Page 32 of Forsaken (The Nightwolf Pack #3)

CHAPTER 32

S erafina

“Y-You did this to me!” Reese’s scream rips through the walls of the Nightwolf pack’s private health clinic.

The three alpha male wolf pack leaders standing around me go stiff. Montgomery wordlessly slips his hand around mine, holding tightly. I expected that. Ironically, out of the three, he’s the most emotionally supportive.

What surprises me is the way Noah takes a hold of my free hand, bringing it to his chest. This is followed by Ronan's arms wrapping around my waist as he stands behind me, pulling me against his chest.

After the pack meeting and Ms. Elsie’s call, the three of them refused to let me out of their sight. They insisted they would come with me back to New Mexico to be with Reese for the birth.

Although I tried not to let it, it caused my heart to swell seeing how they dropped everything and spent hours driving to make sure I was here. And now, they haven’t left my side.

While part of it, I assume, is out of fear that I might use this as an opportunity to ditch them. What’s more, though, is I can feel how much they’re picking up on my own fear. It’s the reason they’re standing so close.

“She’s going to be alright,” Montgomery says in my ear.

I turn to him, and he smiles down at me. I can’t help but recall the first time I saw him, laying there on that cold, metal table, lifeless. Then all of a sudden, he was in his wolf, protecting me. Flashforward to him being the one in this clinic, unconscious on the verge of death from what that horrible doctor did to him.

My heart aches.

Somehow, I believe he senses this because he leans down and brushes his lips across mine. Fire blazes through my veins although there’s nothing passionate about the kiss. He’s comforting me with his touch.

“All your fault!” Reese screams again.

I look over at Ms. Elsie, who’s the only member of the Nightwolf pack here at the clinic. Chael and Reese, along with Dr. Drake and two of the pack’s nurses, are in the birthing room.

As it turns out, Reese’s birth is going smoothly. There haven’t been any complications, which Ms. Elsie was kind enough to inform us as soon as we arrived.

“Just normal birthing pains,” she assured us. “But she’s still asking for you.”

I swallow, wondering why Reese is so insistent that I be here. I’m sure she has more important things to worry about than me.

Even the rest of the pack hasn’t been allowed in the clinic. Though, it’s likely because Reese could feel all of their nervous energy.

“That type of stress isn’t good for her or the baby,” Ms. Elsie had said. “Not that there’s any need to worry,” she quickly added.

“She must be hurting,” I mumble.

“She’s doing great in there.” Ms. Elsie rises from her seat, moving to stand in front of me.

She takes each one of my hands from Montgomery and Noah. A move neither one of them likes too much if the glares they give her are any indication. I have to elbow both of them for them to knock it off.

Ms. Elsie notices and merely chuckles at their silly jealousy.

“How have you been, Sera?” she asks, guiding me to a chair in the waiting room. She takes a seat next to me.

I wiggle in my seat. “I’m fine.”

Her lips spread into what should be a smile but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She looks across the room at my three mates.

“We’re going to be here for a while. Why don’t you three go ahead and unpack your belongings, at the house. There’s plenty of food leftover from dinner, if you’re hungry.”

“No, we’re staying right?—”

“And I’m certain Beta Chance could use some assistance with doing tonight’s perimeter check. He could use a break considering he’s pulling double duty and likely worried about his new nephew, as well.”

Her words come out soft enough, but no one in the room misses the command for what it is.

I almost laugh when I watch all three of my mates looking between one another. They’re certainly not used to taking orders from anyone. Not that Ms. Elsie was ordering them around, but it’s clear she wants to speak to me alone.

“Our mate—” Ronan starts.

“Will be fine right here with me.” Her smile brightens. “I’m sure she’s in need of a little girl talk anyway.”

“I’ll be fine,” I tell them, which seems to ease some of the tension between Ronan’s eyebrows.

He eyes me up and down. As do his two brothers.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’ll strap her to the chair so she doesn’t get away.” Ms. Elsie giggles after saying this.

Funny enough, that causes Ronan to crack the tiniest smile. Though, they all give me looks one by one, they file out of the door. The tension in the air reduces by at least ten degrees, but the longing in my chest increases tenfold.

My wolf stirs inside of me. Apparently, she doesn’t like being too far from them.

“Your wolf’s come back,” Ms. Elsie says.

I turn to face her. “You can sense her?”

