Chapter 135: A BIG REVEAL
KEISHA’S POV
Dane and I had been walking in near silence for what seemed to be eternity.
Our feet crunched against gravel as we took the back paths that led behind the gardens of the pack.
Finally, he broke the silence. "You’re quiet. Did something happen?"
My stomach churned. A lot happened. "I bumped into Orin." I blurted out.
He halted immediately and turned to me, his eyes blown wide. "You what—"
"I saw him."
For a second, he simply stared at me as though he hadn’t heard me correctly. Then every trace of warmth left his face. "Where?"
"The back gate."
His brows knitted together. "The back gate?"
I nodded. "He sent me a note asking me to meet him there. I thought..." I let out a humorless laugh. "I don’t even know what I thought. Maybe someone had information. Maybe it was important."
"And you went." He scowled.
Shame crept up my neck. "I know it was stupid."
"No, I mean somehow." His voice was clipped. "But more importantly, it was dangerous."
I lowered my eyes. "He was waiting for me."
The muscles in Dane’s jaw flexed.
"He cornered me before I even realized it was him."
"What did he do?" He asked.
"He just talked."
"Keisha. What kind of talk?"
"He threatened me." The words came out quieter than I’d intended. "He said someone powerful brought him back into the estate. That he’s protected." I swallowed. "Then he looked at my stomach..." I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself. "He knew about the babies."
When I finally looked up, Dane wasn’t looking at me anymore.
He was staring into the distance, his entire body rigid. "Dane?"
His fist clenched so tightly the veins stood out against the back of his hand. "I’m going to kill him.". The calmness in his voice frightened me far more than if he’d shouted. "He doesn’t deserve to breathe after threatening you."
"Dane..."
"That bastard, first time wasn’t enough, now he thinks he can walk back into Ashveil, threaten my mate and my children, then disappear?" Pure rage flickered briefly behind his eyes. "I won’t let him."
He turned away from me, dragging a hand through his hair before exhaling sharply.. "I should’ve had more guards around you."
"You can’t watch me every second of every day."
"I would’ve if I’d known." His guilt was almost tangible.
He searched my face, as though looking for any sign that I was hiding just how shaken I really was.
"I was scared," I admitted.
His expression tightened. "I’m so sorry."
I reached for his hand, intertwining our fingers. "I’m here."
His shoulders slowly relaxed beneath my touch. "I hate that he made you afraid."
We remained there for a while, saying nothing as the breeze drifted between us.
Eventually, Dane sighed. "I’ve spent months convincing myself that banishment was enough." His gaze hardened again. "But it looks like it isn’t." He looked toward the forest beyond the estate walls. "I’ll find him."
"Dane—"
"I mean it." There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in his voice. "I don’t care where he’s hiding or who’s protecting him." His eyes met mine. "If Orin is inside Ashveil, I’ll drag him out myself."
I smiled softly. "I knew you’d say that."
He huffed out the ghost of a laugh. "I suppose I did walk right into that."
"You always do."
He rolled his eyes playfully before nudging my shoulder. "Aside from that. How are you?"
"Trying to adjust to this tasking job."
His brows furrowed. "Oh? What job?"
"I’m growing two very demanding little wolves."
His entire expression softened. "They’ve been behaving?"
"For the most part."
"They don’t kick you too much?"
"They’ve become more active lately honestly, and it’s intriguing when they kick."
His eyes immediately dropped to my stomach and without thinking, he crouched in front of me.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my eyes wide.
"I want to see if they’ll say hello."
I laughed. "They can’t exactly talk."
"Says who?" He gently rested his palm against the small curve of my stomach, his touch so careful it made my heart ache. "I’ve heard pups recognize voices before they’re born."
"So now you’re planning on introducing yourself?"
"I think they already know me." His thumb absentmindedly stroked over my dress. "Hello," he murmured toward my stomach. "It’s me again."
I couldn’t stop smiling. "They’re probably wondering why you’re talking to my belly."
"They’re intelligent pups."
"They’re also tiny."
"Exactly."
I watched him for a long moment before the smile on my face widened.. "You know..."
"Hm?"
"They’re going to keep you very busy."
"I’ve accepted my fate."
"No." I bit back a laugh. "I don’t think you have."
He looked up. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated for only a second. "There isn’t just one."
His brows furrowed. "What?"
I smiled despite myself. "I’m carrying two."
For a heartbeat he simply stared at me. "...Two?"
I nodded. "Twins."
His mouth actually fell open, then, slowly, disbelief gave way to pure joy. "You’re serious."
"I found out a little while ago."
He looked back at my stomach as though seeing it for the first time. "Two pups..." A quiet laugh escaped him. "We’re having twins."
"Apparently."
His grin only grew wider. "I knew they felt unusually energetic."
"You did not."
"I absolutely did."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Liar."
"Repeat that." A third voice sounded.
Both of us froze because the voice hadn’t come from either of us and we turned simultaneously.
Callum stood a few feet behind us, one hand tucked into his pocket, watching us with an unreadable expression.
Oh. Neither of us had heard him approach. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough." His eyes settled on me. "Now what was it you just said?"
"...I’m carrying twins." The words left my mouth a second time, softer now, as if saying them again somehow made them more real.
