CHAPTER 9
1236 Words
"Don't let them take my baby."
The words, raw, harsh, and desperate, spilled out of me before I could stop them.
My body trembled uncontrollably, every nerve screaming danger, yet I could still hear the voices overlapping, feel the hands on me, and hear my scream resonating off the stone walls of Moonspire as the darkness came and went like waves.
My wolf pleaded, "Please stay awake." "Please stay with us."
I said, "I am here," uncertain whether I was speaking to her, to myself, or to the tiny, ferocious life that was struggling inside of me.
Alaric's arms grew tighter around me as he carried me out of the council chamber, his heart pounding loudly and rapidly against my ear, fear rolling off him in heavy waves that smashed straight into the bond.
"You're safe." "I've got you." "I won't let them get near you," he repeated.
His voice trembled, though.
I was more afraid of that than the pain.
---
In the warm, dark rooms of the healers, which smelled of moonflower oil and crushed herbs, they laid me gently on a bed and pressed my hands over my tummy, the only thing that calmed me.
"The stress caused the reaction." "Her wolf is protecting the baby, but the bond is unstable—" Elias remarked sharply, his fingertips glowing slightly with healing light as he checked me, moving swiftly and whispering to himself.
Will the kid survive?"Alaric inquired.
I didn't breathe.
Elias paused to reflect.
I nearly broke during the one silence.
"There is a heartbeat." "Strong. Persistent," he remarked at last.
Relief hit me with such pain that I curled up, gripping my stomach with one hand and the blanket in the other, and a sob escaped from my chest.
I said, "Do you hear that?" *You're still here.*
Beneath my palm was a faint, steady beat.
A beating nobody is aware of.
Existing.
For a moment, Alaric didn't appear like an Alpha at all; instead, he looked like a broken man as he knelt beside the bed and laid his forehead on the edge.
"I felt it." "During the surge," he replied in a raspy voice. It was more than just the friendship. They were that.
I gave a feeble nod. "I didn't want you to be scared the first time you found out."
His eyes were crimson around the edges when he looked up. "I should have known something was off." "I should have done a better job of keeping you safe."
"This isn't your fault," I murmured, but I couldn't help but wonder if it was my fault.
Elias cleared his throat. "Alpha, we need to have a talk."
Alaric's eyes immediately became hard. "If this has to do with the council—"
"It is." Elias said, "And what happens next."
I had trouble sitting up. "Don't make any more decisions about me without me."
Alaric grabbed me by the back and helped me stand. "We're listening."
Elias lowered his voice. This link is in doubt because "the council thinks this child is a destabilizing force." It is a disputed Luna. "An heir born during a time of political strife."
I felt sick to my stomach. "Why do you treat my child like a weapon in your speech?"
"In their eyes, it is." Elias remarked quietly, "A strong one."
Alaric's mouth clenched. "They said they would separate."
"Yes," Elias replied. "And they weren't lying."
Like a knife, the hush plummeted.
"They can't," I answered quietly. "They won't."
Elias corrected them by saying, "They can," "Unless you go."
Alaric whipped his head around to face him. "Leave?"
"Tonight." "Before the order is final." The guards will then have the authority to use force to exterminate the Luna, Elias stated.
My heart pounded. "Run?"
"For now." "Go away." "Keep the child safe," Elias urged.
Abruptly, Alaric rose and began to pace the room like a caged wolf. "They'll accuse us of being guilty and paint her as a traitor if we leave.
"They already have," Elias replied. "The only thing that matters is if she's alive to fight back."
Alaric halted his movements.
Slowly, he turned to face me.
Fear, love, fury, and dedication all fought at once as his eyes scanned my face. "Say the word." "We're leaving together."
My chest constricted.
Together.
It had all the things I want and would destroy him.
They will split up the group, and "Elowen will be crowned." I added quietly, "If you leave, they'll take away your title."
"Let them." His lips twisted in contempt.
I raised my eyebrows. "You are the only thing that keeps this pack together." "They win if you run."
"What happens if I stay?"What?" he inquired."I lose you."
Between us, the truth hung heavy.
gently replied, "I won't let them use our child against you." "Or against the group."
He knew what was happening.
"No," he replied sharply, "not at all."
I said in a whisper, "I have to," so I could go silently. I am aware of ways to cross the border. locations where the council's authority is limited.
His voice grew progressively softer. "I won't let you go into exile by yourself."
When I said, "You won't let me," "You'll be keeping us safe from here."
Pain was visible on his face. It is a punishment. "This isn't protection."
I said, "For both of us." "But just for a while."
I put my palm on his stomach and reached out to him.
"Strong." "There's a heartbeat." "Hard-headed."
He gasped.
The words "This child is yours," I repeated. "And I need you to stay Alpha long enough to keep them safe."
He closed his eyes.
He felt something solidify inside of him when he opened them again.
I'll breach their laws if I have to. "I swear to you," he continued, his voice trembling with rage, "this will not end in exile."
I grinned, but it was an unhappy grin. "I know."
The door shook with a loud, unexpected knock.
Three short blows.
Council Code.
When Alaric turned to face it, the wolf immediately arose. "They're early."
Elias muttered curses to himself. "They've moved the order ahead."
My heart pounded. "How long do we have?"
Elias gave me a direct look and said, "Minutes." Not hours.
Alaric wrapped his cloak around my shoulders after removing it from the chair and said, "I'm taking you out the east passage."
I firmly answered, "No," "That's watched."
"I'll fight them."
"And endanger the infant?"I snapped. "Think, Alaric."
He froze.
They won't see it coming. I continued, "The lower tunnels." "The ones that are under the old wing." Despite my weakness, I stood up.
With a nod, Elias said, "I'll keep them busy."
Alaric grabbed Elias' arm and said, "If they touch her—"
"They won't." Elias answered, "I swear it."
There's another knock, louder this time.
"Come on," said Elias.
Alaric pressed his forehead against mine and gave me an almost painful hug.
"Come back to me." he said. "Please."
I said, "I will," to you. For our child.
The door began to open.
With my hand pressed to my tummy, I moved into the shadows behind the secret panel when Alaric released me and turned to face the council guards, his eyes burning.
My heart pounded hard and quickly.
And I realized for the first time—
It wouldn't be long before this secret was revealed.
- Writer
