Chapter 100

Casey stared at her and Lily’s mouth dropped open.
“Wha- what?”
Sasha eyed her, watching her face for her emotions. “Your father told us that your mother is our mother.”
Her eyes brightened. “My mom? Who is she? Where is she? Can we go visit her? I’d really like to meet her. Dad said he didn’t know who she was.” She paused, her face falling. “Do you know why she didn’t want me?”
Sasha’s heart broke and she pulled the girl onto her lap. “Oh, honey. Our mother was not a good woman. She was a good woman before your father intervened in her life, but she really turned into something bad. Her name was Anastasia and until recently, she was the leader of Tursum. And no, we can not take you to visit her.”
She looked up at Sasha. “Why not?”
Sasha closed her eyes. “Because I killed her for threatening my sisters.” She wrapped her arms around Casey’s shoulders. “I’m sorry about before. I shouldn’t have been so quick to aura you like that.”
“What’s aura?”
“It’s when we make people do what we want. Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m a little hungry and I want to see my dad.”
Everybody looked at Sasha and she frowned, before sighing. “Let’s eat first and then I will take you down to see him.”
“Do you promise?,” she asked hopefully.
“I do. Ask Kalani and Lily, I always follow through on my promises.”
“She does, Casey,” Kalani confirmed.
Aiden helped her up, before pulling Sasha up, too. She leaned against him and he eyed her.
“You okay?”
“Yes. I don’t know why I’m so tired.”
He kissed her cheek. “We’ll go see the doctor later. Dinner first?”
She nodded. “What are we eating, girls?”
“Mac and cheese?”
Casey nodded in agreement. “Chicken nuggets?”
Lukas smiled at them. “Done. The chefs say about half an hour. What shall we do until then?”
“Kalani, can you and Gregory show Casey to a room, please. I think I’m going to see the doctor while the food is cooking. Lukas, can you-”
“He said he will meet you at the clinic. Do you want me to show you where?”
“No. I know where it is.”
Sasha smiled at Aiden. Trust him to know his way around her brother’s kingdom. He picked her up and began to walk out of the room with her.
“Don’t wait for us to eat. We’ll be back,” she called out over his shoulder, before laying her head on it.
He hurried to the clinic where a young man waited for them. He held the door open as Aiden walked past. A woman pointed to a room and Aiden gently set Sasha down on the table in it. He scooted a chair closer to the table to take her hand as the young doctor entered.
“What’s going on, Queen Sasha?”
“I am just tired all the time now.”
“Do you feel sick? Are there any other symptoms?”
Sasha glanced at Aiden who gave her an encouraging nod. “My breasts have been hurting and I have been getting weird cramping in my stomach.”
He came over and Aiden growled when he reached for Sasha’s hand. He froze.
“King Aiden, I am only going to check her pulse and her blood pressure. I mean no disrespect to you or to her.”
Sasha held out her hand while her eyes shot daggers at Aiden. The doctor quickly took her vitals and backed away. The doctor listened to her lungs and to her heart, before asking her to lay back on the table. He began to press on her stomach and feel around it.
“How long have you been feeling like this?”
“About a week.”
“And when was your last period?”
Aiden growled warningly.
“Right before I conceived our egg.”
The doctor eyed her. “You have an egg?”
“Yes.”
He stepped back from her with a smile on his face. “And you said that was 8 months ago?” She nodded. “Laid about 7 months ago?” Again, she nodded. He clapped his hands together. “Oh, in that case, there is nothing to worry about.”
“Meaning?,” Aiden snapped.
“Meaning, Sire, that in a few weeks, your egg will be hatching. The queen’s breasts hurt, because she will be starting to produce milk. She’s cramping, because she is getting ready to go back into heat. She is tired, because her body is preparing for a newborn.”
“So, there is nothing wrong with me?,” Sasha asked.
“Correct. I can run some tests to check for imbalances and infections if you want, but I am pretty positive it’s only because of your egg, which by the way, congratulations.”
She beamed as she reached for Aiden’s hand. “Thank you. Did you hear that? Our egg is about to hatch. Are you excited?”
He kissed her hand. “I’m telling you. It better be a boy or I’ma lock her in the dungeon.”
Sasha rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair. “I’ma lock you in the dungeon.”
He chuckled. “Do you want to get the tests done?”
She nodded. “We probably should, just to be sure.”
