Avenger(3)

“Do you think I can do this?” I hated voicing my concerns aloud, but I knew my dad was the only person who wouldn’t judge me for my fears.

“I know so,” he assured me. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Thanks, dad, I needed to hear that.”

“Anytime,” he stood, holding out a hand to pull me up. “Let’s get this place cleaned up.”

With everyone’s help, we had the house clean in no time.

I hugged my mom, dad, and Gram close as I said goodbye.

Soon, it was just me, Caeden, and Nolan left.

Nolan leaned by the front door, eyeing us. “Um…I’m going to head out for a while. I’ll see you two later,” he chuckled and before either of us could reply he was opening the door and gone from our sight.

I shook my head at Nolan’s strange behavior.

“I’m so tired,” I told Caeden as I started up the steps.

“Maybe you should take a hot bath,” he suggested as the dogs ran up beside us.

“Whoa,” I started to lose my balance when Murphy’s tail slammed into me.

Caeden’s hand shot out to steady me and keep me from crashing to the ground. “Are you okay?” He asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Yeah, fine, just a bit dizzy,” I put a hand to my forehead and continued up the rest of the steps.

“Sophie,” he started, “we’re shifters...we have excellent balance you shouldn’t have fallen.”

“I’m tired,” I reasoned, opening our bedroom doors. Both dogs bound onto the bed.

“Still, that shouldn’t have been a factor.”

“What are you saying?” I turned to look at him with my hands on my hips.

“I don’t know,” he rubbed the back of his head. “Could the baby—”

I stopped him right there with a glare. “Don’t start, Caeden. I mean it. I love you, I do, but don’t you dare try to turn my pregnancy into an excuse to protect me from everything. I won’t let you do it.”

“I’m just concerned,” he followed me into the bathroom as I started a tub of hot water, adding bubble bath.

“And I understand that,” I turned around and took his face between my hands, “but you have to learn that you can’t worry about everything, and you can’t control me. I am my own person, Caeden.”

“I know,” he whispered.

“Then why is there still a wrinkle in your brow?”

“Because, you’re my mate, Soph. It’s my job to worry about you,” he explained.

“Every job has a vacation, let it go,” I kissed him.

“Nice try,” he smirked when I pulled away.

“It was worth a shot,” I laughed.

By the time I got in bed, I was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. But sleep was short lived. It wasn’t long until the nightmare consumed me…

My body slammed into the tree and I felt my insides breaking apart. The mutant stalked towards me and smiled triumphantly. This was it. He was going to kill me.

Just when I prepared to close my eyes, a wolf slammed into the mutant. The wolf took out the mutant’s leg. When the wolf turned his head to check on me, the not quite dead mutant used that to his advantage. The mutant grabbed the wolf by the neck and twisted. It happened so fast—I counted two of my heartbeats and the wolf was dead.

Horrified, I stared into the dead green eyes of Logan.

This couldn’t be happening. It was my fault he was dead. I would have to live with the knowledge that Logan died protecting me for the rest of my life.

I sat straight up, sobbing, my clothes drenched in sweat.

“Sophie?” Caeden sat up, rubbing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“My fault,” I gasped breathlessly. “It’s my fault.”

“What are you talking about?” His thick brows furrowed together in confusion.

“L-L-Logan is dead…because of me,” I cried.

“Oh, Soph,” Caeden took my face between his hands. “That’s so not true.”

“It is,” I sobbed, letting him wrap me in his arms. My tears soaked his bare skin but he didn’t seem to mind.

“We can’t blame ourselves for things that are out of our control,” his fingers tangled in my hair.

“If I hadn’t got hurt—”

He pulled me away from his chest and pressed a finger against my lips. “But you did get hurt, Soph. Logan saved you, baby. He gave up his life so you could live yours, don’t ruin his gift by dwelling on the past. What is, is.”

“Aren’t you sad he’s gone?” I choked.

“God, of course I am. He’s been my friend since we were little, even though we weren’t close, he was still always there. I’ll miss him for the rest of my life. But without his sacrifice, I wouldn’t have my wife or my child,” he swallowed thickly. “Missing him is one thing, but being angry and stuck in the past questioning everything is an entirely different thing.” He brushed my hair behind my ear with a sweep on his warm fingers.