Forbidden Innocence (Book #3)

Chapter 28

Lilac's P.O.V

Of all the emotions that flood me, anger is the most prominent. How dare she eavesdrop on Landon and me?

Before I can confront her, she walks closer with a look of horror on her face. It's swiftly turns into disgust as she points a finger at Landon.

"You're her father?" She asks breathlessly, her hands gripping her shirt in her hands tightly.

The anger drains out of me immediately, and I grip Landon tighter. 'She heard me, Landon!' I cry to him via mind-link.

His hold on me tightens, threatening to to stop the blood flow to the rest of my body. "Why were you watching us anyway, Andrea?" He asks calmly.

Andrea backs away slowly. "You two have kids together. Your retched pups—"

Hatred fills me as a nasty smirk comes on my face. "Retched pups?" I growl in disbelief. "I'm carrying his retched pup right now, and I have to say... It's more than you'll ever do for him, Andrea," I hiss out.

She stumbles back as if I hit her. "You can have him! I don't want him!" She growls.

I raise an eyebrow at her. "I don't remember him ever being available to you." I begin to walk towards towards the piece of grass where Landon and I's clothes lay. When Andrea sees what I'm doing, she turns around quickly. "Listen, I'm going to be your luna. Stay out of my business and we won't have anymore issues," I whisper in her ear.

By the time Landon climbs out of the pond, I already have my dress back on. Andrea is still turned around, breathing harshly.

After Landon's dresses, he says, "turn around, Andrea." His eyes are already fixed in a glare by the time she turns around. "Keep your mouth shut, and you won't be punished. Tell anyone of what you've seen or heard here today, however, and you'll be banished from this pack."

I can feel his anger and disbelief through our mate bond. It's a constant pulse that makes me even angrier, and it's probably why I shake my head in disagreement.

"No," I blurt. "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you myself." I watch as Andrea's eyes widen, and she stumbles back again, her breathing harsh and unsteady. "Do you understand?"

She nods feverishly before turning and running off into the woods. The sound of her heart beat slowly fades.

Landon looks down at me and gives a weak smile. His brown eyes search mine. "Would you really kill her?" He asks hesitantly.

Stepping back, I shrug. "I don't know, Landon. Whenever I see her, it feels like I could do it, but..." Tears fill my eyes and, before I know it, begin to fall down my face.

Sweet nothings begin to leave Landon's mouth as he picks me up bridal style. "We're okay, Lilac. She won't tell," He coos.

"How do you know that?" I choke out. "Our family will be in danger if she opens her mouth. I'm scared, Landon." My heart beats against my ribs, making my voice waver periodically.

All he does is start the walk back to the pack house. His jaw is clenched which gives me a good view of its definition. The warmth of his hands seep through my clothes, and I allow myself to relax.

My hand comes up to rest on my stomach. "We need to talk about all this, Landon. She knows now."

He glances down at me, sends me a flawless smile, and catches me off guard with a quick peck on my lips. "We will, Lilac, but you need to calm down. Stress isn't good for our little one," He reminds me.

Unexpectedly, love swells in my chest at his love and concern for our children and me. Even though he has "stepped down" from being my father, there's still times where his paternal instincts shine through our forbidden love.

By the time we reach the pack house, my heart is still airborne, threatening to fly out my chest because of my mate.

"We can take a bath and talk. How does that sound, Love?" Landon asks after he sets us down in our room.

I nod before watching him walk into the bathroom. A sigh leaves me when I gauge just how much trouble Landon and I could be in. If the pack finds out about our relationship, what will they do? Will they reject our authority.

My laptop lights up when I touch the keyboard. There, on the screen, is a picture of Landon and me with the babies, smiling brightly. It brings a smile to my face.

"Victoria said I'm going to have to be very organized. Apparently, I'm your little filing cabinet now." I turn to find Landon sitting on our bed with his eyes locked on me.

He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. "You're going to be doing more than that, Lilac. I promise."

I stare into his eyes before running my hands down my face.

Of course Landon would try to stay calm in a situation like this. He doesn't want me to freak out, but I just know that all of this Andrea drama is stressing him out. Not only that, but he's also going to be an alpha soon, and he has another child on the way!

Why is he giving me massages? It should be the other way around!

Suddenly, I push off the desk in our room and grab Landon's hand. "You're too stressed," is all I say as I pull him into the bathroom. The tub is filled with plenty of frothy bubbles. "Does my body make you less stressed?" I ask.

Landon chuckles deeply, making me shiver at the deep, seductive sound. "Your body does a lot of things to me, Lilac, and you seem to enjoy that fact." He pushes up against my back gently.

When I push my butt up against him, he releases a masculine sound that vibrates throughout my body. His hand comes up to grip my stomach.

"Strip for me again, Lilac," He begs.

At the sound of Landon's zipper and the slosh of water, I know he's in the tub, waiting for me to give him a show.

••

Soft snores escape from the babies mouths. Their warm bodies are tucked neatly between Landon and me. My hand caresses the warm expanse of my belly while my other hand gently strokes over Landon's head.

"Just stay away from Andrea, alright? That's our plan. We'll threaten her again if she tries to open her mouth," Landon instructs.

I nod in understanding. "Okay," I whisper, but my mood immediately soars when I remember something. "She won't mess with you anymore, Landon. She finally understands that you're mine completely and utterly."

He laughs which makes Lucy fidget before settling down. His arms encircles her tiny body. "She looked mortified, Love. I'm proud of you." He laughs again.

His deep laughter makes me laugh, and before we know it, we're bursting into a fit of laughter.

After my laughter dies down, I ask, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Landon shakes his head. "Nothing. It's just... shocking to see you take control like that," He answers honestly.

I bite my lip, uncertain on whether that's a good thing or not.

Today, in that lake, I felt hate so strongly that I was willing to consider murdering Andrea if she became too much of a problem. I felt power today. It was the type of power that came from dominating someone.

No, it's not a good thing, Landon.