Chapter 245
Chapter 245
Trigger warning - pregnancy complications
Lewana POV
I’m sprinting through the forest as fast as I can. The wind howls like wolves chasing me, but with a chill that freezes my skin. I cradle my belly as I leap over tree roots and ignore the wounds being caused by the thorns striking me as I run past.
I try to shift, but Serena is not within me. I can’t feel her. I scream for Conrad in the darkness. Plead for him to save our pups, but my voice gets carried away as a whisper in the night.
I trip over a root and spin to take the impact on my side and shield my pups. It’s only when I look back that I can see it wasn’t a root. It’s a shadow. They crawl out of the earth around me and reach for my limbs as I thrash against them. It’s no use. They pull down with such force, I’m sure the bones in my ankles and wrists have cracked.
The largest of the shadows hovers above me and lifts my shirt to see my precious bump. It caresses my skin as I scream at them to leave, only to hear a mocking laughter echo back.
“Ours”.
A shadow covers my mouth to silence me as the larger one finds my belly button. It enters my abdomen and starts to stretch and rip my body apart, removing my pups from inside me.
I do everything I can to escape, but I’m too weak. They eventually hold my pups above me, perfect little pups, before their eyes go dark and they are consumed by shadow. The shadows release me and return to the ground, taking my pups with them. I frantically start digging with my hands, trying to follow them as I scream out into the night.
“Lewana. Wake up. I’m here, baby. You’re having a nightmare”.
I know the voice. It’s Conrad. He doesn’t understand. The shadows have taken our pups. Or that was a warning they're coming back. I fight against him and feel Serena surge within me. We leap out of bed and see two figures come through the door.
I scream at them. “THESE PUPS ARE MINE”.
My claws shoot out, and I bare my teeth. I start to charge them, but I’m held back by Conrad.
“They’re our guards, Lewana. They came because you're screaming. No one’s taking our pups”.
He starts sending calming auras through me, but I fight them off. I need to be on alert. I need to fight. I struggle and try to push him off me, but he has my arms pinned.
The lights in the room come on, and I start scanning the room for where the shadows could be hiding.
A calm voice cuts through the room. “Jellybean. Focus on the situation. If you want me to help you fight, focus on me”.
Arthur stares at me, and he’s right. I need someone to fight with me. I need to focus on finding the enemy. I focus on Arthur as he does his deep breathing, so I can ground myself.
Conrad starts to loosen his grip when I stop fighting him, but he doesn't let go. I can feel him still trying to push the calming aura through me. I keep trying to fight it, but some of it is coming through.
Arthur takes a step closer to me. "Tell me, Jellybean. What's going on?"
I snap at him for wasting time. "The shadows are going to take my pups".
He stays calm. "OK. Where are they now?"
I look around the room, starting to panic again. "I don't know right now, but they want to take them".
"OK then. If they are not in the room right now, and you are here, Conrad, me, and the guards, are you in danger right now?"
I start looking around the room. That doesn't make sense. Maybe it was a warning, and they are not here right now. Maybe I have time. Then I smell it.
"Who's been injured? I can smell blood".
Everyone looked around the room at each other when I heard Arthur gasp. Conrad spun me to face him. I placed my hand between my legs and realised the blood was coming from me.
I have never felt fear like this before. I can't lose my pups. It's too early. I still have six weeks. I can't lose them.
I start trembling, but before I can react further, Conrad picks me up in his arms and starts running towards the medical centre. Arthur and the guards are right behind him.
We arrive, and the medics are waiting for me. Mary as well. All in pajamas. Conrad places me on the bed, and the medical team starts attaching all the medical equipment to me. My blood pressure is extremely high. They get the ultrasound and start scanning.
Both twins are perfect. After a few more tests were done, it was determined that stress caused my blood pressure to spike, causing signs of early labour.
I started to cry when the medic told me this. Conrad just holds me and rubs my back as he sends a calming aura to me. I can tell he is scared, though.
"It's OK, Moonlight. I'm right here. We'll get through this like we always do".
This just makes me cry harder. "It's my fault. If I hadn't been so scared of the nightmare......"
He growls at me. "Don't you dare finish that sentence. You have done nothing wrong. Since the day I met you, you have had to fight every second. Even after the night terror, you still woke up to fight. We just won a war purely because of you. Now is your time to rest. We have four weeks until your ceremony and six weeks if the twins wait that long. Stay on bed rest like the medic recommended for that time and let the pack look after you".
I roll my eyes at him. "Going to war again sounds easier".
He pulls me tight into his arms as we both laugh slightly, but the weight of the situation weighs down on us. Conrad gets word that our room has been cleaned up and he carries back to our room. As we make our way through the compound, I hide my face in his shoulder as I know word would have gotten through the pack by now.
He places me down gently in the bed, and I curl up next to him, allowing the calming aura to run through my system as I fall asleep.