Page 58 of The Baby Contract

Blood flooded my ears.

It was pounding, persistent- and annoying.

The further Mom and Dad disappeared, the more the feeling crept up my body from my legs to my abdomen, to my neck. It was foreign, but familiar.

It was uncontrollable - a beast.

The familiar force brought forth its worries. It flooded my mind with images of Nova burning under the weight of the wooden basement, Mom and Dad dying, Orion standing with the grin of fake sympathy on his face, and most importantly, she pushed forward a memory of Theo.

Theo?

Not just Theo, though- Ember. She pushed this memory forward quite forcibly. One of Theo wrapping his big, muscular, tattooed arms wrapped around Ember. Elijah and Elora snuggled in her and Theo's arms.

She has our babies. The force inside of me cried. My pups.

She cried loudly in agony, in pain. She howled to the moon. She pushed, sending shivers down my entire body.

My mate. She sobbed. Why does he love her and not me?

Blood circulated through my body like electricity, making my heart pound with incredible force. She made me feel jealousy, sadness, and despair.

"Doctor Rowan!" a voice called. "Her heart rate is up to almost 200 beats per minute!"

Commotion followed. My wolf stirred, ignoring the voices of the outside world. Right now, she was in so much pain. She was in complete and utter madness.

A light pressure on our wrist made her let out a small rumble.

She didn't want to be bothered. She wanted to be alone.

She had lost everything. Everything that a wolf lived for. She felt like a failure. To watch through my eyes as she lost her pack, her best friend, her parents, her pups, and her mate.

She wanted to sulk in the shadows.

"Call Alpha right now!" The doctor sounded louder now. His voice was strained.

"Yes, doctor," the voice scrambled, before running out of the room and down the hall.

Alpha-

My wolf whined loudly, making my ears ring. A new line of sweat lit up my forehead.

Need to run. Need to go. Sad.

A sudden rush of air rushed through my lungs. I fought, wanting to follow Mom and Dad. But my wolf refused, pulling us back into our physical form.

The world was blurry but familiar.

I gasped, pulling air into my lungs. I felt a mask on my face, pushing air, until a second later, it was pulled off.

"Luna? Can you hear me?" The doctor asked gently. "Take some deep breaths."

I want to run. I want to run away. My wolf cried, imagining the woods of her once home. She saw fire in her eyes as it burned to the ground. I'm scared. Sad.

Doctor Rowan followed me, yelling my name, as I flew out of the room. I was unstable as I ran, my vision blurry, and my hearing muffled.

I could feel my clothes, something blue and white, floating around me. It looked like a hospital gown. I wasn't dirty.

In fact, I was clean. My hair was soft and smelled like the shampoo Ingrid always washed it with. It was in a loose braid, dangling down my shoulder.

My cuts were covered with white bandages, some on my legs and hands. I felt a small burn on my arms.

I slapped my hand to my neck. It hurt. It throbbed as my legs ran with impeccable speed, turning towards the greenest woods.

Someone had pierced my neck.

I couldn't remember. I saw a flame, and then embers – as I looked up at the house, ready to engulf me in its inferno.

Then, I died.

Hair sprouted from my arms, my legs, and my entire body as the thoughts persisted. As my memories came to light, my wolf felt new, not just like a single wolf, but like she had claimed a new title as a Mommy.

I let her take over as her paws landed on the ground. She howled in delight as she felt the grass for the first time in a long time. She loved digging up the soil with her claws.

She was euphoric as the breeze blew threw her soft, brown fur.

She ran, forgetting those feelings, as the memories appeared back in her mind. Torturing us. We were frightened, uncontrollable, and not thinking about where we were going.

A tree fell behind us, making the earth vibrate. A powerful aura, unlike one I had ever felt before, pulsed through the roots of the trees. He let out a roaring, sorrowful howl.

He was chasing us.

My wolf turned her head as she jumped over the fallen tree branches. He was massive, he was dark, powerful, and mighty. He was the leader and the owner of these lands. The biggest wolf to rule this territory.

He was also the one who fathered our pups.

He was-

He purred loudly but urgently as he chased me, his wolf knowing my next move, even before I made it, before I swerved a new corner, or around a new tree.

He was a hunter.

The big black wolf nipped my tail, letting out a whine. He lowered his tail in submission, in a way to tell my wolf that there was no reason to be afraid of him.

That he was harmless.

That he was-

Electric sparks ran up my body as he desperately nipped me again. My wolf slowed, confused. He nipped again, and again, desperately wanting me to feel the sparks.

When I slowed in confusion, he pounced, taking advantage of my vulnerable state. We landed, with him on top of me.

My wolf calmed, and I understood why.

He was our mate.

