Death's Daughter (Book 2)

Chapter 13

Henry's P.O.V.

It's been three months since Levi was killed. The whole pack hasn't been that same. It's like there is a cloud of gloom that has been placed over the pack. Ava found out two months ago that she was pregnant. Isabella hadn't left Ava's side since Levi. According to the Doctor, Ava is almost four months pregnant. The pup is small, just like she was. Being an Alpha, the pup will be born in five weeks.

I've had to take over the pack as Acting Alpha, but I don't want to. I want my little sister to be herself again. I've sent for Dad, Big Sister and Big Brother, but I haven't heard from them yet. That was a few weeks ago. "Beta Henry." I looked up from the paperwork I was filling out.

"Yes?" I folded my hands on the desk.

"Your link was closed, there is a man, a woman and a child seeking Luna Ava. They said they are her parents. We are not sure though. Since they are your parents as well, you would know if it really is them." I nodded and began to remove my clothing. "They are at the west border, Sir." I nodded again and shifted, taking off to the west with some shorts in my muzzle.

When I got there, I noticed that Big Brither wasn't there. Quickly, I shifted back to my human form and slipped into my shorts. "Big Sister, Dad. Where is Big Brother?" I watched as the patrol guards backed down.

"Our guide didn't make it, Henry. She was killed. Death took her." Big Sister pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Little Brother. How is my daughter holding up?"

"Not well. She's barely eating and she hasn't come out of her room since that day. She's due in five weeks. I don't know what to do. If she keeps going this way, she's going to end up killing herself and the pup."

"Death has something to talk to her about. He hasn't told us. He wants to talk to us all at once." Dad said. Dad was holding a sleeping Zayden in his arms. Zayden has grown a lot since I saw him last. That was only a year ago, but he still grew a lot.

"How long will he be?" I asked.

"Shouldn't be too much longer. Lilly had to get him to help her with something." Penelope said.

I could feel a link trying to connect to me. I quickly opened it, hoping it would be Ava. "Beta Henry, Luna Ava has requested you in her room."

"I'll be right there." I closed the link and looked at the patrol guards. "Get them to the guest wing in the pack house safely. Luna Ava called for me." With that said, I stripped and shifted, heading back to the pack house as quickly as I could. Once I was standing in front of Ava's room, I shifted and put my shorts back on.

I opened the door and slowly entered. "Sit." Ava patted the bed beside her. It looks like Isabella was taken by one of the Omegas. "A Rogue entered in the west."

"It's fine. Just your mom. Your dad will be here soon too. Apparently he has something he wants to talk to all of us about." I kept my voice light and my eyes soft. Ava's belly was big, but her eyes were dull, cheeks were sunken. It smells like she hasn't bathed in days. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"I'm not hungry." She growled at me. I let out a sigh. I went to stand up, but the door burst open and in flooded Dad, Penelope, Death, Isabella and a now awake Zayden.

"Good everyone is here." Death paused and looked at Ava with sad eyes. "I have good news and bad news." He paused again, but Ava didn't react. "Levi's soul isn't in the land of the dead. He's alive."

Ava's P.O.V.

My heart skipped a beat. What did Dad just say? Levi is alive? How? I felt the bond break. Zuri can't feel his wolf anymore. "You're lying!" I growled. "Why would you say that?! I felt the bond break! Zuri can't feel his wolf! Why would you lie to me like that?! How dare you!" Tears streamed down my cheeks. I felt myself starting to shift.

In seconds, Dad was forcing me to stop and look into his eyes. "I would never lie to you about something like that! I know what it feels like to lose your mate! I know the pain! I still remember it like it was yesterday! I remember how much my wolf howled in pain. Lilly and I have been working really hard to find him, and we did. We found him. He's not safe. The hunters have him. Tonight is the night that I will be going to get him. Now, either you eat something for that pup growing inside you, or I will force you to eat. Levi is going to need you."

