Read Online What the Heart Takes by Kelli McCracken - Free Book Online Page B

wanted. He was in love with her, temporarily or not. Heaven sensed something as well. She’d all but confirmed it before they went to check on him.
    The storm brewing in Dylan’s heart continued to churn, just like the one heading toward the shore. He tempered his anger as best he could so that Heaven wouldn’t sense—
    Shit. Too late for that. The connection between them buzzed to life, filling him with a surge of disappointment. Her disappointment. It proved what he’d feared all along.
    He’d screwed shit up, again.
    * * *
    A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance as Dylan stood in the entrance of the cottage. He moved his eyes toward Layne’s door, debating on whether to leave him be or demand he turn down the music. Muffled beats resonated from his friend’s bedroom, which didn’t surprise Dylan in the least. Layne always turned to music when something bothered him. They both did. Making the music helped more than listening, but either one served its purpose.
    Deciding to give him space, Dylan moved through the living room. He ignored the sound, as well as his friend, hoping the former would soothe the latter. He rounded the corner, continuing up the hallway that led to his and Heaven’s room. Each step increased the strength of their bond, even though the pulse within beat unsteadily.
    He still didn’t understand how their child managed to block their connection or why it worked part of the time. His mom sure as hell didn’t give him enough information before he and Heaven left. She’d only provided them with a cryptic message.
    The baby is going into survival mode. I’m not sure how or why. All I know is that your child wants to protect its mother.
    His eyes darted to the door when he grew closer. It stood open, giving him a perfect view of the mirror on the dresser. The reflection within didn’t ease his mind. It gripped his heart, making the tightness in his chest worsen.
    Heaven hadn’t acknowledged his presence. She continued folding clothes before shoving them into a suitcase—his to be precise. Chestnut spirals swept across her back with every accentuated movement.
    Anyone could see the urgency in her body language, but Dylan knew it was more than that. Each erratic thump beating from her soul confirmed what he already knew. She’d sensed the argument between him and Layne.
    No matter how hard he tried not to, he kept letting her down. Even when he was doing the right thing, his sole motivator behind tonight’s confrontation. Protecting her, her honor, and their child. Yet he slipped up, allowed his vengeance to get in the way instead of putting her first. He didn’t deserve to be with her, and he sure as hell didn’t deserve her love.
    “If you’re finished sulking, could you please start carrying stuff to the Jeep?”
    He tried to gauge her emotions, but nothing more than a hum continued between them. Why did the baby want to block them every time he upset her?
    …Your child wants to protect its mother.
    Ah hell…
    After all these months of guessing what those words meant, they finally made sense. The baby was trying to protect Heaven from everyone, including him, as best as a tiny soul could protect. It explained the erratic pattern of his and Heaven’s connection. Their child wasn’t strong enough to completely block them. Inexperience factored in too, kind of like Layne’s inexperience with his abilities. The way he struggled to learn them. His struggle and the baby’s struggle were one and the same, because the baby would have abilities too.
    “Shit…”
    He mumbled the words low enough so that Heaven wouldn’t hear them. Not that she would have anyway. Each time she shoved an item in the suitcase, the zipper jingled and clothes thumped together.
    He closed the door behind him and moved into the room, feeling the cool floor against his feet. How could he not have known that their child would have abilities? He did. Heaven did. Their parents… Yeah. There was a pattern. So