The Kings Mate

My heart was pounding in my ears and my entire body felt stiff and locked up. I remembered the battle, all the rebels that I had managed to kill and the way that there blood seemed to stain all the surfaces it covered.

It was stuck in my mind that I had taken lives. It soothed me to know that I done what I had wanted to do and saved the lives of the wolves that I was born to lead. With the memory of the lives I had saved I was reminded of what I nearly lost.

Reynolds.

My pup.

Shotting up from the soft mattress of the bed I drop my hands over my stomach in a protective manor. Was my pup ok? Allie had told me that I was bleeding a lot. Had I lost my baby before I was given the chance to love it?

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed the hand that was already covering my stomach. The warmth of his touch radiating through me comforted me a little that I finally had my mate back by my side.

Ryder’s breathe fans over the back of my neck as he sits up beside me. Thankfully someone had slipped me into a pair of underwear so I wasn’t completely naked but with the exposed skin I felt every single contour of Ryder’s warm, toned body as he sat up behind me.

“It’s ok, Lottie.” Shaking my head I continue to ran my hand over my stomach and tightly grip his hand that’s already on my stomach. “Calm down.”

“I can’t.” I was close to tears and Ryder wasn’t doing anything to reassure me that our pup was okay.

“Yes you can.” He slid his hand across my stomach and takes my other hand into it. “Relax and listen.”

Squeezing his hand again I try to calm myself down. My heartbeat was loud it took me a little while to calm it down to a normal level. Once I’m calmed enough I concentrate hard on my hearing. It’s a very steady thumping. A fast thumping that sounded like a train travelling over the tracks.

“It’s ok.” Turning my head I meet his eyes and see that he’s almost in tears himself.

Ryder nods his head at me and drops it against mine. “You’re still bleeding a little but Riley says it’s nothing to worry about.”

“What about Reynolds?” Ryder’s hand froze over my stomach and I dared to meet his eyes. He was trying not to lose the last bit of calm he had. It looked as if he was about to break.

I don’t know how I would handle it if he told me that Reynolds was gone. “He’s still in the hospital. He hasn’t woken up yet.”

Turning my head away from him I take a long shaky breathe. Reynolds could have been sitting just outside the door if I hadn’t gone out to fight. Pushing Ryder’s hand away and up off the bed I walk towards the bathroom.

The fast movements turned my stomach and I had took a deep breathe to settle it. I heard Ryder growl and his footsteps follow after me.

“Lottie you’re supposed to be resting.” He growled the words out as he moved up behind me.

Turning around to look at him I can’t help the way that my eyes move over his almost naked body in a sexual manor. Shaking my head I turned back to the closet and search for some comfortable clothes.

“I need to see him Ryder. It’s my fault he’s there.” I had fallen to my knees, my hands picking at the little lint balls on the tracksuit pants I pulled out.

Ryder sunk down behind me, his hand rises to my hair and he pulls my head in to press a kiss to my head. “It’s not your fault. You did everything to protect him. You saved the lives of a lot of wolves.”

“What if he dies?” I whisper, my voice breaking on the last word.

Ryder took a deep breath and nodded his head once at me. “He’s a brother to you and if the last thing he does is save you, he’d be happy.” His hand landed back on my stomach and his fingers tickled my skin. “Maybe we could name it Reynolds from him after all.”

I broke down then, dropping the sweatpants. Ryder wrapped his arms around me and rocked me a little as he pressed his lips to the top of my head. My body was shaking and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop them or the tears.

“I’m sorry.” My voice was muffled against his chest.

He chuckles humourlessly, pressing another kiss to my head. “You have a lot of extra hormones running through your body, it’s okay.” With an exhale he pulls back to look at me. “You’re not going to be able to rest until you see him are you.”

Nodding my head at him, he gives me a soft smile. He passes me a long sleeved shirt as he picks out his own loose grey t-shirt and slips it over his head. The grey sweatpants hung low on my waist and the black shirt clung to me. When I first caught my reflection in the mirror my eyes moved to my stomach.

