Page 42 of An Unending Claim
“Don’t you think the pack has enough to deal with?” she asked abruptly. “I’ve already brought them enough trouble. Knowing all of my secrets could bring a war with the Castiles straight to your door, Nate.”
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
PEYTON
Nathan grunted and buried his face in the crook of my neck. “We’re staring down the barrel of a gun as it is, baby. If things don’t de-escalate soon, we’ll be fighting a war between species.”
“I’m sorry,” I blurted, wishing I could go back in time and erase all of the stupid choices I’d made today. “I truly am. I shouldn’t have run off. It was a cowardly thing to do.”
Nathan’s torso shifted as he leaned up and peered down at me. “If you were a coward, you wouldn’t have come back. You knew when you came home there would be no escaping this conversation.”
“Maybe,” I agreed. “But you were right, either way, I put myself and our daughter at risk. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that someone was watching over me and I did it anyway.” I rolled onto my back so I could look up at his beautiful silver eyes. “Promising you I won’t do it again probably won’t mean much now.”
He started to say something, but I shook my head. “Don’t pretend to make me feel better. We both know you won’t trust a simple promise. I let my emotions take over today and what’s to guarantee that won’t happen again?”
“We have that effect on each other, don’t we?” Nathan’s look was soft. It made me even more determined to go through with the decision I’d made while he proved that what was between us wasn’t just about the bond, or the baby.
“Well, the only way to make sure I don’t run from you because of my past is to tell you everything. If you change your mind about us, I’ll understand.”
Nathan sighed and sat up, then moved to sit against the headboard. He captured my hand and urged me to join him, settling me on his lap.
“Try me.”
I canted my head and studied him for a minute, suddenly realizing he knew, and wondering why he wanted me to tell him. “It appears you know everything,” I commented.
“I made educated guesses, but I want to hear it from you.”
“Why?”
Nathan dropped his head back so it banged against the wall. “Fucking hell, woman. Do you have to be so damn stubborn?”
I waited for him to meet my gaze again and smirked. “Usually.”
He flashed a crooked smile at me, then tucked my hair behind my ears while his eyes roamed over my face. “What is your name?” he asked, prompting me to begin.
“I wasn’t lying. My name is Peyton Dyer. That’s what it says on my birth certificate. I just didn’t know that until I was thirteen. Until then, I believed my name was Peyton Castile.”
“Xavier Castile is your grandfather.”
“By blood, yes. By any other classification, he is nothing, except maybe a bug that deserves to be crushed beneath my boot. But if he finds out I’m here, I don’t know what he’ll do. From what I’ve heard, he’s still an evil son of a bitch, so I doubt his desire to hurt or kill me has diminished over the years. ”
“Then he’ll be signing his own death warrant, Peyton. I won’t let anything happen to you or our cub, but also, he’s no match for our pack. He’s a narcissistic psychopath who gets off on the pain and suffering of others, but he’s not stupid enough to try to take me on.” Nathan ran a soothing hand down my hair and the anger that had flared faded.
I was suddenly flooded with relief at the idea of being unburdened from my secrets, and Nathan had proven over and over that he could be trusted. I’d watched him at KBO, with his pack, during meetings with Council members, and various other situations. He was calm and logical, firm but fair. He never abused his position, though the power and Alpha vibes that he exuded didn’t hurt when he demanded something. People just naturally followed him, looked to him for answers, guidance, and safety. It was no wonder he’d been asked to take over as head of both Councils.
Other than with Ephraim in the woods—which I felt had been totally justified—I’d never seen him use the hive mind, or even dig into someone’s head without their consent. I’d been shocked when I realized his use of the hive mind hadn’t sent me running in fear. Not that long ago, no matter the situation, I would have condemned Nathan for using it.
I wondered if perhaps letting him into my mind wasn’t as terrifying as I’d thought. Either way, it was time to tell him everything.
Nathan sat listening as I told him my history, everything I knew from the day I’d been born to the day I’d arrived at the boarding school. As I spoke, I watched him carefully, looking for signs that he wanted me to leave. He must have picked up on my emotions because every time I began to suspect, his hands tightened on my hips.
At last, I finished with, “As far as I know, he isn’t aware that I’m still alive.”
Nathan rubbed a hand over his beard, his expression contemplative. “I am inclined to agree, but there are some things that concern me.”
His easy acceptance of everything I’d shared made me want to throw myself at him, but I was also curious about his theories, so I kept my lustful thoughts to myself… for the moment.
The small smirk that formed on Nathan’s lips revealed that he knew exactly what I’d been thinking. Damn shifter noses. At least I could smell his desire as well, so I knew I wasn’t the only one fighting urges in order to have a serious conversation.