Chapter 36 - Blessed with Two Mates

(Benny)

I snapped my eyes open as the pain in my thigh increased. I gritted my teeth, letting out a grunt. I looked down to see Helen with a dagger cutting my thigh.

“I’ve always been amazed at how your kind react to wolfsbane and silver”, Helen said, while looking at the blade with my blood. She looks at me and smiles wider.

“Oh, say hi to my sister Kiera. She’s watching you” Helen pointed to a black smokey ball, but I could see Kiera. She looked exhausted and had dark circles under her eyes. I felt pain on the left side of my face and I realized I had been punched, followed by another and another, and another.

“Uh, uh Kiera. Remember if you look away he dies”, Helen said, taunting Kiera. I grunted a few times when Helen punched me over and over again. I lost count at twenty. I was just glad it wasn’t just on my face but on my torso as well. When she got to cutting my arms, I would growl at her because of the silver and wolfsbane, but when she got to my stomach and thighs I couldn’t hold back my screams. Every time I stopped screaming I would hear my beautiful mate crying, not to mention the others that were watching me.

“Now for the nails”, Helen squealed while clapping her hand like the fucking lunatic she is.

“Stop. Please stop. What do you want, Helen?” Kiera finally broke down. This made Helen stop and look at her.

“I want a trade. You for your mates” Helen said. I grunted, not wanting her to do it.

“No Kiera, don’t do it” I could hear their mother, Jennifer, pleading with Kiera not to do it.

“Fine, when and where?” Kiera asked and I closed my eyes. This can’t be happening. I felt hands on me making my eyes snap open. They were getting the chains off of me, then dragging me out of the room.

“Sweet little Kiera, always doing the right thing-” that was all I was able to hear before I was dragged out. I took in my surroundings. We were in an open field. There were large tents everywhere. I couldn’t tell exactly where we were, but I knew we were in the woods. I sighed when I saw a small building. The guard standing by the door opened it and they continued to drag me down the stairs to my cell. I saw Xavier was awake by now. He was pacing the cell but stopped when he saw me. Hurt and anger flashed in his eyes. Before he could say or do anything, I was pushed inside the cell. He caught me before I could hit the floor.

“I got you babe” he whispered and pulled me to the mattress on the floor.

“Goddess, what have they done to you?” Xavier’s voice broke at the end.

“She got… what she… wanted” I gritted out.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“A trade… Kiera for us” I replied.

“No, that’s what Helen wants” Markos said.

“They tortured me… and made sure Kiera watched… or Helen would cut… my throat” I admitted.

“Please tell me Kiera didn’t agree” Xavier pleaded. I couldn’t help but look away.

“Kiera has always been a selfless woman and to make sure that the men she loves are safe she would sacrifice herself”, Markos said.

“She can’t. We need her” Xavier said.

“Then you make sure to find your way to her as soon as you are both healed. You have until the blood moon” Markos said. My eyes felt heavy but I needed to stay awake.

“Sleep. I’ll watch over you”, Xavier said, helping me lay down. Once I was on the mattress, he began to run his fingers through my hair. Not long after, I fell asleep.

***

(Kiera)

“I will do it, but you stop hurting my mates. Do we have a deal?” I asked my sister Helen. I could feel everyone around me watching me but still sobbing silently. Seeing what my sister was doing to one of my mates broke me and my sister knew it. That’s why she made me watch. I tried hard not to look away until I couldn’t any longer. I couldn’t let Benny continue to suffer.

“Fine, I won’t hurt your mates any longer, but you have a week, Kiera, and no funny business. You come alone to the place I told you to. If I hear or see others have come with you, I promise I will make your mates' death as slow and painful as possible”, Helen said before disappearing.

“You can’t do this, Kiera. If you do this, then you’re giving her what she wants” mom said, walking behind me. I stopped and turned around to look at her.

“Those are my mates, mom. They are being tortured because of me. You heard Helen when she said she injected Xavier with silver. Silver mom. Do you know what kind of damage that could cause him or his Lycan?” I growled.

