20: Pinky Promise

By the time the carriage rolled through the gates of Drexel Forest, Alastor hadn't spoken another word to me, and I hadn't spoken to him either.

I sat as far away from him as the carriage allowed, holding the torn front of my dress together while his threat replayed in my head for what felt like the thousandth time.

You and him are dead.

Him, as in Trenton.

He suspected us, and I didn't know how much he knew or how long he'd been suspicious. Apparently, I hadn't been as careful as I thought. Ten years of sneaking around with Trenton, and perhaps all it took to expose us was the way I referred to my own daughter.

My daughter.

Not ours.

Mine.

"Stop thinking so loudly."

I turned my head towards Alastor.

He was staring through the window as the carriage moved past the sleeping cottages scattered throughout the pack. His reflection stared back at me in the glass, and although his face was calm, I could see the faint red still lingering in his eyes.

"I wasn't aware you could hear thoughts now."

"I don't need to." He glanced at me. "Your face says enough."

"Then stop looking at it."

A slow smile touched his mouth.

"I've known about you and Trenton for years now. Why do you think I started fucking you every night at dinner? You think it was only to humiliate you?" He laughed. "It was to show my little brother that you belong to me. But two years ago, he started coming late, so it hasn't been fun for me anymore."

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"The only reason he isn't dead is because my daughter seemed fond of him," he explained. "But then I got a strange feeling when she picked up on his scent tonight, and the feeling got stranger when I remembered Trenton has never stood up for you, but he stood up for her. That got me thinking. Is my mate stupid enough to have a child with my brother?"

My entire body went cold.

Before I could force out an answer, the carriage stopped outside the pack house. I reached for the door before Dwight had even climbed down from his seat, but Alastor caught my wrist.

I froze.

"What's the rush?"

"Alastor... I..."

"Don't speak. I'll know what I need to know soon enough."

His eyes narrowed as he studied me for another long second before slowly releasing my wrist.

"You may go."

I didn't wait for him to change his mind.

Dwight opened the carriage door, and I climbed out, still clutching my ruined dress against my chest.

"Mama!"

My heart nearly burst from relief.

Rachel came running down the front steps in her yellow dress, her golden curls bouncing wildly around her shoulders.

"Rachel."

I barely had time to bend before she threw herself against me. I wrapped both arms around her and held her so tightly that she squealed.

"Mama, you're squishing me!"

"I know."

"Too tight!"

"I know."

She giggled, and I loosened my arms enough for her to breathe before burying my face in her curls.

Cotton candy and jelly beans.

My baby.

For now.

In one month, another scent would emerge beneath all that sweetness, and it wouldn't belong to the man climbing out of the carriage behind me.

My stomach tightened.

Rachel pulled away and immediately started talking.

"Uncle Trent let me sit by the window the whole way home, and we saw a rabbit, but he said I couldn't bring it home because wild rabbits don't want to live in bedrooms. I told him my bedroom is really big."

Despite everything, I smiled.

"Your bedroom isn't the problem, sweetheart."

"I know. Uncle Trent said the rabbit would poop everywhere."

"That too."

"And I told him you would clean it."

My smile disappeared. "Why would I clean it?"

Rachel shrugged. "Because you're my mama."

I stared at her.

The little traitor.

Kennedy snorted inside me.

Rachel suddenly looked over my shoulder.

"Papa Alastor!"

My entire body stiffened as she released me and ran towards him. Today, he had been nice to her all day, and now she was acting like she loved him all of a sudden. Before today, she seemed scared of him.

Alastor caught her easily when she launched herself at him.

"Did you have fun with your uncle?" he asked.

My heart gave one violent thump.

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Uncle Trent said next time I can help with the horses."

"Did he?"

"Yes."

Alastor looked past her and straight at Trenton.

I hadn't even noticed him standing near the steps.

Trenton's eyes weren't on Alastor. They were on me, or more specifically, my dress.

His expression changed.

I looked down and realized the torn fabric had slipped slightly while I was holding Rachel, so I quickly pulled it together again.

Trenton's jaw clenched, and it was then that I noticed the wounds from earlier were already beginning to heal.

"What happened?"

Too fast.

Too concerned.

My eyes snapped to his.

He stepped towards me. "Ava, what happened to your dress?"

Alastor was still holding Rachel and watching us, which made my heart start pounding all over again.

"Nothing."

"That doesn't look like nothing."

Trenton took another step towards me, and I stepped backwards before he could reach me.

He stopped.

The hurt that flashed across his face would have bothered me any other night, but tonight, it terrified me.

"Leave it alone, Trenton."

His brows pulled together. "Ava..."

"I said leave it alone."

For several seconds, neither of us moved, and then Alastor laughed quietly.

I looked at him.

He kissed Rachel's cheek before placing her back on her feet.

"Your mother is tired, princess. Go upstairs."

"But I'm not sleepy."

"It's after midnight."

"But Uncle Trent said I could..."

"Rachel."

It only took one word to stop her.

She pouted, and Alastor's expression softened almost immediately.

"Go get ready for bed. I'll come say goodnight."

"Promise?"

"I pinky promise."

She held out her pinky.

For Goddess' sake.

Alastor stared at the tiny finger before hooking his much larger one around it.

"Pinky promise."

Rachel smiled and ran inside.

I watched her disappear through the doors before finally releasing the breath I'd been holding.

"She's been asking for you," Trenton said quietly.

I nodded.

His eyes dropped to my dress again, and Alastor noticed.

I knew he noticed because I was noticing everything now. Every glance, every pause and every fucking breath suddenly felt dangerous.

I couldn't do this tonight.

I started towards the house, but Trenton caught up with me before I reached the doors.

"Ava."

I kept walking.

"Ava, wait."

He grabbed my arm, and I immediately ripped it away.

"Don't touch me."

Trenton froze, and so did I.

The words came out harsher than I intended, but I couldn't take them back.

His face changed. "What the hell happened tonight?"

"Nothing."

"Stop saying nothing when you're standing in front of me with your dress ripped open."

"Trenton."