Birth Complications

Cassidy’s POV

I awoke in our chambers, Alex by my side sponging my forehead with a damp cloth.

“What happened?”

He put the cloth aside and cuddled up to me, pushing his nose into my neck. “You fainted.”

I felt his whine more than I heard it. “Alex?”

“It’s my fault,” he sniffled. “I hurt you.”

Now I was just confused. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“If we hadn’t bonded, you wouldn’t feel the force of my emotions and issues through our bond! You wouldn’t faint from my pain!” Alex gasped wetly. “You would be okay,” he whispered.

I didn’t know what to say to that.

~

Once, I asked him over a meal if he wanted to talk about it—get it off his chest.

“She lied to me,” he said. He looked angry and devastated and my heart hurt.

“Your Mother?” I asked.

He pulled his hand away from my mine. “Duke Kellen was right. I can hear heartbeats,” He looked at me. “I know when people are lying, Cas.”