Tatiana’s nearest neighbor was almost a quarter of a mile away, and her property backed a nature preserve. So while there was minimal chance of human involvement, it didn’t stop her from worrying about what might happen. Her thoughts went to Matt, and tears stung her eyes, but she willed them away. Crying wasn’t going to solve anything, and the best thing she could do was to help stop the man who killed him.
However, since she wasn’t much of a soldier, she did what Rosie always did in a crisis when Tatiana was growing up. She made food. Lots and lots of food. Normally, she’d make one of Rosie’s pies, but given time constraints, they would have to settle on sandwiches.
Tatiana worked on an assortment of turkey, ham, and roast beef sandwiches for the men and enlisted Savannah’s help. The girl seemed happy to be doing something other than sitting around with a gun in her face. Savannah had showered and was wearing a pair of Tatiana’s pajamas. She was a beautiful woman, but weariness rimmed her eyes, evidence that the ghosts of her past clearly haunted her.
Everyone had agreed that Savannah wasn’t an immediate threat, and if she’d wanted to do something, she would have done it by now. It was a guarded trust, but Tatiana was grateful for the modicum of peace in an otherwise volatile situation.
She avoided scolding Savannah when she fed Cass some lunch meat. Tatiana smiled as she watched the puppy work his soothing magic on Savannah.
“I’m not sure where you’ll go after this whole mess is finished,” Tatiana said as she put the lid on the mustard, “but why don’t you keep Casanova for a while?”
“Really?” Savannah’s green eyes lit up as the puppy licked her face. “I always wanted a dog, but my father wouldn’t hear of it.”
An awkward silence fell between them at the mention of Moravian. Tatiana didn’t push. With everything else going on, an awkward silence was the least of their problems.
“We—we should probably bring something up to Steven,” Savannah said with a little smile. “He hasn’t been taking care of himself, and he needs all of his strength.” She lifted one shoulder and looked back at the tray of food. “You know, for Courtney.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Tatiana nodded as she spread mayonnaise on several slices of whole wheat bread. Something about the way Savannah talked about Steven gave her pause. She seemed more in tune with him than anyone else, and while she was clearly concerned for Courtney, she seemed more worried about Steven.
“Tatiana!” Steven’s voice filled the house. “She’s waking up. Come quickly, please.”
Tatiana wiped her hands on her jeans and ran upstairs with Savannah close behind. Dominic, Courtney’s waking up. Taking the stairs two at a time, she ran down the hall and burst into Courtney’s room as Dominic materialized next to her.
Courtney’s eyes fluttered open, and Steven sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hands. He kissed her fingers and brushed her blonde hair from her forehead.
“Courtney, honey?” He spoke softly and smiled through his tears. “Can you hear me? It’s me, Steven. You know, you really shouldn’t scare your mate that way.”
“No.” Courtney licked her dry lips and squinted against the light as she winced in pain and tossed her head back and forth. “You’re not. I’m so sorry, Steven, but I’m not your mate.”
Stunned silence fell over the room, and they all stared at the beleaguered couple, but Tatiana glanced over her shoulder at Savannah. The look on her face said it all, and when she locked eyes with Savannah, everything fell into place. The girl backed into the corner of the room with Cass clutched tightly in her arms and sat in a small wooden chair.
Courtney wasn’t Steven’s mate—Savannah was.
“What are you talking about?” Steven let out a sound of disbelief and gave Tatiana a frantic look before turning back to Courtney. “Sweetheart, yes, of course I am. You had the baby. It’s a boy. Our son is healthy and gorgeous. Don’t you remember how excited we were and the name we picked out for him? For our son.”
“It was all a lie,” Courtney whimpered and pleaded through red-rimmed eyes. “I’m sorry. He—” The words came between short, gasping breaths. “Moravian used me as a host. A surrogate.”
“This is crazy,” Steven rasped as he turned his furious eyes to Savannah. “What is she talking about?” His eyes glowed brightly, and a growl rumbled in his chest as he rose from Courtney’s bedside. “What did you do?”
“Don’t,” Courtney sputtered. She reached blindly and grabbed Steven by the arm, pulling him toward her. She grit her teeth, using her last bit of life to set things straight. “It’s not her fault, Steven… take care of your son… the same way you took care of me.”
Courtney lifted a pale, quivering hand and laid it against Steven’s cheek. As her eyes fluttered closed, her arm fell limply to her chest as the last breath escaped her broken body.
Steven dropped to his knees and sobbed over her, clinging to her as deep, grief-stricken cries wracked him. He pleaded for her to come back to him, but it was no use.
Courtney was gone.
Tears fell down Tatiana’s cheeks in a steady stream as Steven’s grief filled the room. Dominic moved in next to her, linking one arm around her waist and holding her close, needing to feel her as much as she needed him. That deep, innate connection, the one that Courtney never had with Steven, drove him to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
That realization only made Tatiana’s tears fall faster.
Swiping at the tears, her heart broke—for all of them. Steven, Courtney, and even Savannah. Tatiana sniffled and looked back at Savannah. Weeping quietly, she sat in the far corner of the room with Cass licking away her tears.
“I’m—I’m so sorry,” Savannah whispered in a tear-strained voice. She rose from the chair but stopped short when Steven turned his fierce, glowing gaze on her. “Something in the rock of the mountains at the Purist compound stifled our powers. You thought Courtney was your mate, but it wasn’t her. It was me. It is me. I am your mate, Steven.”
Tatiana looked from Savannah to Courtney and couldn’t believe she didn’t see the resemblance before. They do look alike. Both blonde, similar build, and large green eyes. She touched Dominic’s mind. If there was some weird, whammy thing blocking the Amoveo abilities, it’s easy to see how wires could get crossed.
“I saw you in the dream realm once you arrived at the compound, but you slipped away, like a radio station with heavy static.” Savannah moved cautiously toward Steven, her voice gentle and soothing. “When the guards captured you trying to break into Courtney’s room, I confessed to my father. I thought if he knew you were my mate, he would spare you… but instead, he did something unthinkable.”
Steven growled, and Savannah stopped a foot from the bed.
“My father harvested my eggs and implanted them with your sperm.” Savannah’s voice wavered, and she paused, squeezing her eyes shut as though saying it out loud was too much to bear. “So many of the women in the breeding program were dying. He didn’t want to risk my safety. He used Courtney as a surrogate because you are both from the same clan and had her carry the pregnancy. You are my mate, Steven, and the baby is our son.”
“That’s not possible.” Steven looked from Courtney to Savannah, his brow furrowed, his face carved with anger. “You are not my mate. My mate, the mother of my son, is dead because of you and your psychotic father,” he shouted.