This was overwhelming. I was worried about Reynolds and I was worried about my pup.

Resting my fingers over the bottom of my abdomen I try to see if there was a noticeable bump underneath my fingers. It was tiny and could be passed off as bloating but I saw the little rise. Ryder was stood behind me looking at the exact same spot that I was. I had a lot of questions for him but they could wait until I had seen Reynolds.

“Don’t leave my sight.” His voice was stern as he took my hand.

Squeezing his hand back I let him lead us out of the room. It wasn’t my usual guards that fell in to step behind me. I looked at the stern faces of the unfamiliar guards around me and started to feel nervous for my regular ones. They were supposed to be keeping me safe and away from the danger and they didn’t do that.

“You didn’t hurt my guards did you?” My voice was quiet so the other guards couldn’t hear what I was saying.

Ryder’s eyes moved down to me and he looked hesitant to answer me. Exhaling deeply he moves his eyes forward. “Cole has a bruised jaw but that happened when they were holding me down outside your hospital room. They should all be asleep now. They deserve it. Mostly.”

I winced when he told me that he had hit Cole but it made me happy that he had tried to get into the hospital room with me earlier.

The small hospital ward of the castle was eerily silent and the doors of all four rooms were closed. Riley, her mate Jake and another she wolf were stood behind a counter flipping through papers. Riley frowns when she sees me but Ryder shakes his head at her and pulls me to the far door on the left.

Ryder’s hand stays tightly locked around mine even as he lets me walk through the door first. My breath catches when I see Reynolds large and pale form asleep on his side. There was a white bandage that had been wrapped around his torso a number of times but there was still blood seeping through it.

My eyes flicked to the middle aged man that was sat at his side. His light brown hair was cropped back close to his head, his light blue eyes flicking to me. I quickly dismissed him though as I moved closer to Reynolds.

When I saw how white his face was my legs fell out from beneath me. Ryder and the older man were quick to catch me and help me down into the seat that was recently occupied by the unknown male. My hands were shaking and Ryder crouched down next to me again.

He opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. The other guy crouched down as well but he actually managed to get words out of his mouth.

“Hello Lottie it’s great to finally meet you. I’m Anthony, Cole’s father.” Anthony didn’t try to touch me at all. He just gave me a patient, warm smile.

“Hi,” He just nodded at my single word and flicked his eyes to Ryder and then down to my stomach. “Congratulations. I suppose you can’t really feel excited because you’re worried about Reynolds.”

“Do you think that he’ll be ok?” My eyes moved back over to Reynolds. His breathing was harsh, scratching up his throat.

Anthony looks towards the bed and breathes out. “Maybe, maybe not.” Ryder growls lightly when a sob leaves my mouth and he squeezes my thigh. Anthony ignored Ryder and looked back to me. “I was close to Hayden and Fiona, his parents, and I want to be here for their son now if something happens. Maybe help him heal faster. But I think that you’re better to do that.”

Lifting my hand I wipe away the tears that were sliding down my cheeks. “You think I can help heal him?”

This time it isn’t Anthony that speaks. He just looks towards Ryder until he answers my questions.

“He’s not healing properly.” Ryder was lost in his own words. “Sometimes the bleeding stops but it starts again when his blood levels restore themselves. You have a connection to Reynolds. He should be able to feel your presence the way you would feel mine if you were in his position.”

“How’s that supposed to help him?”

“You’re giving him something to wake up to.” Ryder eyed me worriedly as I swayed a little on the seat.

Reaching out my hand to take Reynolds he flinches a little at my touch but eventually settles. I feel Ryder’s hand reach up and press against my forehead as he and Anthony exchange words as if I’m not there. They say something about my body and the pup burning through whatever sedative they had given me too fast. I felt the extra warmth of my body but I didn’t care at the moment.

