Kate and the Kraken by Honey Phillips

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kate curled up in the window seat in their bedroom and stared thoughtfully out across the sea. A’tai had—very reluctantly—left her for another one of his seemingly endless meetings. It had been two days since Eshak had tried to take her and she still wasn’t sleeping or eating well. The feel of his hand dragging her away haunted her.

A soft knock sounded on the door, immediately followed by E’lofi peeping into the room, her eyes sparkling.

“Hi. Would you like a visitor?”

“Please. I’m tired of my own thoughts.”

The girl walked in with her graceful, dancing step. She really was extremely pretty and it was hard to believe sometimes that A’tai had chosen her instead.

“You look like you have some interesting gossip,” she teased.

E’lofi laughed. “Did you hear? Mafana has banned Ithyian ships. Forever.”

“Really?” An unexpected feeling of relief swept over her. Maybe she could stop having nightmares now.

“Yes. A’tai made a very impassioned speech and I made sure my father supported him.”

“That was sweet. Thank you.”

The girl shrugged. “I’m not sure if it was necessary—no one really likes them anyway—but I thought it couldn’t hurt.”

“Can you stay for a little while? I’ll ring for some tea.”

“Of course. I have to tell you all about my new gowns.”

But when Uauna brought the tray, it contained three cups. She gave him a puzzled frown, but before he could say anything, the door opened again and U’rsul swept in. The room seemed to shrink, but she managed to smile.

“Welcome, Lady U’rsul. Are you joining us for tea?”

“Yes. I brought some of my special blend in case you were low on supplies.”

Kate gritted her teeth. “Uauna makes sure that we are well-stocked.”

“Really? It’s usually a job for the lady of the house. But then again, you have your own… interests.”

Would A’tai object if she threw his mother out of the window, she wondered, as E’lofi stepped into the breach.

“Is that the parjan leaves, Lady U’rsul? My aunt always spoke most highly of it. She said it was the only thing she could tolerate when she was bearing her first child.”

U’rsul gave her a gracious smile. “That’s correct. I’m afraid not everyone appreciates it.”

Patience, Kate told herself.

“Shall I pour?” E’lofi stepped into the silence again.

“Please,” Kate said.

E’lofi performed the small ritual as gracefully as she did everything and Kate saw U’rsul watching her wistfully. When the girl handed her a cup, Kate took it reluctantly. She found most Mafanan teas very bitter, and she suspected U’rsul would be scandalized if Kate dumped a pound of sweetener into her cup. She took a cautious sip, but to her relief it only had a slight lemony taste that was unexpectedly refreshing.

“This is delicious,” she said sincerely, and U’rsul inclined her head graciously.

Kate sipped her tea in silence as the other two females discussed current affairs. She recognized some of the names—E’lofi had been teaching her—but she was content to stay out of the conversation.

“Oh my, look at the time.” E’lofi suddenly jumped up. She shot Kate an apologetic look. “I was supposed to meet Lady R’ian half an hour ago, and I don’t want her to think I’m late.”

Kate laughed. “Then you’d better run.”

E’lofi bent down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Then she vanished through the door, leaving Kate alone with U’rsul.

“Such a delightful girl,” U’rsul said wistfully.

“Yes, she is. I’m very fond of her.”

“She seems to enjoy your company as well.” There was the slightest hint of surprise in U’rsul’s voice.

“I’m nice to the people I like.”

To her surprise, U’rsul laughed. “Now why do I feel as if I am not included in that category?”

“Because you’ve made it quite clear that you disapprove of the fact that I am A’tai’s mate,” she said bluntly. She was tired and her stomach hurt and she didn’t want to play games.

“Actually, I have reconsidered.”

Kate almost dropped her teacup. “What?”

“My son assumed responsibility of our House when his father died, even though he was far too young. He worked very hard and he has been very successful—but he has never really enjoyed it. It did not make him happy.” Cold golden eyes surveyed her. “You, I think, make him happy.”

She had the oddest urge to cry. “We make each other happy.”

“That is how it should be.” U’rsul rose gracefully to her feet. “You are looking very pale, even for a human. Tell A’tai to take you back to Ataian.”

“Really?” Her heart skipped a beat as she thought wistfully of their peaceful life on the island.

U’rsul shrugged a shoulder. “There are no pressing business matters that I cannot handle, and since neither of you appear to enjoy the social season, there’s no real reason for you to remain. I might ask E’lofi to come and stay for a while. She has immense potential.”

“I agree.”

Golden eyes swept over her again. “I will send more of the parjan tea to accompany you.”

“Thank you.”

“Tell A’tai to see me before you leave.”

