CHAPTER 79: 79-HE COULDN’T PROTECT ME

Iris:

I wouldn’t call it the most comfortable night, but I felt much better being away from my mother.

When I woke up early in the morning, I realized the kids were already awake, jumping up and down on their mattress.

They had even opened some snacks, eating and tossing them around.

"When did you guys wake up?" I complained, rubbing my eyes. "And look what you did. You know I hate when people litter, right? This is not what I taught you."

The two instantly sat back down, looking guilty.

"But we’ll clean it, I promise," Colin said, trying to reassure me.

I gave him a quick nod.

"Okay, now come on. Let’s go to the cabin. We have to get ready for the day. I’ll get you both showered, and by then Scarlett will be here."

I gestured for them to follow me, and as soon as I stepped out of the tent, I noticed Kash’s tent nearby, it looked like Lara was still inside.

I walked all the way to the cabin and stepped in to find that Luca had gone out for a run, while Kash was already dressed for the day.

He was wearing a black shirt and black pants. His hair was still damp but neatly styled, though a few strands had fallen loose over his forehead.

I remembered how, after every shower, his eyes seemed to glow brighter behind his thick, wet lashes.

His dark hair always shone then, making his sharp features look even more dangerously striking.

"Daddy! Good morning!"

Both Colin and Amy rushed over to hug their father.

Kash smiled at them, carrying a bag full of supplies for our trip to the caves.

"I’ll quickly shower," I muttered, avoiding his eyes as if looking directly at him might blind me.

"Yeah, go ahead. Get ready. I’ll take care of getting my kids dressed today. You want Daddy to dress you up?" Kash asked the two, and they both nodded eagerly.

I liked seeing them so happy. But the truth was, once all of this was over, I was going to run away from here.

That hope, however small, was the only thing keeping me from losing my mind.

Once a cure was found, my son would be free from my brother’s link, and I would finally be free to go wherever I wanted.

I had no intention of staying here. This place was only temporary, which was why I didn’t want to make friends or grow attached to anyone.

As for the cure, now that Kash was working tirelessly on it, I felt more optimistic that my son would be freed soon.

I stepped into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and got dressed in brown pants and a matching top.

I tied my hair into a high ponytail, leaving a few loose strands around my face and forehead.

By the time I came out, Kash had already taken care of the kids.

"Your nanny’s outside," he told me, fixing Colin’s hair so that he looked just like his father.

I walked out and greeted Scarlett, letting her know the children’s schedule for the day and what she needed to feed them.

She had brought food and supplies, so I knew the kids were in good hands, especially since Kash’s trusted men had already arrived.

The warriors were going to keep a close watch, recording every interaction between the children, the nanny, and Lara.

I knew my mother would have a problem with it later, but I could always tell her I hadn’t been able to refuse Kash at the time.

She wouldn’t have much to argue after that.

Once everything was settled, Kash and I prepared to leave, until I remembered there was someone else who had wanted to tag along.

Luca.

"If her boyfriend is coming, why can’t I tag along?" I heard Lara complain.

For the past five minutes, she’d been blocking Kash’s path, insisting that he take her with us.

I stood a little farther away from the main trail with Luca, who was carrying the other bag of supplies.

There was always the possibility we might get lost, or worse, get attacked.

Kash had already warned us about that, but I still wanted to go personally and check out the caves.

Knowing him, he didn’t want the warriors to come. He said he could handle things if any danger came our way.

And then there was Lara, insisting she should join us because she was an Alpha’s daughter and ’strong enough to protect herself,’ as she kept reminding him.

She even claimed she could protect us if it came down to it.

"Lara, somebody needs to stay here with the kids," Kash grunted, even though it wasn’t really true. She wasn’t needed with the kids; they had Scarlett.

"Well, what if you get lost and these two are left behind? Somebody powerful needs to be with them too," Lara argued, pointing at me and Luca.

Luca shared a sly glance with me, his head tilted down but his eyes flicking up.

He shuffled the rocks at his feet with the tip of his shoe, hands tucked into the pockets of his grey pants.

He wore a white shirt, while Lara was dressed in black denim shorts and a blue tank top.

"Okay, fine, Lara. Let’s just not argue and keep going," Kash finally said, giving in.

I noticed that happened a lot. She’d insist on something, and even if he disagreed, she’d pester him until he relented.

We started moving forward again.

The first hour of walking along the trail wasn’t too difficult, at least not for the others. I was a bit tired at times; after all, the others had powers.

Luca, for instance, had his lycan side. Though, for good reason, he always hid his scent.

Everyone else believed he was just an omega, or someone without a wolf like me, since he never talked about it.

And then there was Lara. She had probably taken five hundred selfies already.

"You know," Luca muttered, "I’ve been with so many women like her."

I shot him a warning look, silently telling him to shut up.

Kash and Lara were ahead of us now, Kash holding the map and leading the way.

"I’m serious," Luca went on. "Women like her are so easy to get into bed."

"Oh really?" I asked dryly. "What are you suggesting? That you’ll sleep with her just so you can make up an excuse to flirt with her?"

He chuckled.

"Why? Would you be jealous if I did?" he asked.

"Luca," I said, rolling my eyes, "I’m not her gatekeeper. But I’d suggest you don’t do anything that’ll get you on Kash’s radar. He’s very protective when it comes to his woman."

My tone rose slightly near the end of that sentence and that’s when I noticed Kash slowing down, turning around to look at us.

Luca noticed too. And, of course, he couldn’t resist adding one more jab.

"Yeah, well, not every woman was protected by him," he said quietly. "He pretty much left you pregnant out in the open, to fend for yourself in the woods."