Primalcraft: Crimes of the Father (Book 3)

Chapter 21

"My source... Oh god, did my mother give me the intel to have us steal the chest and break it open?"

"I don't think so," Elliott muttered, glancing down at the khadga that appeared both dark and menacing. Dark magic emanated from it like smoke. "The question is... Who did?"

*****

Whispered filled the normally calm mansion. Footsteps echoed in the hall while the atmosphere was thick with tension. Jaxon sat by the door, listening to Joanne's screams and erratic breathing while Elliott paced back and forth with his father trying to calm him down.

"It will be fine," Owen said, but neither in the corridor seemed to believe him.

"The child is too early. Something is wrong," Elliott said, his jaws clenched shut and his body grew rigid by every scream coming out of the birthing room. "We should drive her to the hospital."

"We can't. Female shifters have a tendency to lean on their spirit animal when they give birth. We do not want to explain why a half-human, half-wolf is growling at the midwife," Owen said, grimacing when another heartbreaking scream came from the room. "Besides, we have a doctor at hand and your mother has the education to help women give birth. There is nothing more we can do."

Then the room went silent, hushed voices whispered but what really made Jaxon feel anxious was the lack of a baby screaming. Shouldn't there be some kind of sound from the baby?

Mya came out, closing the door behind her carefully. The family walked over, Jaxon pulling Blake with him as they scurried closer to Mya who had no good news written across her face. "It is bad, Joanne will be fine as she can heal but... The child won't make it. We are doing everything we can but it is too early. The child can hardly breathe. Even if we drive to a hospital, she won't survive."

"She?" Elliott's voice was weak.

"A beautiful baby girl. You can go see her before she-" Mya didn't get to finish as Elliott stormed inside, his eyes red and blank. Joanne laid in bed as men and women fuzzed over her. Her eyes were tired as she was recuperating.

Elliott stalked over to the cradle, tubes leading down into the cradle, trying to make the small child breathe. She hardly moved, weak and in pain.

"There must be something we can do," Jaxon said, but no one replied. All just shook their head, grief written on their faces. All except...

Blake was frowning at something below the cradle. His mouth moving silently, eyes darting across the room to then go back to the child.

"Blake?" Jaxon's voice was weak, eyes turned to Blake who was touching something invisible in the air. Stroking it with a frown on his face.

"I think... No, I can save her." Blake's voice was filled with determination, his eyes set on whatever only he could see by the little child's cradle.

"What do you mean?" Elliott asked, his voice hoarse with grief.

"The red wolf who has been guarding Joanne is here. The Delta. She says she can save her by becoming one with her, but the little pup... I mean the child is too weak to do it on her own. I need to tie their threads together."

"Delta? What threads?" Jaxon asked in confusion, looking around despite realizing that Blake was most likely the only one who could see it.

"The thread of fates. I have been seeing the child's thread. It was weak, flickering. I didn't understand why but now-" Blake swallowed. "I should have known. The delta wolf wants to become the child's spirit animal. As a shifter, the child will-"

"Heal," Mya finished, her eyes wide. "Can you do it?"

"Yes," Blake said with no hesitation.

"No," a weak voice came from the bed. Joanne tried to sit up but fell back on the pillow. "Not a delta. Please... There must be another wolf spirit willing to take her on. Someone stronger."

Blake frowned at the mother of the dying child, clearly not comprehending her reluctance. Jaxon didn't either but he wasn't surprised. Joanne was nice and smart, always taking care of him and his brothers but her one flaw was her dislike for her rank. Despising herself and her family for their role in the pack.

"Don't be ridiculous. The child will die," Owen's voice was unusually harsh, like a whip lash that made Joanne flinch but her eyes were on Blake who seemed to listen to the air.

"There is no one else," Blake said. "But this delta wolf is strong. She is among the oldest and the other wolves respect her. She is a guardian without a doubt and helped us find the cursed wolf in the previous year."

Joanne just shook her head, but Elliott talked over her. "I won't let my daughter die because you can't stand deltas. Do it, Blake."

Blake hesitated for a second, Jaxon grabbed his hand in encouragement and felt it become warm under his touch. With a nod, Blake stretched out his hand grabbing what seemed to be air, before a golden thread appeared, weak and flickering. Blake let go of Jaxon's hand and grabbed another thread, now showing. Glowing white and strong. He started to weave them together, the room filled with ancient magic. Potent and unbending.

Jaxon could have sworn that he heard a humming, in the air and for a second the shape of an old woman weaving flashed in his mind. She was sitting on a weave that engulfed the entire world under a never-ending star-filled sky.

Blake grimaced, as he pulled on the strings that didn't seem to want to be woven but didn't give up. His skin turned red as if the threads were burning him but he continued. Then the threads faded, Blake, letting go of whatever he had done, peered down in the cradle.

His eyes went wide for a second before a smile erupted on his pale face. Jaxon and the rest of the family walked over and looked down at a red little pup, whining and sneezing. She opened her eyes, showing two bright blue eyes, welcoming her new family.