Beneath a Moonless Sky - Book One (Moon Child Series)

Chapter Fourteen

Lucians POV

I gazed up through my tears at an amused looking Magnus. My nose was already mending itself, the pain already faded but I’d been shocked at Elaina’s brutality and prowess. Fenris however was very much turned on at Elaina’s strength and ability to defend herself.

“Lucy! You got some splainin to do.” Magnus joked as he helped me to my feet, the old joke making me feel very much at home.

“Yeah, yeah. I think my bloody nose is explanation enough.” Magnus threw an arm over my shoulder and we slowly walked back to the pack house. Exiting the trees that edged the pack house I watched an angry Elaina talking to Emma, who rubbed her swollen belly. Their eyes fell on us as we approached, and my heart fell when Elaina stormed inside, and Emma waddled up to us. Magnus took a step back from me, obviously seeing something in his mate that I missed.

“Emma, you look am- s**t!” My nose exploded with fresh blood as Emma’s small fist connected with it. I fell to my knees clutching my again broken nose.

“Ok. I deserved that.” With a huff she turned and stormed off as fast as her pregnant belly would let her.

“Welcome home Lucy. We missed ya!” Laughter rang through the clearing as Magnus fell to the floor.

“Nice to know my pain amused you Maggie.” I rose from the grass and slowly made my way towards the kitchen to clean myself up. Walking in I froze.

Elaina knelt in front of the little girl who had said she was Princess Mia, a cloth in hand and she gently wiped away the flour and chocolate adorning her precious little face. She stiffened when I entered but continued cleaning Mia of the mess that covered her. When she was done Mia gave her a little Eskimo kiss.

“Thank you mummy.” And then she ran off.

Wait a second? Mummy?! Mia was… Elaina was…

“You’ll catch flies with that mouth, young man.” I shut my mouth with a resounding snap and turned to Elaina.

“Elaina, I-” she turned and left, throwing her bag over her shoulder. I went to follow but a firm hand holds me back. Magnus shook his head sadly as Mrs Murphy handed me a wet face towel.

“Like I said Luce, you’ve got some explaining to do.” With a sigh and my head hung low I followed him up to the Alphas office where a scowling Emma already sat on the plush couch in front of the window, absentmindedly stroking her belly. She got up when we entered and stormed towards me. Magnus stepped in front and kissed her softly on the nose.

“No more punching noses today my sweet. Let him explain himself.”  Her eyes raged with anger.

“What’s to explain Magnus?! He abandoned her! Left her to deal with a pregnancy and birth without him and not to mention having to raise them always having to answer them whenever they asked where daddy was.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she spoke, her hands in tight fists. Did she just say them? Confusion was swimming through my head. What the hell was I missing? Fenris whimpered in my head as we listened intently to them talk.

“I know love. Let him at least try and explain before we pass judgement.” He wiped gently at her cheeks and pulled her in for a soft kiss. I looked away feeling like I was intruding on a private moment. I turned to the door as it was flung open and my mouth widened into a smile as Mary walked in. But my happiness at seeing her was sort lived as for the third time that day I felt my nose break as Mary’s fist connected with it.

“s**t man. Is there something in the water here? Women punching me, seriously!” Mary huffed and stepped forward for another go but I was grateful when she was held back by Julius. I would have thanked him, but his scowl told me not to even speak unless I had to. Such a nice welcome I’d returned home to.

“We’re just waiting on Colin and Mason and then you can begin telling us your side of the story.” He held up his hand at Emma as she opened her mouth to say something and she sat back with a huff. Moments later Colin and Mason enter, neither looking happy to see me. Maybe I just should have stayed at Blue Water. Magnus turned to me his eyebrow c****d.

“So? Better make it good because there’s a whole line of women waiting to punch you, old friend.” I sat back with a sigh and prepared to explain what had happened, while I wiped the blood from my nose with my cloth.

I explained what happened after Magnus had left, how I’d felt an intense need to see Elaina, needing her comfort; how I realised she was my mate the minute she opened the door; how we’d made love and I had to leave.

“You couldn’t have waited till morning?!” Emma scolded. “Instead of just wham-bam-thank you mam.”

“I couldn’t tell her what I was. She’s human. I had to leave.” Realisation hit Magnus and he sat back his hand on his mouth.

