Changing Fates: A Sons of Satrina Novel (The Sons of Satrina Book 3) (20 page)

Ash rolled her eyes. “I’d better go and find him, then.” She looked at them both wrapped up in their warmest clothes, including thick coats, hats and gloves. “Where are you two going looking like that? Up to no good again, I bet.”

“We’re always up to no good.” Rees laughed.

Caleb shoved his little brother, making him stumble. “He’s such a big kid. He wants to go out in the snow and play.”

Ash laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Frostbite? Losing some toes? It’s not really my idea of fun.”

“Come on! Stop being so miserable and live a little.” Rees grinned, looking adorable in Aisline’s opinion. He wasn’t quite as big as his brother and was a couple of years younger. Although he was one hell of a fighter, Rees still had a child-like quality to him that she found endearing.

“I’ll leave you two to your fun and games.” Ash waved over her shoulder as she walked away to go and find Jackson.

Smiling to a few of the other trainees as she moved through the vast mansion, Ash revelled in the quietness of the moment. Most of the other trainees and warriors were in the training rooms or the gym, as she normally would have been at this time of day. It made the huge place seem oddly empty. She was used to the rest of the guys making noise, making a mess and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

Heaving over towards the gamer room, Ash knew that some of the guys would be chilling out in there today and she thought that Jackson might have got roped into playing a game or two. Not that she would have stopped him. It was his day off too and if he wanted to spend it glued to the television, then that was fine. Well, not the whole day, of course. And, even if he wasn’t in there, one of the other boys might know where she could find him.

As she turned the corner, Aisline stopped dead in her tracks. Jackson was stood in the quaint alcove, looking out of the large bay window at the falling snow. He wasn’t alone.

He was with Rhian.

Aisline didn’t care for Rhian in the slightest. The girl had gone out of her way to make her life a living hell since she’d come to the academy. Everything about her annoyed Ash and she knew that no matter what happened, they’d never be friends. Rhian spent all her time at the academy doing all she could to cause trouble for the others, from petty little pranks to some outright dangerous stunts. Seeing as she was doing a pretty damn good job of being able to fight the effects of the warrior mark, Ash didn’t know why she was still hanging around.  Why didn’t she just leave and return to her old life where she could continue being a pampered princess? At least Cala was trying to fit in, even if she was finding it hard. Rhian didn’t give a crap what anyone thought of her and made sure that everyone knew it.

“Thank you for doing this for me. You really are such a sweetheart.” Rhian said, smiling up at him.

“Not at all. It’s no problem”

“But, it is. You’re taking time out of your busy schedule to help me.”

“I’ve got the time. It’s fine.”

“How will I ever repay you?” she flirted.

A stab of jealousy cut through Ash’s chest as she watched Rhian step closer to Jackson. It was irrational, she knew that. Jackson had never shown any kind of interest in Rhian in that way and she knew that he would never do anything to hurt her. But, this was a place full of male warrior and trainees with only three young females in their midst. On the flip side, why would Rhian apparently be trying to cosy up to Jackson when she could have her pick of those there?

Just as Aisline was about to step forward, Rhian said something to Jackson in a voice to soft and intimate for Aisline to hear. She stepped in closer to put their bodies flush to one another, before putting her arm softly around his waist.

“I really, really appreciate this.” Rhian crooned.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll get this sorted.”

“I wouldn’t be able to do this without you. You know that.”

“I’m sure someone else would have helped you.”

“No one else offered. Just you. They don’t care the way that you do.” Rhian licked her lips as she stared at him.

Ash saw red and wanted to go right over there and slap some sense into her, but she was frozen to the spot when Jackson raised his arms and returned her hug. He smiled at Rhian sweetly when she ran a finger along his jawline.

What the hell was going on? Shock stuck in Aisline’s throat. She wasn’t usually the jealous type, but how Jackson and Rhian were holding one another, it didn’t exactly seem like an innocent friendly hug. She didn’t want to read more into it than there was, but her eyes weren’t lying to her. Ash had to admit to herself that this looked more, something more. A dull ache in her stomach throbbed as she watched them standing so closely.

“I’m sure I can find a way to say thank you.”

“You don’t need to.”

“Oh, but I do. And it’s a way I’m sure you’ll thoroughly enjoy.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Ash couldn’t quite believe it when turned her head slightly to meet her gaze, smiling slyly. She smiled! She knew that Aisline was there and was happy to rub her nose in it. What a bitch!

