Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everybody :)
A little gift from me to you
Enjoy :)
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Chapter 20 ~The Heat
KC’s P.O.V.
The stairs moaned in protest underneath my feet. The stone pressed against my palm was cold, hard, and rough, a reflection of the atmosphere I just snuck into. I stepped onto the concrete floor, cold under my bare feet. Beneath the flickering light bulb in the center of the room sat the two rogues, tied to wooden chairs and sitting back to back. Their heads hung low, clothing torn and bodies twisted. Blood pooled on the floor around the chairs, staining the grey concrete black. I took a step forward but a mass stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“I’m sorry, Luna,” Fritz said. “But Damon gave me strict orders not to let you near them.” I looked up at him, almost testing him with my gaze. Then, I broke into a smile, the sweetest one I could muster up.
“He doesn’t have to know, does he?” Fritz looked at me for a moment, stern gaze wavering slightly. He glanced towards the door behind me and back at the rogues.
“Five minutes,” he stated in a way that denied negotiation. Giving him an appreciative nod, I moved around him towards the bloodied guests. Cautiously, yet with authority, I approached the rogues. I stood directly in front of the closest one and crouched in front of him. Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead, adding to the pool on the floor.
“It’s Erik, right?” I asked despite my knowing the answer. Weakly, the mutt raised his head, revealing the mess that was his face. One eye was swollen shut, surrounded with a red and purple halo. Deep cuts tore through his right cheek and forehead, painting his face dark crimson. However, I could make out dark bruises along his jaw and cheeks; I had to assume blows from Damon.
“Well if it isn’t the Luna. Looking good for a pregnant lady,” he coughed, blood spraying from between his cracked lips. As he spoke, I noticed teeth missing, his words a struggle to form. At the mention of the pregnancy, I placed my arm across my stomach. It’d been almost three weeks since Janna’s confirmation and I was showing, but not enough to tell through the black shawl I had wrapped around me.
“Who told you of the pregnancy?” I questioned coldly, asserting my power in the conversation. He chuckled, a cough ripping through it, and a pained expression flashing across his wrecked features.
“Take a wild guess, Luna,” the other rogue spat, voice raspy and forced.
“How’d Doyle know?”
“You really think he’d tell us?” Erik hissed.
“We’re just the runts of the pack,” Julie added sourly.
“The messengers,” Erik continued, once again coughing blood. His head dropped again and a whispery moan left his parted lips. I stood and moved around to the other side, facing Julie now. Her head was leant back against Erik’s shoulder blade. She didn’t look as bad as Erik, but her lip was split pretty badly and bruises patterned her body.
“Alright, Julie, let’s talk. Girl to girl,” I stated, forcing a smile. She laughed, but it sounded sickly and strangled.
“What do you think I know that we haven’t told Damon?” She raised her eyebrows at me and gave me a crooked grin.
“This Big Day,” I said and immediately the grin dropped and the she-rogue rolled her eyes. “When is it?”
“It’s fucking hilarious how you think Doyle would tell us,” she rolled. “We were supposed to give you the message, and you were supposed to kill us.”
“Is that what Doyle said?” I snickered darkly. Really, that bastard thought we’d be as straightforward as that? Hear what they had to say then split their throats? Doyle really didn’t know who he was messing with, did he?
“That’s what we were told,” she half sung, her gaze meeting mine with force.
“Luna,” Fritz called and I knew my five minutes were up. I stared hard at the rogue for a moment longer before slowly standing, walking around the pair and towards the stairs.
“If Damon doesn’t kill them tonight, do it. There’s no need to prolong this,” I ordered and Fritz nodded, glancing toward the mutilated duo. I glanced back once before climbing the stairs, leaving our personal little torture chamber.
Damon’s P.O.V.
“Next!” I yelled, watching a member of my pack run towards Cameron. The packs were out on the clearing in the formation of a ring. Cameron was in the center, taking on opponents. I watched from the side, observing the series of brawls. A circle had been drawn in the dirt. The objective was to overcome and force the opponent out of the circle. Cameron, so far, was the reigning champion.
