Chapter 45

AYRA

“Rise and shine, mate,” I sang, pushing the curtains aside to let the sunlight stream into the room.

“Shut up,” Nathaniel groaned, placing his forearm over his eyes to block the unwanted light in the room. “It’s too early in the morning to be this chirpy.”

“Says the freak who goes for a run and to the gym every morning. Plus, it’s one in the afternoon.”

His eyes snapped open. “No shit?” He frowned, sitting up on the bed. “I never sleep for that long.”

“I know.” That showed just how burned out he was. He was usually as early as five in the morning, and he didn’t go to bed until it was late. “You needed the rest.”

He slid off the bed, scrubbing his hand down his face. “I should go check on Kai and the rest.”

I jumped in front of him, blocking his path. “No, you also need some rest. I already checked on them, and I informed them of your condition.”

“What condition? Nothing is wrong with me. I’m fine.”

“Mentally?” I asked, raising a knowing brow at him. I knew he blamed himself for the attack on his Enforcers, and he was feeling like absolute shit over it. “See, you can’t even answer that question. You need rest, and they understand. All of them are also resting.”

“Well, I can’t just sit on my ass and do nothing for the entire day.”

“Easy. I have a few activities lined up for you today.” I dug my hand into my back pocket, handing the piece of paper to him. “That should be enough to pass the time.”

He scanned his eyes over the paper, amusement shining in his gold-flecked green eyes. “An hour of yoga and meditation?” He asked, an incredulous smile pulling at his lips.

“Great for relaxation,” I filled in.

“Baking?”

“You never really completed your two weeks of servitude. Consider that as payment.”

As he read down the list, his smile became bigger. “Sex?”

I shrugged. “To pass time while the cupcakes bake.”

“Cupcakes delivery to the Enforcers.”

“A little thank you for sticking by your side.”

Nathaniel nodded. “I like that one.”

I mock gasped. “Over sex?”

He grinned down at me, pulling me against his chest. “Never. Which is why I’m not complaining there’s sex two more times on the list. One during a shower, and the other after movie night and dinner. I can work with that.”

“Great. Now go change for our yoga session.”

***

“That doesn't look good!” I shrieked for the… thousandth time? I had lost track after the first five times. He had just one job; decorating the cupcakes, but he still fucked it up.

“Well, how the hell am I supposed to do this?” Nathaniel asked, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. “It’s not like they’re going to care what it looks like anyway. It’s what it tastes like that’s important.”

“Gosh, you’re so annoying. I give up. You know what? Finish that batch up. If your Enforcers ask, you can proudly tell them you decorated it. I’m sure they’ll be proud of you.”

“Now, you’re talking.” He winked at me, leaning in for a kiss.

I rolled my eyes at him, placing one on his cheek instead, pulling a grunt out of him. “Now, get back to work. We still have to pass these around. You should meet Reese’s baby.”

“Now, you’re gonna tell me the baby is cute,” Nathaniel guessed, returning to work on his cupcakes.

“Babies are cute!” I exclaimed. “The tiny feet and hands, huge eyes, toothless grins. Who wouldn’t think they’re cute?”

“Don’t fucking lie, Ayra. Sure, babies are cute. Newborns are not cute. I remember looking at my brothers like they were some aliens. They looked like it too. I’m not kidding. Aiden especially with his big, black eyes. My mom told this story even though I can’t recall it, but supposedly, I cried when I saw my brothers. I said something like, ‘these freaks are going to suck our souls out with their eyes’.”

I burst into laughter. “No. Way. That is such a horrible thing to say to your brothers.”

“Hey, there are a lot of things you could get away with saying as a kid. I was young. Sue me.”

“True. A child could call you fat, and you’d literally have to smile and say something like ‘isn’t he cute?’ in front of his parents.”

“Parenting problems. We have a little menace of our own on the way,” Nathaniel said, looking down at my covered stomach with a soft smile.

“If he or she is anything like you, then yes, the baby is going to be a menace.”

Nathaniel smirked at me. “If it’s a boy, maybe we’ll name him Nathaniel Acheron Black II.”.

“Hell no!” I yelled, making Nathaniel burst into laughter.

We’d discussed baby names before, and we’d ended up arguing over names. He knew I didn’t want to name the baby after him, and if there was one thing Nathaniel was known for, it was getting a rise out of me.

He threw my earlier words back at me. “Now, get back to work. We still have to pass these around. You should meet Reese’s baby.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re lucky I love you, or I’d shove some flour down your throat for mocking me.”

“And I’ll spend every day of my life knowing I’m the lucky bastard who gets to have you as a mate,” he said, and damn if I didn’t swoon. He knew all the right things to say at the right time.

