Start Over
“Sothisisit?You’re going to just bury the whole thing and hide the truth from everyone?”
Teresa scowled at Ward, but he was too tired to get angry with her. “Would you rather tell all your friends that she killed your husband and tried to do the same to both of us because she was in love with me?”
Teresa didn’t reply, so Ward reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers. “I know this isn’t easy, but you have a child to worry about. Vera and Peter are both gone. The best thing we can do is start over.”
Thankfully, his sister must have agreed with that, because after a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded. “You’re right. It’s just... hard to accept.”
She had no idea, and still didn’t realize exactly what had happened. The Lone Wolf Pack had quickly swept in to do damage control. Erdi was apparently quite good at that, and he had mysterious contacts who could help them handle the eviscerated bodies. The pack had also been the one to help all of them clean up and eliminate the traces of Mathias’s involvement in the battle.
Peter and Vera were a different story, which was why Ward had decided to convince Teresa—the only other person who knew about it—to keep the truth from everyone. If not for her, the Lone Wolf Pack could have made sure the bodies were never found, but Teresa would have never agreed with that, so Ward hadn’t even suggested it. They’d settled on reporting the murder of the two without mentioning the fact that Vera had been the one to kill Peter—or in fact, that Vera had ever kidnapped either of them.
It was a good thing that Teresa still cared about what people thought, because telling human authorities about everything that had happened would have made hiding the truth at least ten times more difficult. “I’ll do it,” Teresa said, “for my baby.”
She pressed a hand to her stomach and Ward felt a pang of anxiety. He barely managed to keep himself from mimicking the gesture. Mathias had assured him their baby was fine, but it wasn’t that easy to get over the episode.
It took forever for everything to be dealt with. Between conversations with the local authorities and his recurring memories of earlier events, he had trouble keeping himself from collapsing into a sobbing heap. It was only Mathias’s presence and the bond they shared that kept him from succumbing to his shock and grief.
Finally, that evening, Ward and Mathias made their way home. They’d left Teresa in Willow Cove, under the careful watch of Erdi, and with the company of Gavin’s mother, Alicia. Their parents would be arriving the next day to make funeral arrangements for both Peter and Vera.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Lone Wolf Pack had retreated to their own home since they still had two newborns to worry about. Ward was happy they’d helped for as long as they had—their affection meant a lot—but now he needed some time alone with his mate.
He should have probably supported Teresa more, but he simply couldn’t take it any longer. The moment they entered the house, Ward made a beeline for the couch and collapsed on the soft pillows, physically and emotionally exhausted.
Mathias joined him and Ward instinctively curled against his mate, setting his head down on Mathias’s thigh. His lover caressed his hair so softly, with an almost excruciating gentleness. Those same hands had torn people apart mere hours earlier, but Ward only found comfort in them, and in their strength.
Mathias’s touch broke through the sketchy barriers that had been keeping Ward’s pain at bay. He allowed himself to mourn, and as his tears fell, soaking the material of Mathias’s pants, he was torn between a million conflicting emotions.
Vera’s death. Mathias’s secret. The pregnancy. How was he supposed to handle it all? He’d lost a dear friend, in more than one way, but he’d also realized he carried a new life inside himself, and that was beautiful, if scary.
Mathias didn’t try to shush him, and instead let him cry, his caresses exorcising Ward’s chaotic feelings. Finally, when Ward’s sobs died down, Mathias murmured, “I’m sorry, Ward. I’m so sorry.”
Ward wiped his eyes and stole a glance at his mate. “What for? It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was.” Mathias’s jaw tightened. “You were targeted because of what I am. Vera became involved in all of this because of what I am. I should have never—“
The self-loathing Ward had sensed earlier came back with a vengeance, polluting their bond. Ward got up and grabbed Mathias’s wrists. “Stop. Vera made her own choices, and I don’t blame you for what happened. I don’t even understand why they wanted you to begin with.”
“It’s that... other form. I think that there’s been some restlessness among the humans, and I suspect they’re preparing for a more widespread confrontation. The wolf-man is very unusual, very powerful, and very dangerous. It would have made for a lethal weapon.”
Ward crawled into his mate’s lap, shamelessly exploiting the knowledge of the comfort his proximity gave to his lover. “You’re not a weapon, Mathias,” he whispered. “You’re not a monster, and it wasn’t your fault.”
Mathias shot him a tremulous smile. “I’m a terrible mate, aren’t I? I should be the one comforting you, and instead, you’re the one doing it for me.”
Ward rolled his eyes. “This comfort thing goes both ways. You’re going to have to get used to me doing it, because you’re not leaving me, not after you knocked me up.”
Mathias blinked owlishly, and under different circumstances, the expression would have looked hilarious. “Right... The baby.”
Ward waited for his mate to say something else, but Mathias just kept looking at him, scanning his face like he’d never seen Ward before. Ward arched a brow. “You know, I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm,” he admitted, “and maybe some explanation on what exactly we’ll do from now.”
“Sorry,” Mathias whispered again, but this time he was smiling. He rubbed his thumb over Ward’s lower lip and caressed his neck, as if in an attempt to capture Ward’s voice. “It just occurred to me that our baby is probably why you could talk to me telepathically.”
That wasn’t the whole of it, though. The reminder that Ward was carrying a child came with flashes of the battle, of Ward falling with a bullet hole in his chest, his mental screams echoing in Mathias’s ears. It was a little weird to register that train of thought—the mind reading thing would take some getting used to—but Ward decided he welcomed it. God only knew they needed the closeness.
“I’m here,” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere. You kept me safe. You saved us.”
In response, Mathias wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him off the couch. Ward reveled in the comfort of his mate’s embrace, but he also wanted to offer comfort in turn. He kept whispering in Mathias’s ear, and he himself couldn’t process everything he was saying. Maybe it wasn’t for Mathias’s sake after all. God only knew he needed to anchor himself in the present, to be one hundred percent sure this wasn’t a dream.