The Heir (34 page)

He got up, ran to the door and called for
Dani then returned to Jessica’s side and once more tried to calm
her down. He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and hold her,
make her listen, but he knew that that wasn't what she needed. Her
tears tore at his heart and he silently willed Danielle to hurry
up.

The instant the thought crossed his mind, he
sensed Dani step into the room, carrying the baby in her arms. Nick
stood and took his son from her and like every other time he looked
at him, his heart swelled and he was flooded with an emotion, too
beautiful and too immense to name or described.

In this room were the two people that
completed his world and the word 'love' didn't begin to describe
his feelings for them.

Smiling softly at his son, he murmured, "Your
mommy is dying to meet you."

His words accompanied with the soft, unique
sounds a baby makes, penetrated through Jessica's pain, she turned
around and looked at the bundle in his arms with a mixture of hope
and unconcealed longing, as if unable to believe that she was
seeing. Jessica sat up to take a better look at her baby, her
recent tears and pain long forgotten.

"He survived?" She asked incredulously.

"All thanks to you."

Nick sat on the edge of the bed and held the
baby so she could see him. Jessica raised her hand to touch the
baby but hesitated with her hand in midair, afraid to find out that
it was just her imagination. Nick moved the baby closer to her, she
finally touched the baby’s soft cheek and felt her tears return,
this time they were tears of happiness.

She reached for her son, “How did we both
manage to survive? I gave him all of my energy. He was too young
and under so much stress- I felt it, when he was dying I felt
it."

"I realized what you did the moment you lost
consciousness. I could sense your heart beat growing week and the
baby’s growing stronger. I refused to lose either one of you so I
did the only thing I could think of." He laid a gentle hand on her
stomach and continued, without revealing none of the pain and
despair he'd felt when he realized that she was dying, “I removed
him from your womb using my claws. He is a shifter, stronger than a
human baby. I knew he would survive with the energy you gave him.
Your energy made him even stronger, ensuring his survival. The
Doctor assures me that I didn't cause you any irreparable
damage."

Jessica looked down at the baby in wonder, "I
can't believe it, he is perfect and he looks healthy, not like a
baby born four months too early."

"That’s because by our standards, he is not.
A were's gestation period is only five months."

Jessica nuzzled the baby’s cheek; nothing
could surprise her now or bring her down from heaven.

"That explains a lot." Interpreting his
questioning look correctly, Jessica told him about her appointment
with the ultrasound technician. "But what about my birth?" Jessica
asked him, “my mom carried me for nine months.”

"Your father must've had something to do with
that. If he found a way to suppress your powers maybe he also found
a way to lengthen the time you spent within your mother’s womb to
resemble that of a human baby. Your father was ahead of his time in
many ways," Nick explained to her. His words captivating Jessica
and knowing that this was his only chance he kept going. "We are an
ancient race, stuck in our ways, and while he was loved by the
majority there were some people who didn't.

Your father believed in equality; before Cade
when your grandfather was in power, interaction with humans was
limited and those with mixed bloodlines were considered third class
citizens. His beliefs clashed with a lot of shifters because they
knew that if your father succeeded in erasing the class lines that
they would lose a lot of their power over their packs. We call
those people purebloods and my father was like that, when your
father died no one was there to make people like him accountable,
he treated his people like scum.

I grew up seeing people suffer until one day
I couldn't take it anymore. I packed my things are left the pack,
taking with me everyone who wasn't pureblooded. But we were
broke.”

“When I found out about your existence it was
like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I do have a trust
fund" he admitted. "But it's dirty money gained by the pain and
blood of others and I refused to use it. Somehow in my mind I
thought using you was better than using bloody money." He shook his
head in self-deprecation. "I convinced myself into thinking that I
was doing you a favor. If I mated with you, I got control of your
inheritance and you got my protection. Something you would need
once your identity became know because your father’s enemies are
your own. As the Heir, you are like our queen and since they can’t
take your powers from you the only option is death."

