“Wow.” Kira hurried outside, Echo and Jaden at her side. “That was incredible.” They pulled chairs around Shadow and sat.
“That beast is like a cuddly Chihuahua with you,” Echo said, looking at the spot where the hellhound had vanished.
“He’s still perilous, a creature of the dark,” Jaden added softly.
Shadow glanced at the Oracle. The times when the woman had come to check on her, Shadow had been in her own dark place, not interested in waking up and talking to anyone. The way Jaden watched her, Shadow expelled a weary sigh. She didn’t want to hear whatever it was.
“Where’s Liam,” she asked instead, stalling.
“Hedori will fetch him from The Shelter in an hour.”
She nodded and rested her head against the backrest, shutting her eyes.
“Kira, Echo, would you give us a moment?” Jaden asked them.
“Of course,” Kira responded. The chairs dragged across the tiles, forcing Shadow to open her eyes again. “I’ll go get you something to eat. You must be hungry.” Kira headed indoors.
“And I have Lore coming for my lesson now, but I’ll see you later, okay?” Echo gave her a warm smile and followed Kira.
“How do you feel?” Jaden asked once they were alone.
At the compassion in her soft gaze, Shadow lashed out. “How do you think I feel? I lost the man I love. But he didn’t want me with him, he-he broke our bond.”
And suddenly, she was so angry at Nik for leaving her behind, leaving her alone, after his promise to her—
A strange warmth coasted through her, as if relentless in its pursuit to soothe her. Frowning, Shadow’s flat gaze fell on Jaden’s hand warm on her arm. She pulled free.
“I’m truly sorry, and I do understand what you’re going through,” Jaden said quietly. “The wounds never quite heal. However, you have something to live for.”
Shadow cast a listless look around her. She didn’t want to hear about time healing and all that crap, or about someone else appearing in her life. So, she remained silent.
“You have a part of him now.”
“I have nothing—”
Jaden gently laid her palm on Shadow’s stomach. “You carry a babe of your heart.”
Shadow blinked, her mind not connecting with what Jaden was saying.
“You’re pregnant, Shadow.”
She looked down at herself, then up at the Oracle…and then what she said crashed through her mind like a shattering bullet.
“No!” She jumped up, the covers falling to her feet. It was as if she’d been stabbed in the heart again.
Jaden rose. “Shadow—”
“No!” She pivoted and raced back indoors, bypassing a startled Kira.
“Shadow?” she called out.
Shadow shook her head and bolted up the back stairs to her room. Her lungs burning for air, she slammed the door shut and wrapped her arms around her waist. She looked around, searching for something, anything to anchor her, to help her understand why.
When she’d been ill with her defective heart, she never thought much about the future, let alone a family. After her attack and otherworldly blood transfusion, she’d changed, and she knew she would never have a normal life. Then Nik strode right in, crashing through her walls, and hope bloomed, only for her to be kicked in the gut and for Fate to snatch away her happiness—snatch the one person who was her very heartbeat.
And nowthis?
All that the Fates did was show her a glimpse of happiness then brutally rip it away.
