Chapter 6
910 Words
KADEN'S POV
It had been days since I'd last laid eyes on Isabella and… Charles. Her son. She had a son.
Fuck, I couldn't believe it even now. Even now, as I sat at my desk, blankly staring at the reports in front of me, my mind refused to accept it.
Somehow, the boy was proof of what I’d feared the most. He was proof that Isabella had moved on with her life. That she had created a life without me. And worse? She had flourished. She looked happy.
I wanted that for her. I really did. Especially after everything I put her through. But…I was miserable.
I'd spent the past five years thirsty over her. A mess. I tortured myself with guilt, with regret, with this ache, a pounding wish that I'd claimed her as mine when I'd had the opportunity. f**k Iron and the rest of my enemies.
But she had gone. And now she was coming back, along with a child. Which meant that she'd loved someone. Built a life.
My stomach twisted.
A voice called my name from far away, but I barely registered it. The words on the reports blurred together.
Then a hard hand came down on my shoulder.
"Okay, what the f**k is wrong with you?"
I blinked, coming out of my trance to see Lucien standing beside me, arms crossed, a scowl on his face.
I sighed and sat up properly, rubbing my temples. "It’s nothing."
Lucien let out a low growl. "No, don’t give me that bullshit. You’ve been like this for over a week, nearly two now, losing focus, zoning out in meetings, looking like someone kicked your puppy and skinned its fur."
I shot him a glare and a raised brow. "Don’t be ridiculous." I scoffed.
He ignored me. "Just tell me what’s wrong."
I turned away, pinching my fingers against the bridge of my nose. Could I trust Lucien with this? The fewer people who knew, the better.
But on the other hand, he was bound to meet Isabella sooner or later. And it was better to prepare him, so he could guard her better.
I drew a sharp breath. "I saw Isabella."
Lucien stiffened. His entire body tensed as he processed my words.
"Wait," he said slowly, eyes narrowing. "Isabella, as in—"
I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "Yes, Isabella. As in the mate, I rejected years ago. She's returned to Silver Moon."
Lucien's eyes widened. "Holy s**t. Are you hallucinating now? Should I call a healer?"
I scowled and rolled my eyes. "I’m serious, Luc. I saw her the other day."
"And?" His frown deepened as if bracing himself.
"And…" I was tempted to lie, or stall, but what was the point of engaging in denial? "She has a son."
Lucien's jaw dropped.
"She…wait what?" He glared at me as if I had just told him the moon had collapsed.
I shrugged, slouching into my chair, suddenly tired. "She has a child. A little boy. Looks just like her ."
Lucien's mouth opened and closed again like a fish. "Who's the father?" he finally asked.
I clenched my teeth. "I don't know."
His eyebrows jumped up. "You didn't ask?"
I gave him a deadpan look. "Yeah right. Sure, let me just go over there and say, 'Hey, Isabella, who is the lucky asshole you had the baby with? Oh, by the way, I really regret rejecting you, so don't rip my throat out.'"
Lucien snorted. "Fair point."
I took a deep breath. "But she's here for a reason. She talked about protection."
Lucien's smile vanished immediately. He sat down in front of me, his expression serious. "Protection?"
I nodded. "That's what she said. I don't know from what or who, but that's the reason she left wherever she was and came back here."
Lucien furrowed his brow in thought, stroking his chin. "That's… unexpected."
"Tell me about it." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. And then I moved in closer. "Listen, this stays between just between you and me. No one can know that she's come back. And especially what she means…meant to me."
Lucien's face tightened with comprehension. "You think she's in danger?"
I nodded grimly. "She’s safe here, but she’s also at risk. If any of my enemies find out about her, they could use her to get to me."
Lucien’s face darkened. "I’ll have a security detail on her at all times."
Relief flooded through me. "Good."
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us absorbing the weight of the situation.
Then Lucien smiled. "You're screwed, by the way."
I frowned. "What?"
He waved vaguely. "She's back. She's got a kid. You still love her."
I bristled but didn't say a word.
Lucien smiled again. "Oh, you're so screwed."
I glared at him. "Shut up."
He just laughed.
I breathed in deeply and shook my head. Yet for some reason, I did feel lighter. Talking about my problems with someone else, felt good.
Having done that, I turned to the work on my desk and forced myself to focus.
I couldn't dwell on what could have been anymore.
Isabella came back. And whether she liked it or not, I was going to make sure that she, and her son, were safe from whatever they were running from.
That meant I was going to have to rip the bandaid off, no matter how much it’d bloody hurt.
- Writer