Jessica thought she had gotten over the pain
but his words struck deep. To hear him talk about using her so
callously brought it all back home. Trying to cover her pain from
his eyes, she looked down at her sleeping child and smiled, for the
first time realizing that it was all worth it, and blocked out the
rest of his words.

Even though he was sitting next to her, Nick
sensed that they were oceans apart and he knew that he had no one
to blame but himself. He hated that he couldn't take her in his
arms, kiss her and reassure himself that she was all right-not
until he'd come clean about everything. Needing a moment to compose
himself, he pushed himself off the bed and went to stand before the
window with his hands curled in his pockets. For the last
days-months even-he'd been thinking about what he was going to say
to her at all of his well-rehearsed explanations seemed to have
deserted him.

"Thank you." Jessica murmured and kissed her
baby softly before looking back at Nick. "Everything that I
inherited from my father you can have it. It's the only way I can
think of repaying you for saving our lives."

Her gratitude roused his ire. He knew he had
no one to blame but himself for her low judgment of his character
but what did she expect him to do? Sit back and watch as he lost
his life, watch his mate and child die?

"I don’t-" he turned to look at her and the
sight that awaited him arrested his breath.

The baby had become fuzzy and following an
instinct as oldest time, Jessica brought the baby up to one of her
breasts. With fascination he watched as the baby latched on and
suckled vigorously. For Nick it was an image that he would take
with him to the grave. Seeing the pleasure that breastfeeding
brought to mother and son, he was glad that he'd done everything he
could to ensure her ability to breastfeed while she was
unconscious.

Feeling like an intruder, a lascivious one,
Nick turned back to face the window and waited until the baby was
sated and sleeping again before turning back to Jessica.

"I know it's going to be hard for you to
believe this but I want you to try anyways. All I want is you-and
the baby."

Jessica looked away, refusing to believe his
words, busying herself with laying the baby next to her.

Nick called her name and waited patiently for
her to look at him, "I love you; I've never said that to anyone
else," he admitted proudly. "I've never loved anyone before you. It
might be hard for you to believe but it's true. Kate lied; I never
wanted her as my mate. Even when it was for the wrong reason, I
wanted you, no one else but you. You are my soul mate."

Jessica nodded, after what Kate told her she
was ready to accept some of his statements as true-some not all.
But she wouldn't tell him that, not until she heard everything.

"I am not going to lie, my motives weren't
always pure but everything changed-my feelings for you changed-long
before I marked you. I was foolish to deny the truth to myself. My
biggest mistake was not revealing what was in my heart."

Nick raked a hand through his hair, he hated
talking about his family life but he knew he had to tell her
everything-no more secrets.

"Growing up, feelings were seen as something
below me-a weakness and it has always been hard for me to express
my feelings. When Kate confronted me that day about my feelings for
you, I stayed quiet because I've never said those words and I
didn't want to say them to her-even if I was talking about you. It
was something I wanted to say to you and you alone."

Nick walked back to the side of the bed and
knelt down on the floor.

"I know I lied, that I am arrogant, heavy
handed and that I don't deserve you but I also know that I love
you. Without you my life is hell and if you give us a second chance
I'll do my best to make you happy every day of the rest of your
life." He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles, "if you
don't want to take your rightful place then don't. We'll leave,
just the three of us. I don't care where we go, as long as you're
with me, nothing else matters."

Jessica eyed their connected hands with
wonder, but she still had to ask, no more guessing. "You'd be
willing to give up the pack and my inheritance?"

"I'd give up the very breath from my
lungs."

His declaration was music to her ears. For
the first time in months, Jessica was able to breathe without her
chest constricting in pain. One good thing that came from being a
shifter was the ability to sense a lie, none of the things Nick had
said were lies. Even though it had been painful to hear the truth,
Jessica would take it over a lie any day.

