A second chapter update for today - hope you enjoyed the double update! Ellie xo
Julia POV We came downstairs the next morning to find Laura sobbing in the sitting room. I looked around to see if anyone had brought her anything for breakfast. Walking towards her, I asked, “Have you eaten?”. She looked up at me with her wet cheeks and bloodshot eyes and spit out, “It is because of you he left!”. “He tried to have Eric killed last night. If he had not left on his own, I was going to kick him out. The only unfortunate part is he did not take you with him,” I replied calmly. “Julia,” Eric started to say but I held my hand up. “I do not know who you are, but my mother never pined away for a man in her life. It is like by saving you, you lost a piece of yourself,” I told her. She looked at me and wiped her cheeks, “I need to leave. I need to find him,” she murmured. “Do you know how to find him?” I asked, as we still wanted to get him back. “I think I could find my way,” she mumbled, as she stood and moved
Julia POV We sat with that information for a few hours, as I went about developing a new training program. I knew what I needed to work on, and I was able to put together the new pieces and incorporate them into the overall plan. Cami would be arriving shortly to help include some of her powers in the training. She was a strong witch on her own, and I knew her witchery would help strengthen me. I rested my hand on my growing baby bump. It seemed like overnight my belly had started to grow. I knew I was having twins, and they would arrive sooner than a normal pregnancy. I was still struggling to wrap my head around it all. “What’s wrong?” Eric asked, as he walked into his office. I looked up at him positive the love for him was shining through my eyes. “Nothing, I was just thinking how crazy it is that these babies will be here before we know it,” I replied. He came around and put his much larger hands over mine, protecting
Cami POV My heart was in my throat. One million dollars. I did not have a million dollars. And then suddenly Jackson states that he will pay the one million dollars. I heard the snap of the man’s arm, as Jackson shoved him away. He fell to the ground, and I simply stood watching my mate in awe. I had no idea how it could happen, but he just saved Louise from a very definite death. And the loss of our baby girl. I knew it was not logical, but I felt a deep connection to this unborn child. Something I had no idea I would have ever wanted, was now something so critical to me as breathing. I felt I would lose a part of me, if I were to lose the baby. Jackson moved towards me, and I moved quickly into his arms, wrapping my arms around his waist. I could not hold back the tears that had escaped my eyes. “I got you,” he murmured to me softly as we stood there for a moment while Louise’s father screamed for assistance with his ar
Eric POV I immediately called a meeting with our top trackers. While the room Laura and Lincoln had shared had been cleaned of any scent, I still needed to figure out where he was holed up. Had this been his hiding place all this time? And if it was, why take the fight away from here? I had a lot of questions, but the first was where the hell was he? “I need you to search the territory. Anything that looks even remotely like a hide-away, notify me immediately. I want to be there when the area is searched,” I tell them. “What are we searching for, Prince Eric?” one of the trackers asked. “A man – his name is Lincoln and a woman – her name is Laura. They are believed to be on the property. We do not want them harmed. We simply want to bring them in, as soon as possible. It is for their own safety,” I shared. I was telling a bit of a white lie, but I would not compromise my mate. The fewer people who knew she was a Guardia
Julia POV I had felt myself sucked in by some invisible force but was grateful that Eric had recognized it and used his own power to pull me back. I felt nauseous thinking about what could have happened. I whipped around and glared at Lincoln, “How dare you!” I yelled. Lincoln looked back at me with a smirk. “Take your mother home, now,” Lincoln demanded. “How long have you been living here?” Eric asked. Lincoln just laughed, “There is so much that happens within this territory. You are all so naïve,” he replied. “Guards, take him into custody,” Eric commanded. The guards started to move forward, but Lincoln held up his arm. “Do not come any closer,” he stated. The guards continued towards him, and he yelled again, “Do not come any closer!” he yelled. The guards continued, almost reaching him when Laura started to laugh. “She left you!” she cried out, as she continued to laugh uncontrollably. “Who left
