"Sadly, your True Mate turned out to be a washed-up ex-mobster the mafia wants erased. And now we have this situation."
Shocked by his intensity, I turned my head toward him.
"Stop. That’s not how I see you!"
"And yet, as a protector, I’m a bad choice," he says bitterly. "For now, I can’t give you safety or a calm place where you could carry this pregnancy to term. I have one option that Mauro gaveme, but this place was already compromised once. Thesoldatiwere searching for us there, so…"
I lie on my side, moving my face closer to his. I look at his refined Roman profile, lift my hand, and gently place my palm over his heart. Or maybe I’m imagining it, but I can almost hear it beating fast and heavy.
Even though it’s hard to summon optimism, I whisper, "Maybe a solution will still appear. I want to believe in our happily ever after…"
I barely recognize my own tone; it’s kind of soft and shaky, with no edge to it. A lot has changed inside me.
"I’m not the perfect alpha for you, Salt. That’s for sure," he says, the bitterness still there. "Sometimes I’m amazed that Fate put us on the same path. Being True Mates doesn’t solve anything. It might even make it worse."
He turns toward me and looks me straight in the eyes.
"Let’s be real. I’ve got two years of law school I won’t even finish, so no degree. My job? A small-time journalist writing articles. Not much money in that unless you work for a major agency. I only know how to fight, but what’s the point if I hate it? So here it is. No house, no stable job, and no real safety, because the mafia could come for me anytime. I think about it constantly, Salt. Ever since I came back."
I blink, realizing how much weight and responsibility Eliano is carrying, what has been eating at him. Was he tormenting himself overthissilently?
I was afraid to talk about the future before, struggling with myself, not knowing exactly what he was planning, fearing that I would steer the conversation into heavy territory, while he carried the same inside him. The same struggle, the concern for our future, both consumed by worries about the safety of our growing family.
Wow.
I’m about to say something when, at that exact moment, my wristband lets out a sharp beep.
I glance at the small screen. A message flashes up, instructing me to report to the administrative building, room forty-seven.
"What could it be? Did Doctor Cooper really act that fast?"
Eliano glances at the screen, then at his wristband. "I think if this had anything to do with Doctor Cooper, we both would have received a message, so it must be something else. I’ll go with you."
"Okay," I say, jumping up from the bed. A wave of nerves rolls through me.
Eliano walks beside me with his head lowered, his energy dimmed, almost withdrawn. I want to say something, I want to do something that might untangle this entire mess, but I can’t. I have no idea where to even begin, and I feel a heavy sense of gloom and pessimism settling over me as well.
We enter the cafeteria building, then pass through the recreational wing, and finally head toward the administrative building.
When we stop in front of room number forty-seven, I realize it’s actually a small cubicle attached to a larger open space where several people are seated.
One of them looks up at me and says, "Salt Einarson? You have an incoming video call."
For a moment, I have no idea how to react.
"I’ll wait here for you," Eliano says quietly, coming to an abrupt stop.
"But… an incoming call? From whom? It can only be my court-appointed lawyer."
"You’ll see."
None of this makes sense, but I step into the small booth.
Inside, there is nothing but a table, a chair, and a screen mounted on the wall.
On the screen, a pulsing message reads: "Call pending."
The beta who escorted me in says, "I’m unlocking the connection now. You’ll be able to speak to the caller."
