Chapter four

Samantha 

Two and a half months have passed since Kennedy and I formed our mate's bond and the attack on her and Anna. The council accepted our union and we will take over once she learns our ways and takes part in a ceremony to join our clan.

She and Anna have become close since that day and are often found together with Amanda. Something was off about this morning and I couldn't figure it out. Since she's been here, Kennedy is up before the entire clan and making breakfast.

This morning started off as usual, but as she stood up to clear her plate, Kennedy lost her balance and had to grab onto the counter. Even our connection through the bond was weird. I thought maybe she was nervous about the ceremony coming up and kept encouraging her she'll be fine.

We were taking a walk as the first snow started to fall when she brought her hand to her forehead, grabbing for my arm with the other and missed. She looks at me with hooded eyes before collapsing in my arms. I carry her to the infirmary and Martha could see the worry in my eyes as I carried her unconscious body. 

"We were out walking and she just collapsed," I choke in a scared whisper. "Our connection through the bond has been weird all morning.  I thought it was because she was nervous about the ceremony tomorrow..."

"Breathe, Samantha," Martha says in a soothing whisper as I lay Kennedy on the hospital bed. "Has anything changed other than her collapsing?"

"No," I choke quietly, shaking my head as she drew blood from Kennedy's arm. "What are you doing?"

"Running a few tests that could be the cause of her collapse," Martha says in sympathy. "Did you want me to send for someone to sit with you?"

I shake my head lightly, holding Kennedy's hand. Tears roll down my cheeks as Kennedy continued to sleep. I look up as Anna walks in with concern. "I was on the trail behind you and saw her collapse," she says in a comforting tone. "I remember collapsing when I found out I was pregnant with Amanda."

I must have zoned out because I came to my senses as Anna was trying to calm down a very scared Kennedy. "I need Sam," Kennedy chokes in broken sobs and I take her in my arms.

She held onto me as if I were a lifeline. Her body trembled with fear as I reach inside her shirt to stroke one of her scars and she shutters a calming breath. "What's happeneing to me," she chokes in a scared whisper. 

Before I could answer, Martha walks back in with a smile and says, "Congratulations, you're pregnant."

Kennedy breaks into uncontrolled sobs and tears of joy roll down my cheeks. "Shhh, I'm here. I'm sorry for zoning out, but I'm here now," I say in a soothing tone. I look between Martha and Anna and ask in a serious tone, "Please keep this between the four of us until she's ready to break the news."

They nod with understanding and Anna takes Kennedy's hand. She looks at Anna and Anna says softly, "If you need someone to talk to, you can always come find me."

Kennedy nods lightly and turns her face in my neck. "Can we finish our walk? I don't want to draw too much attention right now," Kennedy chokes in a shaky breath. 

"Of course," I say softly and help her down from the hospital bed. She sways on her feet and I hold her waist to keep her balance. "Maybe we could go lay down and just tell them you're nervous about the ceremony."

Martha comes over with two bands and places them on Kennedy's wrists. She pulls the sleeves of my shirt Kennedy was wearing over the bands and says softly, "These will help with the dizziness and nausea. They're pressure bands for motion sickness, but they work great for pregnant women with severe dizziness and nausea.

"Try not to shift if you can help it, it's not good for your baby. Come back tonight and I'll do a sonogram to check on your baby," Martha says in a soothing tone and Kennedy hugs her with relief. 

"Thank you Martha, this means a lot to both of us," I choke with relief and she nods lightly. I look at Anna and she nods lightly with a light smile. "I'm glad she has someone like you to talk to."

"My daughter and I wouldn't be here if she wasn't there," Anna chokes quietly and I knew what she was talking about. "Zeke wouldn't be here."

"I'm feeling tired," Kennedy says in a tired whisper, resting her head on my chest. 

"It's normal sweetie," Anna says softly, rubbing her back in comfort. "You can nap with Amanda."

"Thank you," she says quietly with a tired smile. 

I walk her back with Anna and she and Amanda fell into instant sleep. I pull Anna in the hall and ask in a choked whisper, "How am I going to keep the baby secret when she's supposed to shift at the ceremony tomorrow?"

"One shift isn't going to harm the baby Sam," Anna says in a soothing whisper as tears fill my eyes. 

"If she didn't drink my blood, there wouldn't be a baby. She's not going to shift if she thinks it's going to hurt the baby," I choke quietly as the tears fall down my face. "I need to tell my parents."