I couldn't stop them, the tears just kept coming. One moment, I was crying into Dad's chest. The next, I'm crying while stuffing food into my mouth. I knew now that Dad wasn't lying. Levi was alive. He's going to come home to me and our pups. Dad explained that they took him very far away from me, to the point that my wolf and I couldn't feel him. Making us think that he was dead. For the first time in what feels like forever, I am happy. I am smiling, I can feel my pup kicking me.

"Mama?" Isabella tugged on my very smelly shirt. I looked at her and smiled. "Daddy is going to come home?"

I swear, my already big smile got even bigger. "Yes, Princess. Daddy is going to be coming home. Grandpa is going to be getting Daddy tonight." I watched as Isabella cheered and bounced around the room in happiness.

That night, Isabella sat with me on the front steps of the pack house. "Well, look what we have here." I looked behind me to see Ken standing there with a smile on his face. "Didn't think you'd be out and about yet. How are you feeling, Luna?" Ken sat down beside me.

No one outside of the ones in my room earlier, knew that Levi was alive. I hadn't told them yet. I didn't want them to swarm around Levi. Mainly because I have no idea what condition he was in. I prayed to Aunt Luna that he was okay. "I'm--" I hesitated purposefully. "Okay, I guess. What about you, Ken? How are you and your family?"

"We're good. Worried about you, but good." He paused and put his hand on my shoulder. "The whole pack is worried about you. I have no idea what you are going through, and I won't pretend that I do, but open up to us. You've helped everyone here. Now it;s our turn to help you anyway we can."

I smiled. "Thank you, Ken." I paused and looked at Isabella. She wasn't looking at me though. She was looking closely at each and every shadow, trying to see if Dad and Levi were going to come out of one of them. I felt Ken stand up. "Ken, wait." He stooped and looked at me. "He's alive. My Dad is bringing him home right now."

I watched Ken stiffen. "Are you sure, Luna?" There was a flash of pity in his eyes.

"I'm sure. My Dad wouldn't lie to me about that. He lost his mate once. He knows what it feels like. When my Mom died when I was a baby, he listened to his wolf howl in pain for a long time. He almost went feral. If it wasn't for the fact that I was still alive and with Lilly's help, he wouldn't be here right now. Nor would I, to be honest. I would have had to take over for him, even if I was only in diapers. Dad knows all too well, the pain of losing your mate."

Ken had sat back down while I was talking. He held his hands firmly. That was usually a sign that he was thinking, so, I waited for him to speak as I watched the shadows with my daughter. "I never knew your Mom died. The one that's with your Dad now, is your stepmom?" He had a look of confusion on his face.

"No. She's my real mom. Aunt Luna, The Moon Goddess, gave her a new body so that I could have my mom again and so that my Dad could have his mate back." I let out a dry laugh. "I would have had a younger sibling closer to my age, if it wasn't for my Grandfather. He killed her and the baby she was pregnant with at the time."

Ken growled. "And he was a God?" I nodded. "I'm so glad that man is dead."

I giggled. "This pack killed him the second time. I killed him the first time. That's how I got this scar on my face."

"I'm glad I got to take part in the killing, but, isn't your Grandmother sad that her mate is dead?"

"Oh hell no! She's as happy as could be. He created her. They had children, but he didn't like his son, my Dad. He also created the hunters. After he found out about what Aunt Luna had created, he went back in time and made the hunters."

"That's hor--" I heard some trees rustle and I felt movement in the shadows nearby. "Get inside, Luna. I don't know this scent."

I went to sniff the air, but then I felt it. I felt my bond return and Zuri went crazy in my head. Her mate had returned. "Mate." I growled. I didn't realize at that time that Ken was staring at me. The only thing that I wanted was Levi. I held Isabella close as I stood up on the stairs. I was about to run into the shadows when I saw him. Levi was leaning all his weight on Dad. He looked sickly. He had needle marks in his arms, bruises on his wrists and ankles. He had what looked like slice scars all over his chest and legs. Zuri whimpered at the sight of him. "We will get him healthy again." I linked her. She was quiet after that, but I could still feel her close to the front of my mind. "Daddy, what happened to him?" I asked as I gently touched Levi's cheek.

