What Did He Mean–1
Thea’s POV
I was bored out of my fucking mind. Weekends were fine with Leo around, but weekdays were absolute torture. There was only so much cleaning and organizing I could do before I started rearranging furniture just to have something to occupy my hands.
Iris and Sophia were clearly busy every day, not just with Pack business but also working on our adult toy company venture – though at this point they didn’t need my help with it yet. Seraphina and Maximus were busy too. And since I’d handed over most of the day–to- day operations of my foundation to Fiona, I had nothing much to do except sign papers
that occasionally needed my approval.
Over the past week, Jaxon and I had become decent friends. I’d learned he was actually his Pack’s Gamma–similar to Damien’s position in the Ashworth Pack–which explained his initially cold but respectful attitude toward me. He also ran his own company that he’d started two years ago and was doing well, which meant he wasn’t home during the day
either.
I had become so fucking bored that I was seriously considering going back to teaching. I was five months pregnant now but still had time before my due date. So, I picked up my
phone and dialed the number.
“Hello, Mrs. Morrison, how are you?” I asked.
We lived in the same neighborhood, and she’d called me a few days ago. She had a daughter in high school who was failing werewolf history. She’d asked if I could tutor her.
“I’m fine, dear. It’s nice to hear from you. How are you?” Her voice was cheerful, making
me smile.
“I’m well, thank you,” I paused for a moment. “I’m calling to ask if you still need my tutoring services?”
I hoped she hadn’t found someone else. If she had, I still had other parents who’d asked
me to tutor their kids.
“Oh, absolutely! It’s been causing me so much anxiety, and honestly, I’ve been praying you’d change your mind.”
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What Did He Mean–1
When she first asked, I was just starting my leave and had turned her down, not knowing how fucking bored I’d be sitting at home with nothing to do.
“Great. How about after school? She can come by my place after classes,” I said excitedly.
“That works for me. Do you charge weekly or per session?” she asked, her voice still
cheerful.
“It’s free, darling. This is just my way of keeping busy while I’m on extended leave from
work.”
There was silence on the other end for a moment, and I almost thought she’d hung up.
“Are you sure?” she finally spoke.
“Yes… tell her to come by today, and we can start right away.”
I didn’t need extra money. My liquid assets and fixed investments were more than enough to ensure my descendants would live comfortably for at least three generations.
So yeah, teaching was a passion for me, not a way to make money.
“Oh, um, okay, dear. Thank you so much. She’ll be over after school,” she stuttered, clearly still shocked that I wasn’t charging a penny.
“You’re welcome.”
After hanging up, I called three other parents who’d made similar requests. They were all equally shocked when I told them I’d do it for free, repeatedly asking if I was sure.
After the third parent, I realized they didn’t know much about me except that I was a teacher. My new house was in the neutral zone, mostly populated by middle–class families. Unlike the Pack elites who thrived on gossip, these people were busy providing
for their families and didn’t have time or energy for shit like that.
This made me happy. I liked being treated like a normal person. I didn’t want people to look at me differently just because I had money.
After making the calls, I sat down with a smile. I felt like I’d accomplished something today. For the first time since everything went to shit, I felt like things were going to be
okay.
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What Did He Mean–1
I took a hot shower, feeling more relaxed afterward. I stayed under the running water for a few extra minutes before stepping out.
I chose a cream–colored bodycon dress and looked at myself in the mirror after putting it on. I looked sexy. Pregnancy had done wonders for my ass. I couldn’t help but admire it
with satisfaction.
I decided to wear makeup today. I went for a natural look. Then I did my hair, making it curly rather than straight. Satisfied with my appearance, I grabbed my flats and put them
What Did He Mean–2
Just as I was about to leave, my phone rang.
I didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Thea, it’s Kane,” his deep voice came through the phone.
Even if he hadn’t said his name, I would have recognized him. During that stupidly happy time with him, I’d memorized his voice. The way he spoke to me then, full of emotion and care, made me feel needed. If only it hadn’t been an act.
Shaking my head, I pushed those painful memories away.
“Yes, Kane, how are you?” I kept my voice controlled.
I hadn’t gone to see him again. We only communicated through letters, mainly me updating him about my pregnancy.
“I’m good,” he replied, then fell silent.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward. This man, who once made me feel so comfortable sharing my thoughts, now made everything tense and uncomfortable.
“Have you spoken to Seraphina and Maximus?” I asked after a while, just to break the
tension.
T
It felt weird talking to Kane about them. They had raised him, they were his parents. And
now we were having a child together. It was all so fucking strange.
“No,” he answered shortly.
“Why not? They desperately want to talk to you, Kane. Why won’t you see them?”
Seraphina and Maximus tried to hide it, but I knew they were hurting. Don’t get me wrong, they were still angry about what Kane had done, but they still loved him. You can’t not love a child you’ve raised for over twenty years.
“You know why, Thea,” he sighed.
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What Did He Mean–2
“Yes, but your reason is fucking stupid! Can’t you see you’re hurting them? Haven’t you hurt them enough? Don’t you love them? Why are you doing this to them?” I fired the questions one after another, frustrated with his stubbornness.
When he didn’t respond, I continued:
“Please, talk to them. I never ask you for anything, just this. I don’t like seeing them hide their pain when they tell me you’ve refused to see them again,” I pleaded.
He sighed. “You should know, I can never refuse you anything, Thea.” He paused, “I’ll talk
to them.”
“Thank you,” my voice didn’t show it, but I smiled, glad he would communicate with them. Hopefully, they could reconcile.
“That’s not why I called.”
“Okay,” I drawled.
“I heard what happened to you and wanted to make sure you and the baby are alright,” his
voice was soft, reminding me of memories I was trying to forget.
God, if only he hadn’t turned out to be such a fucking liar. Maybe we would have had a
future.
I wanted to ask how he knew, but this was Kane. I was sure he had ears everywhere.
“Yes, the baby’s fine. Actually, I have a prenatal checkup today. I was just about to head
out.”
“Does it feel weird? I really want to hold her,” he asked, and for the first time since
everything went to shit, I heard a hint of happiness in his voice.
“Her? You think it’s a girl?”
“Yes, I’m certain it’s a girl,” he answered sheepishly. I could imagine him reaching up to rub his neck.
I chuckled at this, “Seems like Leo’s not the only one hoping for a little girl.”
“Yeah. Do you mind, or would you prefer another boy?”
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What Did He Mean–2
I thought for a moment before answering: “I don’t care either way, I already love him or
her.”
It was true. When I found out I was pregnant, I wasn’t in a good place mentally. Considering what Kane had done, I didn’t know how to react or feel, but I fell in love with my baby. The father’s identity didn’t matter to me. After all, Sebastian had hurt me far worse than Kane, and I still loved Leo.
“I should go, don’t want to be late,” I told him, “I’ll write again to let you know how the appointment goes.”
“Alright, Thea… about Graves, don’t worry about him. I promise he won’t hurt you; he’ll exclude you from his vengeance plan. Take care, Thea.”
He hung up before I could respond. I grabbed my purse and headed to my appointment, wondering what he meant about Graves not hurting me anymore. What had he done? Had he sent someone to kill Graves?
