Page 35

Azura

E verything is a blur...

Fear, horror, panic.

Leo.

I don’t know how, but I want him to fix this. He seems to be the type to always know what to do.

I was always strong and didn’t need anyone, but it’s weird that he gives me a sense of strength and safety.

When he took back his rejection, I felt my wolf come to life like a cool wave washing over me. Then when he told me to mark him… I knew it was for this baby, and that’s all that mattered to me. Our baby deserves to live.

The strength I felt was immediate. The pain in my stomach had subsided, and then whatever he had injected into me seemed to work. I had felt a similar sensation to how it felt when Kiara healed me in the past. A strong surge of coolness washed over me.

He looked guilty. The worry in his eyes so raw and intense that I didn’t know what to say. The way his hand rested protectively on top of mine on my stomach…

I was about to say something when Kiara had come, but when she tried to heal me… nothing changed, and when she spoke, I understood why. Leo saved our baby by himself.

The sheer relief I feel is unexplainable. My baby is safe. Thank you, Goddess. Thank you, Leo.

He had turned away, simply saying ‘good’ in that cold, emotionless voice of his. That cold exterior had returned with full force. I now look at Kiara and Raihana.

“How are you here?” I ask them.

“Your mate got Uncle to call Kia, and, well, I was the teleporter here.” Raihana smiles, her brown eyes warm. Kiara nods as she caresses my hair.

“Leo called you to this pack?” I ask, uncertain of what to think.

“Excuse us.” The doctor smiles politely, and all four women present leave the room.

“He did.” Kiara smiles. “For you.”

My heart skips a beat, but I remain silent. I feel as if I’m not in my body, as if I am looking down on all of this. The most important thing is that my baby is okay. Our baby.

“He sure has changed. I’ve not seen him in years. He’s lost his pretty boy looks,” Raihana remarks, making Kia smile.

“It has been ten years since we saw him…” she says sadly.

Ten years… yet he called them for me. Well, for our baby. He did this for our baby, not me, and that’s okay, because at least I know now that although he hates me, he cares for our pup.

There is a knock on the door, and I adjust my gown before the door opens, and there stands Marcel and Alejandro.

“Hey there,” Alejandro greets me. He cups the back of my head and kisses my forehead.

“How are you feeling, Azura?” Marcel asks. I feel a little guilty that he didn’t know I was pregnant with his grandchild…

“I’m okay,” I reply.

“And so is the baby,” Raihana adds as Marcel gives her a hug.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he says quietly.

They make small talk, but I am unable to focus. The weight of the situation is heavy on my shoulders. We have marked one another to save our baby… but… what about us as a couple? It isn’t enough. It just... isn’t. He doesn’t want me… but now that he knows I am carrying his child, will that change his mind? I don’t want that. I don’t want that to be the reason… I just don’t.

“Are you okay?” Kiara asks, running her fingers through my hair.

“Yeah.”

I have my hand on my stomach under the sheet, feeling relieved. Seeing our little baby on that screen again and Leo’s reaction, it was a moment that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I am a mess.

“Well, it’s late. I think we should all head back to mine. You haven’t come here in years, and it would be an honour to have you here. Azura, I think you are better off at mine, too.” Marcel smiles gently at me, and I nod.

“Sounds like a good plan. I think I’ll spend the night with my sister whilst you two catch up,” Kiara states, smiling at the men.

“Ah, sounds like a plan,” Marcel chuckles. Although Alejandro doesn’t seem too keen on the idea, he simply nods, his eyes on his mate.

“I’m going to head back. Thank you for the offer, though, but I haven’t even brought my clothes or anything,” Raihana says with a toss of her long dark hair. Marcel chuckles.

“Ah, of course, how can I forget that you need your essentials? However, thank you for coming in time.”

“Obviously I do, I have a reputation to uphold. Also, there’s no need to thank me. We weren’t really needed, but I’m actually glad to have popped down to see that ass of a Rossi after years.” She shakes her head before smiling at me. “Get him on a leash, girl. You’ve got it in you to get him in line.” She winks at me as Kiara chuckles.

“Thank you, Raihana.” I smile slightly, and she gives me a nod before she chants a spell. A wave of power fills the room before she vanishes.

