Chapter 19

Alpha Kate’s POV:

Hours pass. I sit here all alone in my office. I am waiting for Erick to come home, alive and unharmed. The waiting is killing me, but I have to remain vigilant. I have to protect the children. Now five little ones need both Erick and me. I have to prioritize their well-being before anything else. Family first, and then the pack. I only want to be Erick’s Luna and a mother from now on. That is my focus.

I hear tiny footsteps coming down the steps. I know it is Belle. She peeks around the corner and into my office. “Come in, Belle,” I say to her.

She comes into the office. She is sleepy, but needs me. She comes behind my desk and sits down with me. “Why are you up?” I ask her.

“Daddy needs me,” Belle says.

The front door pushes open hard. “Help me!” Jason screams.

I get up and run to the front of the house. Jason and John are carrying Erick. “What happened?” I ask. I touch Erick’s face as the two men move him past me.

“He is alive but hurt. Raven is dead, but he clawed Alpha Erick hard in the chest,” John says.

I follow John and Jason as they carry Erick into the same room Jason was lying in earlier, Cassie’s old room. The two men lay Erick on the bed. “I will call the pack doctor to come here, now,” John says.

Belle peeks inside. “I can help,” she says meekly. I know she can, but do I want her to do anything? What if it does not work, and then she feels terrible?

“John is calling the pack doctor. You can sit with me while we wait,” I say to her.

She moves closer to me. “There is not time, Mommy,” Belle says.

Belle moves past me to her father. She looks him over and touches his chest. She dips her hand into his chest and closes her eyes. Erick begins to scream and thrash about as Belle keeps her hand in his chest.

“Hold still, Daddy,” Belle scolds him.

Erick opens his eyes and looks at his daughter with her hand in his chest. “You have to stay still so I can work,” Belle says.

Erick listens to her and remains still. I can see the pain in his face as she tries to heal him. John comes back into the room to see Belle working on Erick.

“The pack doctor is on his way, but do we need him?” John asks me.

I nod my head. “Yes, I still want him to look at him, just in case,” I say.

Belle gets down from the bed. She looks at her hands covered in blood and then back to Erick. “Daddy is all better,” Belle says.

She leaves the room and goes back up the stairs. I can hear water running. She must be washing the blood off her hands. I cannot believe what she has done, what she can do. Belle is a miracle.

“We cannot tell anyone, not even the pack doctor. It puts her in danger,” I say.

We all agree. “When the pack doctor gets here, I will tell him it is not as bad as we thought or something. I will think of something,” John says.

“Good, thank you. Can you guys give me a moment with Erick, please?” I ask.

“Yes, Alpha Kate,” John says.

“No, it is just Luna. I am no longer the Alpha. I refuse to be anything except Erick’s Luna and a mother to my children. The Imperials can fall in line or leave. I am done with all of this, putting my family in danger,” I say.

John and Jason both smile at me. “Yes Luna Kate, I think that is perfect,” John says.

“Me too, sister,” Jason says.

The two men leave the room. Erick reaches for my hand. I hold it tightly. “Are you okay?” I ask him.

“I think so. I put Raven down easily, but in the last second he reached into my chest. It was like he wanted me to put him down, but he wanted to take me with him,” Erick says.

“And what about Meaghan?” I ask.

“She is dead. She came to the jail. She never tried to come into the jail to free Raven, but she was trying to distract us. It is hard to explain. She was howling and so was Jeremy. Jeremy is dead too. I killed him first,” Erick says.

“Levi and Katherine are both asleep. She left them behind. She knew she was going to die,” I say.

“Do you want to tell me about the nomads?” Alpha Erick asks me.

I shake my head. “I want to forget they exist, but we cannot. Jason says they infiltrate packs and disturb the peace. They are troublemakers. They killed his father. Jason’s father was a hybrid with the ability to shift between wolf and vampire. He says Belle has that ability,” I say.

Erick’s eyes grow wide. “Belle is a vampire now and a wolf?” Erick questions me.

I nod my head. “Yes, there is so much more. The things the realm told me. Erick, I have to dive into my mother’s past. I have to learn about Rainwater and what she did. There are things we need to know to protect our children,” I say.

Erick tries to move and struggles. “Do not move,” I say to him. I lay on the bed beside him. He puts his arms around me.

“How do you plan to learn about her past?” Erick asks.

“The realm told me I need to find the weeping wolf, that she can help me,” I answer him.

Erick puts his arms around me tighter. “Okay, will Jason help you?” Erick asks.

“Yes, he will. I want you to know this family is first. I will not put us in any kind of danger, but I have to find the weeping wolf to find my answers,” I say.

Erick holds me tighter. “What about Vivian? Do you trust her?” Erick asks me.

I shake my head and look up to him. “She is one of your wolves. I trust her,” I answer him.

“When are you leaving, Kate?” Erick asks me. He already knows. I will have to leave to find the weeping wolf. I will have to leave him here with our children while I sort this out.

“In a few days. First, I have a very important decision to make,” I say. My eyes fill with tears.

“You have to decide if you are taking Belle,” Erick says.

“Yes, I think she already knows. She was there when they told me. I am afraid for her,” I say.

“Kate, it is better she goes with you. Take her,” Erick says.

“Then it is settled,” I say.

The door opens and Belle comes back into the bedroom. She touches my face so softly. “I have to go so we can come back to Daddy and the babies,” Belle says.

“I know,” I say to her. Belle smiles at me. She leaves the room as I begin to cry. Erick holds me tightly as I think about the journey Belle and I are about to go on together. I have to protect her. In reality, I know it is Belle that will protect all of us.