RYKER''S POV


    There were times when I seriously doubted the sanity of the guards in the pce and today was one of those times


    because I found it absolutely insane that I needed to be called to handle something as miniscule as an innocent


    rogue. By the time we got to the border and I realized exactly what the problem was, I was just about ready to


    strangle someone to death. It was the kind of matter that didn’t take minutes to handle.


    “Are they always like this?” Juan asked as we left and I couldn''t help but roll my eyes.


    “No, they''re not, which is why I''m more annoyed about this,” we rode our horses at a fair pace. “I don’t know what th


    f**k they were thinking when they called me out for this. They are adults, they should know how to handle f*****g


    rogues.”


    Heughed andfortable silence settled over us. It remained that way for the next few minutes until Juan clearec


    his throat. I turned to him and noticed that there was something anxious in his gaze, as if something were guing


    him but he wouldn''t say a word.


    “Since when did you get shy, Juan?” I drawled. “Ask whatever it is that you want to ask. I will try to answer it to the


    best of my abilities.”


    “Were you terrified?” he asked and my brows furrowed in confusion for a second. “When Cami was pregnant, were


    you terrified? Is it normal to feel this way? I am happy, don’t get me wrong, I am f*****g ted but I cannot sleep or


    think, I don’t know how to do this, I don’t know if I will be able to do this, so were you scared?”


    I wasn''t sure how to answer that but I figured that honesty would be the best thing.


    “When Cami was pregnant the first time, I wasn’t there. We had an issue, there was some mimunication and


    she left. When I found her again, Audrey was already a little grown but to answer your question, it was fucking


    terrifying. I didn’t know the first thing about being a father and I didn’t know if I would be good to her or not, my


    father was an asshole.”


    He snorted. “You can say that part again.”


    A small smile grew on my face. “When Aurora came, I was equally as terrified. I didn’t know how to handle an infant, I


    thought I was going to be crap about it."


    “But you already had Audrey by then,” his brows were furrowed in confusion. “Why would you be scared if you


    already had Audrey?”


    “Because the thought of having children in itself is terrifying and part of that is what shows that you are a great


    parent. The fact that you are scared of doing wrong by them, you are scared of hurting them, that is what makes you


    a good parent. The worry is what helps. I would like to say that the fear gets easier but I don’t think it does. The


    closer she gets to delivery, the worse it might actually be but you are going to be fine, Christine will be fine. You have


    an amazing support system and you will not have to be alone.”


    “Essentially what you are saying is that if I f**k up, you''ll bash my face in."


    I reached out to tap him on the shoulder. “Exactly, now you get it” once I saw he smiled, I knew my work was done.


    “You


    will both be great parents. Christine is an amazing person and you are amazing with our girls. I can only imagine how


    great you would be with your own.”


    “Thank you,” he exhaled deeply. “Now can we get back as soon as possible? I need to-"


    His words cut off when I felt a presence at the back of my mind. My wall was always up except for Cami. She was


    the only one who had ess to my mind at all times and the moment I felt her, I knew something was wrong. Her


    worry as palpable, it was so thick that it felt like I could almost reach out and grab it.


    “Where are you?” she asked, her voicedced with concern.


    “On our way back, why? What happened? Are you okay?”


    “l am okay,” she trailed off. “Does Juan know?”


    “Cami, baby, I am going to need you to get to the point and do it fast. What is the matter?”


    “Christine passed out, she is with the physician. I don''t know what happened. Damien epted her rejection and sh


    seemed to be fine but then she had the wind knocked out of her and said she didn’t expect the pain. She was fine


    and then she passed out in my arms. I don’t know what happened.”


    “We are on our way, just stay close to her and perhaps tell Riley to keep Damien away for now.”


    I cut off the mind link and turned to Juan who was oblivious to the whole thing. They were not officially mated yet sc


    he couldn''t feel it. I wasn’t sure how to tell him out here so instead, I cleared my throat.


