Fall of the Luna (completed)

Prisoner

                The sound of footsteps in the hallway was enough to prevent Aldrnari from continuing her story. She shifted uneasily as Thiago entered the room. Avoiding his questioning gaze, she excused herself and ran a little too quickly out of the room. Worried for her only companion, Kayla cleared her throat to catch Thiago’s attention and sure enough, his gaze softened as he focused on her. They went to the adjacent room together where the ultrasound machine was and proceeded with the routine check-up. “You’re all clear now, Kayla, congratulations!” These words were like the most beautiful melody to her ears and for the first time since she had been kidnapped, Kayla allowed her joy to overcome her. Lost in the moment, she embraced Thiago as tears of relief and joy rolled down her cheeks. The need to share that moment with someone was all too great, and she was grateful to her friend for helping her to keep her miracle alive.

               “I think this calls for a celebration, doesn’t it?” Kayla snapped back to reality as Jake’s familiar voice reached her ears. She looked up and saw him leaning against the door, his eyes fixed on her. As he took steps towards her, a chill ran up her spine and she could feel her heart hammering faster and faster. Thiago glanced worriedly at Kayla and protested weakly against his cousin but Jake was determined today. He had held back for a month now, for the sake of the baby and consequently, Kayla’s heath. Only the Goddess knows how much he had missed her. Even if she was not his mate, his heart yearned for her in a way that he couldn’t explain. If anything, Kayla is the only thing in his life that he was thankful for, the silver lining in the betrayal of those he trusted the most. “Leave us, Thiago,” Jake commanded in his Alpha voice and Thiago had no choice but to obey.

              Kayla’s emotions were on a rollercoaster ride as her kidnapper came closer and pulled her into his arms. The uncontrollable joy that filled her heart just now was now replaced completely by dread and she felt an urge to throw up like she was physically repulsed by the man holding her. “I’ve never apologized to anyone or admitted defeat at anything but for you, I’m willing to do all of that. I’m sorry, Kayla, for everything. I never meant to hurt you or lie to you and I need you to know that all those years ago, it wasn’t me! It was my Beta and Martha! They drugged me and manipulated me to treat you the way I did. Goddess knows how much I wish I could turn back time and change everything. I’d have made you my Luna in a heartbeat and I’d never have forced myself on you or taken another shewolf in front of you.” Jake’s voice quivered as his grip on Kayla tightened. His confession did nothing to alleviate her fears and he could feel her shaking in his arms but he didn’t intend to let go.

              After a long time, Kayla managed to calm herself down and she asked Jake, “would you let me go then? If you really care for me like you say you do, would you let me go?” Her question seemed to flip a switch in Jake’s mind as he suddenly released her from his embrace and grabbed her wrists before pushing her back down onto the bed. His body came down hard on hers as he took her lips forcefully. Afraid that her baby would be hurt, Kayla didn’t dare to struggle and her mind began to go blank. She could feel her thoughts detaching themselves from her physical body and just before she was completely gone, his lips left hers. “I can give you anything, anything except leaving me,” Jake said through gritted teeth. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to look at the hatred in her eyes for him and left.

              As soon as Jake was gone, Kayla curled up into a ball and sobbed. She felt dirty again, like five years ago after Jake had deceived her, r***d her and nearly robbed her of a chance to be a mother. No, this time she wouldn’t allow history to repeat itself. She refused to sit around and allow Jake to hurt her again. Having made up her mind to run away, Kayla started to contemplate how she could pull off an escape. She has never even left the second floor of the penthouse before and she knew right then that she couldn’t do it alone. Aldrnari! She was the only person that Kayla could think of to ask for help.

              As dinner time approached, Kayla pep talked herself to beg Aldrnari for help to escape. Yet, no amount of pep talk could ease the doubts in her mind. Why would Aldrnari even help her? Besides, why is she even here and what is her relationship with Thiago or Jake or even Martha? “Knock knock, dinner is here,” announced Aldrnari as she placed a tray of food beside Kayla. However, this time, she didn’t stay to chat and turned around to leave the room immediately. It was now or never, thought Kayla. She took the knife off the tray and slashed her inner thigh. Blood gushed out from her wound and she quickly placed the knife back onto the tray while screaming out loud in pain. Aldrnari turned around and ran up to her but Kayla wouldn’t let her touch her. Instead, she clutched her belly and continued screaming while blood gushed down between her legs. “Oh s**t, oh s**t, we need to get Thiago!” Aldrnari rambled on as panic clouded her judgement. After a few seconds, she managed to gather herself and pulled out her phone to call Thiago, but it went straight to voicemail.

