewed my bottom lip, my fingers tangling again within Jayce’s locks.

“Why see me in the morning when you can see me during the night?”

Jayce closed his eyes and sighed loudly, my guess was he was expecting another argument like this morning’s. Probably the last thing he felt like doing right now.

“I don’t mean to have sex” I reassured, “just to sleep, next to me, in bed. I know about what Moira and Flynn said and I know about the agreement you have with Kyan - I just wished you’d said something to me first”

“You were unconscious”

“Surely it could have waited. I’m sure neither of you were planning on accidentally falling into my vagina whilst I was out to it”

Finally a smile. It was my favourite look on Jayce’s face; the crease at the bridge of his nose, the lines in corner of his eyes, the way his lips curved into the most perfect shape.

“Maybe we should have waited, but I can almost assure you we would have come to the same decision even with your protest”

I nodded my head, knowing he was right. This decision wasn’t just about protecting the baby’s life, it was about preserving Kyanite’s too - or that was how Jayce saw it. Not having the added stress of ‘will they? won’t they?’ Or ‘did they? Didn’t they?’ Would be a relief to both men. I would just have to deal with it.

“I know. It’s just that— I thought you didn’t replace me…attractive anymore. I thought that was why you kept knocking me back”

The look that passed across Jayce’s face was one of shock and remorse; like what I’d suggested was the most ludicrous thing in the world and yet still made him feel like a piece of shit even though it hadn’t been his intention.

“Oh Goddess no” Jayce rasped, his strong hand cupping the side of my face tenderly, “right now, with this— this life growing inside you, I replace you more attractive than the first moment I laid eyes on you. You are growing my child…you are giving me the most magical gift I could ever ask for. I know the Gods have been cruel to us before, but this is our time now. This is our chance at happiness. You are my happiness”

Jayce’s words resonated and caressed places so deep within my soul, places that I didn’t even know existed, places that warmed and swelled with love and validation. My eyes welled and I quickly wiped away the rogue tear that rolled down my cheek, embarrassed at my sudden wave of emotion.

“Hey. Don’t cry, that wasn’t meant to make you sad”

“I’m not sad” I sniffed, “It was just something I really needed to hear, that’s all”

Jayce gave me another kiss on the cheek then pulled back, looking into my eyes.

“No sex, just sleep” he muttered.

“Just sleep” I repeated, making a halo sign above my head.

My Alpha chuckled, the gruff sound making the butterflies dance around in my belly. He scooped me up off the arm of the chair like I weighed nothing at all and draped me over his shoulder.

“Oi! You brute!” I giggled, slapping him playfully on the behind as we ascended the stairs.

“Hey, I’ve got to make the most of still being able to do this. Won’t be long before you’re waddling around this place looking like Green Peace should be coming to roll you back into the ocean”

“Shut up you turd. I’ve still got a few months before that happens”

………………………

I’d slept the best I had all week. The feeling of warmth next to me and the sound of Jayce’s gentle snoring soothed me deep to my core. But the best part, above everything else, was waking up in the morning, his heavy arm draped over me like a muscular weighted blanket.

Initially I thought that it would have been difficult to go to bed with him, after not having had sex in over a week. But we were both so tired and so happy just to be on good terms again that it didn’t take long for sleep to take the both of us in it’s soothing grasp.

We knew it was going to be a big day today. We’d received word that Darius’s coronation had taken place yesterday. Meadow, bless her, had sent word via eagle to let us know; but for whatever reason the bird had been delayed and it didn’t arrive until late last night, after the coronation had already taken place. On top of that, Jayce was sending extra wolves out into the forest to increase security. We had no idea when or if the Point Invictus pack would be paying us a visit but it was essential to be ready.

Cassius was increasing his patrols too, on the off chance that Alpha Rhys was under the impression that Fern was with them instead. The Eastern Ridge wolves would also keep us updated if they saw any unusual movement within their borders.

“Good morning beautiful”

Jayce’s sleepy voice broke me from my thoughts, the groggy, sexy tones dragging me back into his arms. I grumbled as he trailed kisses down the back of my neck and wriggled up against him.

“Shit” he grunted, pushing away from me so I could no longer feel his chest against my back.

“Heeeyyy” I whined, “I was enjoying that cuddle”

Jayce cleared his throat and grabbed a pillow, shoving it firmly between us.

“So was I apparently”

Oh.

“Understood. Sorry”

“Don’t apologise. These things happen. Anyway, you had your ‘deep in thought’ face on, what’s up?”

I sighed and rolled over so I was facing him, laughing at the way he gripped the pillow between our bodies.

“Nothing. I was just thinking about today. How long until you think Darius and his men turn up? Meadow said she told him that Norah was no longer here but it didn’t sound like he believed her”

“Who knows. He might have had it organised already and was just waiting for the crown before he made his move. Nothing to say he isn’t already on the way. Or—” Jayce added, “—or he sits on it for a bit. He’s an arrogant prick, don’t forget, maybe he won’t want to seem that desperate for a girl”

If only it was that simple. I knew people like Darius. Him staking his claim to Norah was nothing to do with being desperate for a girl, it was all to do with taking what he thought was his. It was about asserting dominance and not letting her get away with defying or embarrassing him. Darius had made it clear for a long time to everyone in Yo-Na that Norah would be his, there was no way he would just turn his back on that.

“And what about Fern?” I asked, “Is she aware that we know about her pack yet?”

Jayce shook his head and scratched his stubble.

“No. That was first on my agenda today actually. I’m going to go speak to her after breakfast”

“Do you think you should tell Flynn first? Maybe he’ll want to go with you when you confront her”

“Yeah, perhaps”

“Mind if I come with? I think it’s time I stepped back into my role as Luna”

Jayce’s face lit up at my statement and he nodded his head eagerly.

“Of course. First things first though, get your toosh out of bed and grab a shower while I fix you and the baby something to eat”

Jayce rolled away from me, taking his pillow with him and I laughed, rolling out the opposite side of the bed. My feet hit the floor and I stood up, stretching my arms out wide before resting them tenderly on my belly.

What. The. Fuck?

“Umm, Jayce?”

Jayce’s heavy footsteps rounded the bed at lightning speed, clearly detecting the concern in my voice. He came to stand beside me.

“What is it?” He asked quickly.

I moved my hands out of the way and Jayce’s gaze trailed down my body until it came to rest on my stomach. I watched as his eyes widened and it was then that I knew I wasn’t losing my mind, I wasn’t just seeing things.

“How— how is that even possible?” He breathed.

I swallowed dryly and watched as Jayce’s hand lifted and tentatively lowered on to my belly - a belly that, overnight, had changed into one that would have been better suited to someone that was at least six months pregnant.

“Green Peace might be coming sooner than we think”