Being the eldest granddaughter of Endora, she is the one to inherit that magic. Witchcraft is passed down from eldest daughter to eldest daughter. Endora herself never had a daughter, so it went to her first granddaughter. She is a powerful witch and the Luna of a pack as well.

“I need to clean up a little…” I say. My legs are covered in blood, and I feel sticky.

“Yeah, sure, but I think the fucking question is, how the fuck did you end up in hospital to begin with?” Alejandro asks. I freeze mid-way from pushing my blanket off and look at them as all three turn to me. Marcel frowns deeply.

“The Delta of this pack attacked her. That’s all I was told by my Beta, who has him in a cell until Leo deals with him.”

“Leo, not you?” Alejandro asks, taking out a cigarette.

“Baby... not in the hospital,” Kiara reminds him softly.

I get off the bed, the blood that coats my legs a reminder of what almost happened. Emmet…

“Fuck,” he grumbles, shoving the pack back in his pocket.

“Yes, Leo. He is the one that deals with everything.”

“Yet you refuse to fucking give him the title. I told you to do it, I don’t care about the consequences. I’d like to see what exactly he does,” Alejandro tells his brother as he goes over to the box that Leo had left.

“I know…”

“What the fuck is this?” Alejandro asks.

“That’s what he gave me to heal,” I answer before entering the adjoining bathroom, wishing I had something else but this tiny gown to wear…

I don’t know how to feel. Emmet had known about my pregnancy which meant Jackie had told him. He had tried to hurt my baby on purpose. I won’t forgive him for that… and I want to know what Leo is planning to do about it.

It is much later into the night. I have showered and changed into some clothes that someone had brought from my apartment for me. I only have a little dinner, not feeling up to it after everything that had happened. We talked to Mama earlier, although we didn’t mention what had happened, not wanting them to worry. I told Kia to fill her in when she was alone, without Dad around.

I am now lying in bed in one of the bedrooms of Marcel’s mansion with Kia curled up next to me. She is fast asleep, her hand resting on my stomach protectively. It is past midnight, but I am unable to sleep. I feel so restless. Emmet’s final words ring in my head,

“If I’m going down…”

How sick is he to target an unborn child? And let’s not forget that now Leo knows about this baby.

“Can’t sleep?” I turn my head, looking into Kiara’s gorgeous eyes. I sigh heavily, staring back at the ceiling.

“No.”

“Want to share?”

“Well, I was thinking about Emmet. How could he target an unborn child? You know, Kia… he reminds me of him. He was beating his mate, and she was hiding it from everyone. She even denied it! He got angry because I told Leo about it.”

Kiara sighs as she props herself up on her elbow. “Mm… so, it reminded you of him… you know, abusers try to justify their actions one way or another. I just hope this Jackie is strong enough to break away.” Unlike Indigo…

“Yeah… I hope so, too. I wonder what Leo will do…”

“You two have marked one another… maybe you could ask him?” She suggests gently. I had told her that earlier, but she also knows it is still complicated.

“Not today… I don’t even want to face him right now,” I whisper.

“What is it, Zu?” She asks softly. I sit up slowly and stare at the bedding, shaking my head slowly. How do I explain everything I am feeling?

“At least I know he’ll be a good dad,” I say, shrugging. She smiles.

“Oh? Have you seen him around kids?” I tilt my head.

“Don’t you know that he has a five-year-old son? Corrado?” I ask curiously. No, she doesn’t. The surprise on her face answers that.

“Oh… from an Omega or…” She closes her eyes, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I -”

“I don’t even know who his mama is, but it doesn’t matter. He’s adorable.” She seems relieved, but I can see she wants to ask me something. “Shoot.” She smiles slightly before becoming serious.

“Did it… remind you of Atlas?”

Atlas, my half-brother... a sour taste fills my mouth. I realise why she’d say that. I am being biased, maybe, but Corrado is not born from an affair, or I at least hope Leo was faithful to the mother at the time, and he hadn’t been dating anyone else while with her.

“It’s different.”

“He’s a good person Zu…” she whispers, and I simply frown.

“I’m surprised Marcel never mentioned it,” I say instead, changing the topic.

