Chapter 42 — Breaking Out

We were trapped in what seemed like an old dungeon that wasn’t in use anymore. “Why did you guys execute the plan without me?” I asked.

“I didn’t know if we could trust you.” Calvin said. “You left with Cade, and I didn’t believe you weren’t going to take one of their offers. After what you did to Sadia you don’t have the best track record. Plus, Lexus is your mate, so I didn’t think you’d pass up the opportunity to peacefully be with him here in this castle. We couldn’t take the risk.” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t understand.

Ruben crossed his arms. “Of all the people I could have been stuck here in this dungeon with, Lexus had to be one of them.”

Lexus leaned against the wall. “I’m not happy about being stuck here with you either.”

Calvin sighed. “You two are insufferable together. Just admit that you want to be friends again so me and Aqua don’t have to suffer you.” 

I couldn’t help but chuckle a little because my intuition was telling me that was what Ruben wanted. “Be careful Lexus, that wasn’t the first time Calvin has made your girlfriend laugh.”

I frowned and spoke before Lexus could. “I’m laughing because it’s true.”

Ruben looked away and didn’t say anything, but Lexus did. “Let’s just figure out how to get out of here.”

We heard voices outside of the door and it when opened it was my dad. “You’re lucky I’m who the guards report to when something happens. Leave before the king and queen wake up. I deal with the rest when you guys are gone.”

Calvin took my bag and left with Ruben. I hugged Dad. “We won’t be back, but I’ll visit you when you move.”

“That might be sooner than I thought,” Dad said.

I left with Lexus, and he flew us back to the pack house. We waited for Calvin and Ruben to get here then watched them walk in. “I'm not really sure if I’m welcome but you go.”

I frowned. “I won’t be long.” I walked in while Ruben was announcing their return and our victory. After he turned to me. “Calvin has something he wants to ask you on behalf of the pack.”

Calvin cleared his throat. “We’re offering you to chance to join our pack. We already talked it over with everyone and they agree. Maybe Diana would want the holder to be a part of a pack you know. Diana chose you and we’d protect you.” I looked around and made eye contact with Sadia then she turned around and walked off.

I grabbed my bag from Calvin. “Can I hold off on giving you an answer?” I said before following after Sadia. She left her room door opened so I walked inside. “Hey…”

She was sitting on her bed. “Hey.” She wouldn’t look at me.

“They invited me to join the pack, I wanted to know how you felt about it.”

“If I wasn’t fine with it then you wouldn’t be able to join. A pack is a family, and we all have to agree.”

“And you’d be fine with Lexus joining?”

Sadia scoffed. “Lexus wasn’t invited to join. We didn’t even vote on him. We voted on inviting you and only you. It was before you left to the castle and met back up with him. There are more people than just me who can’t stand Lexus, so I doubt he’d be voted in by everyone.”

“Oh… we’re kind of a package deal so I can’t join but I still want to see you.” 

Sadia looked at me. “Do you know how much you hurt me Aqua? I only voted you in because having the holder as a member of the pack would be amazing for us. I actually like being here now and I care about the future of the pack.”

“Are you ever going to forgive me? I’ll do whatever it takes Sadia, I wasn’t pretending to be your friend.”

She looked at my bag. “Bring out the Ali gem, the purple one.” I pulled it out and gave it to her. “Let’s both put our hands on it. I’ll control what I want us to see. You’re supposed to clear your mind like in meditation and focus on giving us the vision I’m looking for.” I put my hands on it and charged it. 

I saw a vision of me in a house a lot older with Lexus. I couldn’t imagine this is what she wanted to see. “I hate when Sadia brings dinner.” The future Lexus complained.

The future me rolled my eyes. “She’s been getting a lot better, Cade can’t always bring it, you refuse to cook and I’m too busy with my holder duties.”

The doorbell rang. A small child ran down the stairs and to the door. “Is it Aunt Sadia and Uncle Cade?? Did they bring my cousins?? Can I answer it?”

I nodded and she answered the door. She went running upstairs with a little girl and an older boy walked and followed them. “I brought dinner.” The future Sadia said.

Lexus frowned. “Suddenly I’m not hungry.”

Sadia rolled her eye. “I used one of Cades recipes.”

“You know what I think I am hungry.” Lexus said.

Sadia put the food down on the kitchen counter then walked to us. “I need to talk to Aqua in private.”

I got up and we walked to what seemed to be mine and Lexus room. “What did you need to talk to me about?”

She hugged me. “I missed you so much, there’s so much going on in the pack house. I need to vent.”

I laughed. “Missed me? It’s only been a week and we have dinner every week.” We looked happy and close.

I opened my eyes and pulled away from the gem to stop the vision. “That was just the most possible future, nothing’s set in stone.” I put the gem back into the bag. I wanted that future, but I wasn’t guaranteed it. “I don’t think seeing that changed anything for you. I still don’t know what to do for you to forgive me and so that’ll could be our reality.”

