The Lost Wolf: Denying Fate #3

Chapter 23

Once at the pack house I get showered with hugs and kisses on the cheek. I notice Liam on the side, almost as if he himself wants to say something.

Finally I come across Toby and Bethany. When she turns around my jaw drops, "Umm...congratulations?"

Toby smiles shyly and Bethany says, "We wanted to wait to tell you both until we saw you."

I nod looking at her bump, "Um...how far along are you?"

"Three months...it happened during my first Heat."

I nod and I hear Liam say, "Well that sure is a surprise."

Toby shrugs and looks at me, "Skylar..."

I point my finger into his chest, "If you hurt her I will personally kick your ass. I can do it. I know I can."

He grins and nods, "I know you could. Trust me, I won't hurt my Mate."

Liam clears his throat, "Okay, if you're pregnant why did you try convincing me to be the one who rejected you?"

She bites her lip and looks at me, "Because of a dream I had."

I frown and she says, "The night that Skylar was out cold...I had a dream with the Goddess in it. I talked to her and when she was sending me away she told me she'd let me listen in on her next converstation for a price. A week without my wolf in exchange for her conversation with Skylar."

My breath catches in my throat, "You heard my conversation with her?"

She nods, "Yes. And she gave you a choice. To move on or to come back and make things right. But she said in order to fix things you had to remember her parting words from your previous visit."

I nod, "You will grow strong, you will lead a strong pack with your True Mate, and with those things you will find love," I pause, "But with love comes sacrifice my daughter."

Bethany nods wiping a tear away, "When Liam rejected you it made your wolf vulnerable. And when you woke up you broke your wolves spirit by rejecting Toby."

Liam gulps, "You sacrified your wolf."

I sigh at the realization, "That's why I haven't been able to shift."

She nods, "Yes and then there was the part of someone watching you."

I nod, remembering the scene on the wall of glass playing out, "Time heals all wounds..." I murmur, "Everything comes with a price."

"So what was the price?" Toby asks slowly.

"Losing my wolf, that was the price. She even told me that . It was her last sentence. Sometimes that price is your own wolf. But what was it the price of?"

"Coming back," Liam gulps, "You were barely breathing by the time I got you back here Sky. Toby and I sat with you all night long. You didn't even move once. The Goddess wasn't just talking about what price you would pay for your own actions though. She was talking about the price I would pay for mine. I couldn't get to you in time, I watched him tear at your arm and I saw you snap his neck. Bethany was fighting someone off when that happened. If I hadn't slowed down to watch her...I would have killed him for you. You losing your wolf, that was my price too. Losing you when I didn't want to was my punishment for rejecting the Mate I didn't want to reject."

My lips part in surprise at his words, Bethany smirks and he winces, clutching his stomach, "Fuck."

He looks up at me as he bends over in pain, a hint of a smile on his face, "This hurts like a bitch," he breathes.

I nod, "It does, worse than the Heat."

He stands up straight after a moment and laces his finger through mine, pulling me closer by wrapping an arm around my waist, "Well...I'd really like it if the next time you went through that I was the one who's Mark you bare."