We worked in silence after that, and I was glad my plan to distract him from everything going on in our lives worked. He deserved the rest.

***

“Incoming,” I said before pushing the door to Ishmael’s bedroom open. I paused in the doorway when I found Nikki inside his bedroom. “Oh, hey, Nikki. I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“Same here. Kimberly was supposed to deliver some food to him, but we both know Nala takes priority over everyone else.”

“That’s the baby’s name? It’s so beautiful.”

“Once you two are done fan-girling over the baby, some peace and quiet would be nice,” Ishmael groaned, turning on his side away from us.

Nikki smirked. “At least he’s letting us fangirl some more. Don’t you love a man who risks his sanity for our sake?” She drawled, sarcasm thick in her voice.

Ishmael snorted, turning to look at us over his shoulder. “You’re testing my patience and sanity, Nikki, and it won’t be long before I snap.”

“How are you going to do that? Your powers don’t work anymore,” she said with a smirk.

“Fucking hell.” Ishmael dragged the duvet up over his body. “Rub that in some more. Why don’t you?”

“Come on, it’s not the end of the word, Ish. You’ll survive.” She threw her hands up in the air when I raised a brow at her. “Okay, fine. I’ll be nice to him. Just for today,” she added.

“Lucky me,” Ishmael deadpanned.

I took a seat on the edge of his bed. “Well, I brought you some cupcakes.”

Ishmael sat up on the bed, propping his back against the headboard. “You should have led your visit with that.”

“Nathaniel was in charge of the decorations,” I told him when he took the box from my hand.

A tired smile pulled at Ishmael’s lips as he opened the box’s lid. “These are the fucking ugliest cupcakes I’ve ever seen.”

“What can I say? Baking isn’t my stronghold,” came Nathaniel’s voice from the door.

“Add decorating to that,” Ishmael said before taking a huge bite out of a cupcake.

Nikki huffed, glaring down at Ishmael. “Fucking unreal. You turned down the soup I offered to take my precious time heating up for you, but you’re eating cupcakes?”

Ishmael rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what gave you the impression that I’m some sick baby who needs to be taken care of, but I’ll have you know I’m one hundred percent fine. I just don't have my powers.”

“How do you feel?” Nathaniel asked, guilt crawling up his face.

“Empty.”

Nathaniel nodded. “I know the feeling. You should get some rest.”

Ishmael cleared his throat. “Actually, I’m leaving.”

“You are?” Nikki and I asked simultaneously.

He nodded, his expression grim. “Yes. I need to do some healing, or I’m afraid I won’t be a hundred percent for the war, like Ozark said.”

“You don’t have to stress yourself over the war. If you’re not up to it, you can sit it out,” Nathaniel said.

“I think you need my help. You have zero allies, and with a click of his fingers, Ryker can have every warrior fall do whatever he pleases. I need to be there, so I distract him from doing that. Plus, I’m not doing this for you.”

“When do you leave?”

“Tonight. It’s high time I went back to my coven.”

“I thought they banished you a long time ago?” Nikki asked, getting a raised brow from Ishmael.

“How do you know that?”

“Uh?”

Ishmael’s brows pulled together in a frown as he studied Nikki. “I’ve never mentioned that to anyone.”

“Don’t look at me like I’m plotting evil against you. You were sleeping when I came in, remember? I heard a lot before I woke you.”

Ishmael nodded stiffly before turning his attention back to Nathaniel. “I’ll be gone for a few weeks. I suggest you recruit more warriors. You Enforcers are too little to fight alone.”

“I know. I’m working on it.”

“Good. You can all leave now. I have some preparation to do before I leave.”

“Get well soon,” I said, squeezing Ishmael’s arm before following Nikki and Nathaniel out of his bedroom.

“I don’t think he’s going to be fine before Benjamin strikes,” I said to Nathaniel on our way home.

“He won’t, but it doesn’t hurt to support him. He’s a great addition to our team, but he won’t be joining us for the war. I will not jeopardize his health.”

Nathaniel was right. Ishmael was an important member of the pack. He was well read. He knew places and people that could assist us, not to mention he was a great sorcerer.

His impact on the war would be great if he could fight. No one had magic to counter Ryker’s, and Ryker seemed like the backbone of Benjamin’s plans.

“You never know. He might be fine before Benjamin strikes.”

At least, I hoped he would be. We couldn’t do this without him.

Nathaniel cranked up the engine. “Don’t get any expectations, Ayra. I learned that the hard way.”

“When it comes to everyone’s safety, I’ll always have expectations and a ray of hope.”

He had a lot on his plate, and I didn’t think he was in the right state of mind to have my issue added to his plate.

The voices in my head were getting louder every passing second, and I was slowly losing my mind.