After a while Anthony had stood at the end of the room near the door and Ryder sat at my feet, gently massaging my leg that sill had small puncture wounds from the rebels bite. “You’re not going to leave anytime soon are you?”

Shaking my head at Ryder I run my thumb back over Reynolds hand, I hadn’t let go of it since I first took it in the both of mine. If they believed that my presence was going to help him then I wasn’t going to leave him until I saw his eyes open.

Ryder let out a deep sigh and gave Anthony I nod of his head. The door was left open a as Ryder left the room. My eyes followed him before I moved them back to look at Reynolds.

“You’re very good at pushing him.” Anthony says as his eyes rest on Reynolds as well. My eyes look over him in confusion and he chuckles a little. “Kings are very protective of their mates and even more so of their family. Allie has always been defiant but when she was pregnant Alex gave in to her with a bit of an argument but Ryder just sighs and gives you whatever he wants.”

“Because a majority of the time she doesn’t argue with me. I’m not going to hold back if she wants something.” Ryder said as he walked back into the room and over to my side.

Walking in the door behind was another two wolves that were carrying in a heavily cushioned reclining chair. Ryder carefully took my arm and helped me to stand up and push the chair I was sitting in away with his foot, the two wolves placing the other chair down in its spot.

“If you want to stay here, I’m not having you sit in some crappy chair.” I smiled at him as he helped me down into the chair.

When I sunk into the chair I felt like I was about to fall asleep again but a moan from Reynolds pulled me out of my impending sleep. All it was was a moan but I leant forward closer to him hoping that he would finally open his eyes.

Anthony excused himself from the room when he realised that nothing was happening with Reynolds. Not before he made a joke with Ryder about socking his son in the jaw. Ryder was watching me from the crappy chair, his eyes locked on mine as I watched him as well.

Ryder had also given me a blanket and wanted me to sleep but I was too concentrated on the sound of Reynolds breathing and the beating of our pup’s heart.

“How long have you known?” The room was dimmed but I could still how his chest stopped moving as he stopped breathing for a moment. He had to know that we were going to talk about this at some point.

“The morning after the funeral. I smelt it on you first, and then I heard the heartbeat.” He breathed out his hand scratching over the back of his neck. There was more to it than that but I already knew that. He hadn’t told me that I was pregnant for a whole week.

My eyes flicked down when I thought about the couple of days before that. “We hadn’t mated in nearly four days before that morning.”

“I know.” He groaned and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Eleanor did a blood test the moment I woke up and realised. We hadn’t mated since the morning that George kidnapped you and I wanted to check that the pup would be ok after what he had done to you.”

He hesitated, he wasn’t finishing that answer. “Ryder…” I drew out, “Does she know when I got pregnant.” If there was still a heartbeat now I wasn’t too worried about George having done any damage. Ryder would have told me about it by now.

Ryder nodded at me but didn’t answer. He shifted uncomfortably as I stared at him. This whole hormonal thing was real and I felt like I was about to rip his head off if he didn’t answer. He was feeling the anger that was rolling off me.

With an exhale he leant forward in his chair so he was closer to me. “Judging by the amount of the hcg hormone in your system she thinks that it may have been when you were in heat.”

I lurched a little in my seat my hand falling to my stomach to stop from throwing up. Five weeks. I had been pregnant for nearly five weeks and I didn’t know. Ryder didn’t notice for four of them.

He had moved from his seat to squeeze in next to me. A hand fell to my stomach while the other pushed my hair back. I didn’t want to cry so I took deep breathes to settle the need to and stop from throwing up as well.

“I don’t know why I couldn’t sense it earlier but Riley believes that it’s the vitamins that helped me to pick up on it.” His fingers tickled over the material of my shirt. “I tried to tell you a number of times but I didn’t know how to explain it to you.”

