Chapter 147 Elara's POV
Selena's scream was inhuman.
She jerked her hand back from Adrian's glowing mark, smoke rising from her burned fingers. The lunar pulse had protected him, rejecting her dark touch.
But she recovered too quickly.
"You little monster!" She snarled at Adrian. "Just like your mother ruining everything!"
She reached for him again, her other hand this time.
"No!" I threw myself out of the bed.
Pain exploded through my abdomen as I hit the floor. I felt something tear inside me. Felt warmth spreading blood soaking through my hospital gown.
But I didn't care. I crawled toward the crib, using every ounce of strength I had left.
Kara was already there, her body blocking the crib completely. "You will have to go through me first!"
"Gladly," Selena said.
She backhanded Kara so hard the smaller woman flew across the room, hitting the wall with a sickening crack. Kara crumpled to the floor, dazed.
I reached Selena just as she turned back to Adrian. Grabbed her leg and yanked with all my might.
She stumbled but didn't fall. Instead, she looked down at me with pure hatred.
"You just won't die, will you? I poisoned you. You survived your hemorrhaging after birth. You survived, how many times do I have to kill you before you stay dead?"
"You... poisoned me?" I gasped. "It wasn't the servant?"
"Of course it was the servant. I paid her to do it and convinced her it was justice for her brother. She was just a convenient scapegoat."
Selena smiled. "And it almost worked. Kaden almost died. You were blamed for everything going according to plan."
"Why? Why do all this?"
"Because you took everything from me! Kaden was supposed to be mine! I was supposed to be Luna! I gave him everything, my body, my loyalty, years of my life and he threw me away for some omega nobody!"
She kicked me hard in the stomach right where the surgical incision was.
I screamed and felt the stitches tear completely. Blood poured from the wound.
"And then you had the audacity to get pregnant to give him an heir to take even that from me."
Selena kicked me again. "So now I'm taking it all back starting with your precious son."
She turned toward the crib where Adrian was crying desperately.
I tried to grab her again but I was too weak. Too much blood lost my vision was blurring.
"Adrian," I whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Selena reached into the crib with her burned hand wrapped around Adrian's tiny body.
The lunar pulse flared again but this time she was ready for it. She gritted her teeth through the pain and lifted my son out of the crib.
"Such a powerful little thing," She said, examining the glowing mark on his chest.
"Maybe I will keep him and raise him as my own. Tell Kaden he died with his mother he would never have to know the truth."
"Put. Him. Down." I tried to stand but collapsed immediately. The blood loss was too severe.
"Or what? Will you stop me? Look at you. You can barely move. You are bleeding out on the floor, you will be dead in minutes."
She was right. I could feel my strength fading and my consciousness slipping but I had to try hard to save my son.
I lunged for Selena's legs one more time. Managed to grab her ankle.
She kicked me off easily this time her foot connected with my face. I heard something crack my nose, maybe my cheekbone.
Blood filled my mouth and my vision went dark at the edges.
"Pathetic," Selena said.
"Kaden chose you over me? I will never understand it. You are weak and powerless , nothing special at all."
She started walking toward the door, Adrian still in her arms. My baby was crying for me crying for his mother who couldn't save him.
I tried to crawl after them but my body wouldn't respond. I had lost too much blood. I tore too much tissue. I was dying on the floor of my hospital room and there was nothing I could do about it.
"Please," I whispered. "Please don't take him. Kill me if you want but leave him, he is innocent."
Selena paused at the door and looked back at me with cold eyes. "Innocent? He's the reason for all of this. The reason Kaden chose you is the reason everything fell apart. No he doesn't get to be innocent."
She stepped through the doorway.
And then something flew through the air, a heavy crystal vase from the table in the hallway.
It connected with the back of Selena's head with a solid, sickening thunk.
Selena's eyes went wide and she stumbled forward. Adrian slipped from her arms.
But someone was there to catch him. Kira. Weak and pale and barely standing, but there. She caught Adrian before he could hit the ground.
Selena turned, blood streaming from the gash on her head. "You. You should be in intensive care. You should be-"
"Dead? Like you wanted Elara to be dead? Like you wanted Adrian to be dead?"
Kira's voice was stronger than her appearance suggested. "I've survived fifteen years of torture. You think I'm afraid of you?"
Selena lunged for her.
Kira dodged, still cradling Adrian protectively. Then she struck back her fist connected with Selena's temple.
Already injured from the vase, already disoriented, Selena went down hard.
She hit the floor and didn't move. Blood pooled around her head from the gash. Her chest rose and fell shallowly alive but unconscious.
Kira immediately knelt beside me, still holding Adrian with one arm. "Elara! Stay with me! Don't close your eyes!"
But I couldn't help it. I was so tired, in so much pain, so much blood.
"Adrian," I whispered. "Is he okay?"
"He's fine. He's safe. But you're not. You're bleeding too much. I need to get help-"
"Can't leave me. Selena might wake up."
"Then I'll call for help." Kira pulled out the emergency call button and pressed it repeatedly. "Someone come now! Medical emergency! Now!"
Adrian's cries filled my ears. He was scared. confused wanting his mother. I wanted to comfort him, wanted to hold him, and told him everything would be okay.
But I couldn't move, couldn't speak, could barely keep my eyes open, the darkness pulled me under completely.
I let it take me, Adrian's cries fading into silence.