Fate Stained - Part Two

The front door of the Beta house was open and Onyx sat outside with the triplets, clearly trying her hardest to keep them occupied.

“They’re in the bedroom” she said, her tone distracted as the toddlers climbed over her back.

A loud scream echoed from inside the house and Scout started crying, clearly upset that her mummy was in pain and she couldn’t be with her.

“You guys go in” Kyanite muttered, “I’ll help my sister keep these little ratbags entertained”

The girls squealed in delight and let go of Onyx, running over to Kyan with their arms spread. The panther Queen sighed and got to her feet, stopping as her eyes fell on my stomach.

“Quinn…”

“I know, I know. I’m fat. I’ll fill you in later”

Without another word I joined Jayce, Moira and Flynn who’d already gone inside the house. Another scream filled my ears, followed quickly by a few choice curse words.

“This baby isn’t waiting around Blake. Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing amazingly!” Moira soothed.

Just as I was about to enter the room, Jayce and Flynn hastily walked out, both of their faces white as sheets.

“She doesn’t need us” Flynn breathed, his eyes wide, “Thank goddess for that”

I giggled and gave Jayce a squeeze on the shoulder.

“It’ll be your turn soon” I laughed, giving him a kiss on the cheek before I walked passed him and into the bedroom.

Blake, the amazing woman, was positioned in a squat in the middle of the bedroom floor, holding on to her mate for support. She looked exhausted but determined and Cameron stared back at her with eyes full of love and pride.

“We’re having a baby?” I asked, smiling down at my friend.

“We’re having a baby” she breathed between contractions.

“Ok. Now with this next contraction I want you to push, Blake” Moira advised, crouched between the wolf-mage’s legs.

“Already?” She panted.

“Already”

Blake nodded her head quickly and bit down on her bottom lip as another contraction gripped her body. My heart swelled as I watched my friend bare down into her squat and claw into her mate’s shoulders for dear life. The scream that tore from her throat was so powerful, so beautiful that my eyes started to well at the sound of it. This woman was amazing.

“Well done Blake! That was perfect” Moira gushed when the contraction finally subsided.

Blake’s head dropped on to Cameron’s shoulder, sweat glistening over her shaking body as she made the most of the small break. I grabbed a cloth from the small basin of water next to the bed and rung it out before folding it and placing it over the back of Blake’s next. She groaned in appreciation, the cool cloth feeling like heaven against her sticky skin.

“Ok Blake. Here we go again sweetheart. Big push”

Another wave of contractions seized Blake’s frame and she cried out, putting all of her strength behind the push. I looked down to Moira’s face and was pleased to see the corners of her lips curl up.

Good. Smiling is good.

“The head is out! Stop pushing for a moment Blake, just breathe ok. With your next contraction you’re going to give me a little push and we will have this baby out. Ok?”

Too tired to speak, Blake just nodded her head against Cameron’s shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you Blake. So proud” he whispered, kissing the side of her face as she nuzzled into him.

As I watched their interaction my hands moved up to cover my belly. I couldn’t wait for this moment. As raw and terrifying as it was, it was something that I yearned to do. Bringing a child into the world was one of the most grounding things you could do as a shifter, or so I’d been told. The animal need to reproduce and protect your young was strong and a woman never felt so close to her animal as she did in the moment in which she gives birth.

“Ok. Little push now Blake”

Blake cried out again and the next sound that met my ears was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard - the strong, powerful song of a baby crying.

“Well done my love! Cameron, sit her down against the pillows. Blake, darling, hold your son”

Son. It’s a boy!

Moira passed the blood covered little bundle to his mother, who was now crying hysterically - as was his father.

“We have a son” Blake sobbed, “A little boy”

Cameron nodded and wiped his nose with the back of his hand before placing a kiss on his mate’s head, then on the baby’s.

“Welcome to the world little Felix”

The child was healthy and big, all ten pounds of him. How something that size could have fit inside Blake’s belly was beyond me. The triplets were besotted with their baby brother and were already fighting over who got to hold him. Cameron looked over the moon to have a son; and Blake? Well, she looked upon her perfect family, her tired eyes full of so much love and contentment. She smiled as Moira passed the hungry baby back to her and carefully lifted her top so the little man could have a feed.

“Shall we go see Fern now?” Jayce whispered in my ear, distracting me from the beautiful scene of the newly completed family that played out in front of me.

“Hmm? Oh yes, is Flynn ready?”

“He’s outside with Nyx and Kyanite”

I nodded my head and walked over to the king sized bed where Blake and her whole family cuddled up together.

