They sat at the dining table and ate through the mouth-watering meal that Aaron had made.
“So, how was the food?” Aaron asked as he set down his cutlery and picked up a glass of water.
“It’s delicious, Dad,” Zion answered, reaching for a glass of water as well.
“I think it’s wonderful, and thank you for an amazing dinner. Did I ever tell you you were the best husband a girl could ask for?” Zera asked, and once again there was a flicker of guilt in his eyes, and this time she knew something was wrong. She didn’t want to let it slide like she did over an hour ago.
“Zion, go to your room and play some games.” She told him. The little boy, who had already finished eating, got down from the dining chair and raced out of the dining room, up the stairs, and towards his room. He was faster than most kids his age, but that came with who he was-an Alpha’s son.
When she heard the slam of the door and knew Zion was in his room, her eyes returned to Aaron, and she watched him closely.
He must have picked up the scrutiny of her eyes because he took his glass of water and gulped everything down.
“What is it you’re hiding, Aaron?” She asked, her eyes fixed on him and not moving.
“Um?”
“Do not act dumb and tell me what you’re hiding. I might not be able to read you, but I can tell when you’re hiding something, so what is it? And do not tell me it’s nothing because I know bullshit when I hear one.”
“I’m sorry, Zera.” He rose to his feet.
She rose as well, saying, “I do not need an apology; I want to know what happened and why you look like you have done the worst thing ever known to man. What did you do?”
He pressed his lips together and said, “I believe that what you heard at the party last month, seen so far, and even dreamed of today are things I should have seen and heard.”
She looked confused at first. “Why would you want to see what I saw and heard? It’s not as if it’s something blissful.”
He nodded, understanding her words. “I know that, but I should still have those because I’m the one on the herbs that would leave me infertile. The nightmare and the hallucinations were meant to be the side effects.”
She stopped listening when he said he was on herbs that would leave him infertile. A frown came into her face, and it didn’t leave. “What’s that supposed to mean? Why would you even do that?” She demanded, confusion all over her face.
“Because I didn’t want you pregnant, at least not until we were certain.”
“Certain? About what? And who the hell are we?”
“Ivan and I.” He replied, and her teeth clenched, “and certain about what it would mean for you to conceive your own. As far as Ivan can see into the past, no sage among the three that existed in the last four hundred years had a child. He concluded that the path of a sage might not be procreation, hence why you lost the baby. He told me that if you successfully carried the baby to term, you could lose your life while giving birth to it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about all that?”
“Because I didn’t want you to blame yourself or think you couldn’t give me another child. I saw how devastated you were and how you blamed yourself for the loss. Telling you that being a sage could have been the reason for the loss didn’t seem fair. I didn’t care about having another child; we already had Zion, and that was enough for me. Ivan suggested herbal medication with magical components that would kill my ability to create and, in the end, keep you safe from the dangers of conception. He told me the effect would be nightmares and hallucinations, but since I’d be the one having them, I accepted. I have been on it for nine months now.”
Zera couldn’t believe it had been that long. They lost their child ten months ago. If he told the truth, then it was a month after the loss. Nine months of keeping her in the dark about something that had to do with her.
“You could have told me.” She said it with a hollow voice.
“I know, but I did not want to involve you in anything. You were a better version of yourself, recovering from the loss of our child, and I didn’t want to burden you with the truth. I am sorry I left you in the dark, but I did what I did with the best intentions.”
Sorrow clouded her face, and her heart broke once again. She had believed what had been happening the last few weeks was part of the plight of being a sage, but it wasn’t. Not really.
“If things hadn’t turned out the way they did, would you have told me about it?”
He did not hesitate. “Honestly, no. At first I wanted to be honest and open, but then I saw that you were happier and doing what you loved, lecturing. I couldn’t have wanted it any other way.” He answered in all honesty.
She pressed her lips together and said, “Thank you for your honesty, Aaron, but you betrayed me and left me in the dark like a fool. That’s not what you do to someone you claim to love and want the best for.” She stepped back from the table.
His eyes held pain and an acute level of guilt as he watched her now. “Zera…”
“I’m not leaving you, Aaron, but I need time to myself. I need to think about everything-about the truth. Can you do that for me, please?”
He looked reluctant, but nodded his head. “I can.” He answered.
At his response, she left the dining room for the bedroom.
End of part 1
Thanks for reading. So the truth is out, and Zera wants to be alone. What do you think? Was Aaron right for keeping Zera in the dark about the risk involved in getting pregnant as a sage? His intentions seem genuine, but his actions are not so much. Leave your comments, which I will read through.