“It’s ok,” I said to him even though it really wasn’t. I wanted him to tell me when he knew and he didn’t. I wouldn’t have cared if he didn’t know how to explain it, I just wanted to know.

Ryder didn’t say anything but I knew that he knew that I was lying. He just held me in his arms and let his eyes fall on Reynolds like mine did. I watched the sporadic rise and fall of his chest and listened to the strangled sound he made.

I couldn’t lose him.

Ryder fell asleep with his hand still on my stomach. Leaning forward and trying not to disturb Ryder’s touch, I pick Reynolds hand back up.

“You can’t leave me alone with him.” I joke with a humourless laugh. “You walked me down the aisle. You’re the last family I have. I want be able to see you meet your mate and watch as you fawn over her as she carries your pup.” Taking a deep breathe I look down to my own stomach. “You would’ve known that I was pregnant and maybe that was why you were so incessant to make sure I wasn’t going to go in to the fight. I want you to be there to meet my pup.”

After that I couldn’t say anything. I felt as if my heart had moved up into my throat. My eyes were heavy and eventually I fall asleep, Ryder’s arms wrapping around me tighter. I just couldn’t fall into his touch though. I just let him hold me.

Me sleep was restless and the fifth time that I woke up Riley was in the room. She gave me a quick look before she continued to gently pull the bandage from his midsection. There was a lot more blood on it now then there was before.

When I gagged at the sight Riley looked back to me again quickly. “Don’t throw up.” She said to herself more as a hope that I wouldn’t.

I did though and I had never bolted across a room so fast to get to the toilet. While I was throwing up the little contents of my stomach Ryder had woken up and come in behind me to hold my hair back out of my face.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered as he passed me a wet washcloth and helped to wipe away the sickness I still felt on my face.

“It’s okay.” I quickly dismissed his worries. This was the whole part of being pregnant with werewolf child or not.

Ryder stuck a step behind me as I walked back over to the bed beside Riley. I finally saw the large chunk that was missing from his side. The wound was bubbling a little bit of blood around the edges but I couldn’t see it healing anyway at all. The muscle was torn and ragged and I knew it would take a while to heal if his wolf senses didn’t kick in.

“Lottie you shouldn’t be stressing your body like this.” Riley says as she looks down at my stomach. “You’re body is still healing from the fall it took. It would be affecting your pup’s health.”

My hands shook a little and I raised them up to cross over my chest to stop it. “I want to stay here and be here for him… if he wakes up.” I whispered the last part out and my lip quivered a little.

Riley nods her head slowly and flicks a quick look towards Ryder. “I have an idea that might make heal properly and faster. It’s not going to make him any worse than what he already is but it will cause him a lot of pain even in his comatose state.”

“And you’re going to do that now.” Ryder asked softly, his hand moving up to take the back of my arm. I shoot him a look and he loosened his hold even further.

Suspiciously Riley eyed the hold my mate had on me but still nodded at the both of us. “I was going to start it in an hour when I could have Jake’s help to hold him down.”

“Lottie,” Ryder pulled me back a little. I didn’t want to leave and he knew that but he was forcing me.

What happened to him not holding back if I wanted something? The small part of my mind told me it was for my safety and our pups but I tried to push that away.

“You can come back and see him once Riley has done what she needs to.” Ryder’s tone went from soft to demanding as his hand tightened around me to pull me in closer to him.

I couldn’t explain why but I suddenly felt angry at him. Dropping my hand down to Reynolds I give his a squeeze before I leave him. Pulling my arm from Ryder grip I turn and leave the room and wipe away at the few tears that were falling from my eyes.

I felt an unknown emotion roll from him as he followed after me. He didn’t try to take my arm again or touch me at all but he stayed a step behind me even as the guards surrounded us with questioning looks. I knew it wasn’t uncommon for couples to argue but they looked at us if we had just grown another head.

