Sinister Mates

Evelyn POV

I wake to hands, brushing my hair out of my face and Thaddeus leaning over me. I stare back, wondering what he is doing, trying to remember when I went to sleep. The last thing I remember is walking inside with Imogen, getting stuff ready for the party. Thaddeus looks at me sadly,

and I can tell he has been crying, his eyes are puffy and bloodshot.

I sit up, alarmed, wondering what has happened to upset him. He leans back, and I see Ryland and Orion staring at me, the same look on their faces, which confuses me until I recognize the room I am in. Tie-dyed curtains on the windows and a colorful duvet I know aren't mine or my style. Amara’s scent hits me strongly, and I realize the room I am in is hers. I try to think of the last thing I can remember. I come up blank, all I remember is walking into the house and going to the fridge.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, and I realize how dry my throat is, the burning ache of my hunger comes to the forefront of my mind as I touch my throat. They all look at each, and I get up off the bed. I am rolling onto my side to climb off when I realize the movement is easier than it should have been.

As I stand up my eyes dart downwards to see my huge bump is gone, there’s nothing but a flat stomach. My hands touch my abdomen to find nothing. I look up, confused. “I had the baby?” I ask, confused.

Why can’t I remember anything? I look at Thaddeus, but he has his head in his hands. Ryland steps forward, and I know something terrible has happened by the look on his face. The way he puts his hands out looks like he is trying to subdue a caged animal.

“Where is our son?” I ask, my voice trembling, and I step back in panic.

Why can’t I feel him? I could feel our daughter, Amara, like a tether, feel that she is sleeping somewhere, but nevertheless, asleep blissfully. Yet, I can't feel the familiar bond I have with her with my son.

“Evelyn,” Orion whispers and looks away.

I watch his bottom lip quiver, then I look between them, and Thaddeus' head snaps up as he looks at me, reaching toward me. “Where is my son?” I ask again, not liking the silence I am getting from them, not liking the devastatingly cold feeling seeping into me from them.

“Evelyn, there was an accident,” Ryland says, making me look at him.

An accident? I have no memory of there being an accident. I only remember us, celebrating our daughter's first birthday. How happy we all felt. But why are they so sad?

“Okay, but where is our son? Where is Mara?” I ask.

“Mara is with mom and Amara inside,” Orion says, making me look at him.

“I don’t understand?” I tell him, and Ryland reaches for my hand, but I pull it back. I don’t like the way he is looking at me, the way they are all looking at me.

“He is gone, Evie,” Orion says, and my stomach drops.

“Who, who's gone?” I ask, my voice shaking, my entire body trembling with fear.

“Our son,” Thaddeus whispers so low that I would have missed it if I were human.

“What? That makes no sense, Thaddeus. Where is he?” I yell, growing frustrated; they need to spit out what they are trying to tell me.

“Evie, he is gone. He died in the explosion,” Ryland says, stepping forward and reaching for me, but I step back.

“What explosion? If this is a joke, you are sick, sick in the fucking head! Now, give him to me; this isn’t funny,” I tell them, my breathing becoming quicker as I try to breathe through my panic.

“There was an accident, Evelyn; we think the gas line in the house exploded, you were injured, and our son didn’t make it.”

My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach at his words. My entire body is cold, so cold I can feel it seeping into my bones as the cold consumes me. “No! No, No,” I tell them, shaking my head, my hands go to my non- existent belly, like he never existed, just gone; he is right there, safely tucked inside my womb, kicking and moving around; he can’t be gone. I

just felt him at the party. “You’re wrong; he is fine. I could feel him,” I tell them.

Ryland shakes his head. “You could feel his love; you need to try to understand what we are telling you,” Ryland says.

“But it doesn’t make sense; what you’re saying doesn’t make sense,” I scream, becoming angry, “You did something; you fucking did something, didn’t you?” I yell, turning to Thaddeus. His eyes flicker, something I haven't seen in a year, and I step back.

“He is dead, Evelyn; I didn’t do anything; there was a fucking explosion. Don’t try and put this on me,” he says, jumping to his feet. The lights flicker from my accusation as he becomes angered.

“Where is my fucking son, Thaddeus?” I scream at him.

He grips my face, his hands tremble with anger that mirrors mine. “He is fucking dead, gone,” he screams in my face, his hands shaking as he grips me tighter. I watch his fangs protrude, and he growls before looking away.

He lets go, turning his back on me when it hits me - he has his magic back. The lights surge to the beat of his emotions, running rampant in him.

I can’t remember a thing, yet they expect me to believe my son is gone. “I don’t”- I shake my head, trying to process what they are saying, what has happened, but I feel nothing but anger, and I’m not sure if it is mine or Thaddeus'. I can feel my mates, yet I can’t identify anything through the bond of my own. Wouldn’t I feel it if he is dead? Instinctively know it? So why do I feel nothing?

“You’re in shock, Evelyn,” Thaddeus says, answering my thoughts, making me look at him as he turns around to face me.

“No, you're wrong. I would have felt it, should have felt it,” I tell them, and I feel something wet touch my face. I wipe my face only to realize they are tears, my tears. “He is not dead; how could you say that?” I ask, horrified.

Thaddeus growls, and I feel rage bubble up within me. Thaddeus' hands grip my face, his teeth gritted, and I hear Orion yell at him. “Thaddeus, what are you doing?” He snaps.

“This is the third time she has woken this way; I am giving it back. She will just have to deal with it,” he says.

The third time? As I try to figure out what he is talking about, images start flooding my mind; I watch the party begin as we greet everyone and all of my day's memories flit through my head. I walk inside; I see Ryland

come and ask for a tea towel, and then, I watch nothing but devastation. I watch it like I am watching my life fall apart through someone else's eyes, like a movie playing on a screen, something that feels distant yet, I know by the fact those are my memories, that everything I am watching is very very real.

I look down at my hands, clutching the splintered wood that pierces through me and feel the pain radiate throughout every inch of my stomach. The image goes black; then I wake up afterward, hysterically screaming, then again and again. Thaddeus continuously removes my memories and I pass out each time. Only to relive this moment over and over again as they try to explain to me that my son is dead. Each time I have the same reaction

- I lose it and Thaddeus takes it, every memory leads up to him, grabbing my face and my eyes slowly regain focus on my surroundings, to the black abyss of Thaddeus’ eyes mirroring the horror on my face, at the realization he is gone.

I lost our son; our son is dead.

Thaddeus lets go of my face, and I stumble back, clutching onto the nightstand. My entire world crashes down around me so fast, I feel the room spin violently, and I sit on the bed, empty and completely void of emotion. My heart is crushed. I failed him; I failed us all. My son is dead, and I am now dead inside.

“Evelyn?” Ryland says, rushing over to me. His face looks up at me as he kneels on the floor in front of me. He wraps his arms around my waist, his head pressing to where our baby used to be. I brush his hair with my fingers, wanting to feel something, anything but this hollow feeling inside me.

Amara walks into the room; I look up when her scent hits my nose. I can smell the saltiness of her tears as they stream down her face. “Sorry, mom sent me down; she wants to know if you want anything?”

“Leave us,” Thaddeus says to her, she just nods and walks back out.