Family With Honour (Book 4)

Twenty Two

"It would be my pleasure."

Wolfe walks off, stops and comes back a few steps. "Should I consider one of her sisters?"

"Perhaps. Lord of the Usani lands should have a wife and an heir but her sisters may follow her example."

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"Sparrow!" Raven exclaims upon seeing her. "It has been years!" Her stunning deep brown eyes flit across Sparrow's face and down her figure. "You look well." Raven continues, aware of Sparrow's silence upon seeing her. "We received your letter while we were travelling and decided to come straight away without going home. Raoul knew all the quickest routes." She pauses. "Sparrow, am I to speak for you too?"

Raoul looks between the two sisters as he places their bags down in the hallway. Sparrow speechless is not natural. He takes his wife's hand and tugs gently on it. "Patience love, Sparrow looks tired and perhaps she thinks you are a dream." He notices the skin pull at the corner of Sparrow's lip. Her eyes drift down to Raven's stomach. If he is not mistaken he believes that he sees Sparrow deflate, but only just slightly. Then she musters up a façade, all too noticeable to Ra.

"Forgive me, sister. It is just so strange to see you here again. Many years have passed since that day." Sparrow finally replies. She steps forward and embraces her sister. Her eyes meet Ra's hazel eyes over Raven's shoulder. His eyes narrow slightly and she shakes her head by a mere fraction. She pulls back and smiles at Raven. "You did not write to tell me?" She steps back fully away from Raven's protruding bump. Raven laughs and lays her hand across her stomach.

"I was about to but then you wrote and I thought I could share this wonderful news with you in person." A gorgeous adoring smile makes Raven's face transform into something of true beauty. "I am so relieved that your husband moved past our past." She touches Sparrow's cheek in a tender gesture. Sparrow smiles but moves back, causing Raven to laugh.

Wolfe and Bear step out into the entrance hall and Raven curtseys to them. Ra briefly nods his head to the both of them. Wolfe expects to feel the same cold emotion he experienced that day so long ago but he realises he feels nothing. Her betrayal has been swept away in the winds that brought Sparrow to him. Her disloyalty gave him the chance to win the heart of a woman who would always challenge him. In a strange way he feels grateful, appreciative of what she did now. He has always held onto the memory of seeing Sparrow in that room speaking to his mother. She had stood her ground like no else before. It would have been horrible to have met her but be betrothed to her sister still.

"Lady Raven." Wolfe acknowledges. "Welcome back to the Usani lands. I trust your sisters are well."

"Exceedingly well. Our lands are flourishing now, we thank you for your assistance." Raven's eyes shift to Bear's and he smiles lightly. She nods at him. No tension lies within the air and suddenly it as if all can breathe better.

"Come, we have a room prepared for you." Sparrow urges. Raven follows after her.

Ra stays behind to give the sisters a chance to speak. Wolfe comes forward and claps Ra on the back. "Congratulations. On both your wedding and your baby."

"Thanks." Ra replies with a slight smile on his weathered face. "I believe Sparrow wrote to us without your permission? I half expected another letter from you telling us we would be escorted off your lands if we dared to set foot within them."

"I was tempted." Wolfe admits honestly. "However I owe this to Sparrow and I realise now I hold nothing against your wife."

"I am glad to hear it. So tell me Wolfe, what have I missed? Surely a lot. I think we can discuss it over a bottle of your finest." Ra's wiggles his eyebrows. Wolfe laughs but then glances to his side. Bear rolls his eyes.

"Enjoy yourselves. I shall be with Logan." Bear encourages before marching off. Ra watches him go with a crease between his eyebrows.

"If I were my wife I would say a light has gone out within his eyes."

"A drink then I shall tell you what you have missed." Wolfe firmly states, leading the way to his study.

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Raven's sinks down into the comfy chair set by the fireplace in the room they have been given. She sighs with utter bliss as the heat of the fire hits her. It is such a wonderful feeling that she feels as if she never wants to move again. Sparrow takes a seat across from her and stares into the flames. Raven's brow creases ever so slightly at the lines forming across Sparrow's forehead while she frowns. Her youngest sister has dealt with so much stress and heartache in her life but something seems to be really troubling her.

"Spar. You have not looked like this since you told me you have fallen in love with Wolfe. You were troubled then and you are troubled now. Please tell me otherwise I shall be even more useless than I already do. Ra has to do everything for me at the moment. He has even begun placing my shoes on my feet!" She laughs but garners no amusement for her little sister. "Spar!"

Sparrow lifts her head and for a moment it seems as she did not hear a word Raven said. "Motherhood will come so naturally to you. You raised me, you raised all of us. You have all the skills necessary for such a task. I know how to make someone bleed out within seconds. I know how to knock someone out. I know how to fight and how to defend what is mine. You know how to wipe tears away and get a child back on their feet. You know how to read stories and cuddle. You are going to be such a natural mother and I am going to be making it up as I go along."

Raven stares at her, digesting the words and their meaning bit by bit. "You do know how to do all of that, I know. And yes, I certainly know how to do what you have said. I had plenty of practises and I messed up a lot. I was barely older than the rest of you. If I can be so bold I do not think you all turned out so bad. In fact I am rather proud of my little sisters. They are not making my mistakes. I can only hope to teach my son or daughter similarly." Her voice is soft and lilting when she replies. The perfect voice for a mother.

"Oh Sparrow, you know you will not be alone. You have a huge family here and they will be with you every single step of the way. And Wolfe, he will dote upon this child and use what he learned from having younger siblings."

"Wolfe is always busy. He may never be able to assist me. What if I am left to raise this child all on my own? How many mistakes can I afford to make?"

"Do not undersell yourself sister. You are more than just a woman who wields a sword, or a bow and arrow. You are good, kind, caring; you will be a woman to look up to and a mother that they can trust in. Mistakes are impossible not to make. I can guarantee I will make mistakes and I shall simply have to learn from them. You have always learned from your mistakes much faster than I. And as for Wolfe...he will not leave you to do this alone. I know him not to be that kind of man. And he will make mistakes! But he will learn from them. And one day you will have a son or a daughter with your best traits and perhaps a few of your worst." Raven smiles. "And you will love them all the same."

"I have missed you, all of you." Sparrow admits softly.

"We have missed you. When I return can I encourage them to visit you?" Raven asks and Sparrow immediately nods. "Good. Perhaps one of them can stop and assist you for a little while after your baby is born. There is no harm in receiving a little help while you build up your confidence and get a little sleep." 

So the mystery has finally been solved...Now we know what Raven did. And Sparrow has her sister to stay and prepare her for what is ahead. Do you think Sparrow's fears are well founded? Will Wolfe have time to raise the child with her?
Next chapter we see what 'reward' Sparrow has planned for Wolfe 😉