"Bullshit!" Lily yelled at me. "You know that's not true. I'm the master manipulator, not you, so shut it."
"Hey, I'm not the one that is still seeking the old witch's approval even after this long." I smiled at her.
Her jaw tightened, and I could see her clutch the sides of her dress. "You fool."
I smiled again, disguising the pain of old wounds being reopened.
"I just don't get it. Why come back here after the scene you made to get out? It's not just money. Besides, that wolf has a lot of nerve showing up in the west like she owned the place. Polly took it easy on her, if you ask me." This girl doesn't give up, does she?
"It's nothing. Don't bother too much, just help out your sister now, would you? And I'll admit it was stupid to come to the west." She nodded.
"You're too selfish to do this only for money," she smiled. I wasn't going to fall for the bait. I knew she was trying to get me agitated, so I would blurt out a secret.
"Well, too bad, you're caught. Hand over the child," I stood up.
"Not until I know the reason." she folded her arms and came back to the seat. I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. "What else can I do?"
"Well, it's never something for nothing," she grinned.
"What do you want?"
"Hmmm what do I want" she tapped her hands against her chin and looked up as if she was thinking. "I know what I want." she got up almost immediately and walked to me.
"I want you," huh.
"Me?"
"Yes, you," she smiled and walked away from me slowly as she spoke. "All I ever wanted was for mother to love me as she did you, and what better way to gain her approval than presenting her with her run-away daughter? Don't you th-" her eyes narrowed when she turned to look at me.
"What the hell is that?" She asked in one breath, pushing her brown waves away from her shoulder.
"What?" I looked down at myself, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Is that a hickey on your neck?" She tilted her head, her green eyes widening.
I touched my neck. The part where her stare burned and felt nothing. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, my gosh," she murmured to herself. "You can't feel it, can you?"
I said the words and cast a spell until a mirror appeared in hands and I looked through it and still did not see any distortions to my skin.
"I don't see anything."
Lily looked at me and for a second or two, she just stared at a spot on my neck. Then suddenly she started cackling, her head twitched, and she was phasing. My eyes widened, and I stepped back in panic as the mist began to rise. Then just as suddenly she stopped, phased right before my face, she spoke.
"Of course you don't," she whispered. "You bitch, you found your mate, haven't you?"
I tried to look confused, but I'm sure the clenching of my jaw and the entire state of my face gave me away. How did she piece it? And what hickey?!
"That's why you're here, isn't it?" Her viridescent eyes sparkling, she smiled. Looking extremely satisfied, now I lost the upper hand. The ball was in her court. She could do whatever she wanted.
"So what's the story?" She clicked her tongue and walked round the room, piecing my predicament together. "If you're here because of your mate, it must be someone important to him, or wait, it's his child," she gasped and looked at me. Clapping and jumping.
I want to die.
"Awwn poor Iris couldn't say no?" She puckered her lips, her wide eyes blinking rapidly. In just a flash, that expression changed into something vile. "You're pathetic and weak!" she smiled. "This must hurt a lot, well I couldn't wish for a better punishment than heartbreak."
Well, she was right about one thing. "Your punishment for being soft, I'm going to give you the child and you're going to have to watch him grow. Under the love and care of both his parents." She was right behind me now. "A child who will never be yours, a title you will never carry."
I tilted my head to the side, looking her in the eyes. "Is that a curse?"
Honestly, I thought her finding out about my mate would be the worst-case scenario, but here she is giving the baby to me with no attachments. Heartbreak can only happen when one is in love, that I am not.
"Boo bitch!"
I feigned pain. And I could feel her satisfaction from all the way across the room.
She disappeared for a bit and returned with a small child wrapped up in a red cloth.
I took the child and looked at her. "Too bad it's not mine," I sighed. "I should go now. Tell everyone I said hi."
"It's not over, sister," Lily shot me a paralyzing glare. "We'll be meeting again"
I shut my eyes, and I woke up.
************************************
I opened my eyes, shutting them again after the bright light assaulted my eyes. I opened them again and tried to get accustomed to the brightness of the room I was in. After spending so much time in that eerie darkness, my eyes needed some time to adjust. I sat up in the bed and realized I was in Alpha Malik's room. The fool. It was dangerous to move my body. If I wasn't already an expert in Astro projection, I may not have been able to find my way back. I got up out of bed, now the fun was beginning. I ran out of my room as quickly as I could, down the stairs, taking it two at a time.
"Luna," a familiar voice spoke behind me, halting my run. I turned around and met bright yellow eyes, Leonard.
"You're awake," I smiled at him. He was one of the few people I liked since I've been here.
"I am." I nodded. "And while I would love to stay and chat, I have a baby to deliver."
He nodded immediately. Do you see? Very sensible, he lead me out of the pack house and pulled up the car for me to get in. The hospital was pretty far. Almost immediately, we got to the hospital, and we both ran out. Malik was at the door immediately. I guessed Leonard had already mind-linked him that I was awake. I arrived, and although my insides begged me to run into his arms and bury myself in his already neck length brown locks. I decided to remain sensible and brush past him. He held my forearm before I could waltz away. Pulling me back.
"Iris," his voice was low and commanding.
I turned to face him and tilted my head.
"Look, I don't have time for you right now," a look of hurt flashed through his features before it disappeared, replaced by a grim one. "That pup is coming out now." his eyes widened.
"I don't think she has completed all the months," he stuttered as he followed behind me. I rolled my eyes. Who would have thought the feared and crazed Alpha actually had affection? I cursed myself internally for allowing this to hurt me. Still. I needed to get away from him and immediately. As soon as that pup came out, Aria and I were gone.
I bumped into the doctor as I practically ran to the she wolves room. "Prep for surgery." He brows furrowed. "Why?"
"Because we need to take that baby out now!" His brows went up, the black, sleek hair taunting me.
"Okay, Luna? We did another scan while you were out. And there is no baby. Fiona already knows. It devastated her for sure. She also knows that the thing in her belly is draining her, but she has accepted everything."
Why the hell do these people keep questioning and undermining me? I tried to keep calm, but I could feel my wolf taking over. I growled. Raphael took a step back. As I opened my mouth to tell as him a nurse ran to us.
"Dr. Raphael, she's in labor!"
"What? That is impossible!" He harumphed, his gaze meeting mine.
Oh, the shock!
I gave him an 'I told you so' look. That fixed it.
"How is that possible?" He muttered to himself.
"Because I said so," I replied and looked at the nurse. "Take me." she nodded.
And we both ran, then it occurred to me, Malik wasn't behind me. He must have stopped following me.
After I washed my hands and slapped the gloves on, I walked in.
The she-wolf screamed, gosh she looked like she was suffering. Immediately, I walked up to her and held her down. She was sweating so much. Her platinum locks sticking to her head.
"Hey, um... I'm gonna need you to conserve all that energy so you can push for me, honey." I stroked her hair, pushing the locks that stuck to her face away.
"Are you the Luna that slept to bring back my baby?" She asked weakly.
Slept!? This is why I don't like her. Imagine the insolence of this wolf. Here I was, putting my life and interests in jeopardy, and she called it sleep. Sleep?
"I wouldn't call it sleeping, missy," I forced a smile.
"Well, probably you were out for like three days. Did it work?"
"Well, you're in labour aren't you" I walked to the end of the bed grabbing a sheet to cover her legs with. Wait, a minute. "Did you say three days?"
"70 hours to be exact," a chilly voice that I recognized all too well.
Damn.