Aisline didn’t want to stand there any longer and witness the pair of them ripping her heart out so she turned on her heels and headed for the stairs. As soon as she reached the bottom of the grand staircase, she paused. Running off upstairs to brood in her room wasn’t going to do her any good at all. She knew she needed some time to clear her head and process what she had seen rationally. If for some reason Jackson came looking for her, the first place he’d look for her was in her room. She didn’t want to see him just yet. Bundling up in her warm, winter coat, Ash slipped out of a side door and into the cold snowy night.

Blinking back the tears, she headed around the side of the building with her head low. She wanted to find a spot that was shielded from the relentless snow.

Ash crouched in a secluded spot and tugged her hood closer around her face, trying to hide from the elements. She needed some time alone before anyone saw her. The last thing she wanted to do was to make a big deal out of it when she didn’t even know what was going on. Closing her eyes, she tried to convince herself that it was nothing. It was just a hug, right? So what? That didn’t mean that anything was going on between them. Just a hug.

Taking in another shuddering breath as the cold started to seep into her body, Ash knew that Jackson was probably just trying to be a friend to Rhian. He may think that she was lonely, especially with her sister training today, which would leave her on her own. But, it seemed like there was more to it. Especially with that grin. Ash knew that whatever was going on, Rhian was doing it on purpose. Jackson may not realise it, but Rhian was using him.

The girl seemed to do anything she could to try and cause Aisline problems, from little things like mess with her training equipment, right up to messing with Jackson. That was taking things way too far in Ash’s opinion.

Even though she’d finally got it clear in her head and realised that it was highly unlikely that Jackson would do anything like that, she still couldn’t face him yet. That moment had been intimate and if he didn’t see that, then he was blind. Rhian had been flirting with him every so often, but now she was clearly taking things up a notch. Ash knew that the moment she saw him, she’d end up acting like the irrational, jealous girlfriend and that wasn’t who she was. She didn’t want to be that girl. Ash had to get herself under control before she saw Jackson.

Moving back inside the mansion, Aisline shook the snow out of her hair and brushed the shoulders of her coat. Looking around, she was pleased to see that she was alone in the hall. That was good. She didn’t want to see anyone. She wanted to be alone.

Stomping the snow off her boots, she quickly jogged up the stairs and dived into the library. She knew that Jackson would most likely check in the library when he couldn’t find her in her room, but she had found a section of the room that was hidden from view and as far as she was aware, no one else knew of it. She’d be safe with her thoughts while she was there. No one would be able to find her.

Grabbing one of the trashy romance novels off the shelf, Ash shrugged out of her coat and settled in. It wasn’t quite what she had planned on doing and she had to work hard to keep her mind from wandering and going over what she had seen, but the peace of the day was just what she’d needed. Being surrounded by books was one of her most favourite things to do and even though she was still confused over what had happened, Ash felt surprisingly refreshed.

Chapter Seventeen

This was the hardest thing he’d had to do. Standing outside the house that Kayleigh was in, all he wanted to do was rush in there and take her into his arms.

That couldn’t happen though.

What if she turned him away?

What if she didn’t want him anymore?

Those thoughts swirled around his mind, tormenting him with each passing moment that he stood in the cold night, waiting for the courage to knock on the door.

After what felt like an eternity, he had no choice. He had to do it now. There was no way he could leave it any longer. Kelton had planned this so that they would have the time to talk that he knew Kayleigh would need, and still hopefully have enough time to get her back to the academy. Back home, where she belonged. Or at least, that’s how he was hoping that the night was going to play out.

Moving forward, Kelton looked like a menacing sight. He was in full-on warrior mode, even though he didn’t mean to be. But, that was how he was going to get through this. Everything about Kayleigh knocked him sideways and he had to rely on his old warrior ways to see him cross the street, reach up and knock on the door.

He waited with baited breath, knowing that she was in there and that there was only a door separating him from the woman he loved. For a moment, he didn’t think that she was going to answer the door, but then several locks clicked and the door slowly swung open.

Kelton felt his heart swelling at the sight of her, unable to believe that she was finally in front of him. At several points since she had walked out on him, he feared that he would never set eyes on her again. Now that he was stood in front of her, his eyes roamed her body, taking in all the changes. She looked tired, which was understandable considering the circumstances. Also, the pregnancy was showing. Her stomach was protruding with the child that was steadily growing in her stomach. Their child. Kelton felt a lump in his throat as he stared at the woman in front of him that was his entire life. She held his future in her hands.

Kayleigh didn’t look surprised to see him standing there, but there was a sign of how broken she was feeling in her eyes. Seeing that crack made Kelton want to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness.

