Page 87 of Healer’s Betrayal

“Oh, Noah’s my little brother.”

Her face lights up. “How old is he?”

“Seven.”

“Aw, that’s so great. We’ll have to meet him.” She looks between Jackson and me. “Who’s watching him now?”

I don’t mind her bluntness; it’s kind of refreshing. “Ransom, Jackson’s friend, was watching him while we took a drive.” A cramp tightens my stomach, and I’m reminded that I really need to grab Ibuprofen.

“Aw, was it a date?” Talya asks, and I force myself to focus on the conversation.

“I guess. We drove out of town and just took in the scenery for a little bit. Well, of course, we stopped for coffee first.”

“Of course,” she says with a smile.

“Oh, and we stopped to feed pygmy goats.”

Her eyes light up again. “Really?”

I nod. “They were adorable! Do you have a picture?” I ask Jackson. Wordlessly, he pulls out his phone and opens up the photos before handing it to me. I smile when I see the picture of me sitting on the grass with the goats all over me. “See.” I show her the picture.

“Oh my goodness. Look how adorable they are! Liam, look.” She shows him the picture, and he actually smiles. “We need pygmy goats,” she tells him with a sigh.

He chuckles and pulls her closer. “I think we’ll have our hands full with two little boys, Baby.”

“You already have another boy?” I ask. Talya nods and hands me back the phone. “Aw, do you have any pictures?”

“Of course!” Before she can ask, Liam slides out his phone and pulls up a picture.

I gasp at the adorable little boy on the screen. “Oh my goodness. He looks just like his dad.”

“Oh, I know. Those genes are strong genes,” Talya says glancing at Liam. He just grins and presses a kiss to her temple.

“I feel like the male genes are always dominant,” Raechel says, joining our group. I startle, not having heard her approach. “How come that is? Women do all the hard work, and then the baby looks just like their father.”

“Like Talya said, strong genes,” Liam says with a smug smirk.

Talya eyes him. “You know the next one will look just like me.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” he says, pulling her close and kissing her cheek.

As nice as the conversation is, I am keenly aware of the need to get upstairs to a bathroom. I glance up at Jackson. “I’m going to head inside.”

His eyes meet mine for a moment. “Okay. I’ll see you up there in a few.”

Chapter 37

Jackson

I try to keep control of my wolf, but it’s getting increasingly harder. Kayla backs into me a little more; I wonder if she’s even aware she’s doing it. She’s been doing it since the blonde and her mate started talking to her. I know it’s because she feels insecure right now in a big way. Having her vulnerable and feeling insecure is nearly my undoing. I want nothing more than to get her out of here, upstairs to our room, where I can take care of her. I get another wave of pain through the bond, and I grit my teeth. I’ve already decided I'm going to hate this week each month, but I vow to do everything in my power to make it easier for her. A growl rumbles through my chest, but I manage to keep it contained. Or at least, I think I do. But the blond shifter’s head jerks up, and he pins me with a dark look. I don’t miss how he moves closer to his mate. It used to bother me when shifters did that; now I’m just used to it.

“Don’t do that,” Kayla snaps, and the sound of it jerks my attention to her. I'm instantly on edge, trying to figure out who made her upset. “Don’t look at him like he’s dangerous.”

“He is dangerous,” Liam says in return. I growl in response because he’s correcting my mate.

“If I understand things correctly, you all are as well,” my mate says, not backing down. “Jackson is a good man, and he doesn’t deserve for you all to treat him like he’s second-class or like he’s a monster.”

Hearing my mate defend me does something to me. My blood heats, and I resist the urge to pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and get her out of here. I find her hand instead. “Let’s get upstairs to check on Noah.” My voice is gruff, and I do nothing to hide that fact. I really want to get her out of here.