"They were using him as a lab rat. My wolf can't reach his. I don't know if Levi still has his wolf anymore."

When Dad said that, I felt my heart sink all the way to my toes. I opened my link to Zuri, but she spoke first. "He's extremely weak. He's barely holding onto life. The wolf's bane is killing him. He needs the pack doctor."

"Use the shadows. Take him to the hospital. Now! His wolf is dying!" Dad didn't wait a second longer and jumped into the shadows. I turned to Ken and handed Isabella to him. "Stay with Ken, Isabella. I'll come get you when Daddy is feeling better." I turned away and took off at a sprint towards the hospital. There was no stopping me at that point. My mate was finally home after three long months and he needed me.

I stopped at the front desk, out of breath. The nurse already knew who I was looking for. She pointed to the surgery room. Dad was pacing up and down the hall in front of the doors. I didn't want to sit, but my back said that I was going to whether I liked it or not. So, I sat down, but my leg bounced the whole time.

It felt like forever, but the clock only said that it had been an hour. When the doors opened, I bolted to my feet and looked at the doctor. He and his wife held smiles. That usually meant good news. "We have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" She asked.

"Slap me with it, then stick a bandaid on me and send me home."

"Well, his wolf is near death and we won't know until tomorrow if he will keep his wolf. The good news is, we managed to pump enough anti-vemon in him to stop the wolf's bane from killing him. We put him in a coma so that he can heal better. We will know more as we go."

I nodded and followed his scent. When I opened the door, there he was. Lying on the hospital bed hooked up to tubes and wires. In the better lighting, he looked even worse. His skin was gray, his cheeks were sunken, he had very big bags under his eyes to the point that he almost looked like a raccoon. I felt my eyes burn with fresh tears. After all the crying I had done over the past three months, I didn't think I had the ability to cry anymore.

I sat in the chair beside the bed all night. I wasn't going to leave him, not even for a second. I wanted to be there when he woke up. The doctor said it may take a while for him to heal and wake up, but that was okay. I would wait as long as it took.

It had been about a week now and Levi still hadn't woken up. "His wolf." Zuri linked me. I waited for her to continue. "I can feel him getting stronger. We can help them. We have the power to heal him with a spell."

"Is that safe for our pup though?" I paused, touching my swollen belly. "If it's not safe for the pup, I won't do it."

"The pup will be fine. A healing spell is much softer than a spell cast for fighting." Zuri sounded very sure of this, so I was willing to give it a try.

I stood and placed my hands on Levi's chest. After reciting the incantation, I felt a warmth spread through my body and my palms began to glow with a soft blue light. The monitors Levi was hooked up to started to go haywire. The door burst open and doctors and nurses rushed in to see what was happening, but they stopped as soon as they saw that I was using my powers. They stood still and quiet, just watching me.

The glow faded and I felt dizzy. There was a lot more damage done to him than what I could see on his body. I felt my legs give out from under me. I felt someone catch me, but my eyes were too heavy to look at who it was. For a moment, it felt like I was floating, then I felt myself slip into slumber.

Levi's P.O.V.

I knew someone had taken me away from the hunters, but I wasn't sure who it was exactly. I don't know how long I was asleep for, but I know that I wanted to get back to my girls and just hold them in my arms.

I could hear the steady rhythm of a heart monitor. That alone told me that I was alive and in a hospital, but was I safe? I mean, I don't know who it was that took me away from the hunters. I could feel my wolf in the back of my head. He was alive. I felt at ease that he hadn't died, but he's weak. I connected a link with him. "Are you alright, Ace?" I asked.

He groaned and stirred. "I'm weak, but Zuri and Ava helped. They used their healing magic on us. If they didn't, I'm not sure if we would have survived." He paused. "You need to open your eyes now. Ava is here with us."

