»What have you done to him?!«
Outraged, Naika pressed her finger in Cassian's chest who looked more than despaired and guilty. But he wasn't at fault. It hurt seeing him like that.
Groaning in pain, I wanted to sit up but Elli pushed me back onto the bed.
»You need to lie down,« she said sternly and put a wet cloth on my forehead which wouldn't alleviate the throbbing headache and my fever at all.
But she tried to tell herself that it would help.
»I did nothing!« Cas screamed and stared down at Naika who immediately growled darkly. »Of course, we can all see that!«
I found it cute that she wanted to protect me but with her screaming my head only hurt more and that she accused Cas who did nothing was even worse.
»It's the truth! Before we drove off everything was fine and he fell asleep on the drive! Could I have thought that he was feeling this bad and only fell asleep because of it?!«
»Yes! You are his mate! You could have felt that he has a fever!« my abroad-sister yelled.
»Shut the fuck up! Your screaming doesn't help us!« Zack shouted louder than the two screamers and both went silent.
»Thanks, now I can maybe concentrate,« Emily mumbled and put her hands on my forehead and belly.
A green light shimmered beneath her hands and she squeezed her eyes shut, strained from concentration.
»Come on,« Emi whispered and then I felt like I wouldn't burn any longer and freeze at the same time.
It was pleasant and not tormenting like before. Relieved I breathed out because I just had felt like someone was ripping out my lungs.
»I don't know how long I can hold on. I'm trying my best, but he needs to get to the hospital.«
The sorceress looked up to the others and in the same moment a drop of sweat rolled down her forehead. If she was already sweating like that, I couldn't imagine how straining it was.
I wanted to tell her that she should stop so she didn't overwhelm herself but at the same time I just couldn't tell her that because I needed her.
»The ambulance is already on its way,« Sean informed and everyone breathed out in relief.
»Can you hold on for a bit longer, Emily?« Fynn asked worriedly and halted next to her. If even Fynn was worried, my condition must be serious.
A rasping, panting breath that should have been a laugh left my body.
»I hope,« she wheezed and for a moment the green light flickered like it was losing power. »It's as if his body fights against me. Last time it wasn't like this!«
»Channel me. If I'm truly a Valkyrie then I should be from a race that is called half godly in the myths. And what is better than a godly power to strengthen yourself,« he said and Emily nodded quickly when my breathing went faster again and my body tensed up from the pain.
»Put your hands on my shoulders,« the told him and he stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.
His eyes started to shine in a silver light and the green magic beneath Emi's hands turned into a lighter color and shined much stronger.
»Everything good behind there?« Emi asked and Fynn nodded lazily. »Channel as much power as you need. I have enough in my body.«
»The ambulance arrived!« Leandra yelled as she ran with her vampire speed into the bedroom.
»Can you stop the magic without him feeling miserably again?« Cas asked worriedly and quickly came up to our bed.
»I hope so,« Emi whispered and took her hands away the moment Cassian lifted me up in his arms.
Immediately my breath went quicker and I squeezed myself closer to him. My body tensed up and my organs felt like they were on a roller-coaster they didn't enjoy at all.
My sight went blurry and my body trembled from the cold and in the next moment I wanted to tear off my clothes because it was too hot. But him being close to me was enough.
I could endure it. I would endure it. I must endure it. For him.
Trembling, I took in his scent and clawed myself to his shirt.
»I'm here, sweetheart,« he whispered and when I looked up to his face it was more than blurry. Blinking, I let my head drop against his upper arm.
I had never felt horrible like this, not even back then. This was a new stage. One I hoped to never experience.
A meow caught my attention that wasn't really right here and now.
Coffee sat on the kitchen island and looked after us when we passed her. And if I didn't mistake it, she looked worried. But she was just a cat.
And when I didn't see her anymore, I forgot her completely.
And then the chaos started.
The paramedic put an infusion on me and took my blood on the racy drive. Cas held my hand for the whole drive and Emily was on the other side and tried to lower my temperature with her magic.