She winks at me. “I might be old, and my wolf may barely come out to play these days, but I’ve still got my senses.”

“You’re not old, Ms. Elsie. You still have a lot of life left in you.”

She smiles and pats my hand.

“Enough about me.” She nods her head toward the door. “How are things between you and your mates? Are you going to tell me how they found you?”

I bite my bottom lip. In one of our calls, I finally revealed to Ms. Elsie that I was in Colorado with my mates. But I didn’t explain to her how I ended up with them.

I was afraid she’d freak out and tell Beta Chance or maybe even Alpha Chael that I was kidnapped. From Nightwolf territory, no less.

That has the potential to turn into an all-out war between the packs. Which isn’t something I can let happen.

“Well, I, you know … I was just out, looking for work and came across them. I got a job working at the Blackclaw elementary school.”

While it’s not one hundred percent a lie, it’s not the truth either.

“Isn’t that fantastic? Mother Moon made it possible for you all to find your way to one another.”

My smile slips. I can’t help but think about how as great as it might appear on the surface, I could still possibly pose a threat to my mate’s pack.

“I, uh …” I push out a breath and force myself to ask the question. “Ms. Elsie, I know Emery might be busy, and I don’t want to disturb her if she is, but …”

“You want to speak to her about your past?” she finishes for me.

I nod. “I’m still hoping that she can use her abilities to give me a little information about where I come from. Whatever it is. I promise I won’t be an intrusion to her. I can wait.”

She squeezes my hand in a way that makes me clamp my mouth shut.

“While I wouldn’t dream of speaking for anyone but myself, I doubt Emery would find your questions to be an intrusion.”

“I know she recently returned from her honeymoon, though. And she’s probably still settling into pack life, and then there’s the whole issue with her still grieving her sister. I don’t want?—”

“Shshsh,” Ms. Else shushes me. “Yes, Emery is still in pain over her sister, but she’s surrounded by family here. Especially the love of Beta Chance. She’s strong enough to work and develop her life among us. She’s rebuilding and doing so beautifully.

“When the time comes, you can approach her about your question. In the meantime?—”

“He’s coming!” Reese yells from the birthing room.

Both Ms. Emery and I rise to our feet, our hands squeezing one another’s for the next sound to come from that room.

“I can’t believe it. He’s so tiny,” I say in awe as I stare down at the little bundle in my arms.

Reese and Chael’s baby boy is here and he’s as beautiful as the love between the two of them.

They named him Echo. Echo Nightwolf.

“Tiny?” Reese tuts from her place at the center of the hospital bed.

It’s been hours since she’s given birth. She’s fed the baby, taken a nap, and told Chael she’s ready to go home to rest in their bed. He insisted she remain at the pack clinic for at least a full twenty-four hours.

“He’s got to be in like the ninety-eighth percentile for height. I can’t believe we both made it through that birth in one piece.” She laughs, but I frown.

“Was it that bad?” I ask, rocking the sleeping bundle in my arms. “Are you still in pain?”

“Pain?” As soon as the word is out of my mouth, Alpha Chael appears at Reese’s door. He’d barely left us alone for five minutes.

“Are you hurting?” He approaches Reese’s bed with the most worried expression on his face. “Dr. Drake said you shouldn’t be in pain anymore.”

He actually lowers to his knees beside her bed, taking her hand.

“Stop it,” Reese tells him, stroking his face. “I’m fine. Sera was just asking if I was in pain.” She looks over at me. “Which I’m not.”

Her already effervescent smile widens. “There is something to say about shifter magic or genes because as soon as Echo came out, the pain disappeared. I’ve heard horror stories of women, who even after giving birth were in serious pain with complications.”

“But shifter births aren’t easy,” Chael contends. “I’m so sorry you were in so much pain.” He leans over and kisses her forehead.

“Ms. Elsie is almost done preparing lunch for you. I’ll go and bring some back,” he tells her, staring as if leaving is the last thing he wants to do.

Chael walks over to my side of the bed, towering over me as I sit in the chair. But his gaze is locked on his son, in my arms. He brushes a thumb across the baby’s forehead.

Echo responds by blowing out a breath and scrunching his little face before settling fully back into his nap.

“He knows my touch.” Chael looks back at Reese grinning like a little boy himself.

Reese laughs. “Of course he does. You’re his daddy.”

A look of pride passes over his face. He mouths something right before exiting. Though he didn’t make a sound, it looked like, ‘Thank you, Mother Moon.’