The sight of that small bump almost froze him to the spot. It was real. Seeing the child growing in the woman he loved almost made his knees buckle. It was really happening. They were having a baby. It brought it home to him even harder that he needed to make this right.

“What are you doing here, Kelton?” Kayleigh asked, keeping her hand on the door.

“You know why I’m here.”

“But, you shouldn’t be.”

“Neither should you. You should be at home with me.” Kelton’s eyes bored into hers, the look so intense that Kayleigh felt momentarily dizzy. “Can I come in?”

“Why, Kelton?” She’d wanted to see him. Hell, she’d craved seeing him, but now that he was here, Kayleigh felt scared by her out of control feelings. This was the man who had made her life great. And he was the one who had broken it.

“Because we need to talk.”

“I’m not sure I can talk to you, Kelton.” Her voice was small and timid, the resolve at staying away from him melting away with every second in his presence. “I’m not even sure I can look at you.”

Kelton had to break eye contact. He couldn’t bear the hurt he saw there. He’d done this. He’d brought her all this pain and wasn’t sure how to take it away.

“I can barely look at myself in the mirror.” He croaked out, losing a little of the confidence he was working hard to keep in place. If he fell apart like he wanted to, he’d let her slam the door in his face and that would be the end of that. That couldn’t be the end. They had to fight for what they had.

Kayleigh shook her head slightly. She had been waiting for this day to come, but had been dreading it at the same time. Ever since she’d walked out of the academy, she had missed this man more than oxygen. Seeing him again made her go weak at the knees remembering how things were between them. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man, and more.

That’s what made it even worse that he had done what he had and the way she’d found out was even worse. It cut her to the bone to realise that he had kept that from her for all those years. It tainted what they had together, tarnishing every memory she’d cherished.

“Please? Please can I come in? I need to explain.” He pleaded.

“I don’t think there’s anything to explain.”

“There really is. You don’t understand the half of it.”

Kayleigh’s eyes narrowed for a moment. “I understand exactly. You were with that woman when you professed to love me. You lied to me. That’s all I need to know.”

Kelton held his head a little higher as he watched her caress her stomach lovingly over the small bump. “I’m not the only one that kept important information to myself.” He looked at her pointedly.

“That’s not even in the same league.” Kayleigh felt herself blushing a little as she realised what he was talking about. She had been in such a state when she’d run away from everything that was killing her that she’d forgotten to mention that she was pregnant. All the time that she’d been gone, it had played on her conscience and she felt terrible that he didn’t know that she was having their child. Obviously, Marion had told him.

In a way, she knew that her friend would tell him and she was glad. How things were between them right now, she didn’t know how to bring herself to contact him to inform him of the impending birth of their baby. She’d started a dozen different letters and had to throw each attempt in the bin. Telling him that he was going to be a father wasn’t something she could do through the post. But, now that he was standing in front of her, her mind had gone blank.

“I know.” Kelton nodded, looking apologetic. “It’s not the same thing at all. But, even so, we still need to talk. There is so much that we have to discuss and if I’m honest, I’m freezing out here.” He shivered and looked at her pleadingly, hoping that she’d take pity on him.

Kayleigh had to agree that it was too cold and too public to be having this kind of conversation on the doorstep and grudgingly open the door a little wider to allow him to walk in the house. Shutting the door behind him, she turned to take his coat from him and sucked in a breath. She’d forgotten quite how big he was, and even though she had already put on some weight with the pregnancy, she felt dwarfed by his side.

“Thank you.” He said politely as she took his coat and showed him into the small living room.

“Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?” Kayleigh wanted to give herself a little more time before they started to talk.

She’d been expecting Kelton to find her. Honestly, she had wanted him to. If not, she would have gone further and would have disappeared completely. They’d shared too much in their time together and had too much to work for to throw it all away. She’d just needed that time away from it all to get a clear perspective on what she wanted and needed out of life.

Kayleigh had somehow felt his presence. There was a time the night before when she felt that familiar pull from him and knew that he had been near. She hadn’t been able to sleep all day, knowing that the time to see him again was fast approaching. Hence why she showed little surprise when she found him standing on the doorstep.

“No, thank you.” Kelton replied, feeling awkward. This place wasn’t familiar to him and he felt like he was intruding on her life, and that irritated him. He was back in her presence, which was what he had wanted, but it didn’t feel right. “Can you stop pacing and sit down so we can talk?”

Kayleigh paused before resuming pacing in front of the small fireplace. There wasn’t much room to pace as the house was so small.