Fynn couldn't come with us because there wasn't enough space for him too, which wasn't really good for the young sorceress because she was already wet from all the sweat.
I couldn't tell anymore what all the voices shouted when we arrived at the hospital.
Everything beeped around me and my body felt numb and at the same time nervous as if it wanted to reject something that it couldn't reject.
Something wasn't right at all.
And then I drowned in the darkness that took my pain.
***
Painstakingly I opened my eyes and glanced around, disorientated. »You are finally awake. Thank the moon goddess,« Cassian's voice sounded next to me and I turned my head to him in surprise. The throbbing in my head made me regret my quick movement. Agonized, I twisted my face.
»How long was I knocked out?« I asked quietly because my throat was itching.
The former pain was still there but not as much present anymore as it was before. It was endurable.
»Just a few hours. But your fever didn't go down for the whole time. We can thank Emily and Fynn that they pushed their power into your body the whole time. Right now, you get pumped full with painkillers so your body can somehow endure the pain,« he said with a thin voice, and I sighed.
»Was it ever this terrible in Canada?« he asked carefully.
I saw the fear in his eyes that he left me alone with it back then. The guilt. The self-hate.
Softly I shook my head to deny it. »It was never this bad.«
»Maybe our vacation hadn't been a good idea...«
»Don't say that. The vacation was more than beautiful. We finally bonded, fulfilled our bond. You are mine and I am yours, finally,« I said and lifted his hand to my lips to kiss his knuckles.
»Though I broke your pelvis more than one time?« he asked and laughed quietly as if something broke inside of him.
»It's a risk to be together with you and I will take that risk with pleasure,« I said.
»It would be best if you sleep a little bit more and I will tell the others that you woke up.«
He stood up and I would rather not let go of his hand.
He shouldn't leave me alone. Everything denied him to leave. As if my body rejected just the thought about him leaving our side as if my body didn't want to be without its mate.
»The others?« I asked. Who was here except for him?
»Your parents and siblings, your friends and my parents are all sitting in the cafeteria. Believe me when I tell what riot Caleb and Ethan threw when they got informed that you are in the hospital.«
Smiling, I closed my eyes. The painkillers made me sleepy. »Okay...«
The door closed behind Cas with a click and then I was alone in my room.
The beeping and my breathing problems were the only things that I could listen to in this empty room.
Now I felt like a main character from a movie that was in the hospital and drowned in their depressive, vegetative state.
A slight smile appeared on my lips when I turned on my side and pulled my legs up to my body and twined my arms around my belly.
If I reacted like this now, what would we do in the future? Someday... my body wouldn't be able to endure it any longer.
However, I wasn't alone for long.
»How nice. Finally, it's time.«
Startled, I jerked my head around and tried to sit up in the same movement because I had never heard this voice in my whole life. Furthermore, the door never opened after Cas left.
So, how the hell was someone in this room?!
Growling, I wanted to jump up but my fuzzy circulation didn't let that happen which was why I could only sit half up in my bed and stare at the strangers.
»Lie down, little wolf,« a female voice giggled this time and a hand with ghastly long nails pushed my back on the mattress.
She used so much strength that I could swear, I heard my ribs break. That would explain the pain at least and my dreadful whimper.
I tried to fight back but the pain got only worse with every move.
»Vanadis, be nice to him. He is our ticket machine,« the man said, whose black hair was tied in a ponytail. And just like his hair was black, his eyes were too. No white, just black.
I only saw creatures like that in movies and shows and the picture I had in mind wasn't nice at all. No, I saw those eyes somewhere else too.
At Chat's home in the records his family owned.
»Can't we keep him afterwards, Argon? I really want a lapdog,« the black-haired woman asked – with the same black eyes – and pouted her lips.
»He may be a being of the shadows but at home he won't be able to live. Furthermore, the ticket is just enough for us two,« the man denied.
I didn't understand at all. What ticket?
»Oh, the wolf does not know what we are talking about?«
Mockingly he looked down on me and made me growl in response, it sounded broken. The fever affected me more than I needed right now and the broken rips didn't help at all.
