Page 52

Elijah

Two and a half years later

“ O opsie.” Kiara giggles as Liam slides off the bed and lands on the floor with a thud. He pouts, jumping to his feet, his big, blue, cerulean eyes wide as he looks at his sister with an expression of sorrow.

“Kia, don’t laugh me.”

“I’m sorry, I will help you.” She holds her hand out to him as she drags him onto the bed and they both begin jumping on the bed again. I watch in amusement as they hold hands and jump up and down.

“Alright, both of you, your mama wanted me to put you to bed. So come on, in bed, now,” I remind them, unable to stop myself from smiling at my pups.

Kiara’s sandy blond hair is like mine, but her eyes are a mix of both mine and Scarlett’s. They’re stunning, a sage green, with a cerulean ring around them. Her eyes are so unique, and so beautiful, but for some reason she’s unable to see in the dark. It’s not something we’ve ever heard of in werewolves before, and we think maybe once she shifts that her wolf will cure that, as she will gain the sight of her wolf.

Liam, on the other hand, has pale strawberry-blond hair like his mama, with eyes like mine. They’re both fucking perfect.

“We don’t want to sleep, Daddy,” Liam tells me in a matter-of-fact voice. But his soft expression and gentle smile soften what he’s attempting as a firm statement.

“I know you don’t, but you have to.” Because I want to spend some time with my Kitten.

“Ok, Daddy, but what if I close my eyes and then can’t open them?” Kiara whispers.

I raise an eyebrow. “That won’t happen. Now come on, in bed.” I go over to Liam’s bed and pull back the bedding, motioning him to get in. He hugs his sister, kissing her cheek.

“Sorry, Kia. I go bed now.”

“Ok.” She nods, her large doe eyes saddened and I’m tempted to offer them another five minutes to play, but when Scarlett pokes her head through the door with a red satin gown clinging to her curves… Well, the temptation to allow the kids to play is gone.

“Is everyone in bed?” Scarlett asks, cocking an eyebrow. The twins instantly dive between the sheets.

“Yes, Mama.” Kiara blinks innocently and I can’t help but smile.

“Mhmm.” Scarlett smiles. “Now close those cute, little angel eyes and sleep.”

She comes in and kisses and cuddles them both before motioning for me to leave. “I’ll get them to bed.”

“I was getting there.” I smirk before kissing the twins and my Kitten before I leave it to her to get them settled.

My eyes snap open, my heart racing as I scan the room.

What woke me?

One glance at the clock tells me I’ve barely been asleep for an hour. I get up, grab some pants and pull them on. Something isn’t right. I feel it.

Patrol? Is everything alright? I thought I heard or felt something, I ask through the mind-link, heading to the children’s room.

Yes, Alpha, nothing out of the ordinary. Is everything ok? one of the men answers, as a few others also confirm the same.

I comb my fingers through my curls and sigh softly as I look at the two pups that are now cuddled on Kiara’s bed. She has her thumb in her mouth whilst Liam has his arm around her.

Everything is alright.

Yes, but have patrol sweep pack territory. Just to be sure.

Yes, Alpha.

Maybe it was Scarlett’s nightmare… not that I can remember it. Still, just to be sure, I head down the hall silently, my senses on alert, picking up on every heartbeat. My eyes glimmer, my wolf coming to the forefront of my mind as I silently walk down the stairs and scan the hall. Nothing.

I walk over to the window and peer out. Maybe it really was nothing, but no matter how much I tell myself that, I’m on edge. Checking to make sure everything is locked, I head back upstairs and to my pups’ room.

As slowly as possible, I scoop them up and carry them back to our bedroom just as Scarlett is wrapping a gown around her waist.

“What is it?” she asks, confused at the sight of the pups.

“Nothing, but I just felt uneasy. So I think I’ll sleep better if they’re beside us.”

She nods in understanding, not once teasing me. I kiss her forehead, place our pups on the bed and, just for my sanity, lock the door.

“Are you sure everything is alright?” she asks quietly, glancing at the locked door.

I nod. “Yeah, but I just feel unsettled.”

She walks over to me and wraps her arms around my waist. I’m still covered in a few of the deeper marks from our sex session earlier. Even though I heal faster since she’s marked me, it’s still not as quick as her, and the deeper ones still remain. But I like the reminders of our lovemaking. She traces one of them, searching my eyes.

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah, let’s sleep.” She nods, kissing my cheek. “Alright, let me just get changed.”

I nod, watching her, realising I don’t want her out of my sight either. What is this feeling? She returns soon from the adjoining dressing area in shorts and an oversized top. Flashing a smile, she walks over to me and pulls me towards the bed.

“You didn’t need to stand there waiting for me.”

“Maybe I wanted to?”

We settle down, but I admit, I couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night, even though nothing happened.

“Last night you ordered patrol to check the pack territory. Everything cool?” Aaron asks, cocking a brow as he flips through a file.

“Yeah, I guess it was just one of those weird moments that had me fucking paranoid. Something felt off. You know how it is with kids.”

He nods. “Yeah, I do. Is it the rogue attacks?”

“The fact they’re appearing more organised and the wolves more intelligent?” I counter.

“Yeah.”

I shake my head. “Maybe, I don’t know. But it was just a false alar-”

“ROGUES! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” The screams pierce the air, making me spin around before I rush from the office.

We’re under attack! Protect the civilians! I roar as I shift. SCARLETT! Are the pups with you?

No! Indigo took them to the shallow end of the river! Fear laces her voice as my heart hammers in my chest. The cold rush of dread that dances through me makes me run faster. That’s on the edge of the territory, downward from our home.

My pups are down by the river, east side with Indigo! Get them all to safety. Who is closest to that location? I thunder.

Yes, Alpha!