She submitted to him and bore her neck. He purred softly, coaxing her distressed state, as he ran his rough tongue sweetly over our face.

He howled when I calmed, warning everyone in the vicinity to leave if they were here or stay away. His eyes shifted from black to green.

And then, he morphed back to Theo.

A very naked Theo.

"Millie!" he shouted, his voice laced with tears and pain as his large hands stroked my fur. "Oh my goddess-"his voice cracked. "Thank you, thank you!"

His green eyes were illuminated with the redness behind them. He looked completely different than when I imagined him with Ember inside the Eclipse house.

He wasn't glowing and happy. He was in pain.

"Thank you, goddess!" his tears spilled on my fur. "Millie is alive. Dea, Magna es! Goddess, you are great!"

My wolf whined in confusion. She didn't understand. She shook with my force, scared of what was to come for us. Of what our future held.

Theo looked us in the eyes. "I promise you are safe, mate. I swear you will always be protected and safe in my presence."

"Mate, shift." He ordered softly. "Can you shift? Give me Millie right now. I need you, Millie."

Theo's eyes were desperate as he begged. My wolf did not oblige, even though she felt the sparks. She had also felt them with Jasper. He rejected us. He was also our mate. He was also supposed to protect us, and he hurt us.

"You can feel the sparks," he said softly. "Goddess, I can feel them too."

"Finally." He put his head against my fur. "I knew it. But now I don't have to wonder. It's true. It's been you all along."

My wolf whined slightly, leaning into his electric touch. She recognized his touch.

"Yes," he soothed. "I wouldn't hurt you. I can't. I can't believe you are alive, Millie. I need you."

Theo breathed defeatedly as he closed his eyes and leaned into my wolf. As my eyesight cleared, I saw him, all of him, so vulnerable and full of sorrow.

Theo's heart hurt.

"I need you, Millie," he breathed. "Please, come to me."

Theo opened his eyes before standing up to go behind a tree and pull out a large blanket. He placed it on top of my wolf, offering me a chance to shift and still keep my modesty.

It was kind and sweet. Even though Theo had seen me naked many times and even seen me give birth, he was still worried about my comfort around him.

"Just imagine yourself as Millie," he gulped. "Tell her, her mate is waiting for her. No need to be afraid."

Should I trust him? What if my dreams were true?

Theo waited. He watched me, waiting for something to happen.

Then, I changed.

My body shifted, sore as it took its new shape. It was something that I had not done in a long time. My wolf lowered her head in submission and urged me to go to him.

She had made a decision. She felt the sparks.

The blanket felt heavy against my cold skin. "Millie!"

Theo scooped me up in his arms, picking up my naked body and scooping me into his chest while wrapping the blanket around us.

He stuffed his head in my hair, desperate to get a breath of my scent. I let him hold me, as I was weak and tired. I leaned into his comforting and warm embrace.

"Theo?" I blinked, feeling lightheaded. "What- "

Theo ran his head through my hair, taking the time to feel its softness and breathe in my scent. "The doctor said you were going to die, Millie."

"Mom yelled when she saw you were gone from your bed," Theo explained, reliving the painful memory. "You had just had our babies and left. I couldn't believe it."

"I hated myself," Theo said, taking my face in his large hands. "I made you question everything, I- "

"Wait-"I breathed, shaking my head. It was hard to concentrate with the sparks flowing between our bare skin. "Why did you follow me? Why are you here? Where's Ember?"

"Why-" I looked down between us, to find my breasts pressed firmly against Theo's muscular chest. "How-"

"In my heart, I knew it was you all along," Theo said. "My wolf was right. That you are my mate. My true Luna."

"Ember?"

"Goddess baby," Theo stroked my hair. "She was never mine. You were. You're not my second chance. You're my rightful mate."

"So," I pondered, rubbing my slight headache. "She used magic on you?"

"Yes," Theo confirmed, teary-eyed. "And, she hurt you. That's why I didn't hesitate to kill her."

"You killed her?" I blinked.

"Goddess, yes!" Theo kissed my forehead, trying to take my pain away. "I couldn't wait to do it. To cause her even a little bit of pain that she caused you. That she caused us."

"Wow-" I gulped, feeling limp. "This is a lot."

Theo held me in his arms and stroked my hair gently. He waited for me to speak again, afraid of overwhelming me.

"The babies?"

"Safe." He said. "Elijah and Elora are safe."

"Elijah and Elora?" I sat up, looking confused. "You knew what I named them?"

"Yes," he smiled. "Thanks to Nova."

"Nova!" My eyes widened. "Nova died. Nova, she was engulfed in flames, she was-"

"No, no," Theo hushed. "She's very must alive. She's with Boris." He furrowed his brow. "Why did you think that?"

