Page 20 of A Luna's Revenge (Stone Mountain Shifters)

Charlie

I blink my eyes open to look around the dark room. It’s evening, and I can see the full moon shining through the window. It's light casting shadows around the hospital room. A nurse walks in. "Oh, good. You are awake. Are you ready to eat?"

"Where is my pup?" I rasp out hoarsely.

"He had a bit of trouble, but when Dad came in, he revived. Dad is in the nursery with him.Would you like to try to breastfeed your pup?"

"How? What? What happened?"

"Why don't I order you a tray? We can get pup and Dad in here and let him explain everything. The doctor has gone home for the day, but she'll be in to see you in the morning."

I nodbutam shocked that Jenson actually showed up for the birth. How did he know? Just hours before I gave birth, he was accusing me of cheating on him.

A few minutes later, the nurse returns, pushing a bassinet. Jenson is behind her, holding a bundle in his arms. He is smiling brightly, but I can see the wariness around his eyes.

"I'll leave you three to it, “the nurse smiles.I've sent for a tray for you both. Do you need instructions on how to breastfeed, Momma?"

"No. I had a class on it last week," I say. "If I have trouble, I'll ring for you." She nods and leaves us alone.

Jenson lays the bundle on my chest. I pull the blanket back, checking his diaper, and I cry out. "It's a boy!"

"Oh, yeah," Jenson remarks. "You were out of it when he came into the world."

My little one lets out a soft cry. "I guess you need some dinner, my precious." I glance at Jenson.

"Are you okay with me being here?" He asks.

I nod. "The nurse said the pup had problems, and your presence revived him. Stay. It's not anything you've never seen before."

"Okay." He jerks his head and turns away as I struggle weakly to bring the pup to my breast.

"I'm sorry. I need a little help." I admit.

"Oh, sure." He whips around and gently helps me move the pup to my breast. After a few seconds of rooting around, he latches on and settles contently, and I pull the sheet up over us.

"I've missed you, Charlie," Jenson whispers. "I know you are tired and weak, but we need to talk at some point. I know we have had a huge misunderstanding, and I would like the opportunity totalk and put your mind to rest. There has only ever been you."

His face is so earnest, but I am thoroughly confused. "That wasn't my impression when I left." I accuse. "I am not going anywhere, so talk."

There's a knock on the door. The nurse enters carrying a couple of trays. She places them on the overbed table. "Here's some food for you guys." She looks at Jenson. "Being a shifter, she has a strong body and is recovering well from the c-section, so make sure she eats as much as possible to regain her strength quickly. I'll come back and check on you all later. If you need anything, let me know." She turns and leaves, closing the door softly.

Jenson pulls his chair close and adjusts the overbed table so that he can reach it and it doesn't interfere with my feeding the pup. He removes the cover. "Looks like you have chicken broth with mashed potatoes on the side, Jello, a cup of vanilla ice cream, soda, and milk."

He scoops up a spoon of mashed potatoes, and after blowing on it, he holds it to my lips. I eye him, remembering how he fed ' that pregnant female.' "Let me feed you, Charlie." He pleads. "While you feed our son."

"That's rich! Not too long ago, you asked me who the father is. Now he's ours?" I spit. "You're giving me whiplash! Besides, it only reminds me how you pandered to the other female who carried your pup! I want no part of you."

"That's fair." He sighs, placing the fork on the plate and sitting back. "You have every right to be angry. I am sorry for what I said. I was jealous. Also, I was tested and told that there was only a .05% chance that I could even father a pup. All this pressure that was put on you because we couldn't get pregnant, well, it's obviously always been my fault.” I admit. “I know he's mine, Charlie. Asher let me know. I feel our father/son bond that ties me to him. I am sorry, my sweet Char, for all the pain." His aura resonates with truth. "And as far as Ms. Vincent, if you allow me to assist in caring for you so you can get stronger, I can explain everything."

I contemplate what he is saying, but I would probably choke on it if I tried to take a bite from his hands. The inside of my eyelids burn as the pain I thought I had put behind me rears its ugly head. Tears I can no longer hold back begin to stream down my face.

"Oh, baby! Please don't cry." Jenson groans, reaching for me. I jerk my head away. He lowers his arms. "I am so sorry for all the pain you have been through alone. Please let me explain."

"I said talk." I snap.

"Will you eat? You have been through a lot, and you are feeding our son. You need your strength."

I nod. "I will try to eat, but I feed myself." His shoulders droop in defeat, but he opens the milk and places a straw in the tiny can of soda. Then he pushes the table closer so I can reach it. It’s awkward, but I place a few bites in my mouth. Swallowing, I am so nauseous at this pointthatI don't know if I can continue. I drop the spoon and sip on the cold soda. It eases the knot in my stomach. "I'm listening." I breathe out.

