His Dominion

Chapter 22

[Selene]

Thump.

Marielle tightened her arms around my waist as frightening sounds rumbled beneath our feet. Samuel clung to my left leg, holding on the edge of his sister's skirt, while Ian whimpered against my neck. His body convulsed as a cry threatened to escape him.

"Shhh." I told them, but the noticeable tightness in my throat made me shuttered. "It's okay baby." Nothing is okay. "We're going to be alright." That fact, I wasn't sure.

"Where's daddy? I want daddy here." Marielle pressed her flush face into my shirt and her warm tears drenched through.

"He is coming, I'm sure of it!"

"How do you know?" Her brows pulled together, daring me to lie to her.

"Beta Luca went to get him."

"How come they aren't here yet?"

"I'm not sure sweetie."

Samuel fisted his hand and punched me on the thigh. I looked at him surprised, but realized his intention when the other side of the door creaked.

"Selene." Marielle cried softly.

Tears pooled down her eyes and her lips stretched wide apart. I covered her mouth gesturing her to keep silent. The person on the other side kicked the door.

"Get behind me." Marielle did so, but Samuel stayed put. His small figure stiffened and his gaze fixated at the door. A purr--a tiny growl came from his mouth. I reached out and grabbed his small red shirt, dragging him back.

"Sammy, don't..."

He may be young, but in every male wolf, no mater how early in age, they had instincts to protect their pack and right now, little Sammy considered our safety as his own.

The door shook at the hinges as the person on the other side kicked a few more times.

Marielle shrieked. "Mommy, mommy!" She cried harder, dropping to her knees and skidding down my leg. Her brown waves masked her face as she leaned her forehead into the back of my knee. Followed by his sister, Ian wailed into my ear.

The kicked stopped. I could feel my heart hammering across my chest. My foot stepped back and my heal hit something protruding from the floor. I looked down and saw a handle. It was strange seeing it there. Going down on my knees with Ian crying in one hand, I pushed the boxes and junk Lucca had in his closet aside until I noticed black adhesive tape lined on the floor in the shape of a 20x20 square.

What does Lucca keep in his closet...seriously?!

"What is that?" Marielle asked.

"Take your younger brother; make sure he doesn't do anything." She took Samuel by the wrist and watched me rip the pieces of tape off. The tape revealed open lines on the floor.

"Wha--

Gun shoots pierced through the door and the sound deafened my ears. Ian stopped crying for some reason. The two older children wrapped their hands on their heads and ducked for cover. Without another thought I grasped the handle and begged it was an escape out. Marielle screamed so loud, I thought her lungs would run out of oxygen. The handle didn't budge, but I wouldn't give up. I clenched my teeth and pleaded with all my might for my muscles to work.

She answered...my wolf, I felt her.

I don't know what happened, but the handle moved and the square outline on the floor lifted along with it. It was really heavy and my sudden strength was gone. She was gone. I dropped the handle and the whole thing crushed to the ground, barely covering the opening.

"Get out before we blow this door open!" I turned my head and saw the beams of light coming from the bullet holes.

"I know you're in there, girl! Open up!"

The opening was dark, I couldn't see the bottom and I didn't know where it would lead. I took one of Lucca's shoeboxes and dropped it done the hole. In less than five seconds flat, I heard it drop. Four feet, that's how deep I estimated it to be. It was strange that a secret tunnel was in the second floor, but I never searched the whole house for trap doors.

"Don't test us! We have already killed the dumb dog's mother! If you come out now, we won't kill you...yet."

I gasped, "no, it can't be..." Luisa...

"Quickly, get me the explosives!" The man ordered someone.

My eyes widened. "Quickly, get in." Marielle shook her head looking petrified that I would even ask her to go in there. "You have to."

"It's scary." She said.

"Your dad will get you from there." I lied. "I need you down there first so I can hand you Ian."

"Are you--

She didn't get the chance to finish what she was going to say. I lifted her from the waist and dropped her into the abyss. She screamed on her was down and I hear her hit rock bottom. I never in my life thought I'd drop a child.

"Are you okay." I asked concerned.

"It's gross in here Selene! My knee got a boo-boo!" She cried back. Her voice echoed; that meant it was not just a hole but a tunnel, which would probably lead outside!

"I'm bringing Ian down, can you reach him sweetie?" I carefully lifted Ian into the hole and stretched my arms out.

"Place them here." The man outside said.

Oh god...

"I'm touching his toes, but I can't reach him!" Time was running out.

"Can I trust you to catch him?"

"I don't know..."

"This is your brother Marielle, catch him." I said sternly.

"Ok"

I prayed nothing bad would happen and let go of Ian's small fragile body. If he got hurt, I would not fear being taken by who ever were on the other side of that door. I held my breath when I heard nothing but the baby's small grunt.

"Did you catch him?"

"Y-Yes." Thank god...

