The Burning Claw
Page 22
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Jacque felt tears on her cheeks as she stared in awe at the Great Luna. She was speechless. Her mate was, thankfully, able to talk for both of them.
“Thank you for blessing us with a child,” Fane said reverently.
“Fane and Jacquelyn, you have already faced so much. You have fallen many times, only to get back up again. Never stop getting back up. You still have much to do in this world. I am with you. I will hear you when you call. I love you both more than you can understand.”
Jacque felt that love wrap around her and she let out a calming breath. There was another flash of light and then the goddess was gone.
“Do you feel stronger?” Jacque asked her mate.
Fane nodded. He walked back over to the couch and sat back down. He seemed to be at a loss for words. Jacque sat next to him, her body no longer weak from the near death experience. Whatever the Great Luna had done, it had restored their bodies.
“That was intense,” Fane’s voice rumbled as he stared, wide-eyed, at their son.
“Understatement, wolf-man. Major understatement,” Jacque said softly.
There was a soft knock at the door, interrupting their shock.
“Come in,” Fane said.
Alina pushed the door open and stepped inside. She looked strong and regal, as always, but Jacque could see the fear, joy, and love all mixed together in her eyes.
“He’s beautiful,” she told them. “I got to spend some time with him while you—” She paused, the words too much for her to say. She smiled and then said, “He’s a good baby. Like his father.”
Alina was looking at Fane as though the moon and sun rose and fell at his feet. Fane saw it too. He took several large strides and, just as Alina’s tears began to fall, he wrapped her in his arms.
Alina had told herself that she would be strong. She’d told herself that when she saw him she would not be a blubbering idiot. It was why she’d waited to come see him. When Vasile told her that Fane and Jacque were awake, her first instinct was to run to him, grab him, and never let him go. But she was no longer the first woman in his life. It was not her job to hold him first. She wanted to let Jacque be what she was—his mate. Then she’d get to hold him. Vasile was choked up as well and only shook his head when she’d asked if he was coming to see his son. “I will speak with him soon,” was the Alpha’s reply.
Alina knew that he’d already gone to their room, right after Lilly had left. But he hadn’t gone inside. He’d simply stood outside their door, leaning with his back against the wall and crying at the sound of their voices. He was giving them their time as a family. He would give Alina her time and respect as the woman who’d carried their son for nine months, bore him, held him, and nursed him. Her mate was a man of high character with the ability to lead by serving. In this, he was serving her.
As Fane released her from the hug, he pulled back and looked at her. “Want to talk?”
She laughed through the tears. “That would be good.”
Fane looked over at Jacque and she smiled. “Please, go,” Jacque said. “I’m good; we’ll be here when you get back.”
He turned back to Alina and then led her from the room. They walked in silence, the sounds of their feet hitting the floor echoed off the walls. As they rounded the first corner, Alina knew he was taking her to the Serbian pack library. Usually, he would have taken her to the garden room, but at the moment the garden room didn’t hold the greatest memories.
He entered first, as was a custom of their species and she followed him. When they were both seated, Alina looked at her son, really looked at him. He had grown into a strong young man, with good character, compassion, and the ability to serve when needed. One day he would be a pack Alpha and he would be a great one.
“There is nothing,” she began, willing her voice to be steady, drawing on the calm, unwavering strength of her wolf, “in this world that a parent wants for their child more than to see them grow into healthy, vibrant, respectful, kind, loving, giving, and merciful adults. This world is filled with just the opposite and I can only hope that your father and I have taught you these things. But even if you had turned out to be a terrible person, if it meant you’d be alive, then I’d take you.” She let out a shuddering breath as she remembered his body, laying lifeless on a table. “There is nothing worse than a child dying before a parent. It isn’t right. Watching you, wondering if you would pull through, wondering what I would do if you didn’t, was the worst kind of torture. Without being too sappy” —she laughed and wiped from her eyes the tears that hadn’t fallen— “I just want you to know how much we love you, regardless of who you once were, who you now are, or who you will become. You will always be ours.”
Fane wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He whispered words to her in their native tongue and pulled her even tighter when a small sob finally broke through the armor she’d put in place.
“I couldn’t have asked for better parents,” he told her. “And you, mama, will always be mine. You will always be the first woman to have owned my heart. I know it must be hard to watch your only son leave your den for another and lose the bond we once had.”
She shook her head and pulled back to look at him. “No. We didn’t lose our bond, it simply changed. It morphed into what it is supposed to be when you find your true mate. Once upon a time, you looked up at me as if I was the most wonderful thing you’d ever seen. You raised your arms up to me so I would hold you close. You came to me for every injury, every victory, every joy, and every loss. And that was as it should be, but now…” She pulled out of his embrace completely and held one of his hands in both of hers. “Now you belong to another. You have a different bond. You go to her with open arms to offer comfort and love. You go to her for every injury, victory, joy, and loss. She is the one who should be the salve to your soul. And I am so very thankful that you have found her. Does it hurt to have our relationship as mother and son change? Yes. But is it worth it? To see my son love his mate just as I’ve been trying to teach you for all those years through the love I gave, freely, without expectations and unconditionally, it is more than worth it. It is incredible and no words can truly describe it.”
“Thank you,” Fane said simply.
“It has been my honor, Fane Lupei.” She stood, patting her thighs and letting out a quick breath. “I do believe you have a mate and new son, which I will be stealing away as soon as you offer, so you should get back.”
