Chapter Thirty-Two #2
My mother grasped her side. “I don’t think they agree with you, Momma.” She wrapped her arm around her back, and Wendy stepped up to my side, taking my place. “Baby?” My mother looked at me over her shoulder as she spun the groaning Alannah back towards the cabin.
“Yeah?” I felt my stomach clench as I watched as my friend was herded away.
“Finish here. Then come upstairs.” She turned away as Rowan stepped up next to me.
“I don’t think we have the time to stay for the birth.” His voice was soft, but Toya came back to our side.
She closed her eyes for a second and she shook her head. “All the mindlinks from my pack were severed.” Her voice was soft but filled with worry. “I’ve been trying to reach my father since the battle.”
I reached for her hand, and she shuddered as the skin of our hands brushed each other, and another flash happened. “What is happening?”
Rowan shook his head. “I don’t know. But the fact that the Moon Goddess is showing her favor so much right now doesn’t sit well with me.” He grabbed for the shovel he dropped. “Let’s finish here so we can talk to your mother.”
Rick stepped closer, catching me off guard. He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. “Shelly took the girls inside, but I feel something too.” Everyone turned to me. “What do you feel?”
I took a deep breath and cleared my mind as I closed my eyes. I felt a steadying hand on my back and I thought it was Rowan, but then I felt power rush through me.
Open yourself. That voice sounded familiar, but it wasn’t my mate or my grandmother. I shifted, and I felt her tsk at me. Don’t worry about looking at me, child. You have seen me before; take what I am giving you. You will need it before the end of the night.
What will I have to do?
You will know. The Moon Goddess pressed against my back. The twins will be born under the light of tonight’s moon, and I will watch over them for you, for the male in that cold dark hole. But you, and your trusted here, will need to take the pathway.
The pathway? As the power filled me, I felt the Goddess mark on my brow light up, and Rowan stepped closer. Whether chasing the draw of the power, or just trying to keep me close, I didn’t know for sure.
“What’s happening?” His voice held a hint of wonder and worry in equal measure as his eyes danced over my face.
You know the way. Your pack needs you. The kingdom needs you.
Darkness is creeping in around the edges, and it needs to be stopped.
The power rushed in faster. You need to be full, or all will be lost. The power needs to be a last resort.
If you abuse it, if you waste this gift, then you will lose everything.
Everything? My mind started to race as the power filled every inch of my body.
The power flowed to my toes and slowly filled me.
My feet filled quickly, and I knew I could run faster than anyone alive.
Then my knees, and jumping became something I could do between breaths.
High walls meant nothing to the power coursing through me.
But my body slammed to a dead cold when the power reached my core.
Two howls ripped through my body, twining together, until they ripped from my lips in a terrifyingly protective display. Rowan reared back from me, fear creeping in as he whipped around to stare out into the trees.
“What is it?” He spun in a circle, checking every dark shadow. “Is someone here?”
The king doesn’t know yet, not unless you tell him.
Which, if you ask me…he has the right to know.
The Goddess seemed to pause, the power pooling in my stomach.
This is not a guarantee but an offering.
A prize, if you will. But heed my warning.
Even for your babe, waste nothing I give you, or else you will lose it all.
I will watch over the ones here. Save my people.
And rise, Queen Amy. The power surged and filled the rest of my body, and then, like a cry on the wind, she was gone.
The power burned just under my skin. Any breath I took, I felt I would explode out, shooting sparks, or maybe fire out with each exhale. But I pushed it away.
Rowan cupped my face. “Baby, talk to me…what’s wrong?” He leaned in. “And don’t lie to me.”
I raised my hand and pressed his hand against my face.
“Nothing’s wrong.” He lifted an eyebrow as I smiled.
“The Moon Goddess revealed something to me.” I pulled his hand away from my face and pressed it against my stomach.
“She was giving me power for what’s coming, and with it, she revealed that we… ”
Rowan pulled in a breath. “What?”
