“I don’t know.” Roman looked like he was about ready to pull his hair right out his scalp. “But I need some air.” And with that, he left the room, letting the door slam behind him.
The sudden bang of noise was enough to rouse Jayden from his sleep. He started to cry, his face red and blotchy. “Shh, shh…” I tried to rock him back to sleep but there was no consoling the little guy. He just wasn’t having it.
“Try laying him down next to his father,” said Cynthia. “It might help them both.”
“I appreciate the thought but —”
She was giving me such a look that it was hard to argue with the woman. I really had nothing to lose, so I decided to give it a shot.
Gently, I eased Jayden into the crook of Landon’s arm. Almost instantly, he started to calm down. His crying stopped and he snuggled in a little bit closer to his father’s side. “How did you know…?” I asked.
“Love is the most powerful medicine of all.”
***
With Landon acting as Jayden’s bed, I had a little bit of time to get myself cleaned up. It felt good to soak in a warm bath but with everything that was happening, I couldn’t fully enjoy myself. I was haunted by a bunch of ‘what ifs.’ What if Landon died? What if another wolf attempted to dethrone Roman as leader? What if there was another attack? What if our new territory proved to be a horrible decision?
My head felt like a wind-up toy that had been turned one too many times.
I sank a little deeper into the water, until it just about grazed my chin.
Overhead was an upside-down garden. Roses and tulips were in full bloom. I had no idea how Cynthia was able to maintain such a thing but it was incredibly beautiful. Each rose was a vibrant red and the violets weren’t just purple, they were a dimension of color.
Knock, knock.
Roman let himself into the room. “Mmm.” He pressed his lips together. “Now this is a sight that will certainly lift my spirits.”
“You’re just saying that. I’m sure I look like crap. No one told me that motherhood would do this much damage to my body.”
“What did you expect?” He formed his fingers into a tight circle. “When something goes from this to —”
I stopped him before he could go into detail about the destruction of my hole. “Way to make me feel better.”
“If it helps, I think you’re just as beautiful today as you were the first day I met you.”
“I almost drowned the first day you met me.”
He motioned towards the tub. “See what I did there.”
I rolled my eyes. “How can you crack jokes at a time like this?”
“Well, I, for one, think that laughter is a good way to chase away depression.”
“Right.” I couldn’t argue with him there. With the water getting cold, I lifted myself out of the tub. Roman was ready with a warm towel which he helped to wrap around my body. “Did you want something from me or did you just pop in to say hello?”
“I wanted you to see something.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s the pack.”
“What about them?”
“It’ll just be better if you see it for yourself.”
“I don’t know if I like the sound of this…”
“Just trust me.”