Chapter 403: Reunion 2
"Now let’s get you out of here," Nedra said, standing with her hands still on her son’s shoulders.
It was then that both August and Nedra noticed the female in the room next to Sage’s who was watching all of this unfold with a joyous smile. Nedra turned to look at August with a quick nod of her head as if to tell her that was the alyko she was looking for, but August didn’t need the gesture to realize it. She recognized Maggie from the memories she saw of Graeme’s.
August rushed forward. "Oh, Maggie. Thank the Goddess, you are alive," she breathed and then broke into a teary smile, pressing her palms against the glass. "He will be so happy to see you. You can’t imagine the pain and guilt he has put himself through. We have to get you out of here," she turned to Nedra who was considering this possibility. How much trouble was she going to get into just for freeing Sage alone? And how was she going to explain all of this?
"I don’t know," Nedra shook her head and looking down at Sage who was still under her palms, still here, still with her. She didn’t want to let him go.
"What do you mean you don’t know?" August frowned, a growl puttering in her throat that sounded too lycan.
"You are Graeme’s mate," Maggie said from the other side of the glass, causing August to turn back to her where she was greeted again with the kind warmth of Maggie’s gaze. "And you are clearly our Luna. There is no doubt," she beamed. "I am so honored to meet you. I forgot how breathtaking it was to be in the presence of someone carrying the Hallowell line. You both must be overjoyed."
August’s eyebrows pinched together briefly until she realized what Maggie was referring to. Regardless of how long she had been away, Maggie was a member of the Hallowell pack, which meant she could see the glow of August’s pregnancy.
"Oh, yes," a soft blush formed on August’s face. "It was... well, it was a surprise."
"Was he pleased?" Maggie asked, imagining the reaction of the grown male that she had known as a pup when he realized he would be a father.
"Yes," August smiled and nodded, the brush growing deeper. "Very."
"I can only imagine he is like his father. He always took after Derek," Maggie beamed.
"August, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have to take Sage out of here," Nedra called from behind her nervously.
"We can all leave together," August replied. "You will let Maggie out, too."
"August..." Maggie spoke, bringing August’s attention back to her. "Luna, Sage is the important one right now. I will be okay. I have been here for quite some time, and although I may not look it, I am an old lady."
"But..." August began to argue when a new flurry of movement drew her attention back to the door.
"Nedra?" a male called from behind them. "What are you doing in here? Did the boss call you, too?"
"Seth..." she gasped. "I... why? Why did Zagan call you?" she asked as she drew Sage behind her, blocking him from the male’s vision.
"It was the strangest thing. He told me to abandon my search for Zosime and come back here to free the rest of the alyko from inner containment," he told her. "He said it was ’paramount.’ I even asked him if this was real. He was not happy about that," he chuckled, running a hand through his hair.
Nedra’s mouth was hanging open, unsure of how to respond.
"Are you not here to let them go as well?" Seth asked, his eyes focusing back on the room that they were in.
"Yes! Yes, of course!" she said quickly. "That is just what August and I were doing. We were going to start releasing them. Will your team lead them off the island, I assume?" Nedra asked, attempting to distract him as she continued to hide Sage behind her.
"Yeah, they are waiting outside," he smiled. "What a relief, right?"
Nedra nodded. "Yes," she chuckled, truthfully shocked and relieved by this news. It was the best news she could imagine.
"Who is that behind you?" Seth asked, realizing that he was not aware of an alyko occupying this room.
"Who? August?" she turned to August who was stunned—staring at them both in disbelief at the news of Zagan’s order.
When Nedra looked back toward Seth, his face was twisted in confusion at her behavior. "Nedra," he said softly, walking toward her. They had not been close for quite some time, because she had kept him at a distance—always refusing to see him. But he still knew her well, and she was not herself right now. "What is wrong?"
The depth in his eyes that was so familiar and welcoming met the depth in hers, and her carefully built defenses began to crumble. "Seth..." she started, having no idea how to even begin. As soon as he saw Sage, there would be no more hiding what she had kept from him.
"What is it?" he asked again, his expression cleaving into genuine worry now, and then Sage peeked around the side of his mother’s back.
Nedra watched as surprise and confusion warred on Seth’s face until a slow realization finally dawned, and then he took an unsteady step backward. "You are a mother?" he asked, tear-filled eyes rising to accuse her of something different than what she was actually guilty of.
Nedra wet her lips and took a deep breath, readying herself to speak the words she had dreamed of saying to him so many times for so many years after not one but two babies that he had gifted her with. "Yes," she said. "Yes, and you are a father."
She pulled Sage the rest of the way out from behind her so that Seth could see him properly—the remarkable young male that he had helped create and that she had brought into the world without his knowledge.
"What?" Seth breathed, his eyes dropping to the boy who stood beside his mother, the spitting image of her. "What... what did you say?"
"You are a father, Seth. I kept it from you. I’m sorry," she said, tears sliding silently down her face. How could he ever understand or ever forgive her? "This is our son Sage."