“He’s going to be an amazing father,” I tell Reese.

“He already is.” She looks wistfully at the door that her mate just exited.

“You’ll be a great mother, too.”

Her cheeks bunch as she grins shyly before she turns her attention to me. “And you?”

My eyes widen, and if I didn’t have a newborn in my arms, I imagine I would’ve jumped out of my seat from the sudden question.

“Me? Wh-Wh … um, huh?”

Reese’s expression morphs into a sly grin. “I might’ve been preoccupied with other things. You know, like giving birth to the Nightwolf heir and all of that, but thanks to these heightened senses, I scented more than one male in the vicinity. Males that aren’t a part of the Nightwolf pack, that is.”

She raises her eyebrows.

“And Ms. Elsie told me you were coming from Colorado. Care to elaborate?”

Ms. Elsie. Of course she spilled the beans to Reese. If it were anyone else, I would be annoyed, but it’s Ms. Elsie, and yeah, I’m certain she knows everyone has a weak spot for her.

I clear my throat and glance down at Echo. He truly is beautiful. And out of nowhere, my mind starts conjuring up all types of nonsense that I shouldn’t. Imaginings that I have no business even dreaming of. Like, would a son of mine have Ronan’s hazel eyes or Montgomery’s blue ones?

Would he have the wear his emotions on his sleeve personality like Noah?

“Hunh.”

Reese’s little huff brings my attention back to her.

“Wh-What was your question?”

She cocks her head sideways, studying me.

“You know I hate when people do that.”

“I know.” She has the nerve to smile.

“You’re lucky you just gave birth.”

She chuckles, making me smile.

I roll my eyes toward the ceiling. “Yeah, I’ve been with them,” I admit.

“By them you mean your mates, right? All three.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and nod.

“They’re …” I look down at the baby. “Yes, I’ve been in Colorado with them since leaving here.”

All of a sudden, everything comes pouring out of me. I even tell Reese about the fact that my mates basically kidnapped me. The only part I leave out is my fear that my very existence could bring harm to the Nightwolf pack.

“Oh,” she says with a wrinkle of confusion in between her eyebrows. “I’m just surprised you stayed. I mean?—”

“Yeah, well, I … uh, started working at the elementary school and love the kids and teachers there, so it kind of worked out.”

She nods as if that makes sense.

“Are you happy with them? I mean, not to be too much in your business, but I can smell them … on you.”

It’s adorable how she ducks her head in embarrassment.

Truth be told, a part of me likes the fact, maybe even relishes in the fact that their scent is embedded in my skin, at this point.

“Yeah, it’s going well.”

“That didn’t sound too convincing.”

My frown deepens. “It’s the issues with their pack. Not quite their pack so much as me. I don’t want to bring trouble to their pack.”

“Why would you bring trouble?”

I clench my lips, wondering how much to tell her about the potential curse that I am.

“It’s just … not knowing much about my background,” I finally say. “You know, mysterious pasts always have a way of coming back to bite you in the behind.”

“Is that why—” She stops when there’s a knock on the door.

I look down at the baby who’s getting a little restless. Something tells me he wants to be rocked more, so I rise to my feet and begin pacing back and forth, rocking him as I do.

His tiny lips pucker and he blows a bubble before letting out a yawn. I giggle at how adorable his little movements are.

“He’s so sweet,” I gush. “I could hold him all day. You and Alpha Chael—” I stop mid-sentence as my eyes land on my three mates standing in the doorway.

All three of their eyes are locked on me. And they’re not simply staring. No, their eyes are devouring me.

My wolf, who’s been quiet ever since they left, suddenly rises to her feet. I grow heated all over, a result of her sudden awakening. Ronan, Noah, and Montgomery’s eyes are glowing as they look from me to the baby in my arms and back to me again.

Standing underneath their intense gazes like this makes me feel vulnerable and powerful all at once. They don’t say anything, but at this point, words aren’t needed.

They’re having similar thoughts to ones I was having just moments ago. Although, I’m certain, they’re also making plans for not just the possibility of me having their offspring, but the reality.

My body starts to tremble with the realization of where their thoughts have gone. On shaky legs, I walk over to Reese and start to place baby Echo in the crib next to her bed.

“You can hand him to me. I think it’s time to wake this little guy up to breastfeed.”

As I hand off the baby, a sense of loss overcomes me. I almost choke on the longing that wells up inside of me.

