Chapter 80

Thresh walked to his front door slowly, he was exhausted. He'd drained most of his gift trying to keep Brooke and himself warm.

He opened the door and scented the air, trying to distinguish where her familiar scent was coming from.

He walked to the kitchen where he could hear sounds and the smell of baking emanating from.

He went through the swinging door into Charm's large kitchen. She was cutting out cookies on the granite countertop.

She turned to the doorway when she heard his footsteps and her face, flushed by the heat, immediately brightened. He noticed the very, small bump forming under her shirt, signalling her pregnancy.

"Thresh!" She exclaimed a huge smile on her soft, pink face, "One moment." She said as she wiped her hands of the white flour.

Thresh shook his head smiling at his mate's habits, he could care less about the flour, but he knew after all these years that she cared very much.

As soon as her hands were clean she ran and leapt into his arms. He caught her and they kissed tenderly.

Once they'd broken the kiss she moved her head back, "Where were you?" She asked, her enchanting, bottle green eyes showing her fear and worry.

He set her down on the counter and begun cutting out more cookies.

"We were kidnapped. By rogues." He said.

Charm nodded meaningfully, she knew how Thresh felt about rogues.

He glanced up at her, "They had been ordered by Elves to take me." He paused as he moved the dough shapes to the cookie sheet, "And Brooke."

"How is she?" Charm asked, concern for the young girl etched in her eyes.

Thresh slid the cookies into the oven, he walked and positioned himself directly in front of his mate's spread legs that were dangling off of the counter.

"And what about me?" He asked teasingly as he nuzzled their noses together, "Aren't you worried about how I'm doing?"

He moved and kissed her on her lips then began trailing down to her neck and collarbone.

"Oh, yes. I am very worried about you." Charm said, her voice breathless, but still held a slight tease in it as well.

He smothered her with more kisses and caressed her sensitive mate mark with his lips. She shivered in reaction. He always loved how his mate reacted to his stroking her mark.

"Wait. Wait, Thresh." She interrupted him, her voice husky, "Thresh."

He let go and she hopped off the counter, he grabbed her from behind and began nibbling her ear.

"Thresh!" Charm said giggling, "Please, just one moment."

"But I want you." He said, still nibbling.

His words caused the already present heat in her core to build, "And I…" She wriggled out of his hold, "…Want to show you something."

She ran out of the room and returned quickly with a photo in her hands.

She handed it to him. He stared at it, perplexed.

"What is it?" He asked, giving up on trying to figure out what the bizarre, black smudges were.

"It is our baby." She said a small gentle smile on her lips as she looked down at the picture.

Thresh took another look at the picture, it didn't look like a baby.

"So this is what he looks like right now?" He asked.

"Yes." She said, knowing her mate was confused, "That little dot, right there. That's our baby."

Thresh still stared at the photo in his hands, a confused look in his eyes.

"I heard our baby's heartbeat Thresh." She said a never ending smile on her face.

He kissed her smiling lips, "Was it strong?" He asked.

"Yes, it was very strong." She pecked his lips.

He was happy that he and his mate would finally have a child together after all these years.

He picked her up, "Great! Now we can continue where we left off in the bedroom."

He kissed her as he walked out of the kitchen, "Mmmh," She broke off the kiss, "No, no, no, no," He began trailing more kisses along her neck, "Thresh, I need to check on the cookies."

He groaned and put her down, albeit very reluctantly.

She flitted gracefully back to the kitchen, her feet seemed to only skim the floor. He smiled at his Faerie mate.

He followed her to the kitchen and watched as she continued to make the cookies.

"How is Brooke?" She repeated her question.

He was quiet for awhile before he answered, "I thought I didn't like humans, but she was nothing like I thought."

Charm raised an eyebrow and corner of her lips, "And what did she do to make you change your mind?"

"Her tenacity and refusal to show weakness. Her pride and the fact that she cared for others, not out of selfish reasons but out of compassion. I was surprised a human could act that way."

"Oh, please, Thresh. You knew that humans could act out of the goodness of their hearts, you just did not want to believe it, and you have never experienced it personally." Charm retorted. Her mate could be so stubborn and silly, she hoped their child didn't share that same tendencies.

"Maybe, but nonetheless she surprised me." He paused and an amused smile crept onto his face, "She peed in my shoe." He said in an amused voice.

"She did what…?" Charm asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, she was originally going to relieve herself in her own shoe but I said that she could use mine." He was holding in a chuckle at the memory.

Charm gently slapped him with the back of her hand, "That was very rude of you, I can only think of how embarrassed that poor girl must have been." She said giving her mate a hard look.

"Yes. She was very embarrassed." He said with a chuckle. Charm gave him another little slap then took the baked cookies out and the next tray in.

Taking the oven mitts off she rested her hands on the counter, "But, how did she do, really? You were gone for a week." Her concern for the girl couldn't be hidden.

Thresh's playful expression turned somber, "After the lack of food for three days she began to decline. She could barely stand and the cell we were in was being pumped with cold air. I did my best to provide warmth but my own gift was dwindling. Once we escaped she began to show signs of delirium she continued muttering nonsensical words and phrases. We reached a road and she passed out but would still murmur strange phrases like, 'I know you.' And, 'Go away.' By the seventh day of travelling she was refusing food and seemed to be just confused. But she's with her mate now and should be fine." He hadn't been upset or frustrated when his Beta had gotten angry with him, for once he understood his Beta, and the need to protect his mate.

"Oh, that is awful." Charm exclaimed and hugged her mate.

They both felt for the new couple, and hoped they would survive all the trials of life.