Seventy-Four…

Seventy-Four: Resolution

Well, sort of a resolution…

Contains many an F-bomb due to Vaclav’s finding out about Reznik and Kat’s extracurricular activities.

Also contains several POV switches during the beginning.

Now that Kat dropped the proverbial bomb, Aubrey was stuck. Stuck between a compulsion to tell Vaclav right away, and fear hindering her from doing so.

Bad enough Reznik was involved. But Kat as well? Both of them breeding with Shadows? It was unfathomable.

Yet in a way, Aubrey saw it coming with Kat. It was locked away inside a tiny, hidden part of her mind she’d refused to acknowledge, but it was there nonetheless.

And now it’s happened. The only reason Aubrey never got pregnant by Hunter was due to the birth control she took while seeing him.

She tapped in the number to the Haas residence.

How am I going to tell him? What will I say? Shit!

Vaclav answered.

“Yeah?”

“Vaclav, it’s me. Aubrey.” She hesitated. “Are you sitting down?”

“Why would I need to sit down?”

“For a couple of different reasons… so are you sitting down?”

“Aubrey, I don’t need this shit. I’ve had a really long night. So just tell me what it is.”

“Fine. You remember how I told you Ashton had a son? His name’s Cody?”

“Yes. I remember. What about it?”

“Cody is our grandson. Reznik’s his father.”

“What?”

“That’s not all…”

“Are you fucking shitting me? I have a Shadow for a grandson? Reznik… Reznik fucked Ashton? What the fuck?”

Aubrey listened to him bitch for the next few minutes.

“Vaclav,” she finally interrupted. “That’s not all.”

“What the fuck else could there possibly be? What else could be as important—”

“Kat’s pregnant.”

Silence.

“Are you there? Are you okay?”

“My children!” he ranted. “My children will be the death of me!” He stormed over to the desk, pounded on it with his fist. Then he spun around.

“Every one of my children are bad seeds! Every fucking one! And goddamnit I’m going to kill Hunter!”

“You don’t mean any of that! Our kids aren’t bad! They’re just not perfect. It doesn’t mean—”

“I gotta go.” He clicked off the phone.

Aubrey held the cellular to her ear. Only an eerie quiet exuded.

Shit. What’s Vaclav going to do?

A few hundred miles away her question was answered.

Vaclav stared out the window.

His fist shot forward, shattering the glass. Over and over his hand penetrated the jagged opening.

Shards sliced his hand, but he didn’t feel the pain.

Fucking bad seeds. Nothing but evil spawn. I should’ve had my balls clipped three hundred years ago. Then there’d be no bad seeds to deal with.

Meanwhile Reznik tended to Gavin, who was still crumpled on the floor spellbound.

The guy had been twisting in pain for hours. Reznik finally felt sorry for him.

In a moment Gavin was freed.

“I’ll be sure to repay your kindness, Reznik.”

Was that sarcasm?

Before Reznik could do anything, the Dempire glided across the room and into the foyer.

He crashed through the window…

flew off before the rising sun could singe his flesh.

It hadn’t been Rez’s intention for the Dempire to escape. He only wanted to reverse the spell.

“Whoops.”

Hunter finished examining Kat for the I-DAS.

Several hours ago, a horrible thought occurred to her: when they were separated weeks earlier, had Hunter known she was seeing Omega?

That in itself wasn’t so bad. But was that the reason why he wanted to get her pregnant? To trap her? To get her away from Omega?

Would the answer really be that surprising? Considering how possessive Hunter had proven to be?

“Did you get me pregnant just to make sure I wouldn’t stay with Omega?”

“What do you mean?”

Her eyes lowered. “You know what I mean, Hunter.”

He went over and sat next to her.

“Well did you?” she asked.

“Kat, I wanted to have a baby with you because I love you. That’s all.”

Cynicism still lingered inside her heart.

His arm maneuvered around her, pulled her close.

“I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you,” he said.

“And yeah… I’d suspected you were seeing someone else.”

“But you didn’t want to have a baby because of that?” she questioned.

“No. I promise.”

Slivers of doubt remained.

But she was satisfied for now.

“Want me to give you a kiss and make it better?”

“Sure.” Kat chuckled.

With Hunter’s lips on hers, that prior quandary was quickly forgotten.

She didn’t notice her mother standing near the doorway, or the horrified/embarrassed look on her face.

Hunter left, mumbling something about going to the hospital lab to make more lycanthropy antidote.

Kat retired to bed.

She succumbed to the pregnancy-induced sleepiness. Her dreams flourished, like the babies inside her.

Twin boys played in the clearing; the same area where she and Hunter made out and made love. Wolves kept a watchful eye over the children.

They rocked, giggled, and playfully hit one another.

Were they Kat’s children? They resembled Hunter…

Thump thump thump thump thump. Rapid pounding echoed, signifying the twins’ heartbeats inside her womb.

Yes. They’re my little boys… hello you two. I’m luckier than any other expectant mother, for I already get to see what you look like.

Reznik stared blankly at the blood-filled well.

Xeri was alive and safe. Rez had saved her life. Everything was okay now… except that Xeri had betrayed him.

He was allowing himself to finally feel the full brunt of his emotions… and now he was pissed, and hurt.

Footsteps shuffled behind him.

“I’m sorry, Rez.”

“You’re sorry for what? For not telling me you were their leader? Or for hiring a Dempire to kill me? Tell me, Xeri. Which part are you sorry for? Because I’m sorry I ever met you.”

“Okay. You’re right. I’m leader of the Dempires and I’m sorry I never told you. But I never ordered that assassin to kill you.” She paused. “I ordered him to kill your father since he’s leader of the Haas Clan.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” he said.

“Of course not.”

“I just—just wanted to let you know I never meant to kill you, or to have you killed. You have to believe me. I love you, Reznik.”

She reached around and held his hand a moment. “I love you,” she repeated.

Reznik turned around.

“How can I believe anything you say? You’ve already lied to me.”

“I never lied to you. I… just didn’t tell you I was leader of the other clan.”

“You freakin’ used me to get to my Dad, Xeri.”

“I did at first. But I fell in love with you. I swear. Please believe me.”

“I’m also surrendering, and leaving my position as leader of the Dempires. It’s over.”

He observed her, looking for hints of deceit. “You have to end the war anyway since I killed most of your underlings the other night.”

“That’s not the reason why I’m ending the war. I’m tired of fighting, and finally realized how much I suck at leadership. I want to live in peace now. I want to live with you in peace.”

“You need to give me some time. I have to learn to trust you again, and you need to earn back my trust.”

“Okay. Whatever it takes.”

“You’ll learn to trust me again. I know you will.” She cried as they embraced.

Trusting is easy. It’s the fear of trusting that gets in the way…

^^ this beautiful song is sung by Billy Joel.

Thanks for reading!! <333