"Let her sleep and let her tell them," Anna says softly and I nod with understanding. "Get in there and lay with your mate."

I hug her and go back in by Kennedy. Amanda was snuggled up in Kennedy's chest with Kennedy's arm wrapped protectively around her. I climb in behind Kennedy and caress her stomach. I kiss her shoulder and she hums with content. 

I don't remember falling asleep, but woke up to someone getting sick. It took a second to remember that Kennedy is pregnant and rush into our bathroom. She was still getting sick and I pull her hair out of her face.

I rub her back in comfort and she leans against me, breaths shaky. "If I'm feeling like this now, I'm not sure if I can get through the ceremony tomorrow," she says in a breathy whisper and I kiss her temple. 

"Let me tie your hair in a braid and get you back in bed. I'll bring my parents here and we can talk in private, okay," I ask softly and she nods lightly. 

I tie a loose braid in her hair and tie off the end of it to secure it. I help her back in bed and realize that Amanda was gone. "Anna took her a half hour ago, I wasn't feeling well and wanted to stay with you," she says in a wavering whisper. 

I kiss her forehead and say softly, "I'll be be right back, okay."

"I love you Samantha," she says in a wavering smile. 

"I love you too Kennedy," I choke with a smile and give her a kiss. 

I head out in search for my parents and found them in the kitchen. "Sam," my mother asks with concern as soon as she notices me. "Everything okay?"

"Kennedy and I need to speak with you and Dad, in private," I  say quietly and she looks behind me for Kennedy. "She's waiting for us, in my room."

"Sweetheart, what's going on?"

"Not here, please," I choke quietly and they nod with understanding. 

We head back towards my room and that uneasy feeling through the bond got worse. Not sure about this feeling, I ran the rest of the way and my parents followed without question. When we got back to the room, Kennedy wasn't in bed.

My mother closes and locks the door as I run to the bathroom to find Kennedy. She was getting sick again and I comfort her. "Anna is at the door," my mother says softly with concern about Kennedy. 

"Let her in, she already knows about what we want to tell you," I say quietly as I rub Kennedy's back. 

Kennedy leans against me as Anna joins us. "Kennedy, its Anna, can you hear me," she asks softly Kennedy gives a slight nod. "Can you open your mouth for me sweetie?"

"What is it," I ask concerned about what she was giving Kennedy. 

"Something for the nausea, its harmless, I promise," she says softly, holding up a ginger candy. "I had a bag left over."

Tears roll down my cheeks as Kennedy accepts the candy from Anna. "Thank you," I choke quietly. 

Kennedy 

I could feel how scared Samantha was through the bond. I've felt it since I woke up in the infirmary. It's stronger now when Anna offered me a ginger candy. I hug her arms around my stomach and nuzzle my face against her upper arm.

"I'm okay Samantha," I say in a wavering whisper and she kisses the top of my head.

"Let's get you back in bed, okay," she says in a choked whisper and gently lifts me in her arms. "Anna, will you stay for this? Please?"

"Of course," she says softly. 

"Samantha, what's going on," her father asks with concern as she helps me get comfortable. "Shouldn't she be in the infirmary?"

"There isn't anything Martha can do for her Dad," Samantha chokes quietly and her parents were really concerned about me now.

"I'm pregnant," I choke quietly as tears roll down my cheeks, wishing I could share this news with my own parents. "We found out a few hours ago."

I break into uncontrolled sobs and no one knew what to do. Picking up on what could be bothering me, Eloise takes me in her arms and says in a soothing tone, "I bet, wherever they are, they're proud of you sweetheart."

I sob into her chest and feel Samantha rub at my back comfortly. "Is there a way we can postpone her ceremony," Samantha asks in a choked whisper. "She's already been sick twice and Martha already warned her not to shift if she can help it.

"I don't want to risk our baby during this ceremony. If it wasn't for my blood healing her internal damages, we wouldn't have this baby," she chokes in a scared whisper. 

"James, we should let her get passed the first trimester before we try the ceremony. We can just say she needs more training in our ways, that is if you two aren't ready to tell the others about the baby," Eloise says softly as she rocks gently to calm me down.

"We want to wait," Samantha chokes quietly as I start to fall back to sleep in her mother's arms. 

