Chapter 9: Chapter 9

I sat there just holding him because I knew things were going to get more complicated than they already are. I thought I’d never see him again and so I allowed myself to be vulnerable with Vincent. “The kids are with my brother and his mate. They are fine. I just couldn’t allow you to go through this alone.” I felt like my heart was ready to pop out of my chest and just die from being guilty. I was guilty. Because I could never take a good thing and not break it like it meant nothing. “Jack, you need to go back. I am serious. They treat me like a prisoner and I can’t risk getting into any more trouble than I already will be. I pissed off the wrong person and it’s starting to know. Vincent is here, so you can trust that he will protect me.” I rose from his lap and walked over to the pole that was going to be my best friend for a while. “I don’t trust that you and he will not spark things up if I am gone. Because who knows how long that will be. Let me stay.” I couldn’t make eye contact with him because he wasn’t wrong. It had already happened in less than two days. “This is why we had split up.

You’re just going to have to trust that things will be okay. But I need you to go back and just move on for now. I have a war that I am dealing with and I can’t have your jealous behavior distracting me.” I still hadn’t made any contact with him because the tears were eating away at me. The room went silent and only the sound of the music was playing. Until he finally spoke. “It’s been a week, and you’re changing your mind about him aren’t you?” But once again I stayed silent. “Athena, answer me!” He yelled out. His hand reached my shoulder as I spun around and met his hurt eyes. “I need to know.” And just like that, I caved. “I don’t know, okay. I am not thinking clearly, as you see I am a slave and nothing more right now. I don’t want to think of loving someone while I am separated from my child. I just want to forget and not think. No relationship, no mate, no nothing. Because I am making this about myself and just falling apart.”

He reached for my hands and we just stood there with an inch of space between us. I knew that I had a friend for life whether we were together or not. Because that’s exactly what we were in the beginning. “I just don’t want to feel right now. I want to survive and somehow feel like I matter. I want to break down and just give up but I can’t do that right now. There is so much at stake. Just please go back and let me handle this.” His breaths were intensifying until he finally calmed down and hugged me. The sense of comfort that I needed. “Okay, I understand.” He grabbed both sides of my neck and kissed my lips with so much sadness and passion that I didn’t want him to stop. “I love you, Athena.” He whispered against my cheeks. “I love you, Jack, now go please?” His skin left mine and I watched as he headed for the door. “I had you for the whole night. So you’re safe for tonight. I will tell Ryn you love her.” And just like that, he was gone. I rested my head against the pole and just sobbed knowing this is how things weren’t supposed to be. We weren’t supposed to be in this situation. But I didn’t like to be a part of something that I didn’t agree with.

But no one ever said that doing right would give you a great outcome. I played on the pole a little longer just getting lost in the music. I heard the door open up and knew exactly who it was from the smell. “Hey, how are you holding up? I looked at Vincent for a second before I ran into his arms. I needed the mate bond to calm me down. “Jack was just here. I have the entire night for myself because of him. I had to watch his heartbreak all over again.” His thick vest put pressure against my chest as he held me tight. “We are going to get out of this if it’s the last thing we do.” He kissed my forehead but even with that, I had trouble believing that. Would it ever end? And when? “I don’t know what more we can do. They have us locked down like we are prisoners with a room I can touch with both arms. We get fed once a day with just water.” I walked over to the couch and just sat there.” he followed me but lifted me and placed me on his lap. “You’re in luck.” He reached into his gun area and pulled out a Sneakers bar and handed it to me. I didn’t even pause before I snatched it from his hand and basically devoured it. It was the best damn thing I tasted and he just watched me with a smile until I took the last bite. “I wish it had never ended.” He wrapped his arms around me and just enjoyed this moment. “So tell me how it’s going with the bitch?” He laughed nervously. “Well, you were right about one thing. She is trying to seduce me.” I look back at him curiously. “What do you mean?” I asked him. “Well, she finds any way to undress in front of me. She tries to engage in conversation like I am interested in her. Her being the Goddess, she is hard to resist but it’s not by choice either. I can resist her though because she isn’t you.” But then it hit me. My face changed as a smile came across it. “What if you don’t resist her?” With that, the air fell pregnant.