“Well if you’d just waited you would have known that she isn’t a human, that she’s a witch and it would have saved her all this heartbreak wouldn’t it.” Emma snapped at me. I watched her storm out as her words washed over me and my heart stopped.

A witch?! My Elaina was a witch? She wasn’t human after all. All these years of pining and torture because I thought she was human. If I’d waited just one more day, spent one more day with her…. My head fell between my knees as nausea took over me. Bile rose in my throat as I thought of the pain, she must have felt at finding out what I was. I sat up suddenly, my gaze finding Magnus’.

“Wait. Do I have a daughter?!” Magnus nodded a grin look on his face.

“And a son.” He replied softly. I jumped to my feet and paced, no longer able to sit still.

“Twins? I-I have twins?” Tears streamed down my face as I came to the realisation. I was a father. We are a father Fenris purred in my head. Elaina has given birth to my children. She was the mother of my child. And she’d had to do it alone.

“Magnus. I have to explain myself to her. Please.” My voice broke on the last word as I begged. She had to know why I did what I did.

He sadly shook his head as he stood from his desk, his arm wrapping around my shoulder.

“I will see what I can do Luce. But it is in Elaina’s hands to decide whether or not she’ll speak with you. I’ll sit her down and have a word with her. But what she says goes. Ok?” I nodded stiffly and watched him leave. Mary slowly approached me and threw her arms around my neck.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about why, I just thought about how hurt Elaina was. I’m sorry.” She clung right to my neck as she sniffled into my neck. I patted her back softly.

“It’s alright Mary. I’m just glad that Elaina has an amazing family willing to protect her.” With one last sniffle she let me go and followed Julius out of the office. I followed suite and ran out to my car to grab my suitcase before heading upstairs to the third floor where the beta slept. Shoving my suitcase into the corner I flung myself on to the bed, staring at the ceiling trying to come up with a plan to win Elaina back. Fenris screamed at me to just go down to her and claim her. Make her ours. But I shook my head at him. No, Fenris. We need to give her time, give Magnus time to explain to her. Fenris huffed at me in frustration as we stared up at the ceiling, moping.

 ***

Elaina POV

I lay on the couch staring up at the ceiling as the sounds of Mia’s favourite movie, Princess Diaries 2, played in the background and Luca played with his trucks in the corner. My mind was still whirling from what had just happened and I could feel my magic crackling through the air around us at my frustration. One minute I was pinned beneath his warm weight as memories came flooding in, the familiar tingles that I’d yearned for years to feel again running up and down my body, and then anger when I’d remembered him saying he loved me, and then rising in the morning to an empty bed. When my forehead had connected with his nose it felt good. But now my heart ached. What was I going to do? I needed him like I needed air and yet I couldn’t even look at him without my heart breaking all over again.

Small hands grasped and squished my cheeks as I stared up into eyes so much like mine.

“Mummy, why are you crying?” I sat up and pulled her into my lap, brushing the tears aside quickly.

“It’s nothing my little Princess.” With a small shrug of her shoulders she sat back into my chest and continued watching her movie.

After a few minutes of silence, she turned to me again serious look on her face. “Mummy?”

“Yes. Little Princess?”

“Can we have that nice man over for dinner soon? I liked him. He looked just like Luca.” My heart dropped into my stomach at her words. The room shook lightly as my emotions brought my magic to the surface. I thought I’d finally gotten that under control after five years of training.

“Um… mummy will have to think about that little one, ok?” She nodded quickly and kissed my nose before jumping of and joining Luca with his trucks. I sat back into the couch, closing my eyes, and taking deep breaths. I felt my magic simmer down as I heard the front door open and close and glanced over to the door as Magnus entered. I rose from my seat and stormed past him into the kitchen already knowing what he was going to say.

“Don’t even Magnus. I’m not talking about him, or to him for that matter. Drop it.” Magnus sighed and sat at the kitchen island. I busied myself with making the twins dinner as Magnus warred with himself on what to say next. I felt my magic boil up again with my anger and I closed my eyes.

“Can’t you just let me explain something that you probably don’t know about Lucian?” I turned to him and slammed the tray of chicken nuggets I was carrying onto the island, the room shaking with my anger, thunder crackling outside.

