Jaime's pov
I can't get up . . . I lay whimpering on the ground, struggling to get to my feet as warrior wolves gather around me, watching in amusement. Quinn stared down at me with an unreadable expression on his face as I fell to the ground for the sixth time. Finally, he let out an irritated sigh and placed a foot on my back to hold me in place, ignoring my whine of pain.
"Stop moving you idiot, your legs are injured and you're only going to cause more damage if you keep thrashing around."
I looked up at the group of wolves surrounding me, pushing away the shame filling me when I realized I would have to beg them for assistance.
"P-Please, help me."
One of the wolves moved closer, and knelt down, lifting my chin with his fingers.
"What's in it for us? You're nothing but trouble, what are you offering for us not to just leave you here to die?"
"W-Why do I have to offer you anything?! I-I'm your Luna!"
"Actually that's where you're wrong, you're just a whore that happened to catch the Alpha's eye and ended up in his bed . . . but maybe if you do something for us, we'll feel like doing something for you."
"No."
"What did you say?"
"I said no and . . . and if you touch me, I'm going to tell Nicholas."
"Alright, we wont touch you . . . we'll just use that "mate" of yours.'
"Don't you lay a hand on him!"
"You guys hear that, the whore is mated to our Alpha, yet begging for the safety of another man; some Luna!"
Quinn let out a roar and everyone fell silent.
"Do not disrespect your Luna, especially in front of me!"
"But you hate him too."
And our Alpha loves him, to the point that our lives mean nothing compared to his. I'm not going risk my life for you because of something as foolish as hatred? I'm not going to lose everything I've ever wanted when I finally have it, now take him back to the pack house."
The wolf that had threatened me nodded his head and gently lifted me from the ground. Though he'd been careful, I still let out a whimper of pain, causing everyone to freeze.
"Be careful, do not cause him anymore pain than is necessary."
I closed my eyes at Quinn's words . . . it was his fault I was hurt in the first place! He must have known what I was thinking, because I could feel his cold gaze focused on me.
"Believe what you want, if you hadn't fought me to protect a traitor I wouldn't have had to harm you."
Feeling Quinn setting up a block from the rest of the pack, I didn't hesitate to speak my thoughts into his head.
'Throwing a pregnant wolf against a tree isn't harming them . . . you almost killed me!'
'I simply kept you from fighting me, Luna. You're the one that makes things harder on yourself. '
I forced myself not to respond, knowing Quinn had a way of twisting my words to make me doubt myself.
'What, nothing to say?'
"Please if he asked you to punish me from running away . . . please don't hurt my pups."
"I will do to you whatever the Alpha wishes. If you're worried about your pups, you should find a way to appease his anger."
I nodded, there was nothing left to say.
"Take him inside."
Lifting my head, a chill went up my spine when I realized that we were inside the packhouse and standing in front of Nicholas's office.
"Why is my Luna being carried? Who harmed him, Quinn?"
"He tried to fight me, Alpha. I had no other choice."
"I understand. And the boy?"
"We managed to knock him out and lock him in the dungeon . . . I made sure to bring him back alive, I know you want to end his life yourself?"
"That's why I put you in charge, you understand me so well."
Nicholas turned his attention to me and I flinched at the emotionless expression on his face.
"Why do you always force my hand, Jaime? I've disciplined you again and again, but you somehow still find a way to disobey me, well this time I'm going to make sure it sinks into that empty little head of yours . . . no one can save you because I will never let you go."
"P-Please . . . I-I______________."
"Take him to our room and make sure he stays there."
I lowered my head in submission, knowing it wouldn't do me any good to beg for forgiveness. The wolf that was holding me, quickly left the room and started up the stairs, quickly entering the master bedroom, before dropping my on the bed and locking the door. I struggled to sit up as he rummaged through a drawer, lifting out something that clanged and clanked together loudly. Turning towards me, he smirked at me mockingly as he dangled several pairs of chains in front of my face.
"I'm glad the Alpha has finally seen through you. You never deserved him, always acting so weak and helpless, when you were really seducing him so you could destroy this pack from the inside. We all hate you, you know and you'll never be seen as our Luna."
I held my tongue, knowing he'd report anything I said to Nicholas.
"See you can't even defend yourself because I'm telling the truth."
"Get out."
Turning to see Quinn entering the room, the wolf that was mocking me, lowered his head submissively.
"I-I was just_____."
"You were just mocking our Luna again, instead of following orders even after I warned you."
"I-I___________."
"I told you to leave."
"Y-Yes."
The wolf hurried out of the room handing Quinn the chains as he passed by him and Quinn slowly made his way over to the bed.
"Please, you don't have to do this . . . I'll leave when my legs heal and the pack can find a better Luna."
Shaking his head, Quinn pinned one of my hands against the bedpost, wrapping the chain around my wrist tightly before repeating the process on the other one.
"I haven't chained your legs so you'll have time to heal them, but if you try to break these chains I'll make sure you regret taking advantage of my generosity."