“Kiera-”

“What would you do if it was dad who she was torturing? What if it was dad who needed your help?” I asked her. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.

“I would do the same as you, but I would make a plan or something” mom replied.

“Then let's make a plan because I’m NOT backing out of this. I’m taking my mates out of there one way or another” I said.

“Alright, then let's all go to the office and come up with a plan” Mrs. Angel said. We walked to Xavier’s office. Nana Yashira opens a map, placing it on the floor. She kneels in front of it and closes her eyes as her hands hover over it.

“Okay, we already have a place to meet and we know for sure that it’s not where they are hiding”, Kane said.

“She also doesn’t know I have shifted to my Lycan, which I can use to my advantage” I said, making the other nod.

“At least she gave you a week. You could use the time to train your Lycan”, Jazmine said.

“We can help with that. Three former Alphas, a vampire, a Gamma, and a Dragon should be enough” Mr. Gabriel said. I looked around and saw Jazmine and Marisol were linking.

“Is everything okay?” I asked them. They both look at me and bite their bottom lip.

“With all due respect, my queen. I agree with your mom on this one. I don’t trust your sister. What if once she has you she doesn’t let the king and Gamma go?” Marisol asked.

“What if we made a potion or spell to make me look like you and instead I go in your place?” mom asked, making everyone look at her.

“Mom-”

“Listen. I can take some tracking device and you can all track me like that, then show up and save everyone”, mom said. It wasn’t a bad idea, but there was something else.

“Let’s say it works. What if Helen asks you to show her my wings?” I asked.

“I can say I’m too weak to do it since your mates have been away from you” she said.

“I can make a potion if just in case Helen does asks your mom to show her wings, then she can do it, but two potions at once... there's a possibility that the potions won't last long”, Nana Yashira said. Then she turned to me.

“The dark witches won’t be able to know it’s a spell and a potion, but we need to have our queen here in case your sister doesn’t let go of Xavier and Benny”, Nana Yashira said. I understood what everyone was saying and I knew there was no arguing with them.

“What about the tracking device?” I asked.

“I can help with that” Kane said.

“How?” I asked.

“I figured after Xavier and Benny were taken that they were going to try to do some type of trade, so I invented this” he said, taking out a small box. When he opened it, there was something small, no- scratch that something tiny.

“This is a tracker. You can put it on your nail and paint over it. No one will ever know you have it”, Kane said.

“Does it work?” Guillermo asked.

“This was my job before I quit to try and find my mate after she was kidnapped”, Kane said.

“Okay, Kiera, do you have some nail polish I could borrow?” mom asked.

“Yes” I said.

“I’ll go get started on the potions”, Nana Yashira said.

“Kiera, would you like to get started on your training now?” Mr. Tristan asked.

“Yes, let me change my clothes. Jazmine, Marisol, I want you both to check the borders and let me know if you see anything suspicious” I said.

“Yes, your highness” they both said in unison before bowing their heads and leaving. I walked out of Xavier’s office with mom behind me. We didn’t say a word as we got up to my room.

“I know you are angry with me, Kiera, but they are right. They don’t have their king with them and if you go in and Helen doesn’t release the king and Gamma, the pack will be out of a king and queen. They need you here” mom said.

“I know mom. I just feel helpless. This is so much. I miss my mates. I need them by my side just like I also know that Helen and grandpa have to die. The question is, are you ready to let me do this? Or are you going to fight me in this as well?” I asked her. She looked at me for a long moment.

“I know she’s your daughter and you love her, but you have not seen how many people she has killed and how she has killed them. The Helen you knew is gone. This Helen is nothing like you'd ever imagined. She was right there and watched your mother and mate get killed and she didn’t do anything, she just had a stupid smile on her face. Not to mention she killed your own sister. She tortured Aunt Katrina before stabbing her in the back. If she’s successful during the blood moon…” I shook my head, not wanting to think about what could happen. I don’t think any of us could stop it and, since Nana Yashira gave half of her powers to Angelika, I don’t think she can stop her or my grandfather either.