    “Something happened at the pce, Cami needs us,” I said and without waiting for a question for him, I spurred


    my horse to go faster.


    Juan had a million questions by the time we arrived at the pce but I didn’t know how to answer any of them. I


    couldn''t have even if I wanted to. All I did was ask him to follow me and the moment we got to the front of the


    physician''s office and he saw Cami pacing, he knew that something was wrong.


    “Where is she?” he asked but Cami couldn''t respond. She was biting her nails with worry. “What the hell happened


    to her, Cami?”Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I knew she wouldn''t be able to speak so I exined everything she had told me. By the time I was done, he was


    furious. I could practically see the steaming out of his ears.


    “I will f*****g kill that bastard,” he snarled. “Couldn’t he just stay the hell away from her? What was he thinking? Wha


    the hell is his problem?”


    “Don’t even fucking think about it,” I warned and Juan turned to me with an incredulous look. “Your pregnant mate is


    in that room. Do you really want to leave her to go pick a fight with Damien? He didn’t know this was going to


    happen, he thought he was doing everyone a favor so they could both move on. I get that you are upset but your


    main priority right now should be the girl in that bed and not anything else.”


    I could see a war going on in his eyes but I knew he would do the right thing which was why when he cursed and


    stormed into the room, I wasn’t surprised. I simply took my eyes off him and focused on my mate who looked


    seconds away from falling apart. The moment I opened my arms, she rushed in and began to sob. I hated seeing her


    cry, it felt like with each tear, someone tightened a noose more and more around my heart. Still, I knew there was


    nothing I could do save for just holding her until she had finally calmed down.


    “You told me to watch her,” she whispered and I pulled back from her to be sure I had heard correctly. “I was


    watching her. I don’t know what went wrong. She was fine and then she was not. I should have watched her better”


    “You brought her here and you called me. You did everything you could.”


    “If I still had my powers, I could-" she began but I cut her off. I cupped her cheeks and ced my forehead against


    hers just letting her breathe with me until she was a lot calmer than she was.


    “If you had your powers, I would have dragged you the hell out of here because I would be damned if I ever let you


    use them again,” I told her and her eyes widened. “She is not badly hurt, she is not dying. Christine will be fine,


    sometimes rejections take a lot out of you. She will be good. She is pregnant, her body just was not prepared for the


    stress that came with it.”


    I could see her digesting my words and turning them over. I knew it wouldn''t be enough to settle whatever guilt she


    had built up inside- nothing would until Christine was fine- but it was a start. I ced a lingering kiss on her


    forehead and when I looked up, I was shocked to see someone standing at the far wall. My heart jumped in my chest


    because I wasn''t expecting anyone.


    Cami must have felt it because she turned to follow my line of sight and when she saw Marie, her brows furrowed


    in confusion. “Were you looking for me?”


    “Yeah, I wanted to see you,” her answer sounded off slightly, it sounded more like a question. “Why are you both


    standing out here? Is everything okay?”


    “Christine got hurt but it is fine, she will be okay soon,” I could tell that Cami was trying to downy the entire


    situation.


    Marie just hummed and looked at the door to the physician''s office. I expected her to ask a question or even feign


    worry for Christine. I looked through her eyes expecting something akin to concern or even sadness, but her eyes


    remained nk and expressionless.


    “Well she is in there and you are out here so that means you can spare a few minutes, right?” she asked and I could


    tell Cami was taken aback by how careless her words were. I wasn''t sure if she just didn’t care or if she was doing i


    to get a rise out of Cami.


    I noticed Cami about to snap back so I jumped in. “You''re right, she can go with you. I''ll stay here.”


    Cami turned to me with wide eyes and I ced a lingering kiss on her forehead during which I spoke directly into


    her mind. “If you had lost your memory and Marie was your person, you would go with her. I''ll keep you updated.


    Keep your guard up and be careful. There will be guards trailing you.”


    I pulled back and watched the moment her mask slipped into ce. She turned to Marie. “Let''s go."