I think I stop breathing.
Mara's asking me what's wrong, but it sounds like she's speaking a foreign language. It sounds like she's far away.
I move my hand from my stomach to my heart, feeling the heavy thump of it against my chest.
My head starts spinning, and I feel like I might pass out. I lay back down, Mara's voice sounding much farther away then she actually is.
I close my eyes, and the spinning stops. I'm still struggling to breathe, and Mara still sounds so far away. I mind link Max.
What do you mean, they found out?
B, it's exactly how it sounds. He answers right away this time.
How?
I was having a nightmare about them hurting you. They heard me shouting in my sleep. As sweet as it his that he had a nightmare about them hurting me, I can't get all dreamy about that right now. I need to know what's happening.
What's happening now? I still feel like I'm in the middle of a panic attack, but I move my hands to my stomach. Feeling the bump reminds me that I cannot freak out like this. It's not good for mine and Max's baby. Talking to Max is also helping to calm me down.
He doesn't respond right away. I open my eyes and sit up, looking Mara dead in the eye. "The hybrids found out. I'm waiting for Max to mind link me back."
Mara doesn't say anything, and I'm grateful for that. I don't want to have to talk anymore until I know what's going on.
They locked me up and tried to get me to talk. I didn't talk, so they're bringing me to you. They're going to use you against me, and maybe me against you. Don't talk to them under any circumstances, B. Got it?
Max, I'm not going to sit there and watch them hurt you! I shriek, the mere thought of it enough to make me puke. I bolt up from where I was on the floor and rush into my bathroom, emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Mara's right behind me, holding my hair up and rubbing a hand up and down my back.
As disgusting as it is, I lay the side of my face on the rim of the toilet seat incase I have to puke again. Mara sits down beside me, and I can tell she's ready to jump back into action if I start hurling.
"What do you mean, the hybrids found out?" she asks quietly.
"Max was having a nightmare about them hurting me, and they heard him shouting. He wouldn't tell them anything, so they're bringing him here to use us against each other."
Mara's eyes widen. "Shit," she hisses. "Fuck, Brynn. This isn't good. We need to do something. Evacuate and get everyone out of here. We can't fight the hybrids unless they're weakened. They'll kill us all in a heartbeat."
"I know Mara," I breathe, not fighting the tears that begin to roll down my cheeks. "Believe me, I know."
"I'll be back," she says, and she gets up from her spot beside me. She leaves the bathroom, and I'm left alone in silence. I keep my head against the cold porcelain of the toilet seat, closing my eyes as I mind link Max.
Max. What do I do?
You gotta get your family out of there, B. Take them all to my house. Hopefully they'll be safe there until the solar eclipse.
And what about the rest of my pack?
He doesn't respond right away, but I know his answer. Max has a heart of gold, but he doesn't understand the loyalty of being a pack member like I do. He was raised around vampires. He didn't grow up with loyalty to a pack being engraved into his mind.
I can't leave them here to die. They're my pack.
B, I know that, but we're out of options. The hybrids are coming right now, and there's nothing we can do to stop them. You and you're family and Mara need to get out of there as soon as possible.
No. I'm not leaving.
B!
No, Max. I'm not letting my pack go extinct because they're fighting my battles. I'll send my family and as many people as I can to safety, but I'm not leaving. Do you understand? I'm not messing around, and Max better know that. I refuse to let my pack members die fighting for me if I'm not fighting along side them. I have no idea if the hybrids are going to attack us tonight or not, but I'll be here for it no matter what happens.
Yeah.
I love you. More than anything.
I love you more than anything except for our baby.
I smile at his need to crack a joke right now, but it only makes me love him more.
With a sudden newfound determination, I get up, flush the toilet, and exit the bathroom. Molly is sitting up on my bed, her eyes trained on me as I walk over to her. Ellie is fast asleep, so I gently shake her awake.
"Brynn?" she asks, her voice groggy as she rubs her eyes with her fist. "What's going on?"
I sit down on the bed, pulling Molly into my lap. "You guys are going to go to Molly's, okay. Mommy and daddy and everyone else is going with you."
"Even you?" Ellie asks hopefully. I shake my head.
