Fates | Book 2 ✔️

[13]

I take away the apple about to fall from his hand just as we enter the pack house. Kaj is the first one I see guarding the entrance. He looks at Emery's sleeping form before looking at me with a small smile as if finally piecing it all together. 

"You must be tired."

"Hm?"

"He has a lot of energy. Must have done a lot to make him this tired." 

"Yeah," I breathe, "he does. But I'm not that old. I can keep up." 

"For now." 

I laugh and shake my head agreeing with him. "For now." 

I head up the stairs not bothering to address to stares and glances directed towards me and continue down the hall. Just as I'm about to open the door, the door opens with a flustered Yorin about to leave. 

"Seth, thank Lunas you are back." Yorin takes a step back letting me inside. "He was about to have my head," he mumbles under his breath only loud enough for me to hear.

In the next moment, Lance walks up to me and takes Emery from me. 

"See, I told you. He's fine," Yorin says to Lance who only growls in return. 

"No one told you to let him watch him. I asked you, not him," Lance says.

"He is his father too, Lance. You cannot be so like this now. Seth wouldn't let a thing happen to him as you very well know that." 

Lance looks into my eyes for a moment before they lower. "... I suppose you are right." 

"Here, let me take him. I'll give him a bath in the morning." Lance hands the sleeping bundle off to Yorin who graciously leaves out the room without another word. 

It is quiet for some seconds before Lance breaks the silence with a sigh. "You are his father. I shouldn't be so dismissive of you. I should put personal feelings aside in this. I apologize." He looks at me, this time, keeping the distance between us. 

"It's okay. You can't just leave your kid off with anyone, and we hardly know one another at all now... Isn't that right?" 

I turn to leave at the silence threatening to swallow me whole. Lance takes my wrist in his hand taking me by surprise. He turns me around to face him and I can hardly stop my heart from beating so fast in my chest. 

"He's yours too... and he adores you. It doesn't matter whether I know you or not. He'll find some way to find you. To come to you. He is stubborn and willful like that." He smiles causing my heart to twist and pull. "He doesn't like to be told he can't do something, you know?" He stares at me again. "He'll only show you that he can." 

"He's a handful," I admit. 

"He is." 

He walked back to his desk trying to focus back on what he was doing before, but I continue to stare at him. My eyes couldn't peel away from him no matter what I try to do or think about it. I had to leave I try to tell myself. If I don't, it'll only lead to something I don't want to happen. I shake my head. No, Yorin had said... 

"... I must come to accept things as they are." Lance breaks me away from my thoughts. "If something happens to me, you'll be responsible for him, so I want him to know you and I want you to know him." 

My eyes widen.

"It's only right for him to be with you... and not Yorin or Dani."

"Do not say something like that, Lance." 

He rubs his eyes before pushing away the hair falling in front of his face. It has grown and now it needs to be cut.

"It's a real possibility and I must prepare for it. War is not a pretty thing."