Page 5 of His Atonement

Ultimately none of that matters, nothing but my sweet sister, my most precious gem. She is the only one I truly care for, the only one I can say that I genuinely love because I have done so since the day she was born.

I do find that it helps with the loneliness, that her mate and his dearest brother, and the lone wolf have become mybest friends. If they had not embraced me—eventually—the way they have, I fear I'd be left in that dungeon to rot with nothing but periodic visits from my sweet Cora.

"Surely they should know by now, yes?" My eyes flick to Andrej briefly. "They should know what is going on, and should come tell us if this is in fact war?"

His lip twitches before he releases my shoulder with a light squeeze. "If the little one were fighting, we would know."

I nod and begin to pace again.

This is absolutely maddening, complete and utter torture to be left without instructions, to be waiting on the verdict that will change all of our lives.

Mostly, anyway.

I have no idea how Havok can endure such insanity, how Andrej and even that shit Milos withstood the same, and I am not even directly affected as they were.

How am I to stand by and do nothing?

How can they just expect me to continue to wait until word is given? Until directives are issued?

This is completely fucking nuts.

"That's it,” I say as I turn abruptly. "I'm going in there. I cannot simply be expected to wait when—"

The clinic door swings open just before my hand lands on the knob and when my precious gem walks—well,waddles—through the opening with a scowl on her face, I feel my body deflate.

"False alarm,” Cora practically growls. "No babies today."

My eyes scan her from head to toe, and take stock of her slightly disheveled braid, faint flush to her cheeks, and the same brilliant sparkle in her eyes. Along with the very swollen belly that protrudes from her tiny body as it harbors my obviously cheeky niece and nephew.

"Apparently it was just really bad indigestion.” Cora glances back and glares at Henrich who is leaning in the doorway.

He holds up his hands in surrender. "I was not the one who forced you to eat jalapeño poppers covered in hot sauce and mustard." Henrich smirks. "I fear that is simply the result of rather feisty twins."

Cora scowls impossibly harder, and clenches her small fists at her sides. "I should knock you out for blaming my babies for—"

"Let us go, my love,” Havok blurts as he quickly grabs my sister's hands and tugs her further into the hall. ”We should get moving if we want to finish our shopping for the nursery before dinner."

Immediately her glare softens as she turns the brightest blue eyes on her mate. "I almost forgot about that." Then she reaches up, grabs his goatee and kisses him—thankfully a PG kiss because I do not want to see anything more at all. "I am so excited to shop for all the baby things."

Havok smiles and nods, plants one more kiss on her, then turns to us. "Still game to endure what, no doubt, will be several hellacious hours at the baby store with us?”

Not really, but I nod anyway because I do this, as I do everything, for Cora.

She has been so excited these past ten months, excited about finding me despite the fact that I stabbed her. She’s been excited to learn what I've shared with her about her parents—ourparents, as she so often reminds me—and Cora has been practically beside herself about her and Havok's pregnancy with their twins, and I find it almost impossible to deny her anything because of it.

Sure, some of that probably stems from guilt. Guilt over my very gruesome role in her multiple lives, guilt over having to stand by and watch her suffer through each of them, but mostly, I think it stems from the fact that she is my sister, my baby sister that I've only ever been able to love from afar and now... now I'm able to finally act as a brother should.

I protect and defend her, even though she has her mate.

I cater to her, spoil her rotten with the fortune I've acquired over eleven centuries.

I absolutely tease her relentlessly about the many silly, irrational, or clumsy things I've witnessed her do through each lifetime and never feel bad about it.

I share with her stories of Tolan and Ellida. I share what I can from my year spent with them so Cora may get a clearer picture about who her parents truly were.

I try to help her hone her abilities as fae since I am the only one at the compound who has firsthand experience with them, and not just the king and queen.

And I do my best to understand what love for a sibling truly is so that I may show her that as well. So that I may be the brother she deserves, the brother Tolan and Ellida claimed me to be.