The Lost Queen

Chapter Twenty Three

Daya's P.O.V.

I can't believe this...

Well, actually, I kind of can, considering Kaden and I never used condoms.

Oh, Goddess.

I already have two kids I'm taking care of, and now I have another on the way.

A wave of panic settled in my chest. I wasn't just responsible for myself anymore—I had Malik and Aiden depending on me. And now, there would be one more. The fear of messing up their lives made my hands tremble. I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my breathing, but it didn't help much.

My stomach would grow huge. My body would change. And then a tiny human would come out of my vagina.

Oh, my Goddess, help us, Cora cried out. 

Malik stirred in his sleep, his little body rising and falling with each deep breath. I carefully shifted him off of me and moved Aiden, placing them together in the middle of the bed. They snuggled into each other, peaceful and unaware of the storm brewing inside me.

The moment I stood up, the door burst open, and Kaden stormed in.

"Can I explain? Please?" he begged, his voice urgent as he walked toward me.

I sighed, pressing my fingers to my temples. I didn't want to wake the kids with this conversation, so I pointed toward the door.

Kaden nodded and stepped outside, waiting for me. I followed him out but shook my head when he tried leading me upstairs to his bedroom. Not a chance. I turned and walked toward his office instead. I wasn't going to let him use his charm to make me forgive him so easily, he has to work for this one. 

He sighed, but didn't argue, closing the door behind us. He inhaled deeply before turning to face me.

"Why wouldn't you let me kill her?" I snapped, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. "She's just going to cause more problems in the future, and you know it. Why are you so damn soft towards her? How the hell do you expect me to feel after watching someone kiss and hang all over you?!"

I felt my face burn with anger as I ranted, not even giving him a chance to speak. "I would never use my powers on you, Kaden. But I swear, I was this close to yanking your ass around the room with just my fingers."

He blinked at me, clearly caught off guard by my outburst. His gaze dropped to the floor, shame flickering across his features.

"I'm sorry, love," he said softly. "I didn't want to kill her because... I owe her enough to at least spare her life."

I scoffed and turned away, but Kaden gently took my hands, trying to pull me toward the couch with him. I yanked them back, refusing to give in so easily. A flicker of hurt crossed his eyes, but he quickly masked it, straightening his posture.

Just forgive him already. Look at those eyes. My shaylaaaa, Cora whined, clearly not taking any of this seriously.

We can't always be soft, Cora. Just think about what we saw—the way she was wrapped around him.

Mmm, yeah, you're right... but look how sad he is, she whimpered.

I pushed her voice aside, focusing back on Kaden. It was already hard enough staying mad at him, and I knew I wouldn't last long. But what happened wasn't just careless—it was disrespectful. And I was done allowing myself to be disrespected by anyone. 

"When I left the office, I ran into her in the woods," he continued. "She started talking about how much she missed me—as a friend. And I... I couldn't just ignore that. This pack, this place, it's my home. It's where I grew up. It's where I made memories with my parents and my sister. When my parents died in that car crash, I had to take over. I put everything into this pack—blood, sweat, and tears. I don't want to lose it because of a threat."