When she’d left the academy, the only person she could think of going to was an old friend of hers, Michelle. She was of the Lamia Matris and kept herself to herself, shying away from the rest of the community and living in her own little bubble. She was content with her own company and Kayleigh hated to impose, but Michelle had welcomed her with open arms.

“I’m glad you were somewhere safe. I’ve been searching for you. You have to know how worried I was about you.” Kelton said quietly.

“I’ve been fine. I needed time to think.”

“I would have given you space to think if you had stayed.”

“You know that it would never have worked, Kelton. You wouldn’t have been able to stay away.”

“So, your only option was to run away?”

Kayleigh closed her eyes for a moment. “It was what I needed to do.”

“I’ve been going out of my mind, Leigh. I’ve been crazy without you.”

“I had to leave.”

It had worked out well for both of them. Michelle was out at work most of the time, which left Kayleigh the run of the house by herself to sort through her confused feelings. She’d been staying in the spare room, which was barely big enough to hold a single bed, but it had been enough for her. It was a place where she could gather her thoughts, a place that didn’t have any memories of Kelton.

But, now he was sat there in the unfamiliar living room. He looked so out of place, his large frame filling the tiny room, looking uncomfortable in the squishy floral arm chair.

“I can’t sit down. I’ve got too much nervous energy.”

Kelton unfolded himself from the chair and started to walk towards her. He stopped when Kayleigh stabbed him with a glare, her first real show of emotion since he’d entered the house.

“You’ll never know how sorry I am for what happened.”

She spun around to face him again. “You’re sorry you did it? Or you’re sorry you got found out?”

Kelton shook his head. “You should know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“But you did! The proof of that walked through the front door and virtually slapped me in the face with the reality of it!”

“I’m not saying that it didn’t happen. I’m saying that you don’t understand the situation in which it happened.”

Kayleigh’s mouth fell open as she listened to Kelton explain what happened that night with Cassandra. Obviously, he didn’t go into the dirty details that she didn’t need to know, but he explained what happened thoroughly, leaving no doubt as to what went on.

She couldn’t believe that someone could stoop so low. Her head was reeling as she listened to Kelton tell her everything that had happened back then and everything that had gone on at the academy since. It was unbelievable, yet she believed every word he said to her. What he was saying made much more sense than him cheating on her. The truth was in his words and in his eyes.

How could she have run off like that? Sure, she had needed the time to herself, but if only she had stayed and listened to him when it had happened, they wouldn’t have had to live without one another for these last few months.

“So, that’s about it.” Kelton said as he ran a hand over his face. He looked exhausted after telling his tale and Kayleigh wanted to sit in his lap and hug him and tell him things were going to be alright, but she held back, keeping herself over the other side of the room. They needed distance to get it all out in the open.

“That’s quite a lot for me to take in.”

“But, it’s the truth.” His eyes pleaded with her to believe him and understand.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll come home.”

Kayleigh shook her head. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. There’s so much to think about.”

Her heart wanted to go home and make things work, but her head was still unsure. Even if he hadn’t intended to, he’d hurt her. She totally believed that he hadn’t meant to do it, that it hadn’t been his choice to do it. But, it had been his choice to keep it from her. If only he had told her and explained to her at the time, this could have all been avoided.

“Please? I want you to come home.” Kelton’s eyes clouded over with tears that nearly melted Kayleigh’s heart. “I can’t live without you. It’s killing me.”

Kayleigh dropped to sit on the couch opposite where he was sitting and put her head in her hands. How were they going to sort this out? There was no doubt in her mind that she still loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Especially since his explanation, it seemed that being apart didn’t make any sense at all. They were destined to be together, so why fight it.

But, then there was that other part of her that wondered how she was going to cope going back to the academy and seeing the twins. It was going to be a constant reminder for her of what he’d done. And, what if their mother had to attend the academy for whatever reason? She wouldn’t be held accountable for her actions if she ever got her hands on that woman.

“Please, Kayleigh?”

“Kelton, I want to. I really do. But, I don’t know if I can. Not yet.”

“But, I want you and our baby with me. I can’t live without you. I’m miserable without you.” A lone tear slid down his cheek.

Kayleigh felt her emotions buckling and couldn’t hold herself back any longer. Running the short few steps over to him, she flung her arms around his neck and sobbed. The contact, the smell of his skin, it was overwhelming. More than she could handle.

He was whispered declarations of love in her ear, clinging to her like she was the only thing in his life that mattered. And she was. Her and the baby she was carrying. Kelton didn’t give a damn about anything else in her life. He just wanted her back home where she belonged.