46 - Distraction

46 - Distraction
~Hannah’s Point of View~

I expect the next few minutes to be complete chaos but it’s like the pack is a well oiled machine. Everyone knows their place, everyone knows what to do. That leaves mom and I, struggling to keep it together. I feel her anxiety and it's so intense that it is nearly giving me a damn panic attack.

They want us, they want to exterminate us and they very well might take out the entire pack to do so. It’s a hell of a burden to bear, and my mom has been here before. I just can’t imagine.

I barely had time to throw on a dress, I have nothing underneath and no shoes. But it all seems so insignificant with everything going on. I watch as Pax ushers everyone into the underground bunker and everything in me says to turn back and run toward the fight.

My brain tells me that Parker is here. They would have brought him as a bargaining chip, of that I have no doubt.

Lycans for the Alpha’s son. Then it's like a zap hits me.

“Pax! Did you get anything out of Robert? Do they know about my mom and Frederick,” I ask, and he just shakes his head.

“He claims everything he was doing was of his own accord. He thought what was best for the pack was to get rid of you, have Cassandra be Luna. They were both obsessed with it. He says he wasn’t in contact with anyone outside the pack and we want to believe it,” he explains.

I nod absentmindedly but my heart flutters.

“My body is telling me Parker is here, that they’ll want a trade, can’t we just--”

Pax cuts me off by grabbing my hips and physically lifting me, my feet leave the floor. Next thing I know I’m slung over his shoulder like I weigh nothing.

“No! Please I have to--”

“If I have to physically restrain you, those are my orders, you will stay down here,” he says, still moving.

“But--” I protest.

“But nothing. You will be our Luna and your safety and that of the Chamberlain family is my number one responsibility. There’s a chance you could be with child and that baby is not only the heir to Nightwind but the only chance that lycans will in fact live on. That’s far too great a thing to piss away.

I’ll be coordinating with the guardians from down here. We’re highly skilled and trained. We do have weapons too. We know what we’re doing,” he replies, as if they’re just getting invaded by ants or something. I let out a hard breath and give up. But the weight of his words are so damn heavy that my heart hurts.

Lycans have to live on, we simply have to.

“Where are my brothers,” I ask, since I’m likely not getting anywhere else otherwise.

“We’re here,” Oscar replies from somewhere.

When Pax finally stops and flips me back upright, I pull down my dress in annoyance. Scarlett and my brothers are standing right there, looking at me expectantly. I pull them all into my arms.

“Uncle Freddy will knock their heads together and into oblivion, don’t sweat it,” Oliver offers.

I pull back and look down at the trio, and I know what Pax is saying makes sense. I very well could be pregnant and of course that would be at the forefront of Rafe’s mind. I can’t be a distraction for him. But I’m not made to sit here idle, I don’t know if my body will let me.

Hands wrap around my waist, and I know it's my mom.

“Your beast is antsy, I feel it. We have to stay down here Hannah,” she says, then rubs my tummy for good measure.

There’s the sounds of females and pups talking, a few babies crying. It’s all too much. I can’t just be idle. But after a few minutes, when I hear a solid door close and lock somewhere down the tunnel, I panic even more.

“Hannah,” I hear, as I turn to see none other than Luna Patricia.

My eyes are already threatening to shed tears, thinking about my mates up there. I can nearly swear the nausea that I’m feeling isn’t mine. My heart tells me it’s Parker. That he’s in pain or sick or both.

“I just… Need to say, I’m sorry. I let so many others get into my head. My mother would be so ashamed of me and I need to make things right,” she says, completely taking me by surprise.

I bite my tongue because honestly my first reaction is to laugh out loud. But I can’t do that now, not when she seems sincere. I know what it would mean to Rafe and Parker if we did in fact get along. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to open my arms to her.

My mom’s hands are once again on me, rubbing my arms from behind. I’ve never known what it is to have a mother, and now to have two?

“I appreciate the apology. But I’m…” I trail off, as my super hearing picks up the sounds of gunfire. My heart immediately sinks but then my body reacts to what it knows is a fight. I’m already stepping forward when both females grab hold of my hands.

The sudden shriek of a cry, no literally a person wailing out in pain nearly pierces my ear drums and I search for the sound. I quickly find Scarlett running toward it already with towels.

“Her water broke,” someone shouts.

“Oh! It’s Eloise! She wasn’t due for another two weeks,” Luna Patricia squeals.

The next few minutes are an utter blur as we all set to work. There are no healers or even nurses down here, apparently the Alpha ordered they all stay outside to tend to the wounded, which makes sense. Though it isn’t overly helpful right now.

