I knew Cole had done something. What? I didn't know, the only thing that I could think of was that it was highly stupid. I had heard him when I had been... in a different world. I could tell he was talking to someone, but I couldn't tell what it was about. I only made out a few words. I worried that he made a bargain with someone. If he thought he could break the bargain, then he was stupid.
I wished that I could read his mind and see what he wasn't telling me. I wished that the mate-bond gave us the chance to do that. You'd think that the mark on my neck would do that, but it didn't. It only showed other males I was his and created the bond between us. I wondered if there was anything else. Females weren't able to mark males, the Moon Goddess had made it that way.
Despite whatever suspicious thing that Cole did, everything was fine. My wounds had healed and the feeling returned to my arm. Apparently the knife completely destroyed some special tendon or whatever, and my arm would've been paralyzed. The baby was fine, and the only sign of damage was the scars. The baby wasn't even showing signs of trauma.
When Doctor Leet did the ultrasound, we found out that the baby was a girl. And a boy. And another girl. I was having triplets. Apparently my grandma had been a triplet, so it was in my genes. I had been close with my grandma, but she never told me that. We were ecstatic, though I nearly fell over thinking about three toddlers in the house at once. That would suck, a lot.
I loved children and babies, but I never said I loved toddlers. They were just complete and utter nightmares. It's like they made it their duty to terrorize everyone they meet. When I was younger, I would help in the daycare, and I always got stuck with the toddlers the first time. After that I always made sure I got older kids, and avoided the evil little mites at all costs.
Molly immediately made it her mission to tease us. She had smirked, saying something about how we did it so many times that we ended up with three eggs. I had knocked her upside the head and said that's not how triplets work. Then she got all sassy and told me to describe it. I said it simply.
"The sperm breaks into three, and fertilizes three eggs. Then you have triplets. Boom!"
Molly never brought it up again after that when she realized that I actually paid attention in health class. She didn't want to know any other disgusting facts.
I sighed as my thoughts battered me. We had to meet the Luna of ClarityHowl and Cara. This time we were meeting in our territory, because we couldn't rely on them not to ambush us again. Cole had wanted to do the same thing that they did to us—to let them know what it felt like—but I had managed to convince him not to.
"Are they almost here?" I asked one of my bodyguards. These guys were new too.
His eyes glazed over as he contacted one of the border guards.
"Just crossed over," he confirmed. Both of them glanced down at me, and I huffed, crossing my arms. These guys were so annoying. They took their jobs way too seriously.
On cue, a black Cadillac came into view. Wolves from our pack surrounded it, snarling as it slowed to a stop. We had decided not to host this meeting at the pack house. We were at one of the nicer houses farther out in the territory. I watched as the doors opened, and Luna Jane stepped out, her lip curled up into a sneer and green eyes shining with defiance. Cara followed nervously, keeping her eyes on the ground.
Cole had told me to greet them and then I would lead them into the house, where he waited. I met Jane's gaze as she marched over the gravel towards me. She stopped several feet in front of me and I could feel my guards stiffen.
She sneered, "I'm shocked you're alive after that event."
"It would take a lot more than that to kill me," I smiled at her. Of course, it wouldn't. I practically was dead, but Cole did something. Something that he refuses to tell me because it's unimportant.
"What, where's your mate?" She huffed, "are you so confident that you don't need him after you survived that?"
"Mum, please," Cara whispered. Jane shook off her daughter.
Without a word, I turned around and led them into the house. I slid into the living room and sat down beside Cole. Luna Jane snarled when she saw us and tossed her head. Cara sent me an apologetic glance. I took no note in it.
"I was thinking that I could offer my daughter as an alliance, but it seems that your mutt of a mate is alive," Jane said the minute she sat down. Cole didn't give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
Cara's face was flushed red with embarrassment as she shook her head. I couldn't wait for her to become Alpha, then maybe we wouldn't have such a problem. Both her mom and dad have sticks shoved up their butts.
"I see that your mate couldn't survive," Cole stated, playing the same game as the demon-lady.
Silence floated from the other side of the room. Jane's eyes were a dangerous forest green as she glared us both down. Maybe before I was a Luna, I would've flinched, but now I was on equal ground with her. She was just a stupid, mad wolf.
"So will Cara become Alpha?" I asked, glancing between the two. Jane glanced at her daughter and sniffed in disdain. Cara straightened up.
"Yes, I will be," she said loudly, ignoring her mother's glares.
"Females can't be Alphas!" Her mom snapped.
"She'd make a better Alpha than her father," Cole huffed, raising an eyebrow.
Jane snarled and stood up, marching out. Cara watched her go and winced when the front door slammed loudly. She turned back to us and played with her thumbs. We both watched her, waiting for her to say something. She chewed on her bottom lip and her brown eyes darted around nervously.
