Page 22 of Bradi

Chapter Nine

Bradi watched her stalk off as he removed the food from the fire to let it cool. He could sense Marisa close to the camp and knew she was safe, but needed a moment without him near her. She was crying and he knew he was the reason for her tears.

He hated himself.

Hated his inability to do things right when it came to the woman. She held his heart, but his head had a hard time being anything but jumbled around her. When she’d told him about the shots, he’d realized then why the panthers had taken to her so quickly—she carried his child. A child he’d beget her with when she wasn’t even fully awake. It didn’t matter that he’d thought she’d been aware during it all. What mattered was that, in the end, he’d taken her virginity, claimed her as his mate, and then planted his seed in her—all without her permission.

He’d done it all wrong and out of order with her. He wanted to go back in time and fix it all. Hell, he wanted to go back in time far enough that it was he who met her first. Not Peter. Marisa was his, and he’d fucked up at every turn with her.

He listened to her sobs and his chest tightened with each one. He wanted to run to her and hold her close, but he wasn’t nurturing by nature, and always seemed to screw up everything when it came to her. He wanted to get her off the planet and far from the reach of Stegian and the others.

He didn’t doubt for a second that the evil vampire was still ruling the dark ones. The others, as his people called them. He couldn’t risk Stegian getting his hands on Marisa.

It wouldn’t take her long to figure out that she was expecting—and with that damned little embedded medical chip she had, she’d be able to scan the baby and know that what she carried was not human. He could jam its frequencies if she was close, but he wouldn’t always be next to her. And when the baby did arrive, assuming they survived long enough to find his family, she’d learn one day that their child was more than meets the eye, as was its father—her husband.

He knew that he should confess everything to her and tell her that he was a werepanther and that they’d made love on the POD, but he couldn’t. Not yet. He couldn’t stand to think about how she’d react to the knowledge that a supernatural being now grew in her womb. Humans hated his kind, and he couldn’t bear to see the hurt and horror in her eyes. Granted, he’d witnessed Marisa do something miraculous aboard the POD, but she wasn’t exactly wearing her supernatural abilities on her sleeve. And there was a big difference between being able to heal someone and being able to shift into an animal.

Her cries grew more distant, meaning she’d moved away from the safety of the campsite. Knowing that it wasn’t safe for her to be alone, Bradi went to find her. Before long he’d have to confess what he’d done and who he was. That would have to wait. Her safety came first. Well, that and the safety of his child now too.

I’m going to be a father.

The thought struck him hard, leaving him doubling over and gasping for air. She’s my true mate and she hates me.

*

Marisa sat at the edge of the small body of water she’d happened upon and marveled at how the water seemed to be turquoise here. It looked like it went on forever. Not wanting to chance what might live in the depths, she stayed a good bit away from the water itself.

Humiliation and confusion swamped her. How could she have been so willing to give her virginity to Bradi? Sure, they’d been through hell, but that didn’t mean she had to give him what she’d been saving for Peter.

Peter.

Guilt swept over her as she thought of how quickly she’d almost replaced him in her heart. She looked up at the planet’s moons and rocked gently. “Peter, wherever you are now, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t plan on him.”

Someone cleared their throat and she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks. Glancing behind her, she found Bradi standing there. “What do you want?”

“I just came to check on you,” Bradi answered softly.

“I’m fine. Now go away.”

He ignored her and came to sit next to her anyway. “Hmm, I see that you found a good bathing spring.”

She perked up at the sound of a bath. “Bathing spring?”

“Yes, it’s not nearly as warm as the hot springs that can be found on the planet, but it’s safe and clean.”

“Safe and clean?”

He laughed softly. “Yes, would you like to eat first or bathe?”

She was starving, but the sound of a bath was too good to pass up. “You can go back and eat. I’d like to clean up. “

“That’s fine. We can bathe if you want to. The brula’sbest served cooler anyway.”

Marisa tipped her head and gave him a funny look. “We aren’t bathing. I am.”

Bradi shook his head and motioned to the surrounding trees. “It’s not safe for me to leave you here alone, and I’m in need of a warm bath as much as you, so it makes—”

Putting her hand up, she silenced him. “I get it, okay. Big bad ugly things roaming around equals you and I hopping in there together.”

---