Vivianna
My life had changed on so many levels in the span of a few hours.
I’d lost a child and the grief was heavy on my heart, causing me to just want to hide away from the world, but I couldn’t.
I was now a mother who was woken every few hours to feed my living newborn baby girl.
My stomach ached, but I knew it was healing quickly enough for how drained I was by the ordeal.
Over the next two days, I’d been allowed to start working towards eating solid foods again— a sad thing to find some enjoyment in.
The only real change was a nurse came to check on me and Hope every few hours, but wouldn’t tell me what they were tracking or looking for.
I didn’t see them take readings for anything out of the norm for post surgery.
As for Hope, everything I’d seen told me she was in perfect health.
When I asked if they knew anything about Violet the nurses would shut down and leave the room as quickly as they could.
Soon they stopped talking to me all together and this set me on edge— they were hiding something from me.
Finally on the third day, Dr. Faulk came to do his own evaluation of me and Hope.
He reached out to touch her, but I let out a warning growl that had him jerking back his hand. “Do not touch what isn’t yours if you want to live your next breath.”
I had to take a few calming breaths so I didn’t lunge at the man who clearly had a death wish. It was no secret that Faulk was a little daft in the head, but this right here proved to me how little self-preservation he had.
“There will never be a chance that my child will see you as anything other than the twisted creature you are. I have no parents therefore, Hope has no grandparents other than those still living with my seven mates,” I clarified.
Faulk just blinked at me a few times as if what I said wasn’t making sense to him. “Did they not tell you?”
My body froze in a stark contradiction to the hammering of my heart.
No, no, no, no— I can’t. If he tells me they are dead I won’t be able to survive that too.
Why the fuck are we even going to believe anything that comes out of this freak’s mouth?
You’re right, there is no reason whatsoever to think he is going to be honest with us. All they want is to break me so I surrender to them, that way they can take what they want from me.
Of course I’m right, how could you even think to doubt me? I’m not saying this is going to be easy or that we won’t come out of this with chinks in the armor, but we will survive.
“Tell me what,” I rasped, when Faulk didn’t say anything more.
He fidgeted in his seat and dropped his eyes, unable to hold my full attention. “There was an uprising on Kursar. A group of soldiers Vadik left behind, along with many of the townsfolk attacked your mates...”
I could feel my body tensing at his words until Hope started to whimper in my arms as I held her too tightly. Putting all my focus on her, I relaxed, nuzzling my face against her cheek breathing in her vanilla and rose scent.
“They put up a valiant fight, killing all of our men but at the cost of backing themselves into a corner,” Faulk continued.
“Overwhelmed by the pack and the fact that someone set fire to the forest, they were lost over the side of a cliff. It’s been two days and no one has found their bodies, but it’s safe to assume they have perished.
There’s no way they could have survived that fall into the sharp rocks and freezing waters. ”
Don’t believe a word this asshole says, we would know— they are our mates.
But I haven’t been able to feel them once since I’ve been here. Even now that I’m free of all the drugs they were pumping me full of, I can’t seem to reach them.
You knock that shit off right now. Didn’t we just agree that this windbag wasn’t to be trusted?. Girl, I know you’re emotional, but we have to trust they wouldn’t leave us here like this.
They don’t even know about Hope and Violet. Hell, we don’t even know where we are, how could they.
My wolf let out a snarl as she mentally slapped me across the face.
I will bite you if you don’t stop talking like that.
Find your big girl pants that you seem to have lost and grow the fuck up.
We are a mother now and I’ll be damned if Hope grows up knowing these men as anything other than dead— you hear me?
As much as I wanted to give into the grief and crumble under Faulks words, my wolf was right. I needed to fight, I was bloody and broken after losing Violet. Eventually, I would be able to mourn her the way she deserved but I had to get out of here first.
“You’re lying,” I said, my voice cold as ice. “There is no reason for me to trust anything that’s coming out of your mouth.”
It was then that Jason entered the room with a stormy expression on his face. “Leave us Faulk.”
Without a second of hesitation Faulk got up from his seat and exited the room. It made me wonder what Vadik and Jason were promising this man to keep completely under their thumb. Jason stalked over to me and took the seat Dr. Faulk had just vacated, his gaze pinned on me.
“We will be transferring you to another location tomorrow,” Jason stated.
“With the situation on Kursar and The Collective staking a claim on the island, we need to make sure you are secure. You not being present on the island doesn’t change the fact you are still Dama of the Imperial Dawn pack.
This is a declaration of war against you and as your mates, against us as well. ”
I could feel the blood drain from my face as the meaning of his words hit home. “They really killed them? My mates... they’re gone?”
“Yes little queen, you no longer have anyone coming for you,” Jason answered with a smirk.
I don’t trust this snake one bit. Why would he need to hide us if no one is coming to look for us? Something’s not right.
Then it hit me. “You wanted this to happen. All along, you wanted the Collective to go after the Kursar so you had justification to go after them.”