U’rsul departed in a swirl of perfumed skirts, and Kate breathed a sigh of relief. That had gone better than she expected, but she still found A’tai’s mother overwhelming.

She drank the rest of the tea, watching the birds circling over the water. Her eyes felt heavy, and her stomach had calmed for the first time in days. It must have been because of E’lofi’s news, she decided as she poured herself another cup of tea, smiling as she remembered the conversation.

She continued to replay the discussion as she curled back up in the window seat, then froze.

The only thing her aunt could tolerate…

It couldn’t be possible, could it?

When A’tai entered their bedroom,he found Kate sitting immobile on the window seat.

“Good afternoon, my amali. I heard my mother came to visit. Are you all right?”

She looked up at him, her pale skin even paler than usual. What had his mother done now?

“Do you know a doctor?” she whispered.

Fear raced through him so quickly his limbs almost buckled. He knew she hadn’t been eating or sleeping well, but he had blamed it on the incident in the market. What if something more serious was wrong? He tried to think as he reached down to pick her up. Fuck, she even felt lighter in his arms.

“I’ll take you there right now.”

“No! Wait. Can he come here?”

“It will be faster if I take you.”

“No.” She started to struggle as he reached the door. “Listen to me.”

His body screamed for action but he forced himself to pause. “What is it, my Kate?”

“Can’t he come here instead?”

“But—”

“Please.”

He had promised to listen to her, he reminded himself. “If that is what you wish.”

As he reached for the communicator, she stopped him again. “Is he discreet? He won’t tell anyone?”

He’d never been a huge fan of Physician Hollia because of the way he pandered to his mother, but he had never known the male to reveal any confidential information. “He is very discreet.”

“Then please send for him.”

As soon as he completed the call, he tried to carry her to the bed, but she insisted that he take her back to the window seat instead.

“Will you please tell me what’s wrong, amali?”

“I don’t think anything is wrong—but I want to be sure.”

Her lips curved in an odd little smile, and for some reason, he relaxed a little. The fact that she was curled so snugly in his arms, her body warm against his, also helped to sooth him.

“And nothing happened with my mother?”

“She told me I make you happy.”

“And she is right.” His own lips twisted. “Not something I say very often.”

“I told her you make me happy as well.”

He couldn’t resist, bending his head to kiss her. He was still tasting her lips when the door chime sounded, then the physician rushed in.

“What’s wrong? I understand Lady Kate is ill?”

“Tell him what’s wrong, amali,” he urged.

“A’tai, I know this is going to be difficult, but please trust me. Can you leave us alone?”

Leave her alone? With a strange male? When her health could be in danger? He wanted to roar his refusal, but she only waited, watching him patiently, her eyes warm with understanding.

“I will be outside the door,” he growled, reluctance in every line of his body as he left the room.

He immediately regretted the decision, his hand going to open the door multiple times, but each time he forced himself to wait. Fortunately for the sake of his sanity, he did not have long to wait before Physician Hollia emerged beaming.

“Is she ill?” he demanded.

“Not at all. Go and see for yourself.”

He wanted to wring some answers out of the male, but his mate was more important. He rushed into the room, finding her still on the window seat, her head bowed.

“Kate?”

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He was going to kill the fucking physician, he decided coldly, even as he kneeled in front of her. He’d had the nerve to smile at him after leaving his mate in tears?

“Whatever it is, it’s fine. We’ll fight it. I’ll arrange for a flight to—”

“A’tai, stop. Everything’s fine. There’s nothing to fight.” She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. “We’re going to have a baby.”

What?He could hear the sound of the sea ringing in his ears as his limbs collapsed.

“A’tai! A’tai! Do I need to get the doctor back?” Kate bent over him, her face worried.

“A baby?” he whispered. “Did you say we’re having a baby?”

“Yes. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“But you said it wasn’t possible.”

She grinned at him. “I didn’t think it was, but I was wrong. Aren’t you happy?”

“Happy?” The word sounded much too tame, too inadequate to express his feelings. “I have never been happier.”

He pulled her close, kissing her until they were both breathless, his limbs wrapped carefully around her stomach. A stomach that sheltered a new life.

He suddenly realized there was so much to be done.

“We have to prepare,” he told her. “I’ll arrange for a nurse, or perhaps two. Perhaps it would be better to have the physician move in as well. We’ll need a nursery—”

Kate put a finger across his lips. “Yes, we will need a nursery, but not here. It’s time we went home, back to Ataian.”

The thought delighted him, but he hesitated. “I will need to let my mother know. Both that we are leaving and about the child.”

“I think she already suspects about the baby,” she said thoughtfully. “Maybe that’s why she was so… pleasant. And she was the one who said we should go.”

A huge wave of relief washed over him.

“Thank the Sisters. Let’s go home.”