The doctor retrieved a butterfly needle, a couple of vials and a small tourniquet. He put the tourniquet on her arm and inserted the needle when he found a good spot. Aiden bared his teeth in a silent warning. The doctor pulled the needle out.
“When the results come back, do I have your permission to link you or would you rather a phone call?”
“Link,” Sasha said.
“Phone call,” Aiden ordered at the same time.
Sasha turned to glare at him. “Knock it off. A link would be faster.”
“But he’s a man.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you serious right now? That is so stupid.”
He sighed. “Ash, come on.”
“No.” She looked at the doctor. “Link me, doctor. It’s fine.”
She hopped off the table and stormed out of the room as her mate trailed behind her. “Ash, please.”
“No! You are so ridiculous.”
He pulled her to a stop. “Look, I’m sorry. I just.. You’re my… fuck there’s nothing I can say that won’t sound bad.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry I was jealous back there.”
She touched his cheek and leaned against him. “Wanna carry me? I am still tired.”
He grinned and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed his neck.
“After today’s events, I just want to be with you tonight. So, let’s hurry back and finish the day.”
He jogged back to the castle with her in his arms. He carried her into the dining hall where everybody eyed them. When they didn’t say anything, Kalani threw her fork down and leaned forward to glare down the table at them.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“What did the doctor say?”
Sasha smiled and ran her fingers down Aiden’s arm. “Our egg is going to hatch soon.”
Kalani clapped her hands excitedly. “So, does that mean ours will be hatching soon?” Her eyes widened. “Oh my Goddess! That means so will Ana’s, Sherri’s and Raven’s.”
Sasha grinned. “It’s so nice to have all our babies at the same time. Melissa is due in two months.”
“I can’t wait.”
Aiden spooned more mac and cheese onto her plate and lifted a hand made nugget to her mouth. Sasha allowed him to feed her until she couldn’t eat anymore. Casey cleared her throat.
“Can we go see Daddy?”
Sasha stood up and Aiden immediately wrapped an arm around her waist to guide her down to the dungeons. They stopped outside of his cell and Sasha opened it, giving him a warning look. She took a step back and tilted her head to Slonsky. Casey nervously approached him, sprinting to him once she passed Sasha. Her father caught her in his arms and they sank to the ground. He ran his hands over her back while she clung to him. Sasha leaned against Aiden as she watched them interact. He was so kind to her and tried to reassure her that she was safe with them. She started crying and Lily started to move towards them. Lukas grabbed her hand, stopping her. Sasha gently shook her head and he let her go. She timidly approached the pair in the cell.
“Excuse me?” Slonsky looked up at her. “You were there when she took me.” He nodded. “Why did she take me?”
Everybody fell silent. Sasha glanced at Lukas who was staring at Slonsky, fear evident in his eyes. Slonsky smiled at Lily softly.
“She was jealous of you. You have something that she wanted, but lost. She wanted to take that away from you.”
Lily tilted her head. “What was it? I don’t have a dragon or powers. I am just a human.”
He was silent for a minute. “You have people that love you,” he answered slowly. “And that made her hate you.”
“Are you talking about my mom?,” Casey asked.
He tensed as he looked down at his daughter. “Yes. Your mother was very spiteful.” He paused. “But that was my fault. I destroyed her. I made a mistake. And then I fell in love with her and even after I explained what I did and tried to fix it, she still didn’t change.” He met Sasha’s eyes. “So much happened that I wish I could take back, but I can’t. Please, don’t punish Casey for my mistakes.”
Sasha looked away as bile rose. She would never punish a child for their parent’s mistake. Her stomach turned wildly.
“I would never do that. I am not my mother. Kalani and I were punished our entire lives for who our father was.”
“Sasha, I hope that one day you can forgive me for everything I have done to you and your family. I shouldn’t have interfered and I shouldn’t have tried to push myself on Odanya. She had made it clear that she only loved your father.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “And as for your mother.. That was just a big mistake that blessed me more than I should have ever been.”
“So, you’re telling me that all of this.. Losing the love of my life and my fated mate is because of you?,” their father’s hateful voice came from the door. “I should rip your throat out. She was always mine. You stood no chance in hell.”
“Dad-”
“SHUT IT, SASHA!” He took an angry step towards the cell, with his hands fisted. “I gave her everything. She was my everything. And you… you were nothing.”