Sadia shrugged. “Well seeing that shows us that me forgiving you is possible…”

I exhaled. “Then I’ll keep trying to show you that I care about you and that you can trust me. Here. I’ll do whatever I have to, anything you want.” I meant it.

I did the only thing I could think to do next so I could show her how much I cared, I pulled out a feather. “Do you want it?”

Sadia’s eyes widened. “When did you shift?” She stood up.

“I only shifted halfway when I was with my Gram. I’ve never given one of these to anyone… I don’t even know if dragons want other dragons’ feathers or scales, but this is the first one to ever fall off and it’s important to me.” I felt Sadia hug me and I hugged her back. “I’m so sorry.”

“I missed you,” she whispered. I think there was more she wanted to tell me. My intuition told me that she wanted me to know something important that affected both of us.

I think this moment was the beginning of earring Sadia’s forgiveness. “I missed you too.”

She pulled away. “There’s something I have to tell you, but I have to tell Lexus too… unfortunately.”

“Oh, okay.” We walked out her room and I explained to Calvin why I couldn’t join. Ruben let me know that I was always welcome in the pack house and I’d be treated like a member of the pack even if I wasn’t officially one.

We walked outside and found Lexus waiting around for me. “Sadia?” He stood up. This was the first time he had seen her since she found out he was cheating. 

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’m not going to yell or cry.” She seemed nervous. “Okay, so I’m going to just come out and say it really easy. I’m pregnant.” The older child who was with her in the vision must have been who she was pregnant with now. “I have an appointment in the morning, and I’ll find out how far along I am and that will tell me who’s it is because of timing.”

Lexus looked confused. “Who else’s could it be…?”

“Cade’s.” She answered. “We’re together. Don’t worry I’m hoping it’s his. I don’t want you to be my child’s father.”

“Ouch, I think I’d be a pretty good father.” He mumbled. “I mean I was Diana’s most passionate soul available at one point,” he joked.

Sadia rolled her eyes. “My soul probably just wasn’t available. Otherwise, me and Aqua would be mate instead,” she said to spite him, and I blushed. 

Lexus shrugged. “Well, if it is mine you could…”

Sadia glared at him. “That’s not something I’m considering, well not anymore. Even if it’s yours I’m having it.” Now Lexus seemed worried. “I’ll let you know who’s it is tomorrow.” She walked off.

I wasn’t sure what to say but Lexus did. “Do you know?”

I shook my head. “My intuition isn’t telling me anything and I don’t know which gem would help me with that.” We started walking. “So where are we going?”

Lexus grabbed my bag so I wouldn’t have to carry anything. “Anywhere you want. I’d rather get out of the kingdom all together.”

“I’m supposed to be using my abilities to help and protect the people of the kingdom.” 

Lexus shrugged. “Does Diana really care what kingdom? I get that this was the first new kingdom of the hidden world, and it needed the most protection, but it’s pretty developed now. As long as you’re helping people of her species, I don’t think it matters where anymore.” 

Maybe it didn’t matter. “Okay… Maybe but wouldn’t you want to stay here if Sadia is pregnant with your child?”

Lexus held my hand. “I don’t really want to think about that right now. Honestly, I don’t think they’ll need me around since Cade will just raise it.” I didn’t think that was a good enough excuse. “Where do you want to go?” He changed the subject. 

I don’t know how I’d feel if Sadia was having my mate’s child. It would make things complicated, even more than they already were. “We should just travel until we want to settle down. There’s so much of the hidden world I haven’t seen yet.” I gasped. “When can you teach me how to fly?”

Lexus raised an eyebrow. “You can shift?” I nodded and made some space between us. I closed my eyes and concentrated then shifted into my dragon form for the first time fully. When I opened my eyes, it was like I was seeing the world for the first time again It felt freeing, I saw things so much different than with human eyes. I felt bigger in the world, I felt like I could actually feel a part of this world. Maybe I did belong here. “Fuck, okay yeah I can teach you, you’re not a kid so it shouldn’t be too difficult.” He chuckled. “Shift back.”

I shifted back and walked to him with a big smile on my face. “That was incredible.”

Lexus leaned down and kissed me. “Come on.” He started walking.

I blushed and caught up with him. “What was that for?” I noticed the sun was rising.

He shrugged. “You’re cute.” He looked around. “I can fly us out of the kingdom, and we can look for a place to stay from there.”

“Okay but can I ask you something first?” Lexus nodded so I continued, “Should we be worried that your parents have the sixth stone? The one that could be used to transfer my abilities.” I wasn’t sure if they’d try to focus the transfer on me. I didn’t know if we were on the run or what the king and queen were planning next. I hoped they knew that there was nothing they could do, not when I had five of the gemstones. I wasn’t planning on ever complying.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. You’d have to be there and we’re not going back.” He shifted and I got on his back. I wasn’t sure where our journey together would take us next. I’d go anywhere with him, and he’d do anything for me. I knew that for sure now.