The Only Blood

Chapter 18 - Mine

"Should I go with him?"

It was the first question - quite an expected one, to be honest - which Mercy asked when finally we were able to sit down without the guys hovering over us. All the four men were right outside, in the living room, or that was where we last left them. They could be right behind the closed door and we wouldn't know.

Liana and I looked at each other at her question, and suddenly I realised that now I finally had someone I could look at, or go to, whenever I feel that the decisions I was taking were wrong. Even though my grandma and I were close, it was quite rare for me to ever look up at her for making the right decisions. She was naive and gullible in her own way.

"I think you should go back with him," I started, glancing at Liana again and she nodded at me, "I don't exactly mean that you should ever give him another chance with your heart - that decision is totally up to you."

Liana continued after me, "We are more concerned about your pup, and being with your mate will ensure that he or she is healthy. I know he will take good care of you, too," Liana's gaze was soft and kind, "better than any one of us can."

"But... " She added again, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "Make him beg. Don't make this easy for him. Pretend that you never wanted to be with him again and show him your reluctance to be with him. Use him for sex if that's what you want to do - buy don't let him ever take you for granted again."

Kia rolled her eyes, "Looking at him, I don't think he's ever going to take her for granted again."

"He is a man." I shrugged.

"And men are pigs." Liana continued after me.

"He is going to say all of those words that are going to melt my heart." She paused, staring distantly, "I remember," Mercy sniffled, looking on the verge of tears, "He has this way with words and he knows how to charm me into doing his bidding. How will I even resist him?" She questioned slumping her shoulders.

"It is hard." I murmured.

"That's what she said." Kia muttered under her breath, and when we all looked at her in amusement, she flushed red, "I meant, that's exactly what Mercy was saying, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Liana rolled her eyes playfully, "Coming back to what the discussion was about; avoiding him will be difficult; there's no doubt about it. However, if you really want to avoid being too involved with him romantically, I can only suggest that you keep reminding yourself of the times he ditched you when you needed him."

Mercy looked at me, and I shrugged.

"I really don't have any idea about the power of a mate bond. Every moment feels new to me because I always end up underestimating its effect. But I think you could manage some...uhm...self-control?"

Mercy pouted adorably, and I almost cooed at her. No matter how cute she was looking, it was finally time to send her to somewhere where she and her pup would be taken care of.

There was no doubt about this: Theo was not going to abandon Mercy and their child now and looking at him, I knew no one could take better care of her than him. It didn't matter that she was finding herself reluctant to go to him now; eventually, they will be back together as a normal couple because mate bond really is hard to resist.

But there was something about this entire situation that I absolutely hated - Mercy wasn't going back to her mate for herself; if upto her she would never put herself through that ordeal again. She was doing this for her pup - we all were supporting this decision because of the pup. And even though mothers would do anything for their children, was it really worth all the stress that Mercy would have, worrying about Theo ditching her, again.