1. me.


    I sat on the couch in the dark with my feet tucked underneath


    My growing stomach was making gettingfortable a challenge. Lyle had stayed with me all day working. I caught him looking up at me with worried eyes a few times, but I pretended not to notice. I know he was trying to gauge how I was doing. It wasn''t until it was time for bed that he finally left my side.


    Now that I was alone, I realized that, at the time, I didn''t want to think about it at all. However, now that I had a moment to myself, I was in deep reflection.


    It wasn''t right for me to doubt Darren because of the pictures. For one, they were pictures and didn''t exin the scene fully. Maybe Darren was getting medical treatment? Maybe the woman was giving him support? Yes, the pictures looked intimate, but maybe this person was now a close friend of his. There were many unknowns.


    There are also enchantresses that could have bewitched him, and I couldn''t forget the changeling I fought against. It looked and smelled like Darren. And then there were also mimics. We did suspect there was a mimic here at the castle when all the species came for the treaty.


    I did some studying about the different creatures. Mics were rted to ghosts but aligned with demons, their magic simr to fairies. A changeling is rted to fairies, but there is a subspecies of them that are demons. A changeling must have


    blood in order to copy that creature, while a mimic can copy any creature they meet.


    Both could have a connection with demons, and we were now at war with them, but what would be their angle with this? Why send this to me? Did they want me to doubt our bond and get in my mate''s head? My eyes widened. Was this to make Darren more vulnerable so that he was easy to kill?!


    It could be anything. And why was my life a constant game of mysteries and solving them?! I looked down at my hands that were resting on my stomach. We are going to trust daddy, right? Maybe this is part of my trial? They said we would both be tested. Maybe this is how, right? My questions went unanswered. The quiet room reflected the answers I had... nothing.


    As much as I tried to convince myself that Darren would never, I still had some trauma over this issue. I always felt like I wasn''t worthy of his love, and that he was too good for me. Then, adding in that myst mate cheated on me, it created a mess. of insecurities in my mind. I was working on it, but that stuff wasn''t going to be fixed overnight.


    I heard the door creak open and my eyes shed toward it. It was three in the morning. Who was opening my door? Lyle popped his head in and his eyes found mine.


    "Lyle?"


    "Issy." His voice was quiet and he stood there, hesitating. Chapter 89


    "Come on in. Is there a problem?" I watched as he closed the door, shuffling his feet toward the couch. He sat down beside me, grabbing the nket draped over the back and spreading it


    over me.


    "I was worried you wouldn''t be able to sleep," he whispered, but I could sense it was more than that.


    "I''ll sleep soon. I just needed some quiet time-"


    "It''s going to be alright!" His words came out rushed. I nced over at him. He was staring intently at his fiddling fingers. "It ... is going to be alright. I don''t... he wouldn''t-but if-if by some chance-" he shook his head, snapping his gaze at me. "I won''t abandon you, Issy. I''ve been struggling with it. Thinking if it was true... if Darren really did betray the bond-"


    "Lyle, I-"


    "I''ll stay by your side, Issy." His blue eyes were pinned on mine. "I wouldn''t leave you. I would stay and help you raise your child. I''d step in, if you''d allow me. My family has ... I''ve been so disappointedtely." His voice cracked as his gaze left mine, darting to the floor. "I won''t be another disappointment. I will take care of you and your pup. I''ll stay here and help you. I just wanted to let you know that you aren''t alone. No matter what... we''re family, Issy. Don''t be lonely. Don''t be scared. I''m here... you can lean on me."


    I noticed his hands were trembling. This conversation wasn''t just for me, it was for him. He was on the verge of a mental copse and was confused. He wanted to be loyal to Darren but


    couldn''t if he''d betrayed the bond. He was afraid that his brother, who he looked up to, would let him down. Just like his mother had.


    "Lyle, I appreciate you." I reached out, cing my hand on his. "Thank you, but I agree with you. I don''t think he would either. I want to trust him, even though my own insecurities keep getting in the way. But there are so many things... and those pictures. had no context even if they are real. But-"


    "What if he was bewitched?!"


    "Or a mimic or a changeling? What if the entire point of this would be for me tosh out at Darren and get in his mind, making him vulnerable to stupid choices on the battlefield? Then we need to think of this person who was just doing the right thing. No name. That in itself is suspicious." Lyle looked at me, his eyes sparkling and full of hope.


    "Right. You''re right. Darren wouldn''t. Damn, I''m a horrible. brother to even remotely doubt him. You''re a great mate and partner. Despite everything you''ve been through, you''re trying to trust him.


    I squeezed his hand and smiled. "Lyle, you are a wonderful person, and your mate will be lucky to have someone like you. You were willing to set aside your rtionship with your family to stay by my side. Thank you. It means a lot to me to know that I have you in my life." It really did. I could hear how genuine he was. I would have never asked him to abandon his fmily. The thought alone was enough. Lyle has a mate out there somewhere, and she would be the most foolish person in the


    world not to appreciate him.


    "I''ll stay with you until you fall asleep." Lyle grabbed the controller and turned the television on. "Look! A new episode of Shifters Gone Wild is on!" He beamed at me and settled his back against the couch. I think staying here wasn''t just for me to fall asleep. He was like a child, and it made him feel better not being alone after having a traumatic moment.


    Darren, you have an amazing brother. He loves you so much and he has taken it upon himself to take care of me while you''re gone. I''m going to do my best to put this to the back of my mind. I don''t want to doubt our bond. I want to have faith and trust in you, and I will. I''ll shut down my annoying insecurities so I can be a better mate for you. I won''t blindly believe others without speaking to you. We''re navigating uncharted territories. In this day and age, it''s unheard of to not be able tomunicate freely. It''s a challenge... one that our enemies will use against us. I will believe in you. Please believe in me, too.


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