I shook my head. I had to think of what I would say next. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “When the goddess was giving me power, I felt something.”
He cupped my cheek. “Tell me.” The trust and devotion in his eyes settled me.
“My babe.” His breath caught.
“You're pregnant with my pup?” I shook my head.
“Shush. Just listen.” I grabbed his hands. “When the goddess was filling me with power, when it reached my stomach, I felt it. The flutter of life.” I struggled to find the words. “But it was familiar. One I had grown to know, one I had memorized.” His brow furrowed.
“You aren’t making much sense. All babies move the same.” He tried to make sense of my jumbled words.
I shook my head. “In my first life.” I think in that moment he started to understand, and his face turned a little sad.
“What are you saying, Amy?” Toya’s voice was soft. But I could feel her behind me.
I shook my head. “I’m just going to say it out loud, and then we can argue about the ridiculousness of it.
” Rowan waited patiently for me to figure out my thoughts.
“The Moon Goddess said it wasn’t a guarantee, more like a prize, but I felt the flutter.
The life that she was offering. If we manage to beat this back, if I do what she needs me to do. I can get back my son.”
Rowan swallowed past a lump in his throat. “Your son with Brandon?”
I shook my head and clung to his hand as he was pulling away. “No. He wouldn’t be my son with Brandon. But our son. Our love. Our passion. Our blood, sweat and tears. But his soul. The life cut too short, reborn in safety and love.”
He tilted his head. “So you’re not saying you have to mate with Brandon?”
I threw back my head and laughed. “Goddess no!” I wrapped my hands around his face. “The only time I will ever touch Brandon again will be when I am ripping his tongue from his mouth.”
Rowan smiled. “Our babe, our son.”
I nodded. “If we can get through this.”
He leaned in. “Well then, let’s finish here so we can make a pup.” He winked at me before he snagged a kiss from my lips.
“While this is all good and lovely. Can we finish this? I have a bad feeling brewing.” Rick tried to sound joyful, but I felt the dread creep back in.
“Sorry.” I grabbed the shovel that Toya was holding.
“Don’t apologize.” Toya cut Rick a look. “Finding out you have a chance at getting your child back is monumentous.”
Rick held up his hands. “It is.” He looked down at the grave.
“I’m really not trying to ruin that for you.
But we have one friend dead. More deaths are likely on the horizon, by the feeling in my chest. I know I’ll have to leave my mate and kid here once again.
And I’m pretty sure the shield is gone.”
His words hit all of us. “He’s right.” I cut in before anyone else could argue.
“The shield will rebuild. Slowly. That’s why my mother, Wendy, and Shelly are staying here with the girls.
That way they can run to the other house if they need to.
” I met his gaze. “But the rogues here are gone, and the Moon Goddess said she would watch over the ones we left here.” I watched Rick’s worries melt away.
“What we have to worry about is ourselves.”
Toya nodded. “Let’s finish here. We have a long way to go.” I nodded once. We all turned back to the grave and finished it quickly. I was still trying to find the pathway when I heard another scream come from the house. “She must be getting closer.”
I lifted a shoulder as we walked in. “This could last all night.” I told the rest to wait down in the living room when I started up the stairs. Rick walked over to his mate, who was watching over the two little girls.
Rowan, a little shyly, walked over to Carly. “Hey pup.” His soft words caught my ear, and I paused on the step.
“Hi Daddy Ro.” Carly’s voice was soft, but slightly hopeful.
“You don’t have to call me Daddy if you don’t want to.” Rowan settled next to her. “I’ll be whoever you want me to be, sweetheart.”
“I know; I talked it over with my daddy before he went with the Moon Goddess.”
I smiled softly as I continued up the stairs. The hope I had was warring with the dread pooling in my stomach. I wanted this. The mate, the pups, the life. But I knew that there was something coming that could take it all away.
And that something was coming fast.