“We will,” his voice was fierce.
“How can you be so confident?” I asked.
I opened my eyes in time to see him shrug. “I can’t think about the alternative.”
“I wish I could do the same,” I breathed. “But all I can think about is losing her…losing everybody, and being left all alone to go crazy.”
“That’ll never happen, principessa,” he grabbed me and pulled me to him, placing a tender kiss on my head.
I wish I could believe him.
* * *
My eyes continually flickered to the clock. I knew in my gut that this could possibly be my last night with my son. Jonathon and I lay in bed, with Ren in-between us, watching him sleep. I circled a finger lightly over his cheek and his little tongue flicked out.
I smiled.
“Everything will be okay, principessa,” Jonathon whispered, so as not to disturb Ren.
I wished he’d stop saying things like that, because it was a lie. Everything wouldn’t be okay. Whether we won this fight or lost it, nothing would ever be the same.
“I don’t want to talk right now,” I muttered, irritated.
Jonathon sighed. “Kylie-”
I held up a hand to silence him. “Please, just leave me alone right now. All I want to do is look at Ren and pretend that they didn’t take Makenna and that we aren’t about to start a war. Okay?”
“Okay,” he sighed again, holding Ren’s tiny finger carefully between his thumb and index finger.
A small smile graced Ren’s face at his father’s touch. I leaned over and kissed his tiny head. I hoped for Ren’s sake, that his life was always this peaceful.
Chapter Nineteen: Action
All of the vampires were fed and ready to go. The shifters were already outside waiting with the Coven.
Patrick, Danny, and Mason stood with Amelia saying goodbye.
I held Ren in my arms, terrified to let him go, but I knew I had to hand him over to Jonathon. He deserved to say goodbye too.
“I love you, so much, to the moon and back a thousand times,” I whispered to Ren before handing him to Jonathon. I took a quick mental picture of Jonathon holding our son, before I escaped out the door.
I couldn’t be in there a second longer. It was like I was suffocating.
I descended the steps and leaned against the stone wall of the house.
I felt like the weight of the world was crashing down on my shoulders and I wasn’t strong enough to withstand it.
I scrubbed my hands over my face. I had to stop thinking so negatively. I was strong enough and we’d make it through this. We had to.
“Kylie,” someone interrupted my short moment of quiet. With this many people around it was impossible to find a quiet moment to yourself.
I turned my head and forced a smile. “Hey Colton.”
Wayland and Tyson stood behind him.
The three guys were members of the Coven and had been best friends with my now dead friend, Isaac. Seeing them was like a kick to my gut, a reminder of someone else I had lost.
“So, you’re a vampire now,” Wayland chuckled.