The Beast's Possession

**Aife

pov**

"You won't admit this just yet, but I know that the baby you carry right now is your future. Not the sickly stupid type of future some people assume, but I mean an entire future. You will go above and beyond for that child, you will fight even more. That's why you kept the pill but didn't take it." Jonathan announced and raised his hands above his head to stretch a little.

Although I drank more than enough water, I felt like my throat was drier than the desert. No words came to mind to explain why I took the damned thing with me.

Jonathan side-glanced at me and flashed me a kind smile. "No need to explain yourself. Honestly, I understand why you agreed to take it with you. If worse comes to happen, there are some scenarios where you rather allow your kid to die than let them live a miserable life. You are a very well kept secret, so is your baby, but we both know that can't last forever. Bane has many enemies out there. Many more would give up their lives just to wipe Bane's bloodline off the face of Earth."

I nodded and looked down. Jonathan was right - just by having this baby I'm putting it in danger, but I really couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. This baby was the last part of Bane I still had.

"Now, let's hop back in the car and drive to the darn cabin. No idea how you are feeling, but I'm starving and my back is screaming for bed. Sounds good, no?"

Since Jonathan was trying to make the light out of this situation, I agreed to play along and gladly got back in the car. To my suprise, he actually helped me buckle up, muttering something like 'safety first' under his breath.

He didn't speak anymore, just started the car and drove off. Initially, I was a little paranoid about the possibilities and everything that might happen, but now, I felt way better, more comfortable around him.

I couldn't resist the urge to close my eyes and have a nap. A while ago, I wouldn't risk to close an eye around Jonathan and Killian, but these days, both men proved they were trustworthy and didn't wish me any harm. Honestly, I was so darn uncomfortable in the seat that I felt like I hadn't slept for as little as five minutes when Jonathan gently shook me to announce we had arrived.

"For how long was I out?" I asked and instantly yawned, still far too tired to get out of the car and pretend I was alive.

"A couple of hours," Jonathan chuckled.

I raised an eyebrow at my new friend, waiting for him to elaborate on how much a couple of hours was in his mind.

"Well," he dragged and reached behind his neck to scratch it. "I didn't want to disturb your sleep so I didn't stop for breaks. A couple of hours is more or less six or seven hours. I tried to be mindful, but truth be told, I also sped over the limit here and there, so yeah, here we are."

Before I could say something, Jonathan hopped out of the car, ran around it and opened the door for me. He actually even offered me his hand, which I gladly accepted. "Thank you," I muttered and went speechless just the moment those words left me.

Once my eyes focused on the building before me, I couldn't find the right words to describe it. From what I understood every time Killian and Jonathan discussed this place - it was supposed to be a small, run-down building, not a beautiful house.

The paint job looked fresh, not an imperfection in sight, even the surroundings of the house were beautiful. It had a pretty, little and very cozy looking porch with some chairs on it. I could imagine how many evenings I could spend out there, enjoying the breeze of the evening and talking to my baby as it would grow inside me.

"Jonathan, this is," I tried to find the words, but none still came.

"A downgrade, I know," Jonathan groaned and hurried to the back of his car to open the trunk and grab our bags. "However, I do believe having something has to be way better than having nothing at all, right? The positive side is that no one will bother us here. This whole property is kind of off limits space, even though it's on unclaimed lands. Yes, it's smaller and not as fancy as that back home, but we'll make do, right?"

My jaw nearly hit the ground. No, Jonathan couldn't be serious. This place was everything but a downgrade - a perfect little hidden paradise away from the eyes of everyone.

The only downside was that my mind instantly went into a stupid frenzy of thoughts... Just how amazing would it be to live in a place like this with Bane. If only we could live like normal mates did - just the two of us and our little one. I didn't realize I had started crying until Jonathan's hand touched my cheek when he wiped off the tears. "Aife, don't cry darling, I promise we can find a better place where to keep you and the little one safe. I told you, stress isn't good for the baby. Just think about the baby."

I shook my head like a kid and sucked in a deep breath. "I wasn't crying because I don't like this place. Quite the opposite, my mind instantly went to fetch for impossible scenarios. I just got lost too deep in my thoughts."

Jonathan cupped my cheek and smiled at me. "I get it. It must be hard for you, but trust me, I will do anything in my power to keep you safe and maybe one day those ideas in your mind will turn into reality. We never know, right?" I didn't want to agree mainly because then, I would admit to Jonathan just how much I kept hoping. Disagreeing would mean I focused on everything negative which would make him feel bad.

Thankfully, instead of questioning me, Jonathan pressed his lips against my forehead and whispered. "I know it's not ideal, but if nothing else, you have Killian and I as your family. We will do our damndest to ensure you and the baby are properly cared for. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to show you around the place. Then, we can cook something; I've been craving home cooked meals for ages."