"First, what are you naming him?" He indicates his head toward our pup.

"Xyran."

He nods. "Good, strong name."

I force another bite of mashed potatoes into my mouth and chew.

"Where to start?" He hesitates.

"Why don't you start with the cheating!" I cut to the chase, nearly choking on the last bite I put in my mouth. Maybe trying to eat and listen to him is not a good idea.

Xyran’s belly must be full as he has stopped nursing and has settled in my arms.

Jenson gently takes Xyran from my breast to place him in the bassinet. "I had just changed his diaper when the nurse came and got me. He should be good for a while."

He sits back down in the chair and sighs. "I didn't cheat."

"She was pregnant, and you didn't deny it could be yours." I scoff. "Try again." I feel my throat tighten with tears, so I lay down my spoon again. I’ve given up trying to eat because it’s just sticking in my throat. I sip on the soda instead, desperately trying not to hurl up the few bites I did manage to choke down.

He hands me a pamphlet and turns on the overhead light above my bed. I cringe at the brightness. "What's this? Cheating Mate Syndrome?"

"Read it, please, Charlie." He requests softly. It takes me only a couple of minutes. I look back at him, questioning. "When I was away at that Alpha's Conference, did you experience any of the listed symptoms?"

I look back at the pamphlet. Nausea, vomiting, lesions, wounds and bruises on the torso, seizures, convulsions, unconsciousness, catatonia, and death. I fixed my gaze back on Jenson. "No," I whispered.

He nodded. "I didn't think so. Charlie, my love, I didn't cheat on you." He explains. "More is coming out about Cheating Mate Syndrome, and I’ve learned that when mates cheat, there are physical repercussions to the cheated-on mate."

"Yes." I nod in agreement. "I understand what I’ve read, but that doesn't match with what I witnessed."

"You have been through a lot, so I want to keep it brief. Here's what we have determined: Ms. Vincent targeted me. She was one of several assistants hired for the conference who catered to our needs.

“Through spells, poison, and potions, she drugged me, and I lost contact with Asher."

"What? Your wolf was gone? Why didn't you tell me?"

He runs his hand through his hair and hangs his head. "I-I was embarrassed. The last night I was there is fragmented memories. l recall drinking with the other Alphas. Next, I woke up naked in my room with Ms. Vincent next to me. She insinuated that we had slept together."

"Jenson, I-"

"Please, Charlie, let me get this all out." He takes a deep breath. "It made me sick to think that anything could have happened between her and me. I was vomiting for the next hour. After my head cleared, I immediately packed up and returned to you. But I never knew what happened for sure. If there had been sex, it was without my informed consent. So, I'm happy to know you didn't experience any symptoms of CMS. I am now sure there was nothing physical between her and me. Anyway, I was heartsick and embarrassed about what had happened to me."

"You should have talked to me about it when you got home. You didn't trust me." I accuse.

"I was half out of my mind. Asher was gone, andI felt weak. This type of thing doesn't happen to a male."

"You're wrong, Jenson. And it doesn't make you weak to fall prey to this. It would be best if you had been safe at that conference. The fault is with the vetting of their employees."

"You are right about that. She had a prior record of mate bond tampering before this incident. She should never have been allowed access to food, drinks, or conference attendees."

"That doesn't explain your actions towards her when she arrived at our doorstep.You fed her, for goddess sakes, Jenson! That is something sacred between mates, and you know it."

"This sounds like an excuse, but it was the perfect storm. Asher was gone, I had been drugged, and Dr. Bridgit had prescribed me a sedative. I wanted to talk to you about everything, but Elder Frank wanted me to act like I did to keep her occupied until we completed our investigation. She was a flight risk, and we couldn't imprison her without proof. She created and manipulated the situation.

Frank is no longer on my board, but I did promote Elder Tina to Lead Elder. Elder Tina had insisted that I talk to you beforehand, but Frank had pushed to proceed due to time constraints. I think Elder Tina kicked him out of their house, as well. Idiot!"

“So, what happened to the skank?”

Jenson’s lips curled up at the ends. “The skank?”

“Yes, that is my nickname for her. Any female who will target a married, mated male is a skank, in my opinion.” I sniff.

"Okay, then!” I agree quickly. She has since had her pup, who is being cared for by her sister. She was imprisoned in the headquarters building, butnews reports say she and other prisoners have escaped."

“Escaped?”

"Yes. Also, there is a lot of proof, and I will show it all to you when you are released. Just know how sorry I am and how much I love you . If it's the last thing I do, I will make her pay for the damage that has been done to our bond."

With those words, silence descended. The only noise was the beating of my bruised heart, which aches for the loss, and the soft noises coming from my pup. I am so bone tired that my eyes slip closed, and I embrace the sweet forgetfulness of sleep.