"I will become Alpha in my father's place... but my mother is against it, and here, unlike our old home, doesn't allow female Alphas," she sighed, crossing and uncrossing her legs.
"I'm sure you could talk to the Alpha King," I pointed out.
She shook her head, "he has to gain permission from the council... and the council is totally against that. Plus, I've already sent a letter and he denied my request."
"I could get my sister to talk to him," Cole interjected.
"No, I don't want to get you into this mess... I will figure it out."
With that, she stood up, waved goodbye, and walked out. Me and Cole sat in silence. Moon Goddess, I felt terrible. We were the ones who killed her dad and got her into this predicament. We were already in the mess.
++++
Several days passed, and I tried to call Cara, to no prevail. Cole had shook his head at me and told me to let it go. If she didn't want our help, we shouldn't insert ourselves. It annoyed me, but I knew that he was right. About that. I was going to get to the bottom of how I was still alive.
"Tell me Cole," I demanded and then shook my head, "Cole, we're mates, we tell each other everything! This is stupid and pointless to not tell me!"
I had been practicing in the mirror. Trying not to look and sound desperate. What if he pulled some idiotic move and sold his soul to the Dark Moon? I grumbled, let's just get this over with already, my wolf sighed.
I walked out of the bathroom and stepped back in surprise when I saw Cole on the bed. His elbows were resting on his knee, and head buried in his hands. His smell of distress filled up the room. I almost backed off, but then I realized just how important this was. What if he's distressed because of what he did?
"Cole," I said sharply, and sat down beside him, "just tell me already."
He glanced at me, blue eyes scanning my face warily. I smiled coaxingly at him and rubbed his back. His gaze dropped back to the floor and he shook his head. Shame filled the air around us. Moon Goddess, what did he do?
"I-I talked to a woman of some sort... she was ethereal. A majestic creature that I've never seen before." Hearing him talk about another woman like this made my stomach curl with envy, "she asked me what was wrong and I told her you were dying. She... she said she could save you."
At those words he looked up at me, with big apologetic eyes. I felt sick. What did he do? What were we going to lose?
"What did you give her?" I demanded, standing up.
"Our first born daughter," he muttered, dropping his head again. I gaped at him, he had to be kidding. Everything felt different. The room was getting darker, suffocating me. There was no air, no nothing. I backed up and my spine pressed up against the wooden door. He stood up and walked towards me, "baby, I'm sorry."
"Don't touch me!" I shrieked and held out my hands. He stopped as pain flared through him. So what? My whole body was numb with disbelief, "you lied to me! Lied about something so important. Giving up our daughter wasn't your choice to make on your own."
I managed to twist the door knob and flung open the door, rushing out. What if he gave her to a witch? The Dark Moon? Everything the oracle told me returned. He gave one of our children away. I grit my teeth, I would protect her at all costs.
I marched outside and stood in the long grass. This idiot, what would happen now? Our pack, our kids, everything was about to be destroyed. I stood there, the wind punctured my cheeks. I heard the door creak open and I felt Cole's presence behind me.
"I couldn't lose you," he whispered. I whirled around.
"I told you what the oracle said! YOU just gave her to... whoever this person is!" I cried, burying my hands in my hair. He didn't move, just stared at me.
"You would've done the same if you were in my place."
"I would've done something different!" I shouted, tears threatening to spill. I held out a hand as he walked towards me, but he didn't listen. He wrapped me in my arms and the floodgates burst open. I cried into his chest, while I smacked him repeatedly at the same time.
"I had no choice," he whispered, "maybe we can talk to Grace again. She said we only had one kid, maybe something changed since we have three?"
It was a crazy hope, but I hung onto that thin thread and nodded my head. The wind whistled and grass rustled at our feet. With a sniffle, I pushed him away. I looked up at his eyes and I couldn't stop the feeling of anger that rushed me.
"I don't forgive you," I clarified.
"I never asked you to, I don't deserve after what I've put at risk."
I nodded, he was right. I nudged past him and walked inside. I didn't glance back, even though I could feel Cole and my wolf urging me to. To turn back and smile, saying that everything would be okay. That we would be okay.
All you've been doing lately is crying, my wolf sighed. I shrugged her comment off. Only weak people hid back their tears. It just proved I had a heart, and wasn't a stupid, heartless bitch like whoever stole one of my future daughters from me. I wasn't an emotionless, careless Luna like Jane. I wasn't dead to the world yet.
AHHH! We're so close to the end. There is only one more chapter, so we are pretty much at the end! Though I'm thinking of adding one more, just to give you guys a sneak peek of Gemma and Cole's future life.
And maybe into a possible sequel?! WHAAAA
Haha, please vote, comment, or just let me know you're here!
Much love,
*~* Z