As we reached the stairs up to the fifth level my steps grew slower and I felt the warmth of Ryder’s hand as he moved it closer to my back to catch me if I fell. I had just stopped right in the middle of the steps though. I couldn’t move.

Fuck these hormones.

Ryder rushed something to the guards in Jordenian and they quickly disappeared. He still didn’t try to touch me even as I fell down to sit on the step. He gave everything a quick survey before he settled down on the step in front of me as well.

“I’ve felt barley any of these symptoms over the last week let alone the last month and now they’re all coming at once.” My voice was breaking and I knew it wasn’t going to be long till I started to cry. Again.

“I don’t know.” He said his hands going to run over my legs but second guesses it. “I don’t really know about pregnancy and all that.” He thought through every word he said, gauging my reaction. “I do understand that you can’t lose Reynolds and that you aren’t wrong for feeling the way you do now. It’s ok to cry.”

Shaking my head at him I don’t attempt to stop the tears. “No you don’t understand. The only people that I truly feel comfortable around are you and him. I have Heidi as well but she has her life back in England and she can’t just drop it and be here for me.”

Ryder nodded at me with tears in his eyes. It wasn’t a nod of understanding he was just doing it to give me a reply.

“You have your family and all the other guys. They’re your best friends and you’ve known them all your life and you can go to them.” My hands started to shake and my breathing was a bit all over the place. “I don’t have anyone but you if he dies.”

I watch his lips purse and this time he takes my hand, his touch steady enough that it stopped shaking but it was still light.

“You’ll have our pup.”

Scoffing I pull his hand a little. “A crying and pooping, very fragile being. You need to do more than that.” I smiled a little when I noticed his lips pull up as well.

“I asked Heidi if she wanted to move into the castle.” His tone had changed and I felt my tears halt.

“What?”

“Two weeks, if the rebels aren’t a problem anymore,” He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “She just has to get all her stuff in order then she and her family are only going to be one floor away.”

My tears started again and he moved up the step to sit next to me and pulled my head over so it rested on his shoulder.

“Just because Heidi is going to be here doesn’t mean I can lose Reynolds now.”

Ryder lets a deep sigh. “It might take him a while but I really feel like he’s going to pull through this.”

“I’m sorry I was angry and not letting you touch me before.” I whispered to him.

Ryder shook his head and hooked an arm around my shoulders and one underneath my knees as he lifted me up. My head spun a little and I dropped it against his chest as he carefully carried me up the steps and to our suite.

“How about for the next five months I never hear the words sorry out of your mouth. You’re not only giving me an heir, you are giving me a child to love and that has you in it. You can do whatever you want as long you’re safe.”

“So maybe we can go back to see Reynolds.” Ryder paused and looked down at me when I said that.

Quickly he shook of what he was thinking about and kept walking towards the double doors leading into our suite. “Riley told me what they were going to do to him. He’s going to be in a lot of pain and I don’t want you to see that. Especially when you’re supposed to be resting.” His hand brushed over my stomach as he placed me onto the bed gently.

If I couldn’t see Reynolds I had to get my mind off him. “So I only have a little over two months left?”

My fingers caressed my stomach as he sat down across from me. “Give or take. Riley put your due date at March 3rd but it all depends on how everything goes.”

“I want a baby boy.” I took his hand and placed it on my lower stomach.

Ryder smiled at me and splayed his fingers across the area where our child was growing underneath. “So you are ok with it?” He seemed unsure but there was still a glow in his eyes. “You’re not regretting finally doing this?”

“I wouldn’t be telling you I wanted a boy if I didn’t want it anymore.” Moving my hand from his I cup his cheek and gently press a kiss to his lips. His reaction is slow but eventually his lips are moving back against mine causing a ravishing heat to start between my legs.

Hormones. Again.

“I’d love to see you nursing our baby boy. I think you’d become very possessive and barely let him leave your arms.” He breathed out as he pulled back from the kiss. He’d moved his hand from my stomach and wound his arms around my waist, pulling me up onto his lap. “If you have a girl though. She’d change history. The first female to be born as the heir to the throne. I’d be the one not letting her go though. My baby, baby girl.”