»Don't get unfriendly, wolf!« Vanadis hissed and pushed me deeper into the mattress and again I felt and heard some of my rips breaking.
»Fuck, you whore,« I spat out and even though I didn't like those kinds of curse words, I couldn't hold them back at all.
At once she dragged me out of bed and pulled out the wires from my nose that provided me with enough air and the thing that measured most of my vitals. Immediately the machine started to beep loudly because my pulse was missing.
Growling furiously, she pushed me down and pressed my face to the cold ground. Her foot squeezed into my neck and dug the heel of her high heels deeply into my flesh that I could smell blood.
»I said you shouldn't get unfriendly, wolf!«
Growling, I bared my teeth. If they wanted to use my moment of weakness they should. But they couldn't stop me from talking.
»Fuck you, slut,« I growled and suddenly the pressure on my neck got harder and I tried to get away from beneath her, howling in pain.
If she put some more pressure in her foot, she would snap my spin in two.
»Vanadis!« the man thundered, and the woman immediately stopped.
»What?« she asked lovely. Pah!
»You are damaging the goods.« Rolling her eyes, she lessened the pressure but still had her foot on my neck.
»Couldn't we wait until it's ready? I wouldn't need to listen to his words then,« she said and threw her hair back.
»You probably don't understand how big his instincts are going to be afterwards. Moreover, we can't risk that they manipulate our ticket machine even more.«
»Ugh,« the woman groaned.
Suddenly the door got thrown open and because of the scream »Kyran!« I recognized him as Cassian. Behind him appeared more people who I couldn't all see due to my position.
»Who are you?!« Cas demanded to know and I could feel clearly that he didn't want to come too close to not risk them hurting me.
»Ah, telling from the stench of the mark you are the mate,« Argon said and bowed profusely.
»If I'm allowed to introduce myself, I am Argon and this is my lovely sister Vanadis. And you have something we want.«
Growling I tried to move beneath Vanadis foot which only resulted in her putting more pressure on me which made me pull my legs to my belly, whimpering.
»You are demons,« Chat gasped and pulled out the knife he always had on him.
»Calm down, little hunter, and put away your demon knife. You can't kill both of us and you surely don't want that something happens to your kind friend, or the sweet little beings inside of him.«
Trembling, I gasped for air and ripped open my eyes. What was he saying? What did he mean?
»What are you talking about?!« Cas growled and had the same thoughts as I.
What was going on? We just were on our calm vacation and had fun and then this happened.
Demons. Why demons? What idiot came up with that?!
»Did you seriously not find out until now?« Vanadis laughed and pulled her foot off me.
Hectically I wanted to crawl away from her but she grabbed me by the hair and dragged me to my knees.
»This beautiful wolf carries five little pups inside of him.«
Puppies... Did she just say I was pregnant?
»But I'm a man?!« I yelled and felt her nails digging into my scalp.
»Did I allow you to talk, dog?« she whispered dangerously close to my ear and licked it down. Disgusted, I twisted my expression and squeezed my lips together.
I must be dreaming. Something was clearly going awry.
»Kyran is right, he can't get pregnant. He is a man!« Cas agreed with me.
He tried to be calm but I could feel over our bond that he wasn't at all. Cas was feeling the same torrents of emotions as I did.
»Young Alpha, he may be a man but you clearly don't know how much your kind goddess does for her moon children,« Argon mocked.
»This wolf, your mate and your Luna got blessed from your lovely mother. She felt your desperate love and gifted him with the power to bear your children, though he was born a Beta. Why did you think your mate got sick like this?«
Everyone – even I – went pale.
That wasn't possible. Why should the moon goddess bless me? I was a nobody in comparison to other packs and wolves. Others deserved to be blessed, not I.
»What the fuck are you talking about, you bastard?!« I growled and tried to get myself out of Vanadis grip again though her nails dug into my flesh.
