You Kept Your Promise

Chapter 17

She heard them coming back into the room, so she quickly closed her eyes and slowed her breathing to make it seem like she was asleep. She felt someone get into bed with her and fingers slowly began to go through her hair.

"Sorry Kitten," Raven whispered as he gently kissed her forehead and carefully moved her closer to him. "Мне жаль, что я не смог защитить тебя. В будущем мне будет лучше. Никто больше не причинит тебе вреда. Мы покажем вам, как к вам следует относиться. Надеюсь, однажды вы дадите нам шанс показать вам настоящую любовь и стать нашими. Mne zhal', chto ya ne smog zashchitit' tebya. V budushchem mne budet luchshe. Nikto bol'she ne prichinit tebe vreda. My pokazhem vam, kak k vam sleduyet otnosit'sya. Nadeyus', odnazhdy vy dadite nam shans pokazat' vam nastoyashchuyu lyubov' i stat' nashimi. I'm sorry I failed in protecting you. I will be better in the future. Nobody will hurt you anymore. We will show you how you are supposed to be treated. Hopefully one day you will give us the chance to show you true love and be ours."

Anastasia's heart ached, she really wanted to believe Raven cared for her, but her mind kept screaming that Raven hid the fact about the contract for years and deceived her for so long. She lost her best friend due to deceit, how was she supposed to forgive him for this? He was her protector and confidant for most of her life and now she found out it was just because he had agreed to marry her so that they would have an heir for the future. He still got to be with his husbands and have his life, but he was also required to be with her also but not because he wanted to but because he was forced to due to the contract. Everything she thought she knew was a lie, how was she supposed to live without him? She sighed internally; guess she would have time to figure it out while she healed from everything. She allowed his scent to cover her one more time and comforted her into sleep. Right now, she needed her best friend before she had to rip her heart out and learn to live without it. She snuggled even closer to him and allowed herself to sleep in his arms for the last time.

Raven watched her as she slept, loving how she fit in his arms perfectly. He had missed this; he didn't realize how much he liked having her in his arms as they grew up until she disappeared. Now he had her back, and he didn't want to let her go. Yes, he loved his husbands, but she was special. He glanced up at his husbands and smiled softly seeing them watching her sleep as well. He wasn't sure what would happen if they didn't like her, he was so glad he didn't have to worry about that.

"Tell us about first time you met her," Victor smiled softly.

"Her mom, Momma come outside I in tree. I fall Kitten come over look little cut, open tiny purse put band aid on, kiss it. Knew then she mine," Raven smiled at the memory. "First big brother as grow so beautiful so kind always on mind. She care despite what family does. She perfect, no deserve all this."

"Tell us about growing up with her," Axel requested.

Raven spent the rest of the night telling them memories about them growing up together and then about when she disappeared and later found out she was kidnapped and how he knew she was still alive despite so many others giving up. His parents believed in him and that was all that mattered to him.

"I'm glad you told us about her," Corey smiled softly. "Seeing the way you talked about her I knew she was special and if she was special to you then she was to me."

"Same, I knew she was the one for us the moment I saw your eyes light up describing her to us," Owen nodded. "When you got that phone call from her asking for you I knew we would do whatever we needed to get her home to us. Now we just have to help her heal then we can start to show her what real love is and that she belongs with us forever."

"Da," Raven whispered watching her sleep peacefully in his arms.