The image of my big muscled mate and husband holding a very small bundle wrapped up in pink warmed my heart. I could get used to that idea very fast and I did prefer my little boy but I could live with the idea of a little girl.

Ryder tried reconnecting our kiss but I pulled back from him and his lips landed on my neck instead. My heartbeat quickened as I remembered some of Ryder’s earlier words.

“You said that Heidi was coming if the rebels weren’t a problem. Do you think they’re going to be a problem” I asked my voice slightly breathless but I didn’t know if it was because of the kiss or the potential of another attack.

“George is still alive.” He said solemnly, pushing his head into my neck. “It was his wolf that was pressing down on your stomach. My warriors chased after him but he got away, along with a little less than half the rebel’s on his side. The rest are dead except for the four that are in the dungeons waiting to be questioned.”

Letting out a shaky breathe I fist my hand into the soft material of his shirt. “You think the ones that survived are going to come back?”

Ryder was breathing shakily as well and he tightened his grip around me as he lied the both of us down on the bed. “He won’t do it soon. He’ll have to recoup and strengthening his numbers first. I doubt he’s going to give up on getting the throne. Or you.”

“What about the pup?” my voice was a whisper and my hands shook as I placed them over my stomach.

“You and the pup are going to be safe.” Ryder tells me as he places his hand over the top of mine. “This room is the best security and you’re not going to leave it unless I’m with you.” his voice held a commanding tone to it.

My head dropped. “I don’t regret going out there. I know I put our pup in danger and if I had just come back up here, Reynolds would be fine but I can’t just sit back and know that wolves are dying and that I can help them.”

“I know the urge sweetheart.” The sound of his voice tells me that he agrees with what I had said but he doesn’t want to. “One of the wolves you have to protect now is growing inside of you. The wolves will not sacrifice you or their future king or queen. They would die for you.”

My eyes stung but I felt all cried out.

“Does George know that I’m pregnant?” Ryder still had his head buried in the hollow of my neck and when I mentioned that name to him he took a deep inhale of my scent. He hadn’t replied but his reaction was an answer enough itself.

“That why he pressed down on your stomach.” He growled out and the vibrations moved through me. “I saw the exact moment that he heard it. I’m supposed to be the only one that can smell the hormone change in you but I think he could as well.”

I didn’t say anything to him after that. He kept growling every now and then, his nose running along the line of my neck before he kissed his mark. I was half asleep just starring at an empty spot across from the end of the bed where I could see a crib in the future holding our sleeping child, when he spoke again.

“If he does attack again your guards have permission to carry you back to the room kicking and screaming if they have to.” His words were just asking to be questioned.

Chuckling lightly I closed my eyes. “Reynolds only.”

“Reynolds only.” His repeated words were the last I heard before I fell asleep.

Epilogue:

I was sat in the lounge area of the suite, my legs crossed with a pillow sat on them and cuddled against my stomach. It was the third day since Reynolds had been admitted to the hospital and he was only just starting to heal. There was still no guarantee that he was going to live though.

I hadn’t been feeling so great myself but at least I felt like I had finished throwing up for the day. It was nothing to what Reynolds was feeling and if I wasn’t putting my pup at risk I would swap places with him in a heartbeat. I only got to spend the morning and afternoon with him now. I felt reassured every time he took a breath.

The mood in the room was different without Reynolds here. All these guys that were watching me had grown up with him and they were his best friends. They were as worried about him as I was, though they did hide it a lot better than I did.

Dropping my head onto the back of the lounge I take in a deep breath. I could feel the worried eyes of all my guards on me and I raise a hand to tell them that I’m fine. The nausea was getting worse as the days went on but if my guards knew that then so would Ryder and he would just stare at me like I’m a porcelain doll more often.