              “Please help me, Aldrnari, please,” Kayla pleaded, her face getting paler by the second. Aldrnari shut her eyes and let out a loud sigh before calling Jake. “Alpha, I’m taking Kayla to the hospital now before she loses her baby. I can’t reach Thiago,” Aldrnari spoke as fast as she could into the phone and hung up, not giving Jake any chance to respond. Then, she helped Kayla to her feet and rushed her to the first floor. Two warriors stopped them but Aldrnari chanted something under her breath and they stood rooted to the ground, unable to move. Once they were in the basement, Kayla quickly delivered a punch to Aldrnari’s neck and back, rendering her unconscious. “Sorry, but I need to do this for my baby,” Kayla whispered as she searched Aldrnari’s pocket for the car keys. Having found what she needed, she ran to the car and started to drive towards freedom. The roads were oddly familiar to her and Kayla realized quite quickly that she wasn’t that far away from her pack lands. In fact, it was just a two hour drive and she was in human territory right now.

              Her wound was still bleeding and she knew that she needed to find a place to dress her wounds and call for help. She spotted a motel not too far away and decided to for it. As she pulled into the car park, she realized that she had no money and the familiar sense of hopelessness started to fill her heart again. A small zap in her tummy encouraged her to fight for herself and her baby. Grabbing a towel she found in the backseat of the car, she pressed it against her wound to stop the bleeding and then proceeded to use it as a provisory bandage. There was a payphone in the car park and Kayla decided to give it a try. Her fingers shook as she dialled Leyton’s number after the operator put her through for a collect call. Every second, the hope in her heart grew fainter but her brother didn’t disappoint.

              “Hello, Leyton of Gold Moon Pack speaking. Who’s on the line?” The familiar voice broke all the last defences that Kayla had and she cried uncontrollably into the phone. “Kayla? Is that you? Thank the Goddess! Is it really you?” Realization dawned on Leyton followed by a thousand other emotions of joy and relief as Kayla’s crying could be heard over the line. “Please Leyton, please help me. Please help me.. my pup. I ran, I’m so scared, please save my pup.” Kayla was becoming incoherent and disoriented. “Slow down, little Kay, where are you? Tell me what do you see around you and I’m coming to get you right away,” Leyton assured her as gently as he could, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. Before Kayla could answer, a hand grabbed the phone out of her hands and slammed it against the payphone booth.

              “Why do all of you betray me? Why?” Jake’s cold and emotionless voice chilled Kayla to the bone. Flashbacks of her last failed attempt to escape from Jake five years ago overwhelmed her thoughts and her body began to shake uncontrollably. The humiliation of being tied and chained up in his dungeon while he f****d her mercilessly as his Beta watched, the shame of not being able to control her body as she came again and again at his touch, the pain of the whips on her bare skin and the hopelessness of not being able to escape that fate again stripped her of any last bit of sanity. Kayla clutched her head and screamed in anguish as her legs gave way. Instead of the cold pavement, a warm pair of arms caught her but it didn’t bring her any comfort. Her heart wrenching screams became quieter and quieter until she lost consciousness. Blood continued to flow down her legs but this time it was diluted with a clear liquid. “Her water broke, Jake. We need to get her back to the penthouse and deliver this baby.” Thiago grabbed Jake’s arms and tried to make him understand the urgency of the situation. Failing to get any response, Thiago gave the ultimatum to his cousin. “If we don’t go now, she will die. Is that what you want?”

              Jake swiftly scooped Kayla into his arms and headed towards his car with Thiago while his warriors cleaned up the scene and masked their scent to prevent anyone from tracking them now. Werewolf pregnancies normally lasted for 3 months but the events of the day were inducing a miscarriage. Once at the penthouse, Thiago knew he had no time to lose and proceeded to perform a c-section to save both mother and pup. After many hours, he finally managed to deliver the little pup and keep Kayla alive. The weak cries of the little pup filled the room and Thiago motioned for a pack member to wash up the pup. Hearing the cries, Jake entered the room to check on Kayla and seeing that she was still alive, he let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. Gently, he caressed her face and wished that she’d be so willing when she was conscious. She was willing. She loved you. She loves us, remember! His wolf whimpered loudly in his head and he knew that he was right. She had loved him before but because of Martha and his Beta, he had pushed her away. He can’t let anything come between them again.