"Please."
"I guess you still don't get it, my loyalty is to my. Alpha, not you. I have no sympathy or compassion for your situation and we are not friends"
"Ple__________."
An annoyed growl escaped Quinn's lips and before I could finish my plea he ripped a strip of fabric from the bedsheet, shoving it into my mouth and tying it behind my head.
"Maybe that'll get you to shut up."
Glaring at me coldly, Quinn stalked to the door without looking back and left the room, slamming it behind him. I listened for any sounds from the hallway, but there was only silence, so I shifted my attention to healing myself. A sudden pain sharper than the ones I had felt in the woods and a flood of liquid poured into the blanket and my legs.
'Oh, please . . . not now! The pups can't come now, it's too soon!'
'Calm down Jaime, I am here with you. Everything will be fine.'
'But I'm trapped! There's no one here and I can't shift!'
'Do you trust me?'
'Y-Yes.'
'Then close your eyes and give me control.'
'A-Alright.'
Closing my eyes, I relaxed my body and felt my bones shifting and resetting, my legs healing instantly and my hands and feet snapping the chains as they became paws. My teeth became fangs, ripping through the strip down cloth just as another pain shot through me. My wolf, Demi curled into a ball and whimpered quietly, shuddering as the pain ebbed and then faded away.
'I-It's time Jaime . . . the babies are going to come out soon.'
Another whimper escaped Demi, and he lay down on his side as the first pup entered the birth canal. He panted for breath, forcing himself to push until we heard a loud plop. Pushing the pup closer to his face, he quickly licked it clean, letting out an excited whine when it let out a shrill yip.
'It's a girl, Jaime!'
Before I could reply, he whimpered again, shifting into position and delivering our next pup. He quickly cleaned that one too, before immediately delivering our sixth pup.
'We did it Jaime, our pups are here and they're safe!'
'Are you going to let me take control now? I want to see them!'
'Yes. Just relax and focus on being . . . wait something's wrong . . . the pain isn't going away.'
'What . . .What does that mean?'
'There are more pups . . . we're having more pups Jaime!'
'But the doctor said_______!'
He was wrong, they're coming now!'
Trembling uncontrollably, Demi cut off our link, pushing me to the back of his mind as he concentrated on delivering the rest of the pups. A mournful howl was my only clue that something was wrong, before my body unexpectedly shifted back into its human form.
"What_________?"
My words were cut off the when I noticed that one of the pups that had been settled close to my face wasn't moving or breathing.
"N-No . . . my baby . . . you have to be alright."
Dragging myself into a sitting position, I lifted the frail body into my arms, opening its and forcing a careful breath into its fragile lungs but the pup didn't respond.
"Please breathe!"
I tried again and again, but still nothing . . . my pup was dead. I failed them. Gently turning the pup I checked it over.
"I'm sorry my little boy."
I clutched my pup to my chest as a scream of absolute anguish left my throat and echoed around the room.
Eric's pov
I slowly opened my eyes, clutching my head to keep my vision from doubling.
"So the traitor's finally awake, huh?"
Looking around at the faces surrounding me, I let my gaze fall on Nicholas, the monster that had destroyed my life.
"Why did you come back?"
"To take back what you stole from me. I came for my mate."
"Nothing here belongs to you. You were ordered to leave and never return or did my lesson not get through to you?"
"What got through to me, was that you're a mad dog that needs to be put down. The only reason you're still alive is that I was too young to kill you . . . I never understood. You could have just banished us, but instead you raped my mother in front of the entire pack, to prove you power over us. I've wished for your death since that day."
"So you came back to challenge me? How pathetic."
"As pathetic as forcing your son to marry you and bear your pups?"
"Do not speak about my mate!"
"Your mate is dead and I won't let you have mine!"
A loud chilling scream ripped through the air cutting off whatever he was about to say and his attention quickly shifted from me to Quinn who stood watching our exchange.
"Tie him to one of the posts in the training yard and give him to whoever wants him. They can do whatever they want to him as long as he's still alive when I get back."
"Yes, Alpha."
'Eric we have to run.'
'What about Jaime? That was his scream just now!'
'You are too weak to fight now . . . we will come back for Jaime, like you, I have no plans on letting our mate go.'
'Alright, so what's the plan?'
'Simple, you give me control, I kill whoever opens the cell door and we make a run for it.'
'You're forgetting, we're locked in the dungeon inside of the packhouse, we can't just stroll out the door.'
'Just give me control and rest, I'll get us out.'
'Okay.'
I closed my eyes, and focused on letting Emmet my wolf take control.
"I don't think so, you're not going anywhere."
I jerked my head up in time to see a gun pointed at me.
"The Alpha didn't give you permission to leave."
I growled at Quinn who smiled back calmly, his finger resting on the trigger.
"If you shoot me, you'd better kill me."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Laughing quietly, Quinn pulled the trigger and the last thing I heard was a deafening bang before my world faded into darkness.