Rising from Ashes–2
“Leo!”
His body slammed into my embrace. I held him tight, tears streaming down my face. His body fit perfectly in my arms, just right. I’d missed him so much.
I kissed his entire face, holding him even tighter.
“Mom!” he giggled, but didn’t push me away.
“I missed you so much! How are you here right now?” I asked him, pulling back slightly but not letting go.
We were both sitting on the floor, but I didn’t care. I was just so fucking happy to have
him with me.
“Dad came to get me. He said you needed me. It was my surprise for you, so I didn’t tell you when we talked yesterday.”
It wasn’t until he mentioned his father that I realized Sebastian was standing in front of him. Our eyes locked and I saw something in his that I couldn’t quite place.
“Hi,” I said softly.
He’d been coming to my house every day to check on me. He’d been supportive and kind. It still surprised me. This Sebastian was so different from the one I was used to that I didn’t know how to respond to this version of him.
As he’d promised, he’d gotten me a therapist three days ago, and I’d started sessions. Every time he did something nice, I was surprised by his actions. It was so unlike him.
“Hey Thea… how are you feeling today?” he asked with a smile.
“I’m good,” I shrugged. I was taking steps to be better, and that was what mattered.
Leo tugged at my sleeve, and I looked at him. “Is it true? You’re having a baby?”
I glared at Sebastian, who looked somewhat sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Yes, Leo,” I bit my lip, worried about his reaction since he’d never mentioned wanting
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siblings.
When his face lit up with a brilliant smile, I was taken aback.
“That’s so cool!” he bounced excitedly in place. “Can you make the baby a girl? I always wanted a sister.”
His reaction made something inside me finally loosen. If Leo could accept this baby, then I felt like I could face any challenge, and everything would be okay.
“It’s not something I can control, baby,” I explained gently. “It’s a fifty–fifty chance, so it could be a boy or a girl.”
“No! It’s a girl, Mom. I’m going to have a sister because that’s what I want, and I always get what I want.” His face was etched with determination.
His tone and expression were so much like Sebastian that I couldn’t help but chuckle. Sebastian cleared his throat. “Buddy, can you give your mom and me a minute to talk?” Leo looked between the two of us, then nodded and ran upstairs to see the room I’d prepared for him.
When his footsteps faded, I turned to Sebastian. “How did you know I needed him?”
He shrugged. “Call it Alpha intuition, I really can’t explain it.”
“I’m glad to see him, but is it safe for him? Those bastards who sent the threat are still out there, even if we haven’t made any progress.”
He sighed. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt Leo. I can’t guarantee the safety of others, but Leo isn’t a target, and that’s enough for me.”
When he mentioned others, I didn’t feel particularly concerned. Like he said, Leo was my
main worry.
Besides Iris, the rest could go to hell for all I cared.
“Thank you for bringing him back, and for everything else you’ve done for me,” I told him sincerely. He’d done so much for me these past days, and I would always be grateful.
“For you, anything’s worth it, Thea.”
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It felt weird hearing him say that. His tone was so serious it made me wonder if he had a fever or was possessed by something.
Before I could contemplate what his change meant, Leo’s excited screech came from
upstairs. “Mom! My room is awesome! Even better than what I saw in your video!”
I smiled, putting the Sebastian question aside for now. At this moment, my priorities were Leo and the baby inside me. And I had plenty to think about. Like how I was going to face
Kane tomorrow.
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