“We’ll head off now, give you some time to rest. Just yell out if there is anything either of you need ok?”

Blake looked up at me, and for the first time since me being here, actually looked at me; her eyes trailing down to my belly.

“Oh Goddess! What on Earth?”

I laughed and Jayce came to stand next to me, his arm wrapping around my shoulder as if to say ‘yeah, I did that’.

“I know. Moira and Flynn are going to look into it” I answered, “but safe to say I’ll be needing to borrow some of your maternity clothes soon”

“When are they going to start their research? I can give Cassius a call—“

“—No” I cut in, “you will not. You will stay here in your gorgeous little newborn bubble and be a mumma. That’s more important than anything else right now”

Blake opened her mouth to protest but I shot her a look and she quickly closed it.

“Good. Now that’s sorted, we are off to see a certain redhead about her daddy”

“Good luck with that” Cameron called out as we walked out the door.

Jayce knocked on the door of Fern’s house and the door opened before his hand had even left the wood. The redhead stood in the doorway, a look of surprise on her face when she saw it was the Alpha standing there.

“Oh. It’s you” she gasped, “I thought a smelt—”

Just then Flynn stepped out from behind Jayce and a smile spread over Fern’s face.

“—Flynn” she continued.

“Do you mind if we come in?”

Fern nodded, stepping back from the doorway so the three of us could enter. Kyanite was going to come too but with a little begging from his sister, he’d reluctantly stayed back at the Beta house to help out with the triplets while Blake got some rest.

“Can I get you anything to drink?”

Fern gestured for us to take a seat at the kitchen table. I noticed the way her eyes tracked Flynn as he crossed the other side of the table and sat down. I knew that look all too well, the way her gaze drank in every movement, every breath, every facial expression. The girl was hooked.

Without waiting for a response from us, Fern got a jug of water from the fridge and four glasses and put them in front of us.

“Unfortunately this is not a social visit” Jayce explained, “we are here about your pack”

Fern’s face paled slightly but she didn’t look up at him, instead pouring water into the glasses and sliding them across the table.

“Oh?”

“Fern. We know you’re from Point Invictus, we know your father is Alpha Rhys”

Fern’s eyes raised slowly, meeting mine as I uttered her father’s name.

“I’m so sorry” she breathed, “I was worried if I said something earlier that you would kick me out. I understand if you still want to…”

Flynn’s body tensed and he gripped the cup of water in front of him tight enough that I thought it might shatter.

“That won’t be happening” he growled, before Jayce - the Alpha of the pack - could get a word out.

“Flynn is right” I reiterated, “you’re not going anywhere, especially not back to Point Invictus”

Fern let out the shaky breath and sat down, directly opposite her mate. I smiled to myself as, after only a few seconds, their breathing and heart rates fell perfectly in sync. The fated mate bond still fascinated me, how someone’s body could become in tune with another’s so quickly and so instinctively. It really was a wonder - and I’d managed to experience it twice.

“Fern. I need to be perfectly open and honest with you but what I’m about to say might be hard to hear”

The tiny redhead nodded and took a sip of her water.

“I can handle it. You’d be surprised what I can handle”

“If your father and his men come here…if they come to Fern Creek and don’t listen to reason, or put my people or my family under any kind of threat…”

Jayce’s hand rested on my stomach as he said the word ‘family’ and Fern’s eyes widened as she took in the bump beneath it.

“—Then you’ll have to kill him” she whispered.

Jayce nodded his head.

“I’m sorry if this is—”

“—I want to help you”

“Excuse me?”

“I want to help you kill him”

Jayce and I looked to each other then back to Fern. Flynn sat in silence, taking in everything and trying his hardest to keep his anger at bay. I knew he wanted to kill Fern’s father himself, from the first moment he heard of what happened back at Point Invictus - the way her father had killed her chosen mate in cold blood. It was kind of ironic, really. If Alpha Rhys hadn’t been such a monumental monster then Fern never would have found her way here and would never have found Flynn. But here we were - and here she was.

“Fern…as much as he is a horrible wolf, he is still your father” I consoled, “You don’t have to have a part in this. Just make it clear to Alpha Rhys that you want to stay here with us and we will figure out the rest”

“That beast is not my father. He is nothing but a sperm donor as far as I’m concerned. The wolves of Point Invictus will be better off without him. But it isn’t just him. Once he is out of the picture then my brothers will step up as Alpha, they are monsters too…cut from the same disgusting cloth”

“What are you trying to say?” I asked, hoping to the Goddess that she wasn’t thinking what I thought she was.

“You‘ll need to kill them all”