Mates! Go to them.

My suddenly active wolf pushes me toward my three mates. But I refuse to let her be in control. It’s not like she’s been a constant presence in my life before. She doesn’t get to call the shots around here.

Besides, there are too many things she doesn’t understand going on here. I can’t just give in to my wants because I held a cute baby.

And my mates obviously want to see my belly swollen with a child of theirs.

I ignore that internal thought and my wolf’s pushing.

“I need some air,” I mumble, trying to push past the three of them.

“We’ll come with you,” Montgomery says.

The deep rumble of his voice sends a chill down my spine. Which is the last thing I need.

“No.” I hold up my hands to stop them from following me. “Alone.”

“You’re not going?—”

“Please?” I hate the tremble in my voice. But there are too many feelings rushing through me to control it.

“Serafina.” Ronan steps forward in a way that lets me know he’s not about to listen.

“I just need a few minutes,” I cut him off. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not trying to run away. I-I just need some time. Please?”

He visibly grinds his teeth before looking to either side of him at Noah and Montgomery.

“I’ll return soon.” I give them one more look before quickly turning and heading for the door. The entire time, I silently pray that they don’t follow me.

They must sense my need to be alone because they don’t pursue me. But I know I’m on borrowed time.

I inhale as much air as my lungs can hold as soon as I step outside. I round toward the back of the clinic nearer to a side street that’s less populated. With the birth of Alpha Chael’s heir, more of the Nightwolf pack that live outside of New Mexico have shown up to offer support and congratulations.

Many are gathered outside of the clinic simply milling about. I need distance from people, so I do my best to find a more isolated area around the back of the clinic.

I peer up at the sky. Although it’s late afternoon, displayed clearly in the bright blue sky is the moon. Her waxing gibbous state is a reminder that the next supermoon is coming soon. Within the next week.

Another chill rolls down my spine at the thought of what might happen then. Before the thought that I wasn’t bond mated with my mates saved me from thinking seriously about getting pregnant with their offspring.

Yet, most bond mates happen during the supermoon.

“What am I going to do?” I ask out loud to Mother Moon.

“I can’t believe you came back.”

I whip around at the sound of the harsh, female voice.

“Mom.”

She visibly recoils, and I firm my lips together. Wrong choice of wording. This woman is not my mother.

I clear my throat. “Renetta,” I correct. The woman that raised me until I was twelve years old.

“What are you even doing here? Were you invited?” Her top lip curls in obvious hatred.

“I was, in fact. Is that a problem?”

“Tuh,” she tuts. “Of course, it is. When you left the second time, I thought it was finally because you came to your senses and realized you don’t belong here.”

Pain scorches through my chest.

“You’re not one of us. You shouldn’t be here.”

“I was asked to come,” I say though my voice doesn’t come out as strong as I want it to. It feels as if my wolf suddenly disappears. As if she was here one moment and gone the next.

“By who?”

It would be better if I didn’t engage with Renetta. She’s made it clear since she kicked me out that she wanted nothing to do with me. Her and my stepfather. Ever since the day she revealed she isn’t my real mother.

Renetta even refused to answer any questions about my past. I finally concluded that she doesn’t know either.

“That’s none of your concern,” I finally tell her. “All you have to do is stay out of my way until I leave.” I scowl and roll my eyes before starting to walk away from her.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the hell away from here. Away from all of us. You’re a damn danger to everything you come in contact with. You should’ve never been born!”

It’s the last sentence that guts me.

After all of these years, her words shouldn’t have such a huge impact on me. But they take me back to that twelve-year-old girl. The one who awakened, chained to a chair, one morning, confused and in pain to hear the news that not only was the woman I believed to be my mother wasn’t, but that she was kicking me out.

The man I believed was father stood beside her, with a swollen face and scratched up as she said those words.

“We never wanted you!” Renetta says, bringing me back to the present.

“Good riddance,” a male voice says. It’s Jean, Renetta’s husband.

My body stills. And just like that, my wolf returns, on her feet and snarling. My entire body trembles with the force I have to use to keep her held back.

For weeks she refused to come out, to allow me to shift, but right now it’s almost as if I can’t stop her.

But a deep, dark voice behind Renetta and Jean sends a chill over me.

“I will rip your goddamn throats out and start an entire war with the Nightwolf pack if you ever speak to my mate like that again.”