"Keep the air; I just want your heart."

Nick got off his knees and leaned in close to
her, “you have it," he murmured right before closing the gap
between them. "Five long months," he ground out against her lips,
his voice throbbing with emotion. “I've been aching for you, every
breath, every step I took, hurt because you weren't by my
side."

He didn't give her a chance to respond, he
took her mouth with a sweet thoroughness that left her breathless
and aching. They kissed softly, tenderly, savoring the knowledge
that they belonged to each other. They kissed until they were both
out of breath, Nick held on tight to her, burying his face against
her neck and growled, "When I clawed at you to save you both, I
didn't know what I was doing and when you wouldn't wake up I feared
I’d caused irreparable damage. If something happened to either of
you, I would've never forgiven myself."

Feeling her old good natured -self return,
she smiled at him, "Haven't you heard. We are the all-powerful
Lykaons, we are hard to kill."

"Does that mean that you're accepting your
rightful place?"

The twinkle in her eyes was his only
response.

Epilogue

"Are you sure about this?" With her hands
behind her back, Dani gave Jessica an affirmative nod. "Christian
isn't going to just let you go, he is your mate."

"I'm not giving him a choice." Dani turned
and began to pace around the room like a caged animal. "I can’t be
here" she explained, "I feel like trapped animal," she stopped
mid-step, thought about what she said and laughed, "I am an
animal!"

Jessica grimaced; her turning her into a
shifter was a sore topic between them. "I couldn't allow you to
die."

"But I didn't want to be saved!" Dani
snarled, displaying her sharp canines and the eerie glow of her
eyes that preluded a shift.

Jessica pushed back the desk chair and stood
up straight, her powers surrounding her like a cloak. With Nick's
help, Jessica was learning to control her powers and every day
discovered just how much power she had over other shifters- a lot.
Compared to a normal shifter, they were tenfold.

For now she used her powers to calm her
sister.

Dani took a deep breath and bowed her head,
"I'm sorry."

When Jessica was sure the outburst had
passed, she relaxed and gave her a soothing smile, "it’s OK, and
Nick tells me that the first couple of months are difficult. A
turned shifter needs to overcome all kinds of mental obstacles,
unlike naturally born shifters who grow up learning to control
their beasts."

Dani made a derisive sound and began to pace
again, "difficult where my final exams, this has reached a new
level of misery. I feel like a prisoner in my own skin." She
scratched her arm furiously, "I itch to be free."

"That's just the beast within you. You will
get used to it. You will learn to control it and until you do, I
think you should stay here."

"I can’t," Dani looked at Jessica. "I can't
deal with all of this, shifting, the worried look from our parents,
Christian..." the jealousy eating me alive, she added to herself.
It was something she wasn't proud of and for nothing in the world
would she let it be known.

"Dani, shifting is a part of you know, the
worried looks will stop and Christian is your mate-"

"I don't want a mate! This-" Dani and
indicated everything around her, "this is you but I am not you and
from tired of playing the part. I need to go out and find myself. I
need to know who I am; away from trying to please everyone around
me," Dani sighed heavily "I'm not fit to be anyone's mate."

Jessica walked around the desk to lean
against the edge. She eyed her with indecision and worry, and Dani
played her trump card.

"You owe me."

Seconds ticked by and neither one made a
single move. It was a battle of wills and it was one battle that
Dani wasn't ready to lose. She'd made up her mind as she wasn't
going to stay here, with our without Jessica’s co-operation she was
leaving.

Jessica turned to walk back to the desk, they
were in Nick's office, and began to dig through one of the drawers.
I have been a month since Jessica had woken up and she was
positively glowing.

Dani envied her.

After living the life that was supposed to be
Jessica’s all along, she knew it was wrong to envy her but she
couldn't help it. She couldn't stay here, seeing both her and Nick
happy with the child and so sure of each other’s love day by day.
It was a constant reminder of everything that she had lost.