"No, not me. I have to stay here to deal with some things." Ellie frowns, but she doesn't argue. I cradle Molly to my chest, not wanting to leave the little girl. The hour long trip back to her house without me is going to be tough for her. Once she's back with her parents, I know she'll be okay.
"We need to wake up everyone else. Ellie, can you tell everyone that it's an emergency, and that you guys are going to stay at Max's house for a while? Make sure they pack a bag."
Ellie nods, and she slides off the bed and runs out of the room just as Mara comes back in. "I told your parents. They'll be up here in a sec."
I nod. "You guys are all going to stay at Max's. I'm staying here to wait for them."
"I'm staying with you," Mara says, leaving no room for argument.
I make room, though.
"No, Mara, you're not. I need you to show my family how to get Max's house. I don't want you here when they show up. If they attack, they'll kill you."
She doesn't say anything in response, but the look in her eyes is the most defiant I've ever seen them.
"Is Max coming back?" Molly asks me, and I turn my attention onto her.
My heart breaks right down the middle, because I don't know what to tell her. I don't want to lie, but Max coming back isn't a good thing right now.
"Not really, sweetie," I say softly. "You're going to go back to your mom and dad, okay."
My parents hustle in through the open door, and I jump right into an explanation of what's going on. I know Molly is listening intently, and I know she's smart enough to know what's going on.
Ellie comes running back into my room halfway through my explanation with Lexi and Levi on her tails. Soon, my entire family is crowed around my room, sitting on whatever surface is available. My bed, my dresser, the arm chair, my desk.
I tell them everything. Even Carter. They all know enough now to know that somethings going on. I tell them they'll be staying with Max's family until the solar eclipse. It's more secluded, the hybrids shouldn't know where it is. I'm going to start evacuating the rest of the pack after they leave.
Lacey looks uneasy about staying with vampires for two weeks, but she doesn't make any move to protest. I'm glad she doesn't, because I'm not doing this to hurt her or anybody. The exact opposite, actually.
"Brynn, what are you going to do once they get here?" Hayden asks.
"I don't know yet," I say, praying to the moon goddess that something will come to me before the hybrids get here. I haven't gotten that far in my plan yet, but I can't think about that right now. The only thing running through my mind at the moment is getting my family to safety.
"There's four of you that can shift. You're each going to have to take two to three people on your back. Driving will take too long. You need to get to Max's as soon as possible. I'll let Julie and Rick know you're all coming. Pack lightly," I order.
Everyone splits off, and I pull out my phone. I call Julie, and she answers after a few rings. I tell her everything that's going on and what the plan is. She already welcomes my family with open arms, just like I knew she would. I let Molly talk to her for a little bit, knowing that talking to her mom will help her feel better about all of this.
"Do you want to ride on Mara's back?" I ask her once we hang up.
Molly nods and then says, "I want to ride with Mason and Ellie."
I don't want the three of them riding on Mara's back together. I want one of the older kids who can't shift to ride with the younger ones just in case anything were to happen.
"Can you ride with Mason and Violet?" I ask her, knowing Violet is the best option for Molly. She's quiet and soft spoken, so I'm hoping Molly will warm up to her. "I want one of the older kids to ride with you guys in case anything happens."
"Okay," she whispers, tucking her head into my shoulder.
I meet up with everyone in the backyard ten minutes later. "Vi, you're riding with Mason and Molly on Mara's back. Hayden, I want you to take Ryder and Carter. Dad, you're taking Lexi, Ben, and Ellie. Lacey, you have Levi and Xavier."
Everyone nods, and I'm glad no one tries to fight me about leaving.
I hug everyone goodbye, somehow not bursting into tears. Violet, Lexi, and Carter do, and Molly isn't far off. "Everyone mind link me when you make it there safely," I choke out, knowing that I will start crying if I have to say goodbye for much longer.
My dad, Lacey, Hayden, and Mara shift into their wolves. They all kneel down to the ground, and I help everyone on to their designated ride. I tell them all to hold on tight and not let go even a little, and then they're off. Mara's in the lead, showing them the way to Max's house.
I head back inside, the big house feeling emptier than it ever has before.
Now I burst into tears.