“I’d known him all my life Magnus. What could you possibly tell me that I wouldn’t already know that would excuse him abandoning me as he did?!” I knew I was speaking to my Alpha and should watch my tone, but he was also my friend and he knew the heart break I had gone through. Another sad sigh and Magnus placed his hands over mine, ignoring the shock of magic that sprang up his arm.

“Did you know that his parents weren’t really his parents? That he’d been adopted into a human family?” I felt frozen, my body no longer able to move. “I’ll take your silence as my answer.” He rose from his place at the island and walked around to me, his hands softly gripping my forearms and he stared imploringly into my eyes. “Let me explain to you why he left and then after that you can make your decision.” I nodded slowly, my body numb as I threw the chicken nuggets into the oven and began chopping up the veggies, as my magic simmered back down again. Magnus resumed his place across the island and took a deep breath.

“Ok, so first thing you need to know is that until his 18th birthday, the day he first shifted, Lucian did not know he was a shifter.” I listened quietly as I placed the carrot and peas in a small saucepan. “I’ll leave it to him to explain his feelings and actions to you, if you’ll let him, and I’ll stick to the cold hard facts.” I nodded in agreement. I wasn’t too sure if what Magnus was about to tell me would change my view on Lucian, but I owed Magnus enough to at least listen.

“The day Lucian shifted he learned that the parents he’d known his whole life, weren’t his real parents. His biological parents died when he was just a couple of months old. His mother was human. When the Shifter King found out about their mating and the fact that they had had a baby together, he forced the shift onto her. When she died from the stress of the shift, so did his father. Heartbreak.” My heart dropped into my stomach and I felt as though I was going to pass out as realisation hit me. But my anger would not lift. I was still mad at him. He abandoned me, but he thought he was protecting me. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel. I was so confused. Nothing and everything made sense. Then anger took precedence and once again I felt my magic rush to the surface, the house starting to vibrate as thunder and lightning crashed through the air.

“If he had just waited one more day, he would have known that I’m not human! I’m a witch! He should have waited!” My voice rose with each statement, my heart aching as I remembered the pure agony I felt when I realised that he was gone. Screeching filled the air as the fire alarm went off.

“s**t! The nuggets!” I flung the oven open and grabbed the tray. Searing pan radiated up my arm as I touched the hot tray from the oven. Magnus ripped the tray from my grip and shoved my hand beneath the cold water. My mind as numb, all but my hand was numb. All I could hear was muffled sounds. Magnus was speaking to me but all I could do is watch his mouth move. I’m not sure how long we stood there, my hand under the water, but I was shaken out of my daze by a concerned looking Fergus.

“Love! Answer me!” I shook my head to clear it as I pulled my hand from the stream of water. It was utter chaos. The alarm was still screeching as Connor waved a tea towel underneath it, Mia and Luca were clinging to Magnus with their little heads nestled in his neck and sobs coming from their little bodies, and my phone was ringing in my pocket.

“Sorry. I think I went into shock.” Fergus nodded slowly and cupped my cheek.

“We should get you to Dr Grey.”

“I’ll take her.” Magnus volunteered. He gave the twins each a soft kiss on their heads and handed them to Fergus. I blew them each a kiss as Magnus led me out of the house and to the Pack Hospital.

“What the hell happened there, Elaina? You zoned out on us for like 20 minutes.”

“You hit me with a pretty big bombshell Magnus, and then I burnt my hand. I went into shock. It wasn’t in my control.” Magnus sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand.

“Sorry, you just freaked out the little ones and my protective uncle side came out.” I chuckled along with him.

“No, I’m sorry. I was just extremely overwhelmed by it all.” We were coming up on the pack hospital when I saw him. Lucian. He was jogging up to us, making my heart leap and then drop. I wanted nothing more than to smash my lips onto his, but I also wanted to do the same with my fist. My head was doing some major flip flopping and I felt dizziness consume me. Magnus grabbed my forearms and steadied me.

“Woah, Ell. Are you ok?” his voice, Lucian’s voice, made me swoon. The mate bond was affecting me more than I thought it would.

“I need space.” Magnus scooped me into his arms and ran me into the pack hospital. I was placed on a stretcher and wheeled into a private room where my vitals were read, and torches flashed into my eyes.

“Lucian, she’ll be ok. Just give her the space she asked for and when she is ready, she will come speak to you, ok?” Magnus’ voice was an echo in the distance. My consciousness was disappearing and then all I could see was darkness.