Chapter 6: The Parasite
1066 Words
Morning didn't bring sunlight. It brought a woman in a white coat.
She looked out of place in the dark, masculine luxury of Valerius’s penthouse. She smelled of antiseptic and fear. Mostly fear. She kept glancing at the door where Valerius stood, leaning against the frame, arms crossed, watching.
“I am Dr. Aris,” she said, her voice tight. She began unpacking a portable ultrasound machine on the bedside table. “Mr. Valerius said you experienced... trauma.”
“I'm fine,” I lied.
I pulled the silk sheet higher, covering my chest. My body felt heavy. Not tired, but drained. Like I had run a marathon in my sleep.
“Lie down, please.”
Dr. Aris squeezed clear gel onto my stomach. It was freezing. I flinched.
“Sorry,” she muttered. She pressed the transducer wand against my skin.
The room went silent, save for the hum of the machine. I stared at the ceiling, counting the crystal teardrops on the chandelier. One, two, three...
I didn't want to look at the screen. Looking made it real. If it was real, Marcus could kill it. Or take it.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
The sound filled the room. It wasn't the soft, fluttering galloping sound of a human baby. It was deep. Rhythmic. Heavy. Like a war drum beating in the deep.
Dr. Aris stopped moving the wand. She squinted at the screen. Her brow furrowed.
“That's... odd.”
“What?” Panic spiked in my chest. “Is something wrong? Is there a heartbeat?”
“There is,” she said slowly. “It's strong. Too strong for six weeks.”
She turned the monitor so I could see. There, amidst the grey static, was a tiny bean-shaped shadow. But it wasn't just a shadow. It was glowing. On the monochrome screen, the fetus was surrounded by a halo of white-hot light.
“The energy signature,” Dr. Aris whispered, her hand trembling. “It’s off the charts. And look at the color spectrum.”
She tapped a button. The screen shifted to color doppler. Usually, blood flow showed as red and blue.
This showed as Silver.
“Silver energy,” she breathed. She looked at Valerius with wide, terrified eyes. “Sir, this isn't a normal pup. It’s... it’s feeding.”
“Feeding on what?” I asked, sitting up.
“On you,” Dr. Aris said bluntly. She pulled the wand away and wiped the gel from my stomach with a shaking hand. “Your core energy is depleted. Your wolf is practically in a coma. This fetus is acting like a parasite. It’s draining your magical essence to fuel its own rapid growth.”
A parasite.
My hand flew to my stomach. I felt a wave of protectiveness so fierce it almost knocked me over. “Don't call him that.”
“It's a medical term,” she said, packing up her gear frantically. “If you don't intake massive amounts of calories and raw energy, this thing will suck you dry before the second trimester. You'll wither away.”
She zipped up her bag. She couldn't get out of there fast enough.
“I'll leave supplements. But she needs meat. Rare. And rest.”
She nodded to Valerius and practically ran out the door.
The silence returned. Heavier this time. Valerius walked over to the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight. He didn't look worried. He looked... satisfied.
“A parasite,” he mused. “Strong survival instinct. Just like his mother.”
“I'm going to die?” I whispered.
“No.”
He reached for a silver tray on the nightstand that I hadn't noticed. He lifted the lid. The smell hit me instantly. Iron. Salt. Meat.
A steak. Massive. Seared on the outside, raw and bleeding in the middle.
My stomach didn't just growl; it roared. My mouth watered. It was a primal, animalistic hunger that bypassed my brain entirely.
“Eat,” Valerius commanded.
He cut a piece and held it to my lips on a silver fork.
I didn't hesitate. I took the bite. The flavor exploded on my tongue. Rich. Metallic. Life-giving. I chewed and swallowed, feeling the energy hit my bloodstream like a drug.
“More,” I gasped.
Valerius fed me. Bite after bite. His violet eyes watched every movement of my throat, every lick of my lips. It was intimate. Possessive. He was feeding his investment. His weapon.
“Good,” he said softly when the plate was clean. He wiped a drop of blood from my lip with his thumb. “Now that you have your strength... we need to talk about the bounty.”
“Bounty?” I froze.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sleek black smartphone.
“Marcus thinks you're dead,” Valerius said, sliding the phone across the silk sheets. “But he isn't taking chances. He put a hit out on the 'Rogue Witch' who cursed him at the border.”
I looked at the screen. A dark web news portal.
[WANTED: ROGUE FEMALE. SUSPECTED WITCH.]
[REWARD: $1,000,000]
[STATUS: DEAD OR ALIVE]
One million dollars. My blood ran cold. The steak sat heavy in my stomach.
“I have to leave,” I said, my voice rising in pitch. I threw off the covers. “I can't stay here. If they find me here, they'll know you're involved. I'll bring war to your doorstep.”
Valerius moved faster than I could blink.
One hand clamped onto my wrist, pinning me to the bed. Not painful, but absolute.
“You aren't going anywhere, Elena.”
“Why?” I snapped, struggling against his grip. Tears pricked my eyes. “I'm just a rejected Omega! I'm nothing!”
He pulled me forward until our faces were inches apart. I could smell the storm inside him.
“You are not nothing,” he growled, his voice vibrating through my bones.
He took my hand and pressed it flat against his chest, right over his heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Slow. Powerful. The heartbeat of a King.
“Marcus thinks you are a curse. But I know what you really are.”
His gaze dropped to my stomach, then back to my silver-rimmed eyes.
“You are the vessel of a new era. And until that baby is born... you belong to me.”
- Writer
