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Chapter 156—Her Pain Shook Me

Cage

I stared at the monitor in silence, my spine rigid, my fist and elbow settled on the desk in front of me as I leaned forward. I had cleared the security room with a roar, "Get out!" All five guards, attending to the multiple screens and high tech protection equipment, scattered like mice running from a rabid cat. They didn't ask questions. They knew me. They recognized the edge of crazy I was teetering on.

'"He's holding your child!"  That's what she had screamed at me to stop my assault. My body had ground to a complete halt, as Raine's words slammed through me like a freight train. I heard them. I even understood them, to a point. But for the briefest instant in time, my world stood still, as I struggled to accept the truth of what she said.

In the next breath, I spun and searched her face in disbelief. I couldn't possibly have heard her correctly. Because there was no way she would ever keep something like that from me. Or so I thought. But the devastation on her face, and trembling of her body confirmed it.

She had wanted to explain. But I didn't want to hear it. Not then. Right then, I just needed her to repeat those agonizing words to be sure I wasn't hallucinating. And she did. With tears running down her cheeks, she whispered the words that cut me so deeply, "He...he's holding your...child."

Her revelation echoed through my head.

My child.

Mine.

My head had snapped back to Marku, my eyes raking over the small box he held in his hands. There was no doubt it had been crafted by the finest artisans. Deep mahogany wood, inlaid with sapphire enameling, and the distinct outline of the tiger Raine and I shared from her royal mark, set in diamonds on the top.

He was holding a casket. A crypt. With my child inside.

Pain crashed over me, sucking every bit of air from my lungs. My chest felt compressed like a balloon ready to break. My mind swirled with images, nameless faces of innocent babies staring back at me. But in my imagination, they were all healthy. They were safe. Not, tucked away for an eternity inside of a box. How had this happened? Why?!

And then reality crashed in on me again. My fury sparked hot and strong. I might never have even known to ask those questions, let alone hope to have the answers, if Marku hadn't intruded when he had. It had been clear from Raine's shocked and dismayed expression that she hadn't expected him.

Why the fuck had she kept this from me?!

Even worse, she had made me look like a complete and utter fool in front of the one man who wanted her almost as much as I did. The one man who had gone to extreme lengths to obtain her. The one man she had admitted to 'loving' in her own way, I thought bitterly.

I slammed my fist down on the desk. I was certain that fucker enjoyed every second of my confusion and loss, and the realization that she trusted him more than she trusted me. It was pretty fucking obvious to me now, that they were a hell of a lot closer than I had realized. They had to be, to share this secret and keep something so precious from me.

I thought I knew Raine. I thought I knew her as well as my own heart.

I was wrong.

Fuck, was I wrong.

When the full understanding of what she had done, flowed through me, I had stormed out. I didn't want to hear her excuses. I didn't want to listen to any more of her lies. And I sure as fuck wasn't going to give Marku the satisfaction and entertainment of witnessing all of it. She might have loved him in her own way, I thought with a growl, but I despised him. Even before I knew about this travesty breach in trust, I had been ready to beat his ass for showing his face here. And I would have succeeded if she hadn't stopped me.

Marku was strong and he was fierce. But I wasn't the man he once knew. He knew me as Armand's creation, the Prince, heir to the throne. But I was none of those things anymore. The transfer of Raine's mark had changed all of it. In addition to the added physical strength, I was certain I had gifts still to be revealed. I had already realized I could compel without speaking, but I was certain there were more gifts I didn't know about.  I felt it in my gut. Felaern suspected I was equal to a Bloodline vampire as a result, putting me on an even footing with Marku.

But it was Felaern's transfer of power that shot me right over the edge. I didn't know what he had done when he healed me, but whatever it was, it had a lasting effect. I shared abilities similar to him and Sofielle. I felt energy and power thrum deep in my core, ready for me to use at will. I would have been happy to settle the score with Marku today by knocking him on his ass.

But Raine's exclamation and admission had changed my intentions completely. I sagged back against the chair. Why the hell was I fighting so hard for something that wasn't even real? This revelation made me question everything I thought I knew.

It was the reason I had immediately sought out the security room. Every inch of Armand's stronghold had surveillance cameras and no room was covered more than the Council Room. I felt disgusted that I had to listen in on their conversation this way. It was beneath me. But, my trust had been severed so intimately, that I wasn't sure she and I could come back from it, without solid proof of the truth.

And that was what I was hoping to hear. Good, bad or ugly, I just wanted the fucking truth. And if watching Raine and Marku on a monitor got me that, then so be it.

Marku led Raine to one of the nearby couches and sat down with her. Raine didn't appear to notice when Armand, Brialle and Kieran all left without saying a word. I wondered if Brialle knew. I hadn't looked at her face when I walked out, so I hadn't seen if her eyes held surprise or not. She had been with Raine before rescuing me. More than likely she knew. I was glad I hadn't seen her face. It would have probably only held pity for me, and I sure as fuck didn't need that.

I adjusted the volume to hear their voices better. Their conversation was almost casual in nature as Marku described the features of our baby's final resting place. Raine nodded and listened.

And then she broke.

Her upper body collapsed onto the box, her arms wrapping around it, holding it tight. Her body was racked with sobs. Pitiful cries pierced the air.

Her pain shook me.

It rattled me to my very core.

Because I felt it too.

My breathing was shallow as I gripped the arms of the chair. Tears clouded my eyes for what we had lost. We had lost a child, a precious God given gift. I wanted to scream and break things, do anything to release the agony in my chest. But it wouldn't go away. It consumed me and held tight.

After several minutes, her tears slowed and then stopped. Marku quietly asked the one question I wanted to know most, "Why didn't you tell him?"

I thought they had purposefully kept this a secret, but it was obviously he had expected her to tell me. I leaned forward, intent for her answer.   She spoke so softly, it was hard to hear, but I could make it out. "I was going to. I wanted to...but I just couldn't tell him...not before the battle."

The battle? What the hell did the battle have to do with anything?

"I was afraid..." her voice broke off.

What was she afraid of?  I shook my head, it didn't make sense. Why would she be afraid to tell me? I was even more confused when Marku replied, "He would have been able to handle it."

So, she didn't think I couldn't handle it? How weak-minded did she think I was?! I made a noise of irritation in the back of my throat.

She stood to her feet and he leaned in to hug her, but she pushed him away.

That was a damn good thing.

I didn't think I could survive a display of affection between them. Our relationship certainly wouldn't, not after what she had done and the secrets she'd kept.

But he couldn't quite let her go without making another offer. "Know this, if he fucks up...find me."

That bastard! I lifted a coffee cup and hurled it across the room, glass crashing and sparks flared, when it broke one of the surveillance screens.

Her response surprised me. "What does that mean? Does that mean if he cheats on me? Sees other women? Because if it does, you're no better."

Well hell, at least she realized that little bit of truth, instead of whatever bullshit romantic notion he tried to fill her head with. Even still though, even after she had confronted him...he repeated his offer before walking out the door, "I understand what you said, what you would require...find me."

Bastard!

I'd find him.

I bit back another growl and pushed to my feet. I opened the door to find all five guards waiting patiently for me in the hall. I stormed passed them without a word.

When I returned to my suites, Raine was already there.