Unexpected: Forever His (Book 1)

Chapter 40: Strength and Valor Tested

I smiled again as I felt my body tingle against Dante's. So warm since he had been returned to this life. His hybrid counterpart seemingly had realized that he was not intended to be the dominant half and maybe even had accepted me with my mark. In the bassinet, an arm's length from the bed, Aeron yawned and cooed as he awoke and I glanced up at Dante. He smiled contently, but appeared to be still asleep. I quietly pushed myself up and out of the bed and stepped over to my baby boy. I stared down into his vibrant eyes and smiled. "Little boy, such light shines through your eyes. I hope that one day you will realize your true potential."

He cooed up at me and I laughed as I lifted him into my arms. Just as I turned around and noticed that Dante was now sitting up in the bed watching me and Aeron, a cold icy blast violently pushed the door open. Though nothing could be seen, Dante stood and placed himself in front of me, ready and poised for whatever had intruded.

Her laughter seemed to spiral around me and I felt a vibration surround me. Dante spun around, but not before the vibration that I felt materialized into cold arms and ripped Aeron from my own. I cried out and lunged against the creature, but as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, and I fell to my hands and knees against the floor. Her laughter ripped through the room again as Dante pulled me up into his arms. I lacked the strength to stand on my own, so he held me.

"Did you think I would allow you happiness?" She glared at Dante. "Melanie misses your company." I felt her smirk even though I couldn't lift my head to look at her. "As do I."

I did look up then, first at her and then to Dante and Greta laughed again before she stepped around me and held up her hand and caressed first his arm and then around his back before she circled him around to the other side. "Oh, daughter, did you think that a fine specimen such as this would not have been brought to my bed chamber to pleasure me?" I felt my skin start to tingle and the air started to hum with my anger. Dante leaned against me. "Please, Kayla, don't let her entice you."

I forced myself away from his arms and looked at him first before I looked at her.

"Any actions he took with you before were his to account for. He is not the same being as he was then. Eleric has purified his soul. If you wish to create a void between the king and queen who will defeat you and make you crawl back under the rocks that you never should have come out from under, then let me assure you, mother, there is nothing that will keep me from fulfilling the role that I play in that prophecy. I will defeat you." I heard Aeron's screaming cries outside the door and I bolted in that direction.

As soon as I saw him, my heart crumbled. There, standing in front of me, just as much a wraith as Greta, and holding my crying son in his arms, was the man I had called father. I whispered his name as I glanced down at my son who was staring at me. "Isaac." He looked past me at Greta and turned and headed for the door. "Dad!" I cried out as Dante pulled me back. "Dad! Please! You fought for me! You defended me! You died doing so! Please help me now. My son." I gestured to the infant in his arms and he glanced down.

He looked back up at me and then to Greta again. "I no longer act for myself, but per the wishes of my queen. She wishes this child as a servant to her, and I will obey her command." He turned and faded into the door. Greta laughed and disappeared in the same manner, taking my strength with her. My knees buckled, and if it hadn't been for Dante, I would have fallen to the floor.

His voice boomed out above my head as he held me. "Eleric! This should not be so! Why do you demand such sacrifices from us?!?"

I felt his anger. I felt his pain. It wrapped around my own and sought its way straight to my heart. I knew the moment when Eleric appeared. I felt strength immediately find its way into my legs. Eleric's dominating spirit surged through the air and Dante and I both found ourselves on our knees at his feet without even the slight ability to lift our heads and look at him.

"You would be wise to remember that I am the breath of life that you breathe, Dante. I ask not for your understanding. Only that you follow the path I have set for you. These people do not know the future that Donovan seeks to inflict upon them. They only know that you two are the bright light that will shine in the most dismal of times. The light that must never wane. I allowed this not to teach you of sacrifice, young queen." He stepped forward and without a spoken command, I was propelled upward and into his waiting arms. When I looked up at him, he diverted his gaze behind me to Dante who I felt was now standing as well. The air hummed around us as I stared upon his face. I had seen him before, but it seemed different this time. As if I was looking at him through the eyes of another.

Suddenly,Eleric spun me around. I couldn't disguise the drunkenness I felt from being soclose to him as my gaze met Dante's. He stared at me briefly before Elericstarted to speak again. "Your spirit remembers what your mind and body do not. Dante,I allowed this claim because I saw that you were worthy to walk as her King.Some doubt. Many believe. But the prophecy remains. With or without you. Shewill always remain. The Queen of Queens." I felt him lean closer to me and hisbreath tickled my neck over Dante's mark. I shivered and Dante shifteduncomfortably as he watched Eleric's movements. "Sacrifice is the very least ofyour concerns, Kayla." He leaned even closer. "Restraint." Another shiver."Control." He pulled me back. "Strength." As he stepped back with me away fromDante, Dante took a step forward, but Eleric spun me around to face him again."And your King must learn the same." He looked back up at him. "I am not one ofyour pack members." He held me tight against him. "I did not earn my place bybowing. I know the pain of sacrifice all too well, beautiful queen. And now Ithink it is time you see just how this brilliant puzzle fits together. Dantehas already seen part of it. His part. Now you will see yours. It will be up toyou what to do with the knowledge." He looked back once more at Dante before helooked back down at me and pulled me even closer against him and molded his lipsagainst mine as my eyes closed and I found myself in a different time and adifferent place with the only one who I was supposed to ever really love.