Sunbeam Lair eventually, the world stood in our way

Whilst his body shot up, she froze, then took a step back despite his lack of an approach. She did not fear him—he’d never given her any reason to—but she felt uneasy. She had not felt inclined to tell him of her blind journey, nor had she considered it to be of any real importance. It had happened in the past, before she’d met him, and there was never any chance that the hatchlings would be taken away from the lair. They were there to stay, and to be raised by the both of them.

A question hadn’t been asked, but still had she answered by saying, “I did not think that you would like to know.” For a number of reasons, though the one that stuck out the most to her was that, from her perspective, it had not mattered. “They are yours,” she’d tried again. “Whether their blood is yours or not, I do not know, but they are yours.” Was that not what mattered the most? Bloodlines had always been important within her culture, but never had she believed that blood alone made a family. It was the bonds that could be created—the type of bond that she’d thought to have seen forming between her children and her mate back when he’d been allowed to feel them moving within her. Now, though, it seemed as if none of that had mattered, for she’d not shared the details of her time in heat. Little had been spoken about that time, aside from the story regarding Jolon, but she was still unable to see the reason for why that was of great importance.

At the mention of “the other guy she’d fucked”, as he’d said, she’d pulled her head back as if she’d been physically struck. “He is a friend,” was her justification for her lack of actions. “Even if he and I had not done as we had, I would have sent for him.” Just as she would have sent for Leo and Noctura, had they not disappeared. “I was not aware of whether or not I would survive their birth. I wanted to have a friend near to me, the fact that he and I had been together during my heat aside.” Even if Damien would have turned away from her on that day, she’d have sent her brother to bring him to the lair when the time had come for her girls to be born.

“I have never thought of you as being stupid,” the words were accompanied by a small step towards him. She’d thought to close the distance entirely, but was quick to decide against it. She could not fear him, but she also couldn’t trust his anger. “I did not know what would happen. I have not known what would happen since we met.” Every step of the way had opened her eyes to a world that she knew nothing about, and she couldn’t piece together exactly what to do or how to respond to the situations that she placed herself into.