“Thank you for blessing us with a child,” Fane said reverently.
“Fane and Jacquelyn, you have already faced so much. You have fallen many times, only to get back up again. Never stop getting back up. You still have much to do in this world. I am with you. I will hear you when you call. I love you both more than you can understand.”
Jacque felt that love wrap around her and she let out a calming breath. There was another flash of light and then the goddess was gone.
“Do you feel stronger?” Jacque asked her mate.
Fane nodded. He walked back over to the couch and sat back down. He seemed to be at a loss for words. Jacque sat next to him, her body no longer weak from the near death experience. Whatever the Great Luna had done, it had restored their bodies.
“That was intense,” Fane’s voice rumbled as he stared, wide-eyed, at their son.
“Understatement, wolf-man. Major understatement,” Jacque said softly.
There was a soft knock at the door, interrupting their shock.
“Come in,” Fane said.
Alina pushed the door open and stepped inside. She looked strong and regal, as always, but Jacque could see the fear, joy, and love all mixed together in her eyes.
“He’s beautiful,” she told them. “I got to spend some time with him while you—” She paused, the words too much for her to say. She smiled and then said, “He’s a good baby. Like his father.”
Alina was looking at Fane as though the moon and sun rose and fell at his feet. Fane saw it too. He took several large strides and, just as Alina’s tears began to fall, he wrapped her in his arms.
Alina had told herself that she would be strong. She’d told herself that when she saw him she would not be a blubbering idiot. It was why she’d waited to come see him. When Vasile told her that Fane and Jacque were awake, her first instinct was to run to him, grab him, and never let him go. But she was no longer the first woman in his life. It was not her job to hold him first. She wanted to let Jacque be what she was—his mate. Then she’d get to hold him. Vasile was choked up as well and only shook his head when she’d asked if he was coming to see his son. “I will speak with him soon,” was the Alpha’s reply.
Alina knew that he’d already gone to their room, right after Lilly had left. But he hadn’t gone inside. He’d simply stood outside their door, leaning with his back against the wall and crying at the sound of their voices. He was giving them their time as a family. He would give Alina her time and respect as the woman who’d carried their son for nine months, bore him, held him, and nursed him. Her mate was a man of high character with the ability to lead by serving. In this, he was serving her.
As Fane released her from the hug, he pulled back and looked at her. “Want to talk?”
She laughed through the tears. “That would be good.”
Fane looked over at Jacque and she smiled. “Please, go,” Jacque said. “I’m good; we’ll be here when you get back.”
He turned back to Alina and then led her from the room. They walked in silence, the sounds of their feet hitting the floor echoed off the walls. As they rounded the first corner, Alina knew he was taking her to the Serbian pack library. Usually, he would have taken her to the garden room, but at the moment the garden room didn’t hold the greatest memories.
He entered first, as was a custom of their species and she followed him. When they were both seated, Alina looked at her son, really looked at him. He had grown into a strong young man, with good character, compassion, and the ability to serve when needed. One day he would be a pack Alpha and he would be a great one.
“There is nothing,” she began, willing her voice to be steady, drawing on the calm, unwavering strength of her wolf, “in this world that a parent wants for their child more than to see them grow into healthy, vibrant, respectful, kind, loving, giving, and merciful adults. This world is filled with just the opposite and I can only hope that your father and I have taught you these things. But even if you had turned out to be a terrible person, if it meant you’d be alive, then I’d take you.” She let out a shuddering breath as she remembered his body, laying lifeless on a table. “There is nothing worse than a child dying before a parent. It isn’t right. Watching you, wondering if you would pull through, wondering what I would do if you didn’t, was the worst kind of torture. Without being too sappy” —she laughed and wiped from her eyes the tears that hadn’t fallen— “I just want you to know how much we love you, regardless of who you once were, who you now are, or who you will become. You will always be ours.”
Fane wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He whispered words to her in their native tongue and pulled her even tighter when a small sob finally broke through the armor she’d put in place.
“I couldn’t have asked for better parents,” he told her. “And you, mama, will always be mine. You will always be the first woman to have owned my heart. I know it must be hard to watch your only son leave your den for another and lose the bond we once had.”
She shook her head and pulled back to look at him. “No. We didn’t lose our bond, it simply changed. It morphed into what it is supposed to be when you find your true mate. Once upon a time, you looked up at me as if I was the most wonderful thing you’d ever seen. You raised your arms up to me so I would hold you close. You came to me for every injury, every victory, every joy, and every loss. And that was as it should be, but now…” She pulled out of his embrace completely and held one of his hands in both of hers. “Now you belong to another. You have a different bond. You go to her with open arms to offer comfort and love. You go to her for every injury, victory, joy, and loss. She is the one who should be the salve to your soul. And I am so very thankful that you have found her. Does it hurt to have our relationship as mother and son change? Yes. But is it worth it? To see my son love his mate just as I’ve been trying to teach you for all those years through the love I gave, freely, without expectations and unconditionally, it is more than worth it. It is incredible and no words can truly describe it.”
“Thank you,” Fane said simply.
“It has been my honor, Fane Lupei.” She stood, patting her thighs and letting out a quick breath. “I do believe you have a mate and new son, which I will be stealing away as soon as you offer, so you should get back.”