The packs howled and yelled, cheering on my pack member. He had pushed Cameron back a few feet, but had yet to knock him down or throw him out.
“When did training become fight club?” KC appeared beside me, eyes trained on the scuffle. I glanced down at her, somewhat glad to see her in yoga pants and a shawl and not workout clothes. It took more than enough persuasion and bickering, but she reluctantly agreed to avoid physical stress and conflict.
“I’m trying something different,” I replied. “This way, the pack can watch what’s successful and what’s not. They’ll take note on what to do and what not to do.”
“I see,” she hummed, distracted by the fight. I noticed her frown when Cameron literally threw his opponent out, the circle breaking to avoid the out wolf. Before I could call next, a flash of red caught my attention and something shot into the circle. I was almost surprised to see it was Amber. I glanced towards Dan who looked taken aback, eyebrows raised and eyes wide.
“Go Amber,” KC chuckled from beside me, very amused and fascinated. The beta had a wild grin on her face as she ran towards Cameron. The alpha had his arms raised in defense when Amber suddenly dropped, using her momentum to slide along the ground. Cameron was taken off guard when Amber crashed into his shin, knocking him off balance. He fell forward, his falling body missing Amber for she was behind him. She pounced on him, wrapping her arm around his neck, pressing her other hand against his head. She almost had him finished when Cameron bucked and brought Amber over his head. She hit the ground with a thud, but before Cameron could get to his feet and attack, Amber pushed against the ground and jumped to her feet. Flawlessly, she spun and kicked her leg up into Cameron’s jaw. He staggered back, surprised by the blow. Amber wasted no time using his shock to her advantage giving one last intense blow. She took two great strides towards him and jumped, bringing both feet up and out. It was a perfect blow to Cameron’s stomach. He doubled over and fell back, stumbling out of the ring.
The packs went wild. The air exploded in excited yells and screams, the audience members jumping and throwing their hands in the air. KC simply smiled and clapped, nodding towards Amber when the two locked eyes. Dan went forward and kissed her, which she returned before punching him in the shoulder, turning him around, and pulling him down against the ground. The cheers continued as a battle between the beta couple began.
“Remember when we used to fight like that?” KC nudged me, eyes still trained on the beta battle.
“We hated each other,” I chuckled, recollecting to the training sessions years ago. Thinking back, the quarrels seemed beyond childish and immature, an embarrassment really. As an Alpha, I shouldn’t have engaged KC in a petty fight when the purpose was to train the pups who would grow up to inherit the trouble we’ve found ourselves in. In fact, most of those pups made up part of the circle that was gathered around Dan and Amber.
“That might be the biggest understatement of the hour,” she laughed. “Besides, I don’t think our little disagreements were as cute as this.” By that point, Dan had Amber pinned on the ground. Dan was straddling his fiery-tempered mate, his hands clasped around her slim arms. But she pushed forward with all she had and the two went tumbling.
“Not even close,” I scoffed, the poisonous insults echoing in my mind.
“I could see that.” Recognizing the young, mocking voice, KC and I glanced at each other before back at a scuffed up, beaten down Cameron. Scratches and bites patterned his body, streaks of blood and dirt sweeping across his torso. KC raised an accusing eyebrow at him but he took it as curiosity and continued. “I mean the alpha jerk and the tortured soul aren’t exactly a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Besides, face it man, she’s way out of your league.”
I clenched my teeth and bit back the vicious remark, feeling the cautionary glare from KC. I detested the fact that Cameron could get away with disrespecting us, but his childish behavior was not worth splitting our packs. Even if his pack was five members short of extinction, they were still fairly valuable in this fight.
“How do you know so much about us?” KC questioned calmly and I realized she was right. Yes, we were a pack known for our strength and past turmoil, but KC and I were relatively new alphas and haven’t made much of a name for ourselves yet. Even then, however, no one should know so much about us before we were alphas.
“I have my ways,” he smirked, looking arrogantly at KC for a moment before shifting his gaze towards the fight. Irritated beyond my limits, I looked to KC, jaw clenched as tightly as my fists. She just shook her head and silently reminded me how he wasn’t worth it. We returned our attentions back to the ring just as Amber and Dan went tumbling out of it, knocking down a few wolves like bowling pins who hadn’t gotten out of the way quick enough. The crowd went into and uproar, excited about the first tie of the day.