I shutter a calming breath and feel as Eloise tries to lay me back against the pillows, but I wouldn't let her go. "Mommy don't let go," I murmur quietly as I fell asleep. 

I woke up the next morning, but I wasn't on Samantha's chest. I sit up, I guess a little too fast because my head started to spin. I grab hold of my head and groan. My stomach started to twist from the nausea and I scramble out of bed.

I make it to the bathroom in time to get sick and felt someone rub my back, but it wasn't Samantha. It wasn't until I lean against the person comforting me that I realized it was her mother. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this," I choke in a wavering whisper. 

"Nonsense, you're having my grandchild," she says softly, caressing my stomach. 

"Where's Sam," I ask in a choked whisper, getting emotional she wasn't in bed with me. Tears roll down my cheeks and choke quietly, "I always wake up with her."

"Shhh," she says softly kissing the top of my head. "She took your place to make everyone breakfast to have an excuse to bring you some breakfast in bed. All the paired mates in our clan do something special for their mate so no one will suspect anything."

"My mother was pregnant when she was killed," I choke in broken sobs and turn to hold onto Eloise. "Will that happen to me too if they find me again?"

"Oh, sweetheart, no," Eloise says in a soothing whisper, rubbing my back in comfort. "We won't let that happen to you, I promise."

"What about Sam? I can't lose her trying to protect us," I sob in a choked whisper. 

As if on cue, Samantha bursts into our room and into the bathroom. She scoops me from her mother's arms and sits with me on our bed. She slips her hand up the back of my shirt and strokes one of my scars. I shutter a calming breath and Eloise was amazed at how quickly I was calming down.

"She has scars, from a silver blade. I trace one of them when she gets overwhelmed," Samantha says in a soothing whisper. She kisses the top of my head and says, "I'm here, it's okay."

"She's scared Samantha and I know why," Eloise says in a soothing whisper. "If you want I can tell her when you're not around?"

I nod lightly and shutter a calming breath as Eloise joins Samantha, tracing one of the many scars on my back. "Have you ever partially shifted? It would only be your fa e and hands that shift and would still be considered a shift for your ceremony and if you feel threatened," Eloise says softly. 

Without much effort I could feel my leopard ears poke through my hair, fur replace the skin of my hands and face. I could feel the claws instead of finger nails and feline fangs instead of human teeth. "I've been doing it since I was six, after they used silver," I say with a scratchy cat voice.

As quickly as the partial shift came, it was gone. "Can you teach me how to do this," Samantha says in an amazed whisper. 

"I'm not sure if I can," I choke quietly. "Fearing for your life at six years old and wanting to protect yourself..."

"Shhh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," Samantha says in a soothing whisper and caresses my stomach. "I have motivation to learn."

"Can I wear one of your sweaters? Your scent is helping with the nausea," I say quietly, nuzzling my face in her neck. 

"I'll get her some clothes," Eloise offers softly. 

Eloise gives us privacy and Samantha helps me dress. Someone bursts through our door and I partially shift, letting out a protective leopard growl. It was only Anna and her eyes widened at my half shift. I shift back as Samantha soothes me, shaking her head at Anna. 

"I'm sorry, but someone in the clan is planning to harm her. She's mad that Kennedy is your mate and not her. Somehow she found out about the baby and is telling the whole clan. It's Grace," Anna says with a hiss.

"Stay with her," Samantha says in a protective tone. 

With her eyes locked on mine, I watched as she partially shifted with ease and darted out the door. Anna held me as I started freaking out, calling out for Samantha. I was scared of something happening to her like my parents. I crumble like a broken cookie against Anna and she gently rocks me from side to side.

She reaches inside my shirt the way Samantha does and traces a scar on my back. I stiffen as a leopard enters the room and Anna says in a soothing whisper, "Its okay sweetie, it's only Zeke. He won't let anyone hurt you or your baby."

"Whose out there protecting Samantha? I need her Anna," I choke in broken sobs. 

"Shhh, I know you do sweetie. Grace will stop at nothing and Samantha knows that. She's strong, I have no doubt she'll come back without a scratch," Anna says softly and I shutter a calming breath. 

"Where's Amanda," I ask in a shaky breath.

"She's with my mother," Anna says softly. 

Samantha returns a few minutes later, hands and face covered in blood. I break into relieved sobs and push passed Zeke to go in her arms. "She's no longer a threat," Samantha says quietly. "I made it clear what will happen if someone threatens my mate and our baby."