"I saw her," I recalled. "She was calling out for me, but I wasn't fast enough, I-"

Theo nodded in understanding. "You hallucinated." He concluded, more for himself. "What else did you see?"

"You," I added.

Theo raised his brow, his smile turning up slightly. "What about me?"

"You were with Ember, holding Elijah and Elora. You said Orion was going to kill me, that you wanted him to. You were mad that I was still alive."

"And I saw- "I continued. "I saw Mom and Dad."

Theo breathed heavily. "They told me you were my mate and that they loved their grandchildren."

"They know everything," Theo smiled big. "You saw them, and yet, they sent you back to me."

"I was dead," I concluded. "That's how I saw them."

Theo raked my hair with his fingers. His hands shook, almost as if he was in disbelief that he was here with me.

"I should have killed her at the first chance," his anger grew. "I should have gone and killed Orion myself when you arrived at Stormblade. I should have protected you."

Theo rambled. He was hysterical as he sobbed.

"You were in danger and-"

I put my finger up to his lips, stopping him. "Theo," I breathed. "You didn't know either."

Theo looked taken aback. He was surprised I wasn't mad.

"She put magic on you. She tricked you into mateship." I summarized. "You did what you felt was right and accepted her. You couldn't have controlled your feelings."

Theo squeezed me tightly. "Ember had a son."

"What?" My breath hitched. "Are you saying that-"

"No," Theo stroked my cheek. "He's not my offspring. He's Orion's."

"And I killed him-"I saddened. Orion deserved to die, but this child did not deserve to lose his father and his mother. I knew what that felt like.

To lose your mother and father at a young age.

"But not Ember," Theo questioned. "You could have easily shot her, too. Why didn't you?"

I bit my lip lightly. "Because of you."

Theo brightened with pride. "You didn't want to kill me in the process."

I nodded. I could tell Theo and his wolf were elated that their mate had protected them, too.

Theo's hand caressed my chin, carefully lifting it to meet his bright green eyes. "I promise everything is going to be okay. I'm yours eternally, Millie Rose."

"But-" I shook my head. "You can't be, you are marked."

Theo smiled before baring his neck to me to inspect. It was smooth and clear. The scar he had before totally vanished.

"How?" I breathed.

Theo rubbed his nose gently against mine, his lips close. "The poison Jasper gave you unbonded me from Ember."

"Are you saying that-" I locked eyes with his sweet, loving ones. "You sucked the poison out of my neck?"

"Of course I did."

"I love you, Millie Rose." Theo reached over, grabbing a rose and plucking it from the ground before placing it sweetly behind my ear. "I, Alpha Theo Stormblade, accept you, Luna Millie Rose, as my rightful mate and Luna."

I gulped as Theo said the words so sweetly. His eyes were full of admiration and love. His looks alone made me want to cry from how much I missed him.

"The Rose and Stormblade pack will join with our love."

My heart tightened, feeling as if I were in a dream. "Theo-"

"I understand if it's too much too soon," he retracted, a look of rejection flashing across his face. "We can take it slow, I will make it up to you, everything-"

I reached my shaky hand up to grasp his cheek. "I'm ready. I want this, Theo."

"I, Millie Rose, Luna of the Rose Pack, accept you, Alpha Theo Stormblade to be my mate and Alpha."

That's when Theo's lips crashed on mine, ravishing them between breaths.

"We will have a mating cermony," he said between kisses. "I will order the maids to make you a beautiful dress," he kissed me again. "We will invite our packs and-"

I pulled away, grabbing his shoulders. Theo looked sad that I pushed him away.

"Forget all of that." I purred, my wolf coming to the surface to meet his. "Let's fucking make it official right here."

Theo raised his brows. His cock was evident against my abdomen, quickly springing into action. "Are you sure? I mean, you have been through a lot. Are you ready for this?"

I shrugged the blanket off my shoulders, revealing my bare breasts. Theo eyes widened, his cock twitching when he saw them. "Fuck."

Theo licked his lips. "I know you will be gentle with me," I bit my lip shyly. "We can take it slow."

And we did.

Theo gently warmed me up, making sure I was ready before he moved his manhood in between my legs and filled me up.

He was slow and meticulous with his movements, watching my face for any pain. "Goddess, thank you. I wouldn't have been able to live without this."

I giggled, shaking my head at his silly comment. "I'm ready."

Theo bared his canines, leaned down, and plunged them into the perfect place in my neck, not once stopping his thrusts. His release came quick inside of me as I erupted around him in an orgasm.

Theo flipped me around so that he was lying on the grass and I was on top of him, never once pulling out his cock. He continued again, this time admiring his mark on my neck.

I did the same as Theo controlled my hips.

We were bonded at last.

~

There will be another chapter!! Stay tuned. :)