Page 51 of The Baby Contract

My tears stained my cheeks.

Flashes of Nova's desperate cries haunted my ears as they echoed in my head. The Stormblade house now held my everything.

My children, my best friend.

But I couldn't stay. I was a Luna, and although I could never admit that out loud, I was their only hope. The only one who truly cares about them.

"Luna," Micheal looked at me through the rearview mirror. "We are approaching Eclipse. What is the plan?"

Right, a plan. "We will go around the main entrance and enter from the south." I declared. "Orion will be expecting my arrival. We will try and throw him off."

"Yes, Luna."

June and Michael spared me occasional pitiful looks on our drive. I know they probably wanted to ask me about my children, to know about Stormblade, and ask me how I was treated but now was not a time for that.

"Oh fuck- "June gasped, jumping from her seat. "Trouble ahead."

My eyes fluttered wide as I climbed between the seats. "Holy shit- "I muttered, not believing my eyes. "What the fuck is he doing out here?"

Jasper was white as a ghost, standing alone at the edge of the borders. His eyes flashed black as they met with the beams of the Camaro.

My breath hitched in my throat seeing him again. He was once my mate. We had once shared something special between us.

"Luna Millie," June turned around, a concerned look on her face. "We will speak to him. You can stay in the car."

June understood my pain. "No, he will know I'm with you." I sighed. "He's been expecting me."

They followed my orders, slightly bowing their heads as Michael slowed the car to a stop. I opened the door, grabbing one of the knives from the bag Nova had stolen, before stepping out to face the cold-hearted man.

"Millie-" Jasper greeted, pushing himself upright. "You look-" he narrowed his eyes as I walked forward to meet him. "Rough."

"You look like shit like always," I spat, my chest tightening with resurfaced anger. "Lily not sleeping with your sorry ass anymore?"

Jasper scoffed. "I thought you might have known." He raised his brow. "I guess Stormblade keeps his meetings a secret from his surrogate."

My heart stung with the knowledge that Stormblade kept from me, that Theo kept from me. Was Orion visiting him this whole time?

"These nine months haven't changed you at all, have they?" I shook my head. "You are still the same old nasty bitch as always. Why are you here?"

Jasper's face softened as he took another step closer to me. I narrowed my eyes in warning as he approached, to warn him to stay away. "Stay away, Jasper!"

Jasper stopped. "I knew you would come back, Millie."

"That's why I came to warn you," he paled. "Orion and Grey know you are coming. You need to run, run far, far away from here. What they are planning-"

"Why do you care?" I gripped my knife in my pocket. "Why do you give a fuck if I live or die? Weren't you the one who was so ashamed of me? Who didn't want to be my mate because I wasn't worthy enough?"

Jasper stepped forward again. "Get back!"

"Millie-"he held his hands up in surrender. "I acknowledge that I was a dick to you. But, I promise, this is not the whole story."

"Why would I- "

"Grey wants to lead you to the ring," He cut me off quickly, motioning back to where a cloud of smoke rose in the air. "He wants you to follow him to the ring where he can ambush you and kill you. He wants to corner you where you cannot escape."

"And, Orion- "Jasper looked back at me, his eyes swirling with black clouds. "He will run. He knows he is no match against you alone. That is why he left his beta to do his dirty work."

My head spun in confusion. "This doesn't make sense." I spat. "You are lying. Orion wouldn't just leave. He's always been out for my blood. Why would you tell your father's secrets so easily?"

"Look," he whispered, looking around. "I loved the Eclipse pack just like you, Millie Rose-"he sighed. "Eclipse thrived under Rose's leadership. We were poor, but we were happy. Joyful."

"No one can discount what your parents did for this pack. They were really the perfect Alpha and Luna. Even though we lived a life of poverty, they gave us everything we could have ever hoped for."

"Why are you saying that?" I questioned. "Don't you love that Orion killed my parents? He is your father, after all, giving you the title you so desperately wanted."

Jasper shook his head. "Orion is not my father, and you were never my mate," he admitted. "He asked me to do a job, and after Alpha and Luna Rose died, I lost everything, my family was suffering."