“How about it, Damon? One round for old time’s sake?” The words had barely registered when KC shrugged off her shawl and sauntered into the ring, the hollers turning into excited whispers. I stared at her wide eyed for a moment, shocked that she had just put herself into the mock-battle. Then, shock subsided to frustration and I clenched my teeth behind pressed lips. I shook my head but she smiled at me, the biggest I’d seen in a while, and lowered herself into fighting stance: knees bent, arms up, fists clenched, and determination in her eyes.
“If you don’t get in there with her, I will,” Cameron dared, stepping up beside me and glancing quickly at me before looking back towards KC. Still glaring warningly at her, I shoved Cameron back and stepped forward into the circle. The onlookers grew silent; the breeze weaving through the distant trees in a low rustle the only sound to be heard.
“I thought we had an agreement?” I tapped through the mind link.
“I was getting bored,” she shrugged. I growled in response to her immaturity and she winked, making the first move. Claws drawn and hand raised, she advanced towards me. I hesitated, unsure what to do that would be effective yet harmless. I figured defense would prove to be the best route and raised my arms to protect my face. Then, I waited for the blow. Moments later, it didn’t come. I lowered my arms and looked up to meet the fascinated faces of the audience. Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, I spun and received a hand to the throat. With force, I twisted from my position and was slammed against the earth, KC’s hand wrapped firmly around my neck. She pressed one foot into my chest, the other over my right wrist, and with a surprising amount of flexibility for someone who was pregnant, leant down to press her lips to my ear.
“Always keep your eyes on the opponent, no matter how harmless they seem,” she whispered, sharply slapping me. I sighed, moved my jaw side to side, and remained still for a moment. Then, swiftly, I swung my arm over and wrapped my free hand around the back of her neck. Her body went stiff and her eyes widened before I ripped her away from me, throwing her against the ground. As I did so, I followed the motion of my arm and rolled to the side, now hovering over KC. My hand had shifted to the side of her neck, pinning her in a similar manner to how she pinned me. My knees were on either side of her hips and my other hand was placed beside her head, supporting my body.
“Make sure your opponent doesn’t have the upper hand,” I grinned smugly at her. Although she rolled her eyes at my pun, a smirk shaped her lips to show her satisfaction about my fighting back. With my eyes still on hers, she thought she could be sly by lashing out with her free hand, but I anticipated her move before she did and grabbed her wrist just as it was about to connect with my head. Barely hesitating, she tried to get me with the other hand but I knew it’d be more beneficial to abandon her neck to stop the blow. I slapped both her hands back to the ground above her head and mirrored her smirk. She heaved a heavy sigh, momentarily pressing her chest to mine. Then, her knee was pressed against something else and my body went stiff. I stared hard at her, trying to maintain a dominate beam, daring her while at the same time silently pleading her not to do what she was threatening to do.
“What was that you saying about having the upper hand?” she hummed, quite content with herself as she pressed her leg a little closer. I chuckled dryly and bit my lip to try and hide the wince from her, but I knew she saw straight through it. “See, Damon, for a pouty pregnant lady, I’m plenty capable of a little roughhousing.” Then she did something I should’ve been prepared for. She moved her legs farther up my body and pressed her feet against my stomach and kicked out. Pain engulfed my center as I staggered back, embarrassed that I had been distracted by her empty threat, even though I knew she wouldn’t have hesitated if I were a rogue.
I straightened myself as best I could, knowing a bruise would darken my abdomen, and watched KC get to her feet. As she balanced herself, I noticed her wince, her hand flying to clutch her stomach. She crouched and smirked to try and hide it, but it was too late and she knew it.