There was a quick burst of knocks at the door and I jumped at the sound. The door was opened by the guards that were posted outside the door. Yeah there were more. Ellie enters the room looking a little frazzled and flushed. She had also been put on lookdown by Maxon but still managed to help out where she could.

Cole pushes up from the couch and goes to stand beside her as mine and the others eyes rest on her in curiosity.

“Breathe Ellie.” Cole says to her as he grips her arm to steady her weight, her hand resting over her still flat stomach.

Pulling a shaky breathe in she shakes her head. “He’s talking. He’s not awake but he’s talking.” She didn’t have to say who she was talking about, we all knew.

I was up off the lounge and at Ellie’s side before any of the guys had the chance to try and stop me. I could see the look of discontent on Cole’s face as Ellie linked her arm through mine.

“You aren’t supposed to be leaving the room without Ryder.” Cole said before his eyes moved to Ellie. “You shouldn’t be leaving the room by yourself either.”

Ellie had already turned on her heel and started to leave the room with me at her side before she replied. “We’re only going down one floor and I doubt you want to deal with two pregnant women.”

The guards fell in behind us. I wanted to get to Reynolds as soon as I could and nothing they could do would stop me from being by his side.

Ryder was pacing outside the door to the hospital wing almost as if he was waiting for me to show up. When his eyes did land on me he seemed to relax, only a little bit but I saw it. Quickly he took my free hand and pulled me into his side.

“Stay out here.” He said to them with a tense voice.

I watched my guard’s jaws clench but they gave a single nod of their heads towards Ryder. Ellie tries to complain but Maxon steps out of nowhere and pulls her back telling her that only a handful of people need to be in the room.

“Are you okay?” Ryder asks as we stop outside the door, his hands coming up to cup my cheeks.

Placing my hands over the top of his I nod gently. I wasn’t feeling a hundred percent but I was ok enough to go in and see Reynolds.

“He’s still in a coma but he’s talking.” He shuffled on his feet a little, his eyes moving to the closed door. “He’s talking about you.”

“What?” I tried to pull away from his hands but he tightened his grip and I couldn’t move.

“I want to warn you that he’s not making any sense. I don’t want you to get your hopes and be let down.” His hazel eyes stared deeply into mine; compelling me not to get attached to the idea that Reynolds would be ok.

“I want to see him.”

Gently Ryder released me and opened the door into Reynolds room. Anthony and another older male I knew was Maxon’s father, Nicholas, had a secure hand on Reynolds shoulder and one on his forearm to hold him down to the mattress.

Reynolds was grunting and trying to escape the hold of the two older wolves. He wasn’t making any sense like Ryder had said but he was clearly saying my name in his strangled speech. Jake and another guy was holding down his legs as Riley shined a small light into his eyes trying to get another sign of consciousness out of him.

My heart was hammering against my chest as I walked closer to him. I raised my hand to touch the bare skin of his chest and I felt the heat surge from him and into me. He seemed to quieten with my touch.

While Reynolds went quiet everybody got louder as they rushed towards me and called my name. I felt the warmth of Ryder’s arm slide around my stomach and try to hold me up as I felt myself being pulled down.

Everything went dark and then I was blinded by a bright blue tinged light. I felt weird. Something tickled my skin and I tried to push my eyes open to see what it is. Eventually I got them open and I didn’t even have to look to my side to see that I was in the middle of the woods.

The tops of the trees whipped in the wind lightly, a cool breeze causing goose bumps to rise on my skin. That was when I noticed the Grecian dress I was in. It clung to my chest and stretched out in to a cape behind me while the soft material fell effortlessly over the small bump of my stomach.

Pushing up from the scratchy grass I look around at my surroundings. Where was I? Turning on my heel I was startled by what I saw.

“Jordena?” I didn’t know if it was actually her but her brown curls that fell effortlessly over her shoulders held a striking resemblance to the founder of the country.

