Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama
Chapter 118: Grand schemes...

Chapter 118: Grand schemes...

Selene POV

The evenings came quickly.

My heart was skipping continuously. At the drop of a heart, a knock on the door, even footsteps. The pack house was thinning with people, the full dark moon was usually spent with family so by evening a lot of the servants had left. The ones hovering around either lived in the pack house or didn’t have families.

The girls’ nannies already left in the last two hours ago and I was left to tend to the girls. As stared at them as they continued to chatter amongst themselves on what color was best for their coloring book. They were tracing out a house and have been absorbed in it. I was worried, for the first time since the dark moon, I was worried that something more was going to happen. Occasionally, a picture of the dream from last night will flit into my memory. Something was wrong but I couldn’t place my finger on it.

I stared at the anklets I made with evening primrose and three pinches of saffron. I know the girls would not be harmed since they would be inside the house and since they were birthed on the day of the blood moon, they had a lot of immunity to things like this but I didn’t want to make choices.

"Girls!" I called out to them warmly dangling the anklets in the air as I beckoned on them to come "You need to tie this around your ankles for tonight until tomorrow. I know your nannies have already told you about the dark moon that will appear tonight. You’re both immune to his powers but I want to take extra precautions,".

"But mommy, you once told us that no one can know the day of the dark moon. How come everyone is sure that it’ll be today? The sky looks pretty normal to me," Maeve shrugged.

"I understand darling but that is for the half-dark moon. The day I and Daddy were born. No one can tell when it comes and it’s the day that the moon sheds its skin. The full dark moon is easier to spot and comes around now and again. So, there’s a difference and the moon priest already sent out a warning about today a month ago,".

"If the moon doesn’t shed its skin today, then what does it do?" Vina asked.

Misery... a lot of untold misery. The coming together of the two dark moons from centuries ago but I couldn’t tell them that. I could see curiosity in their eyes as they stared at me. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them the truth. So, I smiled and rose from where I was sitting to meet them at their playing table.

"A lot of things darlings," I knelt in front of Maeve to tie the anklet on her left ankle "But don’t worry, as long as you remain inside your room, it’ll pass quickly and before you’d know, it’ll be over. The full-dark moon is in no way like the half-dark moon," I added to buttress my point.

I saw the girls exchange strange looks but unlike them, they didn’t argue. They just stayed silent for me to tie the anklets on them and didn’t argue with me while I gave them instructions which was so unlike them. After I was done, I asked if they wanted me to get their father for them but they said no and went back to their coloring book. Where I was, a sudden uneasy premonition seized me. Back when I was married to Xavier, on nights of full moon – either normal or dark or blood... my mate bond to Xavier used to be ten times more open than it used to be.

I would feel all of his pain, his distress, his fear... and right now, I was worrying for no other person than him. Somewhere, deep in my heart, I could feel that bond yearning for a reignite but I dared not reach for it. I was married to another man. If Noah knew that I was still bonded to Xavier in a way, it would drive him crazy and we sure would have another argument. So, I decided to keep it to myself.

While I was still in the room, trying to take my mind off things by selecting the ingredients I would need if there was a need for me to go outside later on when a knock sounded on the door. I jumped with fear as my heart resumed its pounding. From the urgency on the door, I knew all was not well.

Thankfully, the girls had not been startled by the knock and remained normal. I dragged in one nervous breath before I went to the door and opened it. Kurtis’s face came into view when I opened it. He looked past me to the girls and for a moment, I saw pity flash through his eyes before his gaze came back to my face.

"Do you have a minute?" he asked quietly.

My heart sank. I tried to hide the anxiety coursing through my body, so I gave him a small smile and told the girls that I was coming before I closed the door firmly behind me and moved a distance away from the door before I turned and faced Kurtis trying to be brave.

"I won’t beat around the bush," he said when I faced him and I nodded silently "Is there any way we can locate Xavier through you? He went to check up on one of our security posts along the ridge of the river and it’s over an hour without a word from him or from them. All attempts to contact him have proven abortive so... is there any way for us to get across to him through you?"

My throat constricted as I stared at him unable to say a thing "It’s happening," I heard myself ramble "I had a dream last night that he went missing and Moon Whisper was in chaos. I can’t believe that this is happening. Is Lucius with him at least?"

Kurtis studied me silently. He stared at me for a long while before he replied "We tried to stop him from going out because the clouds are already changing and soon the moon will appear but he ignored us all and went out on his own. He said he’ll contact us if he sees him but there was still no word when I left to come to you,".

"Has there been any word since then at least?" I asked trying to keep my voice steady.

"No!" Kurtis shook his head "That’s why I came to you. We cannot afford for anything to happen to Xavier right now. It’ll get in the way of a lot of things, that’s why I came to you. I know it’s a difficult request but you’re the only option we have like right now and I’m begging that you please consider it and help us in any way you can,".

"I already broke off my bond with Xavier when I got married to Noah. We rejected each other in the presence of the pack elders and...".

"Spare me those lies, Selene," Kurtis interrupted me as his eyes flashed with impatience "You and I know that your bond with Xavier cannot be severed. He still feels you... he told me that himself. All the times you were distressed and a whole lot of things you pass through, he feels it too. So, don’t give me that,".

Tears sprang to my eyes as I swiped at it hurriedly "It’s easy for you to dish out orders like that but have you forgotten I belong to another man? What you’re asking me to do is hard. If Noah finds out, it’s equal to cheating and I might be punished for it. Don’t you understand... he shouldn’t find out about this existing bond in the first place. I’m sorry, Kurtis..." my throat caught with sobs "But there’s nothing I can do to help,".

"So..." he scoffed "You’d rather your fated mate and the father of your children die than do the right thing?"

"I think you have forgotten what the right thing is!" I yelled through gritted teeth "I am married and I am supposed to stay that way for my husband. Communicating with an ex because there’s still a bond is cheating and I can’t do that to Noah,".

"But he can do it to you!" Kurtis gave a short laugh as he stared at me with incredulity "His ex hovers around him dressed in nothing but skimpy clothes at the little opportunity she gets and from the look on your face, I know you’re not aware. Well, that is also cheating my dear Selene. Hiding little things like this from your partner is cheating,".

"Still..." My voice broke now. I didn’t want to think about Noah with Brooke. It’ll break me in ways that I never want to be broken "Two wrongs do not make a right. I have children who look up to me and...".

"Stop the pretence for moon’s sake, Selene!" Kurtis lashed out his eyes flashing with irritation. "You think I don’t know everything about why you married Noah and came back. I know it all and just a word of caution to you... I am willing to bet on everything that I have that you cannot do anything if your fated mate dies. You keep ignoring him thinking that somehow it doesn’t matter but I’ll still tell you again, any day something happens to Xavier... you’ll be done for through and through,".

"If you know so much, why don’t you go ahead and save him yourself," I lashed back "I know you have a grand scheme and even a blind man can see it because why on earth are you trying to bring me and Xavier together? If you don’t have something planned,".

"What are you talking about?" A voice suddenly spoke, making me swallow the rest of my words.

When I turned, it was Noah and beside him was Reid and Brooke.