Trashed & Treasured

33

Pushing through the back door I did a silent prayer and tried my damnedest to cover my nerves. I can feel Dominic's rattled nerves and trust me, it isn't helping. That could just be leftover shock from what I just made him do which sort of makes my wolf hold her head high with pride. Deep down I know he's mad at me for challenging him in that way but my wolf demanded it. The connection between us strengthened during my little walk through the woods and it was then that I finally got the 'ass-kicking' that I needed—mentally anyway. The reason why my scent has not changed is her way of protecting this pup and we haven't lost the ability to shift for that same reason. She also made me see that these people—my people—have probably doubted me from the beginning and instead of standing tall and confident I let my fears show. Who can actually lead when they're obviously scared and constantly worried? If I'm going to be Queen of the entire wolf nation, I need to wise up start acting like it.

It was no surprise that as soon as we stepped foot in the kitchen we could hear my parents and Dominic's father talking about the baby. Part of me is a little upset that they know now because I think they're going to be extra cautious and picky over everything that I do I'll get over it. I gripped my mate's hand tighter as we drew closer to the voices again praying that my assumption is correct. I'm on a mission to be a much stronger wolf but let's face it, I'm still soft in the middle.

Him squeezing my hand back provides me with the comfort I need to continue forward. Rounding the corner we stopped inside the wide doorway and scanned each of their faces as the room fell silent. Saying we needed to combine our strengths was much easier said than done because surely enough, here we are and I really don't know where to start. I close my eyes and take the deepest breath. When I reopened them they fall upon Dominic's father and it was decided from there. I extended my hand to him to which he stood and took hold of without hesitation. At the same time, he presented me with the warmest smile unknowingly washing away my fear that this won't work. Not smiling back was impossible. Looking at him is like looking into the future at my mate and on top of that, this man has always accepted me. I feel like I can throw my arms around him and curl up in his arms like I'd do with my own Dad and his response would be to close his arms around me.

I turned to Dominic just as he repeated my action of extending his hand to his father. Harold actually hesitated and expressed his confusion through knitted brows before moving to accept the offer. With all three of us now connected I felt like my heart was going to fall out of my chest, especially when nothing happened. We stood there in silence for the longest minute ever just looking back and forth at one another before I huffed out a frustrated breath.

'It's not working. Why isn't it working?'

'I don't know Baby. Maybe this isn't what we're supposed to do. Maybe it's something else.'

'This has to be it, Dominic. It makes sense for this to be it. When it comes to Cameron everything we've done has been separate. This has to be it, Dominic.'

I could hear my own desperation echoing inside my mind. I know what he means by something else and I really don't want to believe it. Before this point, before I had a wolf, and before I had a mate that actually wanted me I thought of my kids and when I thought of those kids the only word that ever came to mind was 'normal'. It's going to be hard for the first royal heir to be the typical definition of normal but I still want him or her to have the closest thing to a normal childhood. They won't have that if as soon as they're born they have to right something Mommy and Daddy couldn't. It's not fair and is disappointing to think about.

Letting go of Dominic's hand, I trailed my fingers across the hidden bump with a wordless apology to my unborn. Despite this, I promise I'm going to make sure that he or she gets to be a carefree child for as long as possible. As soon as my flattened palm was against my belly the other hand still holding on to Harold began to warm up. There was this tingle sitting in the palm of my hand that sort of itch. Dominic's heart is beating rapidly, matching the same rhythm as mine. It's loud and thunderous, almost like a drum. Then just as quickly as it all started, it stops.