I slowly opened my eyes. The light in the room stung my eyes, making me have to close them again. "Did you see that, Henry?" I heard Ava say.

"Yes, I saw. I'll turn the lights off." I heard Henry's footstep, then a clicking sound. "C'mon Levi, open your eyes."

I opened my eyes slowly. It was still bright, but it didn't hurt as much. I blinked a couple of times and looked around. My eyes landed on Henry first, then Ava. I smiled. She was safe. I kept looking at her, noticing that she was rather underweight. Furrowing my brow, I tried to speak, but it only came out as a croak. I guess it had been a while since I tried to use my voice for speaking. I looked at Henry again. He seemed to know what I was trying to say.

"She thought you died. She stopped eating and seeing people. Locked herself in her room. If you ask me, it's not very healthy for the pup that she's carrying inside her."

Pup? Ava is pregnant? I did at first doubt that the pup wasn't mine, but when I thought back, her moods had started to change just before I was taken by the hunters. She also didn't smell like any other male than Henry. "You're--" I looked at Ava, who had a shy smile on her lips. "Ava, this is amazing!" I tried to sit up and hug her, but she stopped me.

"Don't try to get up. I wasn't able to heal all your wounds. There're still some deep ones." She paused and I gently took her hand in mine. "I'm sorry. I tried to get them all, but--"

"Ava, you did wonderful. If you hadn't done what you did, I doubt I would be awake right now. You've done enough. I can take it from here."

I know she doesn't like being cut off, but she needed to know that I am alive and awake simply because of her. I'll admit, I've never loved someone as much as I love her. She's strong, beautiful, smart and so much more that I can't even start to explain.

"Ava, it's time to let Alpha Levi rest. You also have a doctor's appointment in ten minutes." Henry guided Ava out of my room as she watched me until she couldn't see me anymore.

Henry's P.O.V.

I pulled Ava along the hallway to the doctor I set up the appointment with. She didn't want to leave him, but he needed as much rest as he could get. "Alright. The doctor is going to measure the pup, ask about your diet and other things. I want you to answer honestly. Don't leave anything out, the doctor will know just by looking at you. You know she's good at reading people."

"I know but--" She paused, wringing her fingers together.

"I know. You are worried about Levi and you don't want to leave his side. I was like that with my mate too, but he will be just fine. He's safe in our pack hospital. He's getting the best medical care the doctors can give. Not to mention, you healing him, just boosted his chances of survival." I paused pulling Ava into a tight hug. "Alpha Levi is home. He is safe. You have him home. Isabella is happy he has returned. You be happy too, Little Sister."

By the time I stopped talking, we had arrived at the maternity ward. "Luna Ava Windford is here for her appointment." I spoke to the nurse sitting at the desk. She nodded and typed away on her computer.

"The doctor is ready to see you, Luna." The nurse walked Ava to a room. I decided to just sit in the waiting room for her to be done.

"Ava is frightened." Kane suddenly spoke in our link.

"She's just afraid of the equipment the--"

"No! She is in pain and frightened!" With Kane saying that, I bolted to the room she was in. I threw the door open to see Ava hunched over in pain. Her pants were soaked. I knew exactly what was going on. This pup was coming early and there was no stopping it.

Ava crushed my hand and screamed out in pain. I'll admit, she is much worse than my mate was, but Ava wasn't dilating.She was stuck at four centimeters, no matter how many contractions she had. "We have no choice, Beta Henry. We are going to have to do a c-section. She's not dilating and the pup's heart rate is dropping."

"Do what you need to, to save them both." Levi's stern voice cut through the room. Everyone but Ava looked over at him, even I had to look. Levi was using his Alpha tone on everyone.

Ava was taken to the emergency room quickly. Levi and I were told we were not allowed in the room due to this being an emergency c-section. I felt everything the doctors were doing, and because of that, I was Levi's informant. I hissed in pain as I felt them cut Ava open. "They just cut her open." I told Levi. He just nodded and waited for me to tell him more.

