Chapter 2- Months of Torture

Jamari’s POV

A gasp leaves my lips as I sit straight up in bed, panting in an attempt to catch my breath. Levi and Kenji both jump up from both sides of me, their eyes searching the darkness for a threat. They both relax back on the bed beside me when neither man finds anything amiss within our room.

Levi’s arms wrap around me from my right, his hand absently begins to rub my growing belly as Kenji settles back in the bed to my left, his hand soon joining Levi’s. We lay in contented silence for a few before Kenji dares to break the quiet. 

“Was it another dream?” He asks, lifting himself up on his elbow so he’s able to look down at me. A regretful sigh moves past my lips as I close my eyes and lean my head against the headboard behind me. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Kenji says, moving his hand up to stroke my cheek lovingly.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Levi asks, also lifting himself up to his elbow to stare down at me, causing me to feel as if I was a deer stuck in someone’s headlights. 

Popping one eye open to look at them, I shake my head in the negative. Both men lay back in their spots beside me, returning to the silence once more. My mind begins to race the moment the quiet of the night surrounds us once more. 

Lucern went further than he’s ever gone before during our shared dreams, but in the end he disappeared before we both found our release, disappointing me as he’s done a hundred times before. The more time I spend here in the Vampire Realm, the more my heart breaks from the cold shoulder Lucern has given me for the past two months.

At least while he’s awake that is.

My eyes close as memories wash over me of the shared dreams we have experienced over the last month. Ever since Rieka… I cut myself off from finishing that thought. There is nothing we can do about that now. What’s done is done. 

‘I am truly sorry for overreacting Mari.’ Rieka tells me softly, interrupting my thoughts. 

‘Let’s not dwell on what can not be changed.’ I tell her reassuringly. Rieka snorts in response before lying down to return to her own thoughts about what happened tonight. 

Lucern was close to giving himself over to what we both crave before he suddenly disappeared from my mind without a word. My eyes close against the tingling sensation of tears forming, trying to fight them back. The hormones coursing through my body causing me to cry at a moment's notice and most inconvenient. 

I can not keep torturing myself with being so close to Lucern and unable to claim him as my mate. The torture is slowly tearing me apart. But what else can I do? I can not leave until Morgana has found the spell that will free Remiel from Eve’s hold and release him and Lucifer from their prison in the Demon Realm.

My eyes pop open so I can take in the two men lying beside me in our bed. Two of my mates. Love swells within me as I look at first one and then the other of my mates. If it wasn’t for them standing by my side, I’m sure I would have fallen to pieces these last two months. 

Sometimes it scares me how dependent I have become on the both of them in only five months. Even now it is hard to believe that only five months ago I was nothing but the wolfless wolf that ran away from her pack. How quickly things can change. 

The disappearance, and ultimately the death of my twin Samara, led to a series of events that has given me many blessings, and many hardships. Becoming the Wolf Queen was hard enough, but then finding out I was mated to the Lycan King, the Demon King, and the Leader of the Angels was a huge shock.

The addition of the Vampire King has been hard for me to handle, especially with his hang up on not betraying his love, Morgana. My eyes close once more at that thought. The fact that Morgana is willing to help me free Remiel, my Angel, from his imprisonment, despite knowing that Lucern is destined to be mine, makes it hard for me to hate the Witch. 

Morgana has been nothing but professional in helping me comb through the book we found in the hidden library at the old Church Ruins two months ago. I hate to think about how long our search would take without her help when it’s been two months and still nothing with her help. 

Some days it is hard to believe that we will ever find what we are looking for. Levi and Kenji has banned me from even visiting Remiel after the last time the dark powers of Eve caused him to go crazy and try to murder me. 

They thought it was best that I didn’t see him like that anymore, and I couldn’t help but agree. Watching the Remiel that I knew and loved slowly wither away due to the spell crushed my spirit everytime. 

So now Levi goes alone to visit his father and check on my Angel, bringing me back news of his progress that I’m sure is sugar coated. Not that I blame him for keeping things from me. All of the constant stress and worry couldn’t be good for the baby quickly growing within me. 

A loving smile spreads across my face at the thought of the child I carry. Despite neither man knowing who the father is, they have both been amazing and supportive like any dutiful dad should be. They have resigned themselves to love our child no matter who’s seed created the precious gift. 

If only Lucern could accept the situation as easily as the first three of my mates have. Then we wouldn’t have to keep hurting everyday that we are apart and could live happily together outside of our dreams. But everytime the reminder of the life growing within me pops up, it knocks him back to our situation and he quickly runs away.