“It’s coming now! I can’t … I have … have to push,” Eloise calls out.

“It’s breech! Ohh! We have to try and turn it,” my mom shouts, her hands moving between Eliose’s legs in a very unnatural way.

I make a face, knowing that the poor female has to be utterly miserable. I mean, I took two males inside me at once in pleasure but this is…

Well it's…

Nasty!

My mom pulls her bloody hand back and uses her forearm to wipe her brow.

“Gross,” Scarlett says, her eyes wide.

Took the words right out of my mouth. I nearly want to say, “what do you think happens when all the females in your books have tons of sex…” but I won’t rat her out like that.

“Do you even know what you’re doing,” I whisper, just next to her.

“You don’t get to be as old as I am and not help deliver a few babies! Never had one like this though I’ve seen it done. Someone give her something to bite down on, this is gonna hurt like hell,” mom says, nodding to the Luna who quickly runs off.

There is actually a full kitchen down here and rations enough to last for days, though I have no idea how many it is intended to keep alive. The large place is packed with easily a couple hundred displaced females and some elderly males. Now they have a show as well.

“You! Hold her hand,” I snap at Pax, who seems to be freaking out. I’m quite amused and it’s the little distraction I need right now. Big bad warrior can’t stand this huh?

“Oh please! You have it so easy! Once a month there’s a rabid gopher inside my belly ripping it apart, surely you can get it together when you’re not even the one giving birth,” I tease, grinning at the male who looks three shades paler than usual. He raises his eyebrow at my description but moves to take Eloise’s hand.

“Ohh no! Don’t push honey, I know it’s all you want to do, but don’t push,” mom shouts, as Patricia comes back with a wooden spoon to put in her mouth.

Mom practically throws a leg at me to hold and gets another female on the other side. Poor Eloise looks like a chicken having its innards taken out. Please don’t let me give birth so publicly, damn it’s humiliating!

My heart nearly pounds through my ears, I feel soaked in sweat. There’s just too many people in here too close. I suddenly feel extremely claustrophobic.

My head jerks toward the low ceiling as I hear more gunfire. There’s a sudden pain in my leg that my heart tells me is Rafe. But Eloise screams as my mom moves the baby, and it breaks me out of my trance.

Pax grunts loudly in pain as the female grips and twists his hand.

“Damn sweetie…” he groans, and someone slaps his free arm.

“Deal with it,” I hear from nearby. But I don’t have a spare second to laugh because the leg I’m trying desperately to grapple with is trying to move violently.

There’s a deep guttural sound from Eloise as my mom screams out in triumph.

“Yes! There we go! Now push honey, give it all you’ve got,” mom hollers.

Everyone turns back to Eloise and encourages her. I hold her leg awkwardly as it tenses, and I move my hand to the heel of her foot so she can use it for leverage.

This is so not normal! Is it?? Like I know!

It seems as if the room as a collective pushes right along with her and I tell myself that all the emotions I have, all the unknowns swirling in my brain are so minimal compared to what this female must be feeling. Her male is up there fighting too no doubt. He’s feeling her pain and there’s nothing he can do about it. He doesn’t know if she’s okay, if the pup will make it.

When the sounds of the baby crying fill the space, pure and instant relief floods through me. Oscar and Oliver are suddenly there with warm towels, and there are cheers all around.

“It’s a girl!! Ohh and she’s just perfect,” my mom coos, getting help from the boys to wrap her up and wipe her off a bit. I don’t even realize it but tears are streaming down my face, my chest is heaving with my breaths.

Parker. rings out in my head. It’s Frederick!

I’m still sorting out this telepathy business, but I just can’t be bothered with it. I carefully put down Eloise’s leg on the bed and shove through several people to find Patricia, grabbing her shoulders firmly.

“Mind link Parker right now! How badly is he hurt,” I snap, as the happiness of the moment falls from her face and she turns serious, giving me a curt nod.

“He’s here, and yes, he’s badly hurt. He says… there’s only one male guarding him. They’re alone on the east end,” she says, after a minute. She covers her face in shock.

“He needs me! Please,” I say, though I’m babbling and not talking to anyone in particular.

When I move my hand next and it goes in front of my face, it’s that of a lycan.

I feel my blood practically boiling instantly at the idea of Parker injured. If I stay down here, I might really hurt someone … someone innocent. When Pax moves in front of me, his face is serious. He’s realizing what I am.

My lycan has been distracted long enough and it’s done waiting.