"Samuel you're next." He didn't even question me and jumped inside like it were a swimming pool. I couldn't fit through the opening. I was too big. There was nothing I could do to save myself, but I had to save the kids. The people on the other side of the door knew we were in here and they expected to find someone.

"Go," I said.

"Don't leave us." Marielle cried.

"In the count of three...one...two..."

"I will distract them."

"But..." She hesitated.

The door exploded and the warm gas rippled throughout the room.

"GO!" I screamed, just as I pushed the heavy lid over the opening and sat on it, keeping it shut then threw whatever I could grab over it to keep it hidden. The closet was covered in soot and I coughed when my mouth inhaled some of it.

"Search the room!" I hear a man say. I couldn't see clearly who was in front of me. The explosion caused my ears to lose part of my hearing, but my heart continued to ring though my ears.

"Sir, it's a woman."

I looked up and found three blurred figures looking down at me.

"She has hidden those pups somewhere in this room. Find them!"

I growled and prepared to fight them.

"The children are not here!" I said. "They got away and I pretended to be the decoy!"

The two men behind their leader wore gray shirts and black pants. The man that was obviously in charge had the same outfit on with a bulletproof vest. They were all carrying weapons with silver incorporated into the metalwork.

"Where did they go!" The lead guy demanded.

"You think I would tell you? I don't even know what you are going to do with those innocent kids!"

"They are monsters like everyone living in this house! Little brats like those don't deserve to live. They will come at a high price when we auction them." That's when I realized what they were--Human hunters; they capture my kind, my dad's kind, for profit. They take our furs or who know what.

My rage filled me to the tips of my toes. These were the type of people I had hid from my whole life. They expected no one who was different. Didn't even acknowledge that diversity could also mean good things. They would rather kill than accept change.

"Sir, look at her eyes. Blue and gold...I've never in my life seen something as this! What is she?"

I looked at the leader's eyes and they read nothing but greed. He looked at me and only saw fortunes beyond his wildest dreams.

"Whatever she is, her abnormality will have us swimming in millions! With those brats and her, we won't have to lift a single thing in our lives." He laughed. "We've hit the jackpot boys!" He threw his head up and they shared high-fives.

"Hate to break it to you boys, but you are not getting your dirty hands on anyone." Their distraction gave me the chance to kick the guy on the right straight at the center of his groin that he passed out.

The leader guy pointed his rifle at me. "Shit, you little-

The guy to his left fumbled with his gun and I took that chance to slide past underneath them and turn around to perform and roundhouse kick across both their faces.

"You little chit!"

A shot was fired but it missed me by a hair. I ran hopping they would follow me and I was tight. The two raced behind me as I ran down the stairs, but I didn't expect there would be more of them here in the house. When me foot landed on the last step, I was trapped inside a net covered in wolfbane. One touch and my skin burnt; it was painful to move.

I screamed and dropped to the floor.

"Not so tough now, aren't you?" the leader laughed behind me.

"Sir, we loaded the pregnant wolf into our van and separated her from the rest of the others."

"Good, we can keep her and decide what to do with her later. She may come in handy when her mate comes to her rescue."

"What of her offspring?"

The vile man snorted and kicked me on the side causing a groan to escape my mouth. "They escaped, but I doubt they got any where far from here. Search this place from top to bottom."

"Yes sir."

"We should leave before the rest of those beasts get back. It might take some times though," He smirked to himself. "We spent a fortune on all those traps. Our next profit better make up for what we lost." His eyes bore at the back of my skull and I could feel him watching.

"You people are the monsters!" I spat at him.

The man had bleach blond hair that fell past his eyes when he bent down to my level. "We are doing the world a favor, darling. It's a shame that a pretty girl like you is one of them."

Wouldn't it be surprising for him to learn that I was only half?

"Sir, we have to leave."

"Did you get all of them in the vans?"

"Except for the dead ones."

Plural...who else have they harmed?

"Get her in the car, we need this one. There is something different about her."

"We can't open the van sir." The man stuttered.

"And why not?" he said pissed.

"That taller female is mad. She killed two of our men when we tried to approach the pregnant one. If we open the van again, she might attack us."

Sighing, the blond man said, "Then put this one with the pregnant wolf. They are both defenseless right now, I doubt the two will plot anything."

It took three men to drag me out the house inside the net. I was scrapped along the dirt like a dirty pile of garbage and loaded into a steel van. They threw me like I weighed nothing and I couldn't do anything paralyzed by the wolfbane.

When the doors closed, I was welcomed to darkness and the sound of a woman in pain.

"Alpha Peyton?" I heard panting then a terrifying scream. "Alpha Peyton I can't see you. Where are you?"

"Selene...Selene, my baby...he needs to come out but..."She held her breath than screamed again.

Someone pounded against the side of the van, making a thundering sound that irritated my ears.

Have these people have any respect?

"She is giving birth! Please don't do this to her!" I screamed, hoping one of the men outside had any sympathy for a woman in labor.

"Shut up," was their reply.

"Selene, my children..."

