The world had a hazy edge to it. My mind was blank but responsive as I wondered through the dank hallways of nowhere in particular; I was briefly aware of being in a dream, switching between being sentient and void as I passed aimlessly through endless corridors.
I heard whispers behind me so I turned. A door was ajar, letting a sick green light ooze into the hallway, my dulled mind did not remember passing by such a door before. The voices grew louder as I approached, chattering lowly like a gathering of rats. I drew closer, enough to pull the door wider and stand fully in the light. Briefly blinded, I squinted and stumbled.
The voices grew clearer, two distinctly masculine voices - one slightly accented. Before my eyes could adjust to the neon lights of the backstreet I knew my company.
"Edwick." I spat, remembering the image of him slinking into the alley ways with his tail between his legs as a flog of vampires descended on me. "Sindel." I clenched my fist, not acknowledging the lack of pain as my nails bit crescents into my palms.
"A good dog of the military." Sindel hissed, gaunt faced and red eyed.
Edwick turned to him, "A bitch will always return to her master." Sickening words releasing curled plumes of foul smelling smoke from his mouth.
"I am no simple bitch." I snarled, feeling my ire rise to a volcanic high as I scowled at their smug faces, "I only return to bite out my master's throat."
I yelled, propelling myself towards them- either one I would happily take my victim - but the war cry choked in my throat.
"Shame..." Sindel's face was an inch from my own, twisted into an ugly mess as his lips wrinkled inhumanly to reveal a mess of pointed teeth; his voice had turned low almost demonic and layered.
I looked down, spluttering a dribble of what tasted like metal. His arm was impaled through my middle, heedless of my spine as I posed, literally skewered, up to where his elbow met his forearm. A weak moan echoed around the room, it hurt, more than you would ever expect a dream to- burning like hells fire through my veins.
I spat the blood in my mouth at Sindel's face, cursing him in my head. Much to my horror his tongue, deathly pale in colour, slipped between his gnarled teeth to taste my blood on his chin. Sindel looked to me, eyes glowing venomous red as he shunted his arm from my abdomen.
I slipped to my knees, agony making my breath come out in a wheeze. I watched grinding my teeth as he rose his bloody hand to his lips and let his overly long tongue lap at my crimson blood.
His eyes crinkled and he moaned in delight, bloodied hand now resting on my head.
"Good dog."
I choked, jolted from my sleep.
Gulping a breath in panic before realising my face was still half submerged in a pillow. I calmed slowly but soon wanted to recede back into sleep, mind distracted from the dream and focusing on the way my whole being ached like it had never before.
"Cathy?" I groaned, noticing the woman soundly slumbering at my side.
When the sleeping women beside me refused to stir, I lifted myself up against the beds headboard with a grunt. I curled into myself and breathed in a shuddering gasp as a ripple of pain flowed upwards from my lower abdomen. My mind released flashes of the dream, of when Sindel had speared his arm through my abdomen. On reflex, I grabbed at my shirt and lifted the hem to let my fingers skim the smooth flesh in reassurance. I shivered as a cold flush flowed over my skin.
I heaved forward as another wave swept through me, releasing a staggered groan at its unexpected arrival.
"Lydia..." My neck twisted to Cathy, she looked at me with glassy eyes- worry evidently eating at her.
Suddenly she hugged me, grasping onto me as best she could with her, still, round belly. Another stab made me want to sink my teeth into something and scream, instead I hugged Cathy tight to me sobbing silently in her shoulder as the pain grew to new heights. "It's a horrible, terrible thing I know." Cathy cried too, "He'll be back soon, it's ok, it's ok." She stroked my back in a motherly fashion.
The pain subsided enough that I was able to take a breath.
"What- What is happening." I stuttered.
"Ever heard of oxytocin?" Cathy pushed her head under mine and manoeuvred to basically sit in my lap, bringing herself as close as she could.
"No..."
"It's the cuddle hormone, its really important in the bonding process between mates and later children... but too much is what causes uterine contraction during labour." She wiped her eyes in my shirt as she continued to whimper.
Great. I was having contractions and not even having a baby.
Trying not to cry out as the contraction started again, I scrunched my eyes shirt and tried to distract myself; "What's causing it? How do we stop it?" My tone was most defiantly desperate, despite how I tried to keep it steady.
