Olivia Blake
The crunch of bones being snapped in half is all I heard and the associated cries following. I pushed my face into my palms to not have to watch the bloodbath my mate was in the middle of. When I was grabbed, I screamed, pushing my arms out to shove them away.
“Ow....” Krissy pouted as she fell to the ground.
“Oh, I'm sorry....” I scrambled toward her and folded her on my lap, looking up to see how much Caleb had accomplished was a mistake.
His brother had him by the throat. I buried my face into Krissy dark hair.
“I'm afraid...” Krissy whimpered. “Where's Mommy?”
“I-I don't know....” The pain in my side burned with fire this time as my eyes wandered to Lara, across the trailer unconsciousness with a bit of blood dripping from her nose. Looking away with a cringe, I curled over the little girl and my belly, hoping to protect them from harm by doing so.
“Olivia...”
My eyes turned up to Caleb as he was thrown to the floor and Jackson crawled on top of him with a murderous stare, complete with blood across his face.
“Run...” He mouthed, more than said aloud, as he was punched in the face.
I gulped, there wasn't any way for me to go.... and I was having such bad cramps. I feared the pup was dying inside me. I didn't know what to do, I wasn't even sure I could shift to run...
Krissy clung to me in tears. “Mommy is dead...”
“No. No.” I hushed her. “She's... fine.” The uncertainty of my lie came through and I started to rock the child. “You'll be okay. No one will hurt you...”
My eyes widened as Jackson wrapped his hands around my mate's neck. “No!” I screamed, gaining the attention of Jackson and when he saw me, he laughed.
“You'll be a nice little morsel after I'm done with my brother.”
Caleb took the opportunity to throw Jackson off and get back on his feet. His brother slid the length of the room, smearing his blood across the plywood floors.
The seconds passed like slow motion, and I prayed like I believed there was something above that would save us. For the first time ever, I saw how much time I had wasted being selfish and stupid towards my life, my mate, and my position as Luna. I'd been thrown in a world I had never dreamed of living and all the while, had played a victim – and here I was, watching my Alpha mate kill for me. It surged me with pride and adrenaline. Two things that felt blinding in every way. I had to get out like he'd told me.
My eyes looked for the door and I saw then what Caleb was talking about. Other wolves had fled the fight when my mate had started to snap necks, leaving the door wide open. It was my out and I went for it, but when I couldn't move, I remembered Krissy holding on to me.
“We need to leave, Krissy...”
The little girl cried. “Mommy!”
I grabbed her off the ground with whatever strength I had left and ran for the open door. The last image I saw was Caleb taking a swing at Jackson and levelling him to the ground.
“Go!” He shouted at me as he took a fistful of Jackson's black greasy hair. “I'll find you.”
I took a swallow of gumption and ran out the door, pushing past the growing pain in my side and much more. I ran for the road with the little girl in my arms. Her freezing hair whipped our faces giving our fears a lashing of life. My bare feet on the ice was another story though and I slipped, falling hard on my side. It was not only a hard fall but a cold one.
“Ah!” Krissy cried.
“Shh.” I got up, limping this time with tears pooling my eyes. I didn't want to continue or know how to. The intense pain I felt made me want to puke. I looked over my shoulder as he came running toward us, shifted into his big black wolf form.
Relief washed over me as I held my side from the pain. “Caleb, I'm hurt...”
He heard me as he approached and ducked his head down to get Krissy on his back right away. The little girl fought to get free.
“Mommy!”
I grabbed her wrists to stop her. “Krissy, you need to stay with us or you'll get hurt.”
“I don't care! Mommy!” She screamed.
Caleb growled and I knew his patience was up. He lowered himself next to me and I crawled atop of his back, fighting to hold Krissy on.
“Mommy!”
“Enough, Krissy!” I yelled at the child out of frustration and she started to cry but she stayed put finally.
Caleb took off when we were settled. I had used all the strength I had left to survive it. The pain in my sides made my vision blur and I tried hard not to throw up all over his beautiful and vibrant coat of dark fur.
'How much pain are you in?'
I startled when I heard his voice and knew the kind of concentration it took to communicate between a shifted and human form- it was impressive and showed his talents as an Alpha wolf. I shut my eyes with a whimper. “It hurts... where the pup is...”
He growled and lunged off the road into the trees.
“Ah!” I ducked out of the way of a branch and flattened Krissy with me as close as we could to his back.
“I'm scared,” Krissy cried.
I shut my eyes to hide my own fears and said the first thing that came to mind, “it's okay, your Uncle will keep us safe. He always does, doesn't he?”
The little girl nodded between her sobs and lay down on him to wrap her arms around the crest of his neck. I stayed folded over her, keeping her warm while my skin froze to the outside elements.
Caleb's run slowed to a brisk trot as he stepped into the clearing of a frozen lake. I saw the cabin up on the hillside and knew right away where he'd brought us.
He climbed the narrow trail and soon, we were at the porch.