We are on our way! Secure the Alpha heirs!

And my sister, I remind them.

I’m on my way there too! Scarlett adds.

How many?! Aaron asks.

At least 30 have been sighted! Michael’s voice makes my blood run cold.

Thirty? How do thirty fucking rogues work together?

Alpha, a patrol squad is heading to the river now. Another one will be there in three minutes.

How long until the first one makes it? Scarlett asks.

Thirty seconds, Alpha!

Snap.

I feel a pack-link break, and then another. Then two more.

They’re here!

Pure chaos.

I can hear the roars and screams reaching my ears as someone shouts the patrol squad sent to the river is out. I’m the fastest, and I’ve left Aaron behind as I race down the riverbed as fast as possible.

The coppery, tangy smell of blood fills the air, followed by a scream.

Indigo!

I leap from the rocky canyon, down to where I see Indigo being thrown across the river, her head hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. Eleven rogue wolves with blood dripping from their jaws stand blocking my path to my pups.

Indigo’s alive, but wounded!

A feral snarl rips from my throat, shaking the very ground beneath me as I tear through the first rogue. Every second drags like an eternity. More of them pour in, yet my pack warriors are nowhere in sight. Two land on my back, their teeth sinking deep, but I don’t let it slow me down. I barely feel them. I hurl rogues aside, ripping through flesh and bone, but they just keep coming.

Then Kiara screams.

My heart slams against my ribs. My head snaps up just in time to see Liam tossed into the air like a rag doll. I see a flash of silver – Scarlett. She catches him in her jaws, her eyes wild with fury. Relief barely registers before another rogue clamps its jaws around Kiara’s ankle and bolts towards the trees, dragging her along like a rag doll.

No.

White-hot rage ignites in my chest, obliterating every thought but one. Kill. I lunge forward, and I rip into his flank, his head whips towards me but his eyes look… blank.

He turns forward determined to keep going. Two more rogues throw themselves in my path, and the wounded wolf keeps going at a shockingly fast speed for someone injured. It’s as if he doesn’t care he’s in pain.

But in this instance I’m glad he’s running, it’s giving me time to get to Kiara. I kill the two blocking my path and leap over their dead bodies closing the distance between us. My paws barely touch the earth as I sink my teeth into flesh and, with one savage twist, I rip his fucking head clean off. I want to hurl it across the river, and let the bastard’s remains rot, but his jaws are clamped around my pup’s foot. I lower the rogue to the ground and force his dead jaws open, freeing Kiara’s bloodied, mangled leg.

She’s sobbing, her little body trembling, blood soaking her dress, pooling beneath her. Blood is everywhere.

No. No, no, no!

I scoop her up carefully, cradling her fragile form in my mouth, fear gripping me tightly. She’s so small, fuck! I rush to where Indigo lies unmoving on the ground. My chest constricts until I hear her steady breaths.

Thank the Goddess.

But Kiara, my little princess, she needs help now. I lower my muzzle, my own breath ragged, panic clawing at my throat. She’s losing too much blood. She needs a healer.

We need a healer! Kiara is wounded!

Fuck! Aaron growls.

Then, at last, our warriors burst onto the scene, howls splitting the night as they tear into the rogues.

Keep one alive! I snarl, my voice raw with fury. We need answers. We need to know why the fuck they’re here.

I swear on my blood, on my pack, on my very soul, they will fucking pay!

“ She may never walk again. ”

The words settle over me, making my ears ring, the pain in my chest intensifying.

Scarlett sits beside Kiara’s bed, her hand curled around our daughter’s. We’re both silent as the pack doctor stands there before exhaling and shifting on her feet.

“Her body will heal, but the damage to her leg, her ankle mainly, the nerves, the muscle, it’s extensive. Even with shifting, I don’t believe she’ll ever regain full use of it. And she will always have pain in it.”

Scarlett flinches like the words are a knife through her ribs. “But there has to be something. A treatment, another healer, anything-”

“I’m sorry.” The healer’s voice is gentle, but it’s not enough. Her promise of Kiara living, but with pain, that’s not fair! “She’s strong. Right now, she just needs you both.” She hesitates, like she wants to say more, but then she just nods and steps back. “I’ll give you some space.”

The door clicks shut behind her. The silence that follows is unbearable. I was too late, again.

Scarlett bows her head, her body trembling, her nails digging into her palms.

“She’s just a pup,” she whispers, her voice thick, raw. “She runs everywhere, Elijah. She-she climbs, she chases the others, she-” Her voice breaks, and she presses her hand over her mouth.

I swallow hard, my throat burning. I should say something. I should comfort her, but my hands are shaking, and all I can do is stare at our little girl.

Kiara looks so small against the white sheets, her dark lashes fanned over her pale cheeks. Her chest rises and falls in slow, even breaths, but she shouldn’t have even been here.

How will she adapt once she wakes up and realises she can’t walk all over again?

My jaw clenches, a snarl threatening to rip from my throat. I failed her. I wasn’t fast enough, like every single damn time.

Scarlett’s breath shudders beside me. I reach for her, pulling her against my chest, pressing my lips to her forehead. She crumbles, silent tears soaking into my shirt, her fingers fisting the fabric tight.

I tighten my hold on her, my eyes never leaving Kiara.

“Something, something was odd… they were all attacking and killing yet the one that had her in his jaw, he was trying to run,” I murmur.

We didn’t manage to keep any alive; the two we had ripped their own tongues out and died.

“They’re rogues, Elijah; they don’t think, just attack. She’s going to be ok, she’s here with us.” Scarlett whispers now looking up into my eyes.

I nod,

“Yeah, you’re right.”

She’s alive. That’s what I have to focus on. She’s alive, she can still feel, still run if we find a way, and we will.