I straightened myself and threw her a look that said I wasn’t playing anymore. She challenged me, dropping her smirk and glaring up at me through her brow. I began to move for her but she growled and flashed me her fangs, raising her clenched fists. I continued towards her with the intention of grabbing her and removing her from the ring, but when I tried to reach for her, she ducked to the left and swung her fist up into my jaw. Surprised that she had actually gone onto the offensive, I glared back at her and grew concerned when I was staring into feral silver eyes. KC’s wolf had taken over and I grew increasingly confused, considering that the very object that brought out the animal in KC was locked up tight.
The audience, which I had forgotten, erupted into sound when KC tried to kick up into my face. I narrowly avoided the blow and called to her, trying to snap her out of her phase. I figured the best thing would be to take the defensive and not engage her wolf. As she advanced, I slowly retreated. Every forward step she took I mirrored with one back, remaining just out of range of her blows. I had my full attention on KC and her glowing eyes that I hadn’t noticed just how close I was to the edge of the circle. A rock which had been placed in the ring caught my heel and caused me to lose my balance, falling out of the arena and losing to KC. Shaking off defeat, I looked up at my mate just as her eyes began to fade to their natural slate grey. Her eyebrows came together in a look of confusion, almost questioning how I had ended up on the ground and out of the ring. Ignoring the excitement that came from the packs, she turned sharply and disappeared through the wall of people. A pair of arms grabbed me and I was pulled to my feet. I glanced back at Dan, a witness to the mysterious events. He nodded in the direction KC had fled and assured me that he could keep the training going while I went to make sure she was alright. I nodded back before pushing out to pursue her.
I didn’t knock before entering Janna’s office. After checking the Alpha Suite and being unable to find KC, I figured my next best bet would be with the healer. Sure enough, there she was, sitting on the examining table, Janna standing in front of her with a flashlight, aiming the beam into KC’s eyes.
“I figured you’d show up,” Janna murmured as she slid the light into her pocket. I closed the door slowly behind me as I stared at KC. She flashed me a half-hearted smile before casting her eyes down to the floor, almost as if ashamed.
“What happened?” I asked her as I went to stand beside her. I placed my hand on her head and softly caressed the side of her forehead with my thumb, attempting to convey to her that I wasn’t upset.
“Exactly the opposite of what I told you to do,” Janna intervened, not sounding the least bit content with us. I hesitantly shifted my gaze from KC to the healer and stared at her sternly yet quizzically. “I warned you to go easy, KC. A little bit of exercise here and there is absolutely fine, but based on what you told me, you were doing more than just a little. Am I right, Alpha?” she looked at me.
“Yes, and she knew that,” I growled the second part towards KC before continuing. “But why did she lose control like that?”
“Remember when you two first came here and I told you why pregnant wolves can’t shift? The mother wolf instincts?” she asked and we nodded. “Something similar happens when the mother feels threatened. See, in this ‘mock fight’ you were having, KC’s wolf felt that she wasn’t in a safe environment and tried to eradicate what she perceived was the threat.”
“Why didn’t she recognize me as her mate?”
“Because it didn’t matter. KC did something that didn’t agree with her body and it alerted her wolf. All she wanted to do was get KC out of the environment and remove anything she felt was a threat. When she came through, all she saw was this big mass standing in front of her that looked, in her eyes, to be possible danger.”
“This didn’t happen to Amber,” KC muttered under her breath.
“That’s because she actually went with the maternal flow and kept herself in a calm environment. Luna, if you don’t want your wolf to overcome you like that then you need to listen to her and relax.”
“But what about training? I need to – “
“No, Kace, you don’t.” I interrupted. “We’ve been over this before; if you can’t take it easy at training then you can’t train, period.” She looked at me as if I had slapped her.
“But –“
“He’s right, Luna.” Janna agreed. “If you can’t take it easy, then you can’t train at all. This is the thing that is standing between you and a healthy baby. This amount of stress on your body is not good for you or your child. I don’t know how else I can say it. You need to let it go, at least until this baby is born. Do you understand this?” KC looked between Janna and me, her mouth moving as if searching for something, but she knew there was nothing she could say that we wouldn’t shoot down. Defeated, she dropped her gaze and nodded, clenching the edge of the table.
“Got it,” she hissed through clench teeth before pushing herself off the table and storming out of the room before Janna or I could say something to stop her.