For a heartbeat, Callum didn’t move, he simply looked at me, then his gaze dropped to my stomach. "Twins," he repeated quietly.
I nodded.
Doctor Fenn had warned me that the news would take time to sink in, and judging by the stunned look on both men’s faces, she hadn’t been exaggerating.
Callum let out a slow breath, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly before he crossed the remaining distance between us. "I was wondering how you managed to keep such a secret from me."
"I only found out recently."
"And you chose to tell Dane first?"
I opened my mouth to explain, but he shook his head with a small smile.
"I’m teasing."
Relief washed over me. "I wasn’t sure when to tell either of you."
"I don’t think there would’ve been a perfect time." His eyes softened. "There rarely is."
Dane finally seemed to recover from his shock, laughing quietly to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I still can’t believe it."
"Neither can I."
Dane looked at my stomach again, wonder replacing every trace of anger that Orin had left behind. "So that’s why they’ve been so active and disturbing you."
I rolled my eyes affectionately. "You really want credit for guessing after the fact."
"I absolutely deserve it."
"You absolutely don’t."
Callum chuckled under his breath before looking at me. "May I?" His question was quiet enough that it almost went unnoticed beneath the evening breeze.
I knew what he meant before he even glanced toward my stomach. Instead of answering with words, I reached for his hand.
The moment my fingers closed around his, I guided it gently onto the small swell beneath my dress. He was so careful to touch me, almost reverent as though he had never experienced something like this before. As though he was terrified of applying too much pressure.
Dane’s hand was still resting there from before, and for the first time, both of them stood beside me with their palms against my stomach and neither man spoke.
We stood there quietly, hidden from plain sight as they marveled at it.
Then, my stomach gave a tiny flutter and I gave a gasp since I felt it first.
Immediately afterwards, Dane’s head snapped toward me. "I felt that too."
"You did?"
"I’m sure of it."
Callum remained perfectly still, his entire focus fixed beneath his hand as another faint movement brushed against his palm and his eyes widened ever so slightly. "...I also felt it too."
Neither of them looked away and a smile spread across my face before I could stop it. "They’ve been doing that all day."
"They’re saying hello," Dane murmured.
"They’re probably wondering why their fathers suddenly won’t stop bothering them."
"I think they’re wondering which one kicked first," Callum replied, his voice unusually light.
I laughed. "You two are impossible."
"No," Dane said, smiling at my stomach. "They’re going to be impossible."
No one said anything for a second, and we just stood there in a peaceful silence — one I wished could last forever. Instead, reality slowly found its way back into my thoughts and my smile faded. "What happens when everyone finds out?"
Neither of them answered immediately as I looked from Dane to Callum. "The pack already believes Dane is the father."
"They do," Dane agreed.
"But they won’t forever." My fingers instinctively curled against the fabric of my dress. "When these babies are born..." I swallowed. "They’re going to ask questions."
I looked at Callum. "They’ll notice you."
"They’ll notice us, don’t separate it, goddess."
"I don’t want either of you paying the price because of me." I looked down at the ground.
Callum finally lifted his gaze from my stomach. "You aren’t something we have to survive, Keisha."
"I know that, but—"
"No." His voice remained gentle, but there was a certainty in it that made me shut up. "If the truth comes out, we’ll still deal with it. Don’t worry."
Something inside my chest loosened and I wondered if I could tell them about Nadia knowing. No. Not yet. I wanted to see if I could talk to her first.
Callum slowly withdrew his hand. "Speaking of things that won’t stay hidden forever..." His expression shifted into one of seriousness. "I’ve made progress."
My brows drew together. "Progress?"
"On the investigation."
Every trace of amusement disappeared from Dane’s face as Callum slipped one hand into his pocket. "I recovered the missing security footage."
I blinked. "You what?"
"We found a footage when we were looking for who was behind your heat inducing. The footage wasn’t destroyed, so I had someone restore it."
Oh.
"There was a hooded person in the video and I watched them deliver your meal."
A chill ran down my spine as I tried to remember the events of that night.
"They were wearing black and left through the gardens afterwards." His eyes remained fixed on mine. "I need you to think carefully."
I nodded stiffly, pieces falling into place in my head.
"When that meal was delivered..." He paused. "...did anything about that person stand out?"
I closed my eyes and for a long moment, I searched through the memory.
What exactly stood out about the person that night? My thoughts had been clouded with Riven and I just wanted to shut the door. Then something clicked. "The uniform."
Callum’s expression sharpened. "What about it?"
"It wasn’t completely right."
"Go on."
"I remember thinking it looked odd." I frowned as the memory became clearer. "The clothes were darker than what the kitchen staff usually wear."
"But?"
"But I recognised her that time, I can’t remember her now though."
Both men waited.
"She works in the estate kitchens. I’d seen her before more than once when I came here before in the past. I didn’t question it because she was carrying food from the kitchen." I looked back at Callum. "I thought she’d simply been assigned to deliveries that day."
A slow smile appeared on his face. "I thought so."
"You know who she is?"
"I know enough." His eyes darkened. "My priority now..." He looked toward the main estate. "...is finding that maid before she realizes we’re looking for her."