"The moon-" I was coming to hate the damn moon "- meant it was safer for Adam to distance himself from you, being an unbounded pair means that your hormones are in a tizzy anyway the distance always triggers this kind of reaction. Just never this adverse." I clutched her tighter, being ever mindful of her bump.
"Normally just being in close quarters with a pack mate settles things, like a temporary substitute for the mate, but its not working." She whined helplessly, reminding me of Adam.
A cry left me, she was wrong - Sindel had surely skewered me after all, none of my previous battle injuries could compare to this molten pain.
Cathy suddenly extracted herself from the knot she had tied our bodies in, I instantly missed her warmth, I found myself curling into the sheets in search for the heat she left behind.
"Fred said I should bring up the pups, bear with me for a second." I didn't fully take in what she had said before I heard the door shut.
Now alone, I writhed on the bed, using its astounding size to roll around in agony as I fully expressed my discomfort.
I'd lost track of time, the only way I even knew time was passing was the ebb and flow of pain and the movement of cooled sweat that dripped from my brow. For all I knew it could've been hours before the door opened again.
"I'm back Lydia." Cathy softly shook my shoulder I grunted in acknowledgment and opened my eyes. The air felt warmer.
Cathy knelt on the edge of the bed, of which I had migrated to the middle of, another woman stood to her side looking anxious.
"This isn't normal." The other woman caste a side long glance at Cathy, face pinched tight.
"A lycan pairing can't be called normal." Cathy replied, she tentatively placed her hand on my forehead but quickly pulled it away wincing.
"Go grab a cold rag to try and cool her fever, I'll see if the pups help, call them in." The commanding tone was not something I'd expect from Cathy, but the order was well received with a curt nod before the woman swiftly left.
"That's the Luna?" I heard a high voice whisper, sounding excited.
"Shhhh! She's not well Maverick!" Another voice piped in quietly, this one sounded like it came from a slightly older voice.
I lethargically turned on my side. At the foot of the bed stood a group of children, the oldest a boy no more than ten and the youngest, held cautiously in the eldest' arms, still swaddled in linen. I smiled, despite myself.
A boy, around five years old with bright red hair and pale freckled cheeks, hopped onto the bed and brazenly crawled up to my side. Before quite happily tucking his face into my middle and fisting his hands in my shirt.
"Maverick!" The older voice shouted again, the eldest boy had his mouth agape clearly aghast with the younger's actions. Unfortunately the ruckus woke the sleeping babe in his arms - the poor boy made a startled sound before attempting in vain to shush the baby back to sleep. I sat up and supported myself with newfound strength, arms outstretched before my mind could catch up.
Briefly, my eyes caught Cathy's, who had already taken the baby and started to coo at it, before I knew it the small bundle was thrust upon my arms and Cathy motioned for the other children to join us on the bed. I'd never really held a baby - hauled a kid over my shoulder once when I was running across a war zone, but never been trusted with the fragility of a baby. I felt warm, even as its face was scrunched up and beet red, it felt so tiny in my arms. Was I crying again? Probably, but I'd blame Adam again.
I carefully moved the screaming bundle of joy so its head rested against the swoop of my neck, supporting it with one hand whilst the other drew small circles on its back. The shrilling slowly ceased. And I was immensely proud of myself.
Looking around, I found all the children had settled around me some looking sleepier than others; I felt guilty, seeing as they were all dressed in night clothes, that I had interrupted their night.
"Is it working?" I heard a small voice beside me ask. Maverick stared up at me with big grey eyes. I tilted my head, confused.
"Mama said we came to cuddle you better. Do you feel better now?" He asked with concern beyond his years. Now that he mentioned it, the pain had all but disappeared - thank god.
"Yes, thank you." I smiled down at him.
Maverick suddenly hugged me tighter, "Just in case." He mumbled quickly into my front. I chuckled at his antics, before noticing the lights dimming in the room.
Cathy placed a finger on her lips and motioned to the pile of dozing children around me, her finger on the light switch. Getting the message, I gently reclined into the bed, careful not to squish any stray limbs on my decent. Hearing Cathy shuffle herself into bed amongst the pack I settled in, repositioning the little one more comfortably on my chest before finally relaxing.
AN : I'm back! AND WITH ME COMES LE FLUFF! I cant help it, I think its an addiction...
Anyways, I'm writing up the next chapter now, so that should be up soon. Please do point out any mistakes you see and remember to comment and vote!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Keep reading, thank you for your patience,
Joules xxxxxx