It was quite the shock when Lucern mentioned my pregnancy to me two months ago. How the Vampire was able to pick up on the baby that has cloaked themself from detection when none of us were able to is beyond me, but ever since he mentioned the little bundle, it’s like my eyes have been opened and I can finally see what I couldn’t before. 

*Flashback to 2 months ago*

My eyes track Kenji’s as I wait with breath held for him to make his move and come for me. We’ve been training everyday for the last week since we’ve arrived in the Vampire Realm as a precaution in case I’m ever separated from him or Levi again. 

Kenji, sensing my distraction, lunges himself at me, his fist flying through the air quickly, aiming for my abdomen. My arm moves out without command and blocks the incoming blow that surely would have sent me flying across the room in a pile of pain. 

Kenji moves back quickly, getting back into defensive mode as he watches me for an attack. We circle each other a few times as my mind races to find an opening in his stance. Time slows down around me, as Kenji’s movements begin to slow to a crawl. My eyes widen in wonder as I watch him move around me as if he was walking. 

An opening shows itself as Kenji crosses his legs to take a step to his left, providing me with the perfect opportunity to trip him and pin him to the ground. Grasping at the opportunity provided for me, I kick my leg out, pulling Kenji off balance as surprise flashes across his face. 

I follow that up with a kick to his chest, sending him flailing backwards, before I finish it off by wrapping my legs around his waist, using the momentum to fully knock him to the floor. Time instantly moves back to normal speed as I look down at Kenji smugly, triump glittering my eyes. 

A devilish smile spreads across Kenji’s face as he lifts his head towards mine. “Do not be quick to celebrate Okami.” He tells me before grabbing my shoulders to flip us, slamming my back into the hard ground of the training area, his hands pinning my body in place. “I believe that makes me the winner.” He gloats, laying his body across mine. 

Before I am able to respond to his claims about winning, a shriek erupts from the balcony above, drawing my attention to Lucern staring down at us in horror. “What the hell are you two doing!?” He screams, causing me to flinch from the horror clear in his voice. 

After one week of being here in the Vampire Realm with Lucern acting as if I didn’t exist, this was definitely not how I expected to be greeted. 

Kenji glances up at Lucern, a frown drawing his brows together as he lifts himself off of me and extends a hand down to help me up. Sending a glare up at Lucern, who is rapidly making his way down the stairs and to the training grounds, Kenji pulls me into his side. The heat from his body quickly calms my scattered nerves as Lucern makes his way closer to us. 

“Is there a problem?” Kenji asks, ever the diplomat. “You told us we could use the training grounds to train.” He reminds the angry King when he stops a few feet away from us, his eyes trained on me. 

Glancing back to Kenji, Lucern scowls. “Yes, you and Levi can use the training grounds.” He says pointedly before turning his attention back to me. “But not her.” He finishes, pointing his finger in my direction. My body stiffens at the angry tone in his voice.

A murderous growl rumbles slowly up Kenji’s chest as Ren fights to take control of their body, resulting in Lucern eyeing him wearily. After a moment’s hesitation, Lucern continues speaking. “I don’t know how you wolves treat their pregnant females, but us vampires do not normally slam them to the hard ground.” He crosses his arms across his chest upon finishing. 

Confusion crosses over Kenji’s face as I stare up at him in shock. Did Lucern just say that I am pregnant? That can’t be. We visited with the vampire midwife on the second day we were here. Kenji and Levi insisted on it. 

Anger boils within me at Lucern’s words. What does he even care what happens to me or the child I am not carrying. “I am not pregnant.” I blurt out. “And even if I was, what the hell do you care what happens to me or the baby?” Tears blur my eyes as I bury my face in Kenji’s side. 

Kenji pulls me in closer as the sound of Lucern’s footsteps moving away from us echoes around in the training room. A new sound fills the quiet once Lucern was far enough away to not be heard any longer. 

A thump, thump, thump of a fast beating heartbeat rings out in the space around us, causing me to stiffen against Kenji’s side. “What is that?” I whisper, afraid to move. 

Kenji pulls away from me, dropping to his knees so he can place his ear to my stomach. He inhales a sharp breath as he pulls away from me quickly, his eyes finding mine when he stands. “You’re pregnant Jamari.” He says in disbelief. 

*End of flashback*

Who would have thought that something so small would be able to cloak themselves from everyone. Well…everyone but the Vampire King.