Prologue: A Difficult Goodbye
"How did you manage to hide the pregnancy?" The doctor peers at me over his glasses and listens to my heart, the cold stethoscope giving me a chill.
"I thought you said no questions asked?" I shoot a look to the woman standing beside me.
"You don't have to answer." Elenora drags a chair beside the bed and looks at me seriously. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? It can't be undone. Once I open the portal and deliver the child, he will be gone forever."
Nervously I look at the doctor and I know Elenora can tell I'm uneasy with him in here.
"Aria, Doctor Cloud is one of my trusted advisors and sits on our covens council, he can be trusted, but if you are more comfortable with him out of the room so be it. Doctor, may I have a few moments alone with her?" She asks and he politely nods and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
"You have taken a great risk by coming here, what will the Alpha say?" She asks while she hands me more Kleenex to dry my tears.
"The Alpha is dead. His brother is crazed and challenged him for the position. My poor Jax refused to fight him, and Eric didn't even think twice before he murdered him. He is forcing me to marry him. If Eric finds out about our pup, he won't hesitate to kill the child too. He's ruthless. The wedding is in a month, I need my baby far away, where Eric won't find him."
"Why not go with the boy? You can both go into hiding." She asks sincerely.
"I can't leave my people. My father and my Grandfather were both Alpha of this pack and I have a duty to them. As their Luna, I simply can't run away. Eric is a heartless monster, but perhaps if I marry him and stay I can make things better for them."
"It's a noble thing you're doing, but there are no guarantees that your son will live a happy life. I have no control over what happens to him once I transfer him through the portal. I'll ask this last time, are you sure that you wish for this?"
It breaks my heart, but I know my answer is and will always be yes. I know that if my baby stays with me he will be murdered so that no one can take Eric's place.
"I'm sure," I say, and tears spring anew in my eyes.
"Do you want to see him?" She asks and I struggle with an answer. I think that maybe it would be easier to let him go if I don't see him, but I have a deep need to look into my baby's eyes just once before I let him go forever. I nod and Elenora leaves momentarily and returns with a small bundle in her arms. She hands him over to me and with one look I am madly in love with my child. He has a thick head of black wavy hair and his eyes are mesmerizing. He has one fierce blue eye and the other is emerald green.
"He's a stunning child. He looks like you."
I look at my little boy and I know he is going to have the heart of a lion. He will thrive. I pray he will live a beautiful life. All I can give him if he comes home with me is certain death at the hands of his uncle.
"May I name him, before we start?"
"Yes, I can place the name with him when he is transported. But there are no guarantees that those who find him will keep it."
"Leo. Leave the note with the name Leo." She nods and points to a bassinet that is in the corner.
"It's time. Place him in the bassinet and then I will ensure he is transported to a place far from here. One that is far from this territory, where he won't be found." She waves her hand and a doorway opens in thin air. "Our coven is only doing this for you as repayment of a debt we owed your pack. In the eyes of our council, we are now even. Let your grandfather know that we appreciate the protection he gave us in the elder's war."
I nod and hand the bassinet over to her, tears streaming down my face as I do.
She takes it from me and disappears into the portal. She is only gone but a moment before she is back and then with the wave of a hand the door disappears and I drop to the ground sobbing at the loss of my little boy. My little Leo. A piece of me is forever gone, I've lost my mate and now my only child. When I return to Eric, there is nothing he can do to me now that will be more painful.