Chapter 22: Crazy Idea

I sighed and wondered if I had to tell my father the truth. But rebirth wasn’t a familiar concept to everyone. Would my father think I was crazy? Would he think I made up a story? But telling him the truth was the best policy, even if he wouldn’t believe me.

“Well? I’m waiting.” My father’s voice snapped me from my wandering mind.

“What I want to tell you may be something you won’t think as rational, possible, or even real. But I swear to the Highest One; it’s the truth.”

“Go on.”

I took a deep breath. “Anna and I were couples in the past—past life, to be more accurate. We experienced a rebirth. I was reborn as Cameron Black, your son, and so was Anna. She was reborn as Anna Warren. I was Constantine Night in the past life, a royal werewolf, while Anna was Victoria Lewis. She was my mistress.”

My father said nothing for a few minutes. He might suspect I lied. But after a while, he said, “Tell me more about your past life.”

“I was rich and evil. I enjoyed Anna; she was pregnant with my child though I didn’t know about it. My ambition made me blind, and I wanted to take my cousin’s mate as mine.” I stopped as my headache attacked. Then, after taking a deep breath a few times, the pain ceased. So I continued, “I asked Anna to leave my castle. Later, she died because she protected me from an attack.” I took a deep breath and held my head as the ache was too severe. Finally, I dragged myself to the couch and sank there, gasping for air.

“Son, what’s wrong?”

“The pain ….” My voice was strangled. “I always have a severe headache whenever I try to remember my past. But after Victoria, I mean Anna, told me about my past, I could remember a little. She told me she lost our baby.” I retook a deep breath as my chest was heavy. “It pained me a lot to see her sadness. I took her for granted in my past life. Now, the Highest One gave me a second chance to make it right. I promised Anna to take care of and protect her, Father.”

My father stroked his forehead. He said nothing and only sighed a few times. “Let’s see what Nate can do.”

“Yes, he is your son too. Who knows if Lisa will fall for him?”

My father shook his head. “The chance is small. The Shadows are notorious for their craving for popularity and power.”

“But Nate will be an Alpha too. Soon!”

“Yet you are the eldest son. By tradition, the first son must mate with the first daughter of each family.”

“We don’t live because of tradition.” I shook my head. “We can change it and create another for the better life of all.”

“If it’s only about us, I agree. But it involves the Shadows too. If Lisa can accept Nate, it will solve everything. But what if Lisa refuses him? Again?”

I let out a long sigh. I was afraid of that too.

“Nate may need to seduce Lisa. Then, he can impregnate her and give her no choice but to accept him,” my father said.

“But it will make Nate a villain. He has sacrificed a lot to be my replacement. We can’t drag his reputation to the mud either.” Nate was always a good guy. How could we do this to him?

“It will be different if Nate can make Lisa fall for him.”

I closed my eyes. We had no other way. Sorry, Nate! “It will do. I hope Nate can do it.”

My father nodded. ”It’s for all of us. I will prepare a lot of dowries for Nate to give to Lisa.”

I rose and nodded to my father. “I will visit Nate to discuss it, Father, as I owe him a lot. But he also told me he would do anything for me. So if Nate falls, it won’t be a burden for him. I know he has done the best he can do.”

“Let’s pray to the Highest One that there will be happy endings for all of us.”

“Amen.”

Then I left my father’s house and went straight to Nate’s. It was quiet there, but when I rang the bell, he opened it fast.

“Cam, what are you doing here?”

“I have something to discuss with you.”

He opened the door wider. “Sure. Come in!” After we were inside his house, Nate then opened his fridge. “What do you want? Wine, beer, juice, water?”

“Beer is okay.”

“Catch!” Nate threw me a can of beer, and I caught it. He brought another for himself.

After sitting, we drank a few sips without talking about anything. Then Nate raised his eyebrows. “So?”

“So, what?”

“So, what do you want to discuss with me?” He raised his eyebrows again.

I put the can on the table and straightened my back. “Right. It’s about Lisa.”

“Okay. What do you want to discuss?”

“Have you planned to visit Lisa?”

“Tomorrow.” Nate sipped the beer again. “Why?”

“I need to go with you. But first, I have to apologize to Lisa—personally. It’s not her fault. I owe her that.”

“Judging from what you said and the information I collected, she won’t take it easy.” Nate stroked his chin. “Don’t you think it’ll be better if I go there first?”

I shook my head. “I want to make it clear. We started it well. I want to finish it well too. She is the innocent one in this matter.”

“Right.” Nate rolled his eyes. “I wonder what I owed you in the past life. I mean, to mate a spoiled girl is not an easy task.”

“I know. You don’t have to do this. We will think of something else.”

But Nate shrugged. “No, I will do it. I only teased you.”

“Are you sure?”

Nate grinned. “Yes, I’m sure of that. Who knows if I will like her too?”

I coughed and grinned too. His smile was contagious. “About that, I talked with our father. I wonder if you can try to impregnate Lisa.”

“You what?!” He folded his arms over his chest. “I won’t do it! I will try to court her and win her heart, at least her respect. But I won’t impregnate her. I can do that to her!”

As I thought, Nate was a good guy. “If you think so. But think about it. At first, I thought Father’s idea was crazy. But the more I thought about it, the more it was reasonable. Love can come later after she has your pup.”

Nate said nothing. When I thought about leaving, he said, “I will think about it.”