“It seems you are as smart as the good doctor promised you would be. Yes, we needed your mates to be killed so that we could claim you as ours, so when the Collective made a move against you I had the perfect opportunity to come out of the shadows,” Jason explained.
“You see, Vadik and I have been working together for a long time to gain control over all the werewolves. Now he will rule over the eastern hemisphere and I will take the western.”
“How could you hope to control that many wolves? All it would take is for one alpha to stand against you and rally their own army,” I challenged, not understanding his confidence.
Jason tossed back his head and laughed. “Oh little queen, you have no idea the ground work we have put into this. The good doctor has been trying to solve our infertility issues, but...he is also the reason they have declined so rapidly over the past hundred years. You see we needed something that every wolf could come together and support— well that turned out to be children. No one wants to see the werewolf race die out.”
“Let me guess, that’s where I come into play,” I growled, clenching my jaw against the fury I felt.
“Bingo.”
Jason reached out and smoothed his hand gently over Hope’s head, ignoring the snarl I send his way. “You will be the mother to a whole new race, one where the magic has returned.”
“What are you talking about?” I snapped standing up, so I wasn’t boxed in by the chair.
Jason swiveled on the stool tracking my movements.
“You mean your late mates didn’t figure it out?
Not even the seer?” When I didn’t answer him, he shook his head.
“Seems we saved you from living life with a group of complete idiots. It’s a good thing none of their lines will carry on past Hope, we wouldn’t want stock like them polluting our new generation. ”
“Okay now you are sounding as bat-shit crazy as Faulk,” I pointed out.
“That is because you don’t see it yet, but how could you, when you don’t know what you are.”
Would he care to share with the class then?
He better soon or I’m going to get stabby again.
Can I just say I’m loving this new darker vibe you’ve gotten since becoming a mother.
“You and Vadik are linked together in more ways than you know. Faulk took from our ancestor to create you and doing so he created the yin to Vadik’s yang; chaos and balance, good versus evil, the giver and the taker,” Jason droned on.
Wait, wouldn’t that mean if we mated with these two it would like incest right? Eww, that’s definitely not happening.
“I know for a fact that some of your previous mates had “gifts” shall we say. This used to be common in our kind until they started mating with humans and diluting the genes. Those of the Dark Moon pack never allowed that to happen, so we have kept the magic alive within our wolves. Vadik’s gift is to take power from those who he kills, lending him strength to rule over all he conquers.
It is a gift that has been passed down from one of the original seven mates of Sasha.
What we didn’t expect was for you to be born with Sasha’s gift, the power to give power and magic to those who taste your blood,” Jason finished looking pleased with the shocked look on my face.
“Now do you see it? What would an alpha want more than ensuring his line continues… power of course.”
“So not only do you plan to sell my children to the highest bidder, but my blood as well?” I demanded, outrage boiling in my chest. “It’s not bad enough to keep me locked away and pregnant, but you want to let people bite me too.”
“Now you’re getting it,” Jason said, rising to his feet and approaching me.
“While you were sleeping, we tried to see if taking your blood and giving it to someone in a vial would work, but sadly it didn’t.
Seems they will have to get it from the source, we of course won’t let them bite you.
We just need to cut you with a bit of silver is all. ”
Girl, it’s time to get the hell out of dodge. We need to come up with a new plan and fast.
“We have a limited time that you can give your blood though, because once you’re pregnant it is far too risky for the baby to lose that much blood. As of now, you will stop breastfeeding Hope and we will switch her to formula, so her nourishment is not reliant on you.”
Hearing his words caused me to snap and I felt my wolf surge forward trying to shift, but I still had Hope in my arms.
No. We can’t protect her as our wolf we need to stay human.
He is a dead man walking, if I don’t get to sink my fangs into his throat soon, I’m going to lose my shit.
We will, but now is not the right time, this has to be done smart.
“Why on earth would I agree to any of this? You just laid out your hand and what I heard you say is you need me alive and well so that I can be your blood letting broodmare,” I pointed out just as Hope started to fuss.
Jason let out a warning growl, as I turned my focus to my daughter lifting her to my shoulder and running a soothing hand down her back.
“You will agree to this little queen, or I will take your child away from you and hide her where you will never see her again. Do not test me, because I am far from a patient and reasonable man.”
I glanced over at him, seeing the darkness in his eyes peeking out, making me want to shiver but I didn’t. There was no way I was going to let this man know how much he could affect me with his threat, but it also made me that much more dangerous.
“No, indeed from what I’ve seen you’re nothing but a monster. Willing to step on or use anyone in your way,” I stated.
“Good, you’re getting the idea. Now, when my men come for you tomorrow, I expect you to be ready, if you’re not...” His threat hung in the air as he brushed past me and left the room.
Looking down at Hope and her face scrunched in irritation I kissed the top of her head before running my nose along her cheek. “We’ve gotta get out of here my darling, and fast.”