"I needed cash, Millie- "he laughed sadly. "I needed to feed them. They needed clothes. Everyone did. Orion is weak and in turn, he made us vulnerable."

"So, you were never my mate or Orion's son?"

"Yes. Although-" his lip curled. "I would be one lucky man to be mated to a woman like you. The Rose's daughter. Beautiful, strong, kind. I mean, I would have accepted you in a heartbeat. You are everything a man prays to the moon goddess for."

"Orion knew we were starving," he recalled the painful memories. "That's why he approached me to do a job for him-"

"To break your heart and make you weak so he could be strong."

"If I could go back," he leaned against the tree. "I would. As soon as the witch bonded me with you, I fell in love. I wanted nothing more than to be your mate."

"My instincts were strong to be with you," he recalled. "That was why I stormed out of Orion's office when he sold you to Alpha Stormblade. I was mad that my mate, fated or not, was being sold in such a way."

"Orion beat me that night." His eyes swirled deeply with emotion. "He told me he would kill me just like the Rose's if I didn't comply with his orders. He threatened to make me a rogue."

"So, I kept sleeping with Lily." He shivered. "And, hurting you every turn I could. Orion loved it, he loved to hear you screaming in pain."

"I'm sorry, Millie," he hung his head low in shame, his dirty blond hair hanging over his eyes. "I shouldn't have done it."

Silence lingered between us. Jasper's confession shocked me, and as time went on, I knew in my heart he was telling the truth.

"Why put yourself in danger now?" I finally broke the silence. "Why meet me here when you know that there is a war ahead?"

Jasper stepped towards me again. "I also lost everything because of Orion. I have nothing here at Eclipse anymore," his voice cracked. "Lily and I have been together for years, and after all that time, she ended up being mated to that scum bag Grey."

"They were always flirting with each other. Touching, laughing.." he scoffed. "I hated every second of it and now, the fucker who helped kill my Alpha and Luna also took my woman."

Jasper stepped closer again. "I need to leave, Millie." He breathed. "I need to leave here and never come back. I can't stay here another moment."

"You are going rogue?"

"Either way I will suffer. Under Orion's or your leadership. As I have committed crimes that were inexcusable under Rose rule."

Jasper let out a breath. "That's why I have to do one last job- "

I gasped as Jasper pulled a syringe from his pocket, swiftly catching me and sticking it into my neck. "Ahhh!" I grabbed his hand, pushing him away from my neck. A sudden feeling washed over me, making me feel lighter. "What the fuck, Jasper?"

"Millie!" Micheal and June flew out of the car, their guns drawn on Jasper.

I fell to my knees when he pulled the needle out, immediately dropping it and holding his hands in surrender. "I need the money. I had to do it."

"Good luck, Millie Rose."

Jasper turned to run, but before he could, the sound of a shotgun rang through the air, the bullet hitting him perfectly in the back of his neck.

We watched as Jasper fell to the ground. I looked back at June in disbelief who was lowering her gun. "No one hurts my Luna and gets away with it." She said, her eyes black. "I protect you with my life, Millie. Eclipse will not let a traitor run free."

I nodded in thanks as Jasper's body turned limp. Michael and June rushed to help me up, taking my arms around their shoulders.

As they helped me back to the Camaro, my head spun. The forest had now duplicated itself, dancing in my vision.

"Are you alright, Millie?" Micheal asked.

"Yeah-"I blinked, trying to clear my vision. "I'm fine."

At that moment, a loud howl came from the ring, making our heads perk up towards the now-fading smoke. "Something has happened." June looked puzzled. "That is not one of our wolves."

"No-"I gulped, recognizing the familiar sound. It was Boris.

"Stormblade followed us-"I panicked. "They are here on Eclipse lands."

"They can't do that!" Micheal whipped his head around frantically. "They can't invade our lands!"

Boris' howl was the one of victory, adrenaline but also of sorrow and belonging. I understood it immediately. "Millie?"

"We need to catch Orion." I slipped out, my hands going numb. "We need to catch him now before he gets away!"

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