“No,” Kinna growled at him and stepped aside.
Uthar froze in place. He didn’t know what to do. Kinna started running, and he saw that she was headed to her house. Adrenaline shot through his veins, and he finally snapped out of the initial shock and ran after her. When he arrived, Lonar the Beast was at the door. The raider stopped him, placing a firm hand on his chest.
“The mage told me you would come and try to get in. I’m sorry, captain, but I’m here to stop you.”
“Why? What is going on?”
Lonar shook his head. “This is the business of females. We can’t help. We’d only be in their way. Kinna said everything is fine. Your mate is asleep.”
“And the baby?”
“You have a son.”
Uthar took a few steps back and ran his hands through his hair. A son. Beth had given him a son. And Lonar was right, of course. Thiswasthe business of females, like it had always been.
Minutes passed. Uthar and Lonar waited in silence. Then an hour passed. Abby showed up and told him that Beth was up and asking about him. Kinna walked out of the house then but pointed a finger at the three of them and told them the baby was doing fine, but he was off limits. She rushed to Sonya’s house, and Uthar, Lonar, and Abby felt like they were supposed to wait for her to get back. They all stared at the closed front door like it was the door to a sacred temple. They wanted to go in to discover its mysteries, but the priestess had declared them unworthy.
“I’m sure everything is fine,” Abby said. But her voice was shaky.
Uthar nodded. When Kinna came back, he let out a breath of relief.
“You can go see your mate,” the mage said. “But don’t agitate her. She needs rest.”
Uthar and Abby didn’t need to be invited twice. They left Lonar the Beast to guard the mage’s house and hurried to Sonya’s place. They found Beth in a clean bed, dressed in a long blue dress, an expression of pure relaxation on her face.
“Kinna gave her something,” Sonya explained. “To calm her nerves.”
Beth saw Uthar and reached out for him.
“Why couldn’t you be here when I needed you?” she asked. But there was no menace in her voice.
He kissed both her hands, then her forehead. “I was just outside. I’m sorry, my love. I couldn’t have helped, anyway.”
“You could’ve held my hand.”
He kissed her again. “I’m holding your hand now.”
She smiled. “It’s okay... I’m not mad at you.”
He climbed into bed with her, and she curled against his chest. He played with her long, red hair. He could see the signs of exhaustion on her frail body, but she seemed to be recuperating.
“What if something happens to our baby?” she asked in a whisper. “What if... I don’t know...”
“Shh...”
She looked up into his eyes. “Will you take me back to the institute?”
“What? Where did you get that idea?”
She bit her lower lip. “If I fail you... it’s only fair.”
“No, it isn’t. I love you, Beth. No matter what happens. But nothing will happen, because our baby is with Kinna, and she would give her life for his. You haven’t failed me. You could never fail me.”
She smiled and hid her face in his chest again. “I could never live without you.”
“And I could never live without you.” He kissed the top of her head.
Meanwhile, Sonya and Abby had gone to the diner and brought food for her. Uthar helped her sit up and started feeding her himself. He cut the roasted potatoes into small bites and gently placed them in her mouth. She couldn’t eat much, but every bite mattered and gave her strength.