Chase POV
The moment I felt Kiera strong inside me, I ran to action. I stalked to the training grounds, my face clad in pure determination to find my mate. Every soldier bowed to me as I walked past them, and no one dared to disobey an order I gave.
I saw my people, hand and hand with those from the South, all of them rattled in fear their Alpha may kill them in his rage, and I felt nothing but pride. I never cared to enforce strict authority or entirely run a pack myself—this mission I would see out from beginning to end, though.
"We got camping gear packed with the omegas, Deltas are fully equipped with weapons, and the Betas have maps to lead each group." Becky stood beside me but with a considerable distance between us. I was surprised she and her mate didn't run for the hills after what my brother accused her of or that he almost killed her.
"Good, we move out in five. Where are my brothers?" I asked.
"They are coming down now. I'll get in position." Becky gave me a respectful bow, and I watched her from the corner of my eye.
"You could try thanking her." A familiar voice spoke behind me.
"Thank her for what?" I scoffed at Maggie. "Are the children safely tucked away?"
"Of course. We have any child under five guarded in the basement."
"The basement?" I turned to look at her.
"Luna Kiera has a fully finished basement. They don't appear to have cells, at least not under the pack house like we do." She said.
"Odd. Maybe they just kill their traitors." I shrugged my shoulders at her.
Everything was in place. My brothers and I took the front of the group, leading hundreds into the rainforest. We had no clue where to go other than following our instincts. We searched for hours, refusing to stop for any breaks. The sun wasn't kind to us either. The sweltering heat drained our bodies of energy, and it seemed there wasn't enough water in the world to revive us.
"I fucking hate the South!" Drake said. He was dripping sweat from head to toe.
"There's water ahead. We should stop for a break as the sun sets. Let's cool off before heading back out for the night." Elizabeth suggested, knowing we wouldn't stop for long.
"Fifteen minutes, then we head back out. The fucking ocean is like a hot bath. It won't cool any of us down." River ordered.
Elizabeth led our people to the white sand beaches while my brothers and I peered out in the distance. There was nothing but blue we could see for miles.
"Kiera mentioned islands off her shore." Drake broke the silence. "We've been walking in circles. Feeling her close then far away. Maybe they have her out there somewhere." He nodded to the abyss of nothingness the sea held.
"What are we, damn pirates now? None of us have been on a boat before." River spoke with annoyance. We were all becoming weary. Kiera felt close, though, so close, but as we moved, her presence faded.
"Is that an island?" I asked, placing my hand above my eyes to shield the sun.
"Island don't move, dumbass," River growled at me.
"She is..." I started to say, the warmth inside me growing.
"Fuck! It's her!" River shouted, leaping forward and diving head-first into the waves.
"Does he really think he can swim to her?" I cocked my head, watching my brother swim effortlessly, deeper and deeper into the waters.
"He is definitely going to try." Drake smiled at him.
"What is this?" I teased him. "Are you happy we found Kiera, or is it something else?"
"I knew it was only a matter of time before your cocky attitude would return." Drake shook his head at me, moving closer so the water was now to his knees.
"What is out there?" Becky shouted our way.
"Our Luna." I smiled wide back at the people taking a rest on the sand. Everyone began to rise, inching closer and murmuring in disbelief as the blue boat approached.
River jumped aboard, punching the old man that rowed the boat. His frail body fell from the side, plunging into the deep waters. River scooped Kiera in his arms and jumped back into the water.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" I watched my brother place Kiera on his back as he swam back to us.
"He is in love. Nothing will stop him from protecting her. After all this, I wouldn't be surprised if he glues himself to her side." Elizabeth laughed beside me, and Drake dived into the water, unable to wait a few minutes for the River to reach dry land.
"Are you ok with this? With him?" I asked her, sensing both her joy and sadness.
"Yeah, I have to be." She gave me a weak smile. "I'll go fetch the old man River tried to drown. He probably saved our Luna and deserves a reward, not death. Go be with your mate, Alpha." Lizzy winked at me and then dove into a wave, swimming towards the man, who looked like he was using his last breath to stay afloat.
River made it to shallow waters and then adjusted Kiera in his arms. She laid lifeless and my body lurched forwards. I didn't sense anything wrong with her! How could she be passed out or unconscious?
Fear instantly replaced any joy I felt as I ran to my brother. Drake and I wrapped around her, checking her body temperature and heartbeat.
"Do you hear that?" Drake growled his head to her chest. I pushed him aside and laid my ear to her breast.
"Two heartbeats?" I said in shock.
"What?" River roared in anger, lifting her body as he listened to her chest. He moved his head to her stomach, breathing her in as we stood like three helpless fools half in the water.
"She can only be pregnant by her mate," I said sadly, my fingers moving to her neck where that disgusting mark lay on her neck. Even if Jackson took her body, a baby can't grow in just days.
"Her mark is faded." I moved her head to the side, the three of us examining every inch of her skin.
"That is because Jackson is dead." A rough voice filled with seawater spoke behind us. He looked homeless and smelled like a foul rogue. "She is only unconscious while her body heals from the death of her mate. It's temporary and won't harm her child."
"Who the fuck are you?" River growled at the man, and he limped backward. Elizabeth swam to us, handing the man a cane to help him stand.
"He is the man that saved our Luna. Try not to kill him, Alphas." Lizzy glared at us like unruly children.
"How is she pregnant?" I asked the man.
"Alpha Chase." He said, and I nodded to him.
"That's me. How?" I asked with a growl.
The man looked at me like I was an idiot, then huffed in annoyance. "Alpha Chase got her pregnant. She said she marked you but then rejected you."
"What? I..." my mouth opened, but I had no words. Was this actually possible? My lips curled into a grand smile as I looked over my mate.
"She is with child, our child." My hand rested over her belly, and my brothers growled possessively. We knew this was terrible timing, but none of us cared in the slightest.
"We should mark her," River said, his eyes turning black as Chaos came forward.
"While she is unconscious? I thought her mates would treat her better?" The old man scorned.
"We will protect her from everything. She is ours!" River turned to the man, and he shook his head at him. "A bunch of damn fools. Our world is doomed." He mumbled as he limped past us.
"River, we can't mark her, not yet. We need the full moon more than ever now." Drake reached to take her body from his.
"The full moon was last night. We would have to wait an entire month." He growled at Drake, clutching her more tightly to his chest.
"We will do what's best for our mate and son," Drake warned him. "Don't harm our Luna, Chaos!" His voice held deep authority.
"I would never harm her. I just don't want to wait." River whined, releasing her from his grip and allowing Drake to take her.
"I don't want to wait either, brother." My arm came around River's shoulders. "We are going to be Dads. We have to put our wants to the side for them." I smiled like a giddy little kid. I was worried for Kiera, but my happiness was impossible to contain.
"Yeah, dads." River almost looked scared at the word. He wanted to start a family more than any of us.
"Worried you will suck at it?" I teased him.
"You're an asshole, Chase. Besides, I'll be the best father out of all of us." He said proudly.
My hand patted his chest. "We will all be the best dads. Our son will be perfect."
River looked down sadly. Something was eating away at him.
"What's wrong? I can sense the worry consuming you."
"Our son's best chance is if we are dead."
"What? How can you say that?" I looked at him in disbelief.
"Because it's the truth. We need to find a way to
eliminate Dietus, or we need to kill him inside us. Otherwise, our son will be tormented the moment he is born. I won't let that happen."
I nodded my head, realizing our child was far from safe. Kiera was now home, and she was never leaving our side again, but it might be us who had to leave her. I don't know if I can do that.