»Very easily, wolf. Your nature may be that of a Beta but due to the true love your mate had for you even before his birthday, your goddess decided to make you his Luna. She blessed you with her divine light so you can carry his children. And believe me your children will be strong because they will carry a part of her divinity, just like you do after the blessing. However, your dear goddess hadn't considered that your kind are beings of the shadows and a part of your body will reject her divine light that made you sick. And why are you sick now?«
He lifted his eyebrows mockingly and squatted down before me.
»Because here« - he pointed at my bell - »are growing five puppies. Five puppies that symbolize the true love between you and your mate. Five puppies that got created by the divine light and the shadows inside of you try to reject them but the divinity is fighting against that. A clash between two different powers that are born from the same source. And those five will be our ticket back home. Our lord certainly wants to own something from that goddess and that will be your pups.«
Abruptly I spit in his face and bared my teeth. »Over my dead body!«
Grinning, he twisted his lips as he wiped away my salvia from his face. »I hadn't expected any less from you and I wouldn't have let you live anyway, wolf. Vanadis, if you would.«
Everyone was frozen from the stock and stared at me and the two demons. I was the only one that took in all the information and accepted them immediately.
I carried my five children inside of me and those two demons wanted to use them as their sacrifices for their lord to get home.
And the only thing I could do was stop them.
If it was possible to have children on my own, I would fight with every last bit of power in my body for them. Come what may. I wouldn't let someone steal my children from me. Never.
»By the way, it was very cunning from someone to give you and your mate this.« Argon grabbed my wrist and pulled off the ring on my finger. »With that on, it was pretty difficult for us to find you.«
The ring fell to the ground and I widened my eyes. The ring.
Did the old woman mean this? The light wasn't allowed to die out? Was she maybe a witch and felt that demons were close to us?
»And your witcher maybe could have gotten on our trail if you didn't wear those rings. His visions got blocked due to them too,« Vanadis purred giggling.
»The five...« Enzo gasped shocked. »That's what it meant, and you are the darkness!«
»Clever boy,« Argon complimented and grinned. »But you were too foolish to realize the truth. You rather stayed in your pink world instead of seeing the danger. We were always here, watching you. Everything you did never left our sight and hearing.«
With wide eyes I stared to the ground. How naive we have been.
All of a sudden Argon stepped forward and tore my shirt apart. Growling, I snapped my teeth at him, though it didn't really work because I was too weak right now to let my fangs grow.
»Because we only need your children you say, you will only give them to us over your dead body, we tragically need to take action.«
Acting dramatic he sighed and put his fingers on my chest where my heart was. With fine movements he drew a sign into my skin which turned into a deep black color.
»No! Stop him!« Emily screamed but it was already too late when he took his fingers from me.
Screaming I bent my back and squeezed my body together and I could feel all the bones in my body breaking. It was more terrible than ever. Everything shifted and then I laid on the ground as a wolf and got grabbed by the neck by Vanadis.
»What is that?! What have you done to him?!« Cassian shouted and looked desperate to me.
Whimpering I let my head drop to the ground and closed my eyes. I felt so weak...
»This, young Alpha, is the black death. This sign will let him live for about one year. Enough time for him to bear the pups and make them strong enough so our lord will love to accept them,« Argon laughed and I flattened my ears, whimpering.
One year? This thing should give me only one year to live? I already felt like I was being eaten from the inside.
»No! Remove it!« he screamed in despair.
»I'm very sorry but I won't be able to. I may be able to put it on him but removing it isn't in my power.« The demon shrugged his shoulders.
»Then take that power!« my mate bellowed.
»Young Alpha, we will be so merciful and will throw his corpse and the corpses of your pups before your door after our lord absorbed their power. And now we will say our goodbyes.«
»No! KYRAN!«
And then I wasn't in the hospital room anymore but in a rotting cell. Around my neck was an iron chain and was bound to the wall with chains.
»Have a nice stay, wolf,« Vanadis giggled before she and Argon disappeared from the cell.
How did everything take a turn like this so quickly?
Just now we had a beautiful vacation and now I was pregnant – what was more than beautiful – however, my children were going to be the sacrifices of two demons who couldn't get back home.
Could time turn back? Could I do anything except give up?
Please, Cas, find us and if not, forgive me for doing this to you.