“No, he didn’t… I’ll ask him tomorrow… but then again, he hasn’t said much about this pack, respecting Leo’s wish. Marcel is just stuck in the middle, wanting this to work,” she sighs before smiling gently. “Let’s not worry about that for now. Leo cares for you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have called for me.”

“Or he cares for his pup,” I suggest. I am happy that he does, don’t get me wrong… but at the same time, I don’t think us as a couple will work. He already told me he regretted marking me…

“Talk to him,” Kiara encourages softly, almost as if she knows what I am thinking. I nod, not sure if I will, as I turn my back to her.

“Yeah…” I say, closing my eyes. She runs her fingers through my hair tenderly, and I appreciate her not pushing the topic.

I am blessed to have so many who love me… but doesn’t Leo realise he does, too? I saw the way he became distant when Kia and Raihana had entered… the way he just wanted to leave…

With Kia’s comforting touch, sleep soon overcomes me, and I welcome it…

I am staring at something intently through maybe a crack or bars… I’m not sure…

I am terrified. I don’t know why, but I am. A shriek of agony reaches my ears, and I begin looking around frantically.

“Please stop! Don’t hurt her!” A young boy’s voice leaves my lips as my entire body shakes with anger, frustration, and fear. I begin running, climbing over what looks like some rocks, and stare down into the dimly lit room. The sight before me makes my blood run cold.

There on the floor in a five-pointed star, surrounded by symbols written in what looks a lot like blood, lies a woman. She is pinned to the floor with four daggers, one embedded through her wrists and two through her ankles. This is dark magic… I can feel it.

My eyes blur as I take a shuddering breath, and I wipe them in irritation. Pain and agony are clear on her face as a dark, smoky shadow swirls around her. Everywhere it touches her, it slices viciously into her skin.

“Please stop! Don’t hurt her!” The strangled sob leaves me.

Where am I? What is this?

“Shut him up before I kill him, too,” a woman’s voice hisses ominously, and it is then that I see her. Her back is to me. She is wearing a long black dress, her hair is halfway down her back, and she has her hands raised. She begins chanting, and the room seems to become darker. There is an immense evil around her, one that is beginning to grow around the woman on the floor, a woman with brown hair and ashy skin.

Skin that is littered with scars, burns, and bruises.

“Yes.”

Marcel? It sounds like him, but it is a voice void of emotion.

“No! Dad, save Mom!” I seem to scream again, and it is then that I realise what this is.

A memory. Not just any memory, but one that belongs to Leo. I am in Leo’s head.

My heart is pounding as Marcel approaches, pulling open the barred door and grabbing me by the collar.

“You need to learn to control yourself, boy,” he growls.

“Dad! Please help her!” He begs. Marcel shakes his head, his eyes blank as he drops me, or should I say, Leo, onto the ground.

“Lock him up,” he growls.

“Please! Help Mom!” Leo’s scream breaks into a sob, and then something strikes the back of his head. Jarring pain seems to split my head open, and my eyes snap open.

My heart is pounding violently as I look around. I am back in the bedroom at Marcel’s mansion.

That woman was Endora. The one on the ground with daggers in her wrists and ankles was Leo’s mom. I feel sick. What had Leo been through and seen as a child…

I sit up, staring at the clock on the wall, unseeing, with only one thought in my mind. What else is Leo going through? The fact that that memory or nightmare came to me means Leo is still having nightmares of his past. I pull my legs up, tucking them against my chest and wrapping my arms around them. No matter what I do to calm my erratic heart, I am unable to, feeling tenfold more restless.

Suddenly the restlessness seems to ease, and I realise that it had been Leo’s feelings. It is hard to differentiate between my emotions and his. But he must have put his walls up just now.

Leo?

What is it? His reply comes after a moment.

Can we meet? I need to talk to you, I say quietly. I don’t know why I said it, but the emotions I just felt were intense… I need to see that he is okay. Silence follows, and just when I think he won’t reply, he does.

I’ll be there in ten.

Okay.

I slip out of bed, unsure of what I will say when I meet him, but I don’t think I am going to be able to sleep anyway. I guess here goes nothing…