I slipped off with Krissy and held on to him, as he shifted in my grip.
He stepped into me and grabbed me off the ground. “Krissy, come.” The little girl scurried up the steps behind him and he carried me inside the same cabin we'd mated in months and months before.
He pushed aside the curtains and dropped me down on the bed.
I took a breath and cupped his face to keep him close. “I've never been so afraid in my life.”
“I'm sorry, Olivia.” He took my wrists and got off the bed, grabbing a spare pair of jeans to put on. “How is the pain?”
“It's dull but, it sharpens every once in a while... but, did you kill him?”
He had his hands balled in fists when he looked to me. “Yes.”
I let out a breath of relief. “Thank God and...”
He knew what I meant. “She must have hit her head during the fight. She was already... dead.”
That I didn't know what to make of but I saw nothing in his eyes, no pain or heartache about her. She'd betrayed him and killed all the respect he'd had for her. I was thankful his honour was held so close to his heart.
Just then, he leaned over and put his hand on my stomach. The way he palmed our pup confused me but the baby kicked back. “The pup is okay,” I breathed.
“Let's hope.” He stepped away from the bed. “I'll make a fire. Stay covered.”
I nodded as he left the curtained area. I heard Krissy ask where Lara was but I couldn't hear his reply. My body relaxed and I shut my eyes to enjoy the safety I now felt. We'd escaped death, all of us, and I was lucky to be laying on that bed with Caleb so near.
I shut my eyes with a smile and then the sharp pain hit again. Rolling onto my back again, I breathed through the pain. I didn't know what was wrong. The cramps went deep, wrapping my lower back, and then I felt the need strain my muscles against it.
I gritted my teeth as the strain grew into a push and I let out a yell from it. It helped me through it.
“Olivia!” Caleb pushed aside the privacy curtain and came around me on the bed.
I dropped my head back on the bed. “Something.... something's wrong.”
His eyes lifted and studied my form, his hand soon joining in the discovery of the fluid between my legs. “Are you in labour?”
I whimpered. “Is that what this is? It's horrible.”
“I need to go get a nurse from Silvermoon.” He got off the bed.
“Caleb, don't you leave me!” I shouted out of fear.
He stared down at me with panic. “I can't deliver our pup, Olivia. That's insane!”
I dropped my head back to the bed. “I can't either... without you.”
“Fine.” He paused a moment. “Let me see.” He kneeled onto the bed beside me and took my underwear off my hips. I waited in suspense, and though I'd never witnessed fear in his eyes before, it seemed to be what I was seeing now.
“Shit,” Caleb got off the bed in a hurry and gripped his forehead.
“What?” I asked finally after a moment of his non-speech. “Caleb?” The pain returned. this time stronger and I fell back in the bed with a scream. Our eyes met and he stared at me in shock. “Caleb!”
He snapped to life and came down on the bed with me. “Okay, you're okay....”
I grabbed his near hand as I pushed, my eyes feeling like they may pop out of my head. I started to see stars from the lack of oxygen, and then the contraction ended. I panted hard as my heart also attempted a recovery.
“What's wrong?” Krissy appeared next to the bed. “I'm afraid.”
“Oh, no, I'm okay...” I reached out and took her hand. “I'm having... our baby. It's okay.”
“Oh...” Krissy crawled onto the bed and sat near my head. “I'll help.”
I took her hand and smiled. “Thank you.”
Another contraction started and I just started to follow the motion of it. Peace of mind had washed over me. I had zero fear but Caleb had appeared to pick it up for me.
“Help... help the baby...” I told him in between the pain.
He went to his knees on the floor at the end of the bed and his eyes widened. “I can see... the head.”
“So, that's what... the burning is?” I dropped my head back and Krissy brushed the hair out of my face. She made me smile as the next contraction came on. this one made me scream so loud it killed my lungs.
“Come on.” Caleb took my knee and moved onto the bed. “Push, Olivia... good girl.”
My screams subsided with his direction and I pushed like he said.
His expression changed the longer I pushed, and then I felt the release of what I assumed was my baby joining the world.
Caleb stared down at his hands with the brimming of tears in his eyes. “It's a son.”
I smiled, leaning up on my elbow to see the pup, still attached to me by an umbilical cord. Caleb inched forward with care and lay our pup on my chest.
My eyes spilled with happy tears as the baby began to cry. I cradled him close to warm him in the cool air. I didn't need a nurse to know he was okay.
Caleb hovered over me and our pup, with his arms braced on each side. I smiled and looked up at my mate. “What do you think of our son, Alpha?”
Caleb's soft growl vibrated in his chest as he leaned closer and closer to my lips. His nose touched mine and we stared at each other with love and desire. “I feel like a king because you, Olivia... are my queen.”
I kissed him as I thought about returning to our pack in the morning, pup in tote. I could only imagine the pride he would feel and I couldn't wait to experience it first hand but right now, I enjoyed the moment because we were safe and sound.