When I didn't say anything for a while, Levi asked; "What's happening to Ava, Henry?"

I groaned, holding my stomach. "I feel like my guts are being slowly pulled out. I am feeling parts of my body that I know for a fact, I don't have. Goddess. This is more pain than I can handle." I couldn't catch my breath. I could feel my knees start to tremble.

"Henry?" Levi called out to me. He sounded distant to my ears, even though he was now standing in front of me. "Henry, are you okay?" I couldn't hold myself up anymore. My knees buckled and I fell. I felt myself hit the cold hospital floor, then nothing.

Levi's P.O.V

"Henry!" I yelled. He had hit the floor and now he wasn't responding. "Help! Someone help!" I called out. Nurses quickly came running.

It was quickly determined that Henry had to be sedated anytime Ava was in the hospital. Especially if she was in surgery of any kind. Now with Henry sedated, all I could do was wait for the doctors to bring me any news of my mate and pup. No one knew if the pup was male or female. Only the Moon Goddess knew.

As the time ticked on, I became more worried. It had been over an hour now, but it felt like weeks had passed. Finally, the door opened and a doctor walked out. His scrubs still had blood all over them. Just from the scent on him, I could tell it was Ava's blood. I stood as he walked up to me. "Congratulations Alpha. Your mate and pup are healthy and doing wonderfully."

"Can I see them?" My heart pounded in my chest. The doctor nodded and led me to the V.I.P suite. I thanked the doctor and walked into the room. Ava looked up at me and gave me that smile that made me fall in love with her all over again.

Ava's P.O.V.

I looked up from my perfect little pup as Levi walked into the room. I couldn't help but smile. I was so happy that he was safe and able to meet his pup. "Hey." I spoke softly.

Levi sat beside me on the edge of the bed. "Hi." He spoke just as softly as me. "I heard you and our baby are doing well. I'm glad." He smiled at our pup.

"Yes, he and I are doing very well." I paused and giggled. "I feel eight pounds lighter."

"A boy, and sitting at eight pounds? How? He's so small." Levi gently took our baby into his arms.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but he's an Alpha. I can feel his aura already." Levi looked shocked for a moment, then a smile spread across his lips.

We didn't talk for a while. We just sat there with our baby we had yet to give a name. We wanted to wait for Isabella to get here with Mom and Zayden. They were going to come tomorrow. They wanted to give Levi and I a chance to bond with the pup first. I was more than happy to do just that.

I don't remember falling asleep, but when I opened my eyes, Levi was feeding our pup a bottle of formula. I smiled at him, but my eyes still felt heavy. I let them close, but I hadn't fully gone to sleep yet. "Rest Ava." Zuri spoke to me. "You are going to need it."

"What do you mean, Zuri?" I asked, but she just closed the link and curled up in the back of my mind. I rolled my eyes at her, but soon drifted off into slumber once again.

I woke up a few times to feed my pup when Levi was too tired. That didn't bother me any. I was used to waking up in the night with Isabella.

I got him back to sleep after changing his diaper and feeding him. It had to be the middle of the night by now. The moon was full and high in the sky. I'd usually go for a midnight run on nights like this, but I didn't have the strength to shift nor the energy to run. Instead, I curled up on the bed and slipped into slumber again.

When I opened my eyes again, it was early morning. I looked at Levi. He was still asleep, so, I rolled over and looked into the basinet where I put my baby back down to sleep. I jolted up when I saw he wasn't in there. I looked around the room, but no one was in there. I sniffed the air, but his scent was old. Not bothering to wake Levi, I rushed out of the room to the nurse's desk. "Where is my baby?!" Growls mixed with my words. The nurse looked shocked and looked over her files.

"He should still be in your room, Luna. No one was asked to take him." My anger spiked and I couldn't hold it back.

I screamed.