I watched her closely as she took precise steps towards me, her hazel eyes identical to Ryder are locked on mine. “I don’t have long Charlotte.” Her soft voice says to me as she moves to stand in front of me. “They’re trying to wake you up as we speak.”

“I’m asleep?” I ask her my voice sounding lost.

I watched her eyes flick to my stomach and instinctively I cross my arms over it as if I’m protecting my pup.

“I won’t hurt my descendant or you Charlotte. It’s why I’m talking to you.” She says her eyes flicking back up to mine.

My voice shakes as I wrap my arms tighter around my stomach. “Is something going to happen to my baby?”

“I don’t know.” Her eyebrows furrowed and she took a step back. “I’m more worried about you. This prophecy is not over. You are still in danger. That rebel, George already knows the answer to it and so do others who wish to take my country.”

“If they know the answer why doesn’t Ryder?” Jordena had started to pace around me and I followed her slowly with my eyes.

“Ryder doesn’t know yet because all the others were informed in similar ways to what you are. He never would have figured it out on his own.” She was being cryptic.

Turning to face her I drop my arms to my side and when I did her eyes moved back to my stomach. It was her family growing in there as well. She could sense my frustration and continued with what she had to say.

“You’re my reincarnate.” She says her voice strong as she straightens her neck up higher.

“What?”

She nods her head in the understanding of my confusion. “Not a lot of people believe in it because it’s not often that it happens. Some souls, like ours are stronger and we are sent to earth to restore peace in times of war. Ryder is the reincarnate of my mate as well. It’s why you two are mates, coincidence that they have the same name however.”

“How is that a power?” A human born into power. The first line of the prophecy runs through my mind as I spoke the words.

“It helps you because my wolf was one of the most feared wolves and because she was connected to my soul and part of me, she’s part of you. She’s lying dormant in you for either you to use her strength or pass it on to your pup.” I don’t try and fight her as she gently places her hand to my stomach, defining the bump underneath the loose material.

“You think I’ll shift?” My eyes stayed on her hand as she pulled it back.

“It’s a possibility.” Her voice was rushing now as she looked around at the tall trees. “She would have to be pulled deep from within you. Something a strong emotion will do, either anger or love.” She was looking up now and I was wondering what was happening as I followed her eyes again. “We’re running out of time.”

Now she was back in front of me, a hand on the side of my neck and one back on my stomach. I flinched lightly at the sudden touch but kept my eyes on her. “Keep yourself close to Ryder, Charlotte, both physically and emotionally. You both need each other, your pup needs you, protect them.”

There was a pressure against my chest and I clenched my eyes shut trying to work through it. I felt lighter once the pressure was relived and slowly I opened my eyes to the fluorescent lights above me.

“Lottie? Can you hear me?” Riley said as she hovered over the top of me.

I was on the cold tiles of the floor, my back cramping from the hard surface. To my side I noticed Jake who was bent over Ryder who was also on the floor as well, his eyes clenched in pain.

“I’m fine.” He groans as he bats away Jake’s hand as he sits up to hover over me as well. “What happened?” he asked no one in particular as he gently run his hand over my cheek. He was looking into my eyes as if he was seeing something new.

“Lottie passed out and when you grabbed her so did you. You protected Lottie’s fall but hit your head pretty hard.” Nicholas said as he looked at us with his eyebrows furrowed. “What happened to you two?”

I didn’t want to move. I was still overwhelmed by the information I just received. Looking into Ryder’s eyes was comforting.

“I saw some insight.” His voice was emotionless as he addressed everybody else but still allowing me to look into his hazel eyes. “Reynolds has poison in his blood. The only way he’ll survive if it works its way out of his system before he bleeds to death. And…” he took a deep breathe the I see a quick flash of recognition flicking through his eyes before he speaks again. “Lottie and I are the peace reincarnate of Jordena and Ryder. George isn’t the only threat anymore”