to her knees. And started rubbing her neck against her leg.
“ I’m so sorry, mistress, I forgot them. The alpha said to wash them and have them back in your rooms as soon as possible, but I was…I have no excuse. Please forgive me?”
“ What are you doing? Get up! I can do my own friggin’ laundry. Here, let me help you.” Alastriona leaned over to help the woman up to her feet. She had been shocked when she dropped like that. Guiding her to a chair, she helped her sit down. Pulling out another chair, she picked her legs up and sat them gently on the seat. She looked around the room and noticed the look of amazement on the other faces, but barely registered it. “What’s your name, please?” She nodded to a woman about her age.
“ Megan Sheppard, mistress,” the girl answered. Alastriona saw her back up several tiny steps as she answered. And I thought I was timid, she thought.
“ Megan, could you please get me a large bucket? And stop calling me mistress; it’s just Airic, or Alastriona, but I prefer Airic.” She watched curiously as Megan looked quickly to the older woman in the group and with her small nod, left to get the bucket, she hoped. “My mother carried my little brother…my little brother Jacob in the summer. He would have been eighteen this year.” Airic moved to the sink and turned on the cold water tap. She stared out the window over the sink and continued. “I’m sorry, I was drifting. She had swollen feet and legs like you do. The doctor was forever telling her to sit down and put her feet up, but her hips hurt doing that. My dad is, err was an engineer and he watched her struggle with it. He searched on the Web for over a week on what could help her. Then one day, he tried cold water. He had her soak her feet and ankles in cold water. Thank you.” Megan had brought the bucket and she began to fill it with the cold running water. When the bucket was about half full, she carried it over to the young woman and had her plunge her feet into it. She grinned when the girl sighed.
“ That does feel good. Oh so very good. Thank you, mis…Airic.” It was then that she realized she didn’t know her name.
“ You’re very welcome. What’s your name and when are you due?” Airic wanted to touch the mound at her belly, but knew that some women found that to be an intrusion into their personal space. Nor would she ask her.
“ Donna Wolff, and I’m due in three weeks. I’m David Wolff’s mate.” She said that as if Airic should know, but she didn’t comment. She didn’t know any of them and would most likely be gone in a few hours anyway. Maybe forever if that man found her. “Would you like to feel him?”
Airic looked at the woman and nodded. She couldn’t form any words; her throat had locked up. Stretching out her shaking hand and let Donna take it and place it over her baby. The kick startled her, and when it seemed to roll under her hand seconds later, Donna laughed.
“ Doesn’t that hurt?” She felt her face blaze hot with embarrassment. And she went to pull her hand away, but Donna only held it tighter to her.
“ No, it doesn’t hurt. It feels great to know there’s life inside of me. You’ll have your own soon enough, a son for the alpha.”
Airic jerked away and stood. A son. That man had said she would have his sons, many sons. He had hurt a woman, probably killed her because of her. She backed to the wall and stared at them all. What if he came here? She noticed then that there were several pregnant women in the room, about three more.
“ I have to go. He’ll come…my clothes, where…where is the laundry room?” She was hyperventilating now, and she was dizzy. Holding on to the counter, she moved to the door and outside. Run, she had to run away. There was no way she would let that man come here.
“ Alastriona, Alastriona, listen to me. Stop right now. Damn it, girl, I’m too old to have to shift and run after you, but I will.”
CHAPTER
“ I’m so sorry, mistress, I forgot them. The alpha said to wash them and have them back in your rooms as soon as possible, but I was…I have no excuse. Please forgive me?”
“ What are you doing? Get up! I can do my own friggin’ laundry. Here, let me help you.” Alastriona leaned over to help the woman up to her feet. She had been shocked when she dropped like that. Guiding her to a chair, she helped her sit down. Pulling out another chair, she picked her legs up and sat them gently on the seat. She looked around the room and noticed the look of amazement on the other faces, but barely registered it. “What’s your name, please?” She nodded to a woman about her age.
“ Megan Sheppard, mistress,” the girl answered. Alastriona saw her back up several tiny steps as she answered. And I thought I was timid, she thought.
“ Megan, could you please get me a large bucket? And stop calling me mistress; it’s just Airic, or Alastriona, but I prefer Airic.” She watched curiously as Megan looked quickly to the older woman in the group and with her small nod, left to get the bucket, she hoped. “My mother carried my little brother…my little brother Jacob in the summer. He would have been eighteen this year.” Airic moved to the sink and turned on the cold water tap. She stared out the window over the sink and continued. “I’m sorry, I was drifting. She had swollen feet and legs like you do. The doctor was forever telling her to sit down and put her feet up, but her hips hurt doing that. My dad is, err was an engineer and he watched her struggle with it. He searched on the Web for over a week on what could help her. Then one day, he tried cold water. He had her soak her feet and ankles in cold water. Thank you.” Megan had brought the bucket and she began to fill it with the cold running water. When the bucket was about half full, she carried it over to the young woman and had her plunge her feet into it. She grinned when the girl sighed.
“ That does feel good. Oh so very good. Thank you, mis…Airic.” It was then that she realized she didn’t know her name.
“ You’re very welcome. What’s your name and when are you due?” Airic wanted to touch the mound at her belly, but knew that some women found that to be an intrusion into their personal space. Nor would she ask her.
“ Donna Wolff, and I’m due in three weeks. I’m David Wolff’s mate.” She said that as if Airic should know, but she didn’t comment. She didn’t know any of them and would most likely be gone in a few hours anyway. Maybe forever if that man found her. “Would you like to feel him?”
Airic looked at the woman and nodded. She couldn’t form any words; her throat had locked up. Stretching out her shaking hand and let Donna take it and place it over her baby. The kick startled her, and when it seemed to roll under her hand seconds later, Donna laughed.
“ Doesn’t that hurt?” She felt her face blaze hot with embarrassment. And she went to pull her hand away, but Donna only held it tighter to her.
“ No, it doesn’t hurt. It feels great to know there’s life inside of me. You’ll have your own soon enough, a son for the alpha.”
Airic jerked away and stood. A son. That man had said she would have his sons, many sons. He had hurt a woman, probably killed her because of her. She backed to the wall and stared at them all. What if he came here? She noticed then that there were several pregnant women in the room, about three more.
“ I have to go. He’ll come…my clothes, where…where is the laundry room?” She was hyperventilating now, and she was dizzy. Holding on to the counter, she moved to the door and outside. Run, she had to run away. There was no way she would let that man come here.
“ Alastriona, Alastriona, listen to me. Stop right now. Damn it, girl, I’m too old to have to shift and run after you, but I will.”
CHAPTER
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