I slid my hands across the floor and followed her voice. When I felt her foot, I grasped the top of her knee.

"They are fine...for now. I had them hidden inside a trap door in Lucca's closet. The hunters believed they escaped the house. I only hope that the men come back and find them where I had left them.

"My babies." Alpha Peyton cried. "If anything happened to them..."

I didn't say anything, because I didn't know what else to say. I thought about my own mother and wished she had cried for me like Alpha Peyton was doing for her children.

Another scream, a much louder one, came from her. "Selene please, I can't handle the pain, but neither can I push or the baby will die. His umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Marina was able to help, but now the baby won't come out!" She cried.

"What can I do?" The same question echoed in my head. I had absolutely no idea what to do and I was terrified.

"I want you to tear him out and I don't care if I die doing it." She said seriously.

I feared what she was implying. Tear him out, I hope she didn't mean...

"I can't do that, please don't make me do that!" My hands shook. It was dark and I was glad, I couldn't see into her icey blue eyes.

"It's either me or my baby, Selene. I'm sorry for making you--

She stopped again to withstand another contraction. I listened defenselessly as she went through it. The van's engine started and the vehicle moved.

"You need to save him please! If they take him, my child will live under their mercy! I would rather die then have that happen. Tell Soren it was my choice, that I did what was best for our child. Oh God, just thinking about my mate makes my heart hurt so much..."

I searched for her hand and grasped it. "Then live damn it. Don't do this! If I get you out of here now, we have time to save the both of you!"

"But we can't outrun them in my condition." She had a point.

"Alpha Peyton..." I was nearly in tears.

She was basically asking me to kill her for her child. I would rather save the both of them if I could. I softly placed my hand over her bulging stomach and felt the baby move.

"Do it." She urged me between hissed teeth. "Please"

I clasped my eyes shut and drew a breath. "I saw your baby." I confessed. "He is beautiful." I pictured the vision I had of the baby boy and smiled at the adorable face.

"Now is not the time to talk about my son Ian"

"Not Ian--I meant your baby boy, here" I stroked her belly and the baby moved as of happy that acknowledged him.

"H-how did you know? He's a boy?" She chocked back the tears and her hand covered over mine in her tummy.

"I'm not sure how it happened and I'm not sure if my mind is playing tricks on me, but the fist time you let me touch your stomach I had a vision of a dark brown haired baby boy with blue crystal eyes like yours. He wasn't Ian, I'm sure and he wasn't Samuel either... He had a distinct birthmark on the back of his right shoulder."

"None of my kids have birthmarks." She said.

"I'm guessing this one will."

She grunted again from another wave of pain. "Selene save him. Rip him out of me! If you don't he will die."

I didn't reply and quickly placed both my hands over her stomach. "Are you sure this is the only way?!"

"Yes." She whimpered. "Tell my family I love them and don't cry over me. Tell my mate to move on and be there for our kids. He is a strong man."

I stilled for a moment, having second thoughts. If I save her baby, what will happen next? Alpha Soren loves his wife, he will obviously look for revenge. If I fail to save either one of them and escape, the guilt will double inside me and there still be war.

What should I do?

Alpha Peyton was screaming again. This time she didn't stop. "Tear him out, please save him!" She screamed repeatedly. On the drivers end, the hunters had no care. No sympathy whatsoever.

I was scared and furious at the human hunters. Suddenly I was just mad--mad at the world, mad at my mother, mad at my father who rarely showed me he still cared for me, mad at Lucca for being so stubborn and mad that he wasn't here for me like I wanted him to be.

My anger called out my wolf and she took over my body. I watched before my eyes as she used my hands to grasp over Peyton's belly and trail a line across her stomach with the tip of my finger. All I could think was to take back my control before my wolf killed Alpha Peyton, but my wolf would not permit me.

"Thank you Selene" alpha Peyton cried.

Her lips pulled up in a sad smile and she relaxed her head back ready for her fate, ready to give up her life for her child. It brought sorrow in my heart when I thought maybe my own mother could have done the same for me--sacrifice herself for my happiness.

Don't kill her, I asked my wolf.

We were one body of two souls, I hoped that we could understand one another. But I guess not.

She rubbed my thumb again over the bulging belly were the baby was safely curled inside. Both my hands were placed on either side of Peyton's belly and I felt her absorb energy.

She was taking the baby's energy! She wasn't saving it!

Stop, I yelled. She couldn't hear me, or she ignored me. No!

Next think I know, the power was bounced back. Not at the baby, but at Alpha Peyton, including parts of my own strength. I felt myself draining like I had run half a mile. Alpha Peyton felt it in her system and her head sot up with both her elbows supporting her.

"It's another contraction!" She said. "A big one!"

I shifted and noticed my wolf had reseeded back into my subconscious like it had for almost the last half decade.

"He won't stop this time! I feel him crowning!"

15 minutes later...

The baby in my vision was born with a birthmark on the back of his shoulder.