“I know she’s not the same Helen I remembered. I know she has changed. I wish she would change her ways but we’ve all tried many times and this is the path she chose. As much as this is going to hurt me, I will step aside and let you do what you have to do, but for now let me do this. Train your Lycan and absorb all the knowledge that they teach you just like you did when we taught you how to be a hunter. You also need to be prepared for what you’re going to do”, mom pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek.

“I know this is going to be hard for both of us, but I need you to survive this war. I can’t lose both of you” mom whispered, but I heard her loud and clear.

“I will fight with everything I have. I promise” I promised. She gave me one last squeeze before letting me go.

“Okay, where is your nail polish? I’m ready to find out if this thing works”, mom clapped her hand and I chuckled.

“In the bathroom bottom drawer on the right” I said, going into the closet. I pulled out some light gray leggings with a black sports bra, and a light gray tank top.

“Are you ready to train your Lycan” mom asked. I grabbed my sneakers, but then I remembered the pregnancy test in my drawer.

“Yeah, give me a sec to use the restroom”, I smiled and she nodded before going out the room. I waited until she closed the door before I went to the bathroom. I opened the second drawer and took the pregnancy test out. When I looked at it, I felt like everything around me stopped. Pregnant. This changes everything. How can I fight my sister while I’m pregnant? I know my mate knotted me, but I didn’t think it was going to work so fast. I had no idea what to do as I leaned against the wall before sliding down to the floor.

‘Maybe Mrs. Yashira can make a potion to protect our pup’, Ari suggested. Just then there was a knock on the door. Before I could say anything, the door to the bathroom opened. I looked up to see none other than Mrs. Yashira with a knowing smile. She took a seat next to me.

“You know” I stated, making her nod.

“Yes, I saw it when I first met you” she said, placing a hand on my flat belly.

“I need to fight” I said, making her nod.

“I know, which is why I brought you this” she said, showing me a small crystal bottle with a purple liquid.

“It won’t hurt the babies. But you need to take it before training and before the big fight” she said, but the only thing echoing in my head was one word… ‘Babies’.

“B-babies?” I echoed, making her smile wide.

“I know it’s a little scary, but you’re not alone, Kiera”, she gestured to the crystal bottle. I opened it and drank it. It tasted horrible, which caused me to make a weird face and Yashira laughed.

“Sorry, I couldn’t make it taste better” she said and I shrugged.

“It’s okay. So, what does this do?” I asked. I couldn’t believe I took it before asking what it did.

“It makes a protection barrier for the babies, so no matter if you’re tortured, hit in the stomach, or have an accident, nothing will happen to the babies,” she said.

“So, I can train right now and the guys can give me a beating and nothing will happen to the babies?” I asked and she nodded with a smile.

“It’s a strong protection potion” she smiled and I nodded. She stood up and extended her hand towards me to help me up. But there was one more thing I needed to know.

“Mrs. Yashira?” I called, making her look at me.

“Will my mates be okay?” I asked her. I saw her eyes turn sad.

“I’m afraid I don’t know. Since I have given Angelika half of my powers, I can’t force a vision. Your vision just came to me” she said, placing a hand on my belly.

“But have faith. Xavier and Benny are strong Lycans and so is their human side” she said, making me nod.

“Kiera, I know that what you’re going to do is not easy, but remember that we are all here for you” Mrs. Yashira said and pulled me into a hug.

“Thank you” I smiled.

“No problem. I’m going to put the small bag here” she said, placing what looked to be a small make up bag on the counter before leaving. I put the bag in the second drawer and took a deep breath. I went out the room and out the castle. I walked to the training ground to see all the guys there. Ready to teach me all they know.

“Are you ready for your training?” Mr. Gabriel asked. His eyes went to my stomach and I had a feeling he knew that I was pregnant. After all, he’s Mrs. Yashira’s mate. I nodded and felt Ari push forward.

‘Are you ready Ari?’ I asked my Lycan.

‘Bring it on’ she said, making me smile.