Eric POV I paused for a moment, as I considered what Julia had said. “If he is the father, that would explain him lingering. But what about his interest in our pups?” I asked. Julia considered my question, “One way to find out. Let’s ask him,” she suggested. I nodded, “First we need to check in on Laura,” I suggested. We quickly shifted and took off towards the palace. Everything had gone into lockdown when it was determined there were potential threats on the property. Elizabeth would have been taken to a private area, to ensure her protection. Carter would be close by, ensuring her and their pups were safe. We reached the tree line and shifted once again, grabbing clothes that were waiting for us. I led the way to the hospital, as Julia remained silent. “What are you thinking about?” I asked, taking her hand. It was chilled, which was rare for a wolf to be cold. We typically ran hot. “What would it m
Julia POV We waited for hours, with no news. I was getting more uncomfortable as the minutes ticked by. What did it mean? I shut my eyes briefly, and felt Eric nudge me gently. “Wake up, sweetheart,” he whispered. I nuzzled into his neck, not wanting to wake until he nudged me again, “The doctor is here,” he murmured. That got my attention, and I woke up quickly to see everyone looking at me. Cami with a smirk, the doctor with a gentle smile. “Prince Eric, we have finally managed to stabilize the woman brought in earlier,” the doctor offered. “What took so long?” I asked, standing up. “There was a fast-acting poison in her blood stream. Every time we cleared one area, it had already travelled to another,” she summarized. “So, she is going to be fine?” I asked. “To be honest, we do not know. She is currently in a coma, and we do not know when she will come out of that coma,” the doctor shared. “Can’t yo
Julia POV We left quickly after that outburst. We needed to consider what we had found out. First and foremost, we needed to get to Cami to discuss what this all meant. Eric had mind-linked Jackson to meet us at the palace. It was time to bring Elizabeth and Carter into the mix to ensure they were updated on what was happening. As we sat down with everyone, Eric brought them up to speed on what had been happening and most importantly the latest information from Lincoln. “What would the benefit be to the witch?” Elizabeth asked Cami. She shook her head, “Nothing; do you think Henrietta is stringing Lincoln along so she can acquire all the babies?” Cami asked. “For what purpose?” I asked, freeling frustrated. We seemed to be taking a step forward and then another backwards. “I do not know. I will put a call into the Council to determine what the linkage is,” she responded, moving away from us. “We need something, anything, t
Julia POV I looked at Laura, concerned with her reaction. Aside from the reality that it was rude, it was also odd that she would be so bothered. She had not given any indication she was this bothered before. In fact, she seemed to understand why Lincoln was being held in the dungeons. “I am sorry Laura, but he poses too big a risk for us to release him,” Elizabeth replied. “Julia and Eric will assume responsibility for him. They will ensure he does not harm anybody,” Laura said. My body tensed at what she was suggesting. Before I could even respond, Eric said, “Absolutely not. There are children to consider, Laura, and I am not prepared to put them at risk given what his intentions have been.”. Laura let out a soft growl, reminding us all that she had a dormant wolf inside of her. “Julia?” she asked, looking to me for some support. I shook my head, “I am sorry Laura, but I agree with Eric,” I stated. She looked at me an
Julia POV I watched my mother frown as she nodded her understanding of needing to wait for Elizabeth to make the decision. I was surprised she had started on this again, even with Henrietta gone. “Can I take the babies for a walk?” Laura asked. I looked at Eric and then to her, “I think it is too soon to be taking them out on walks,” I said to her. I saw the look of anger cross her face, before disappointment took its place. “What is going on, Laura?” I asked, confused with her behaviour. “I want to feel useful. I am doing nothing to help,” she replied. “There will be plenty of time to help with the babies. Right now, they are far to young to be away from me and Eric,” I shared with her. I knew what I was saying was silly. Of course they could be away from me, but Eric and I had discussed how we wanted this time to bond with our babies. “You do not trust me, do you?” Laura asked angrily. I looked at her in surprise, “Tr
Eric POV We had an amazing few days with just us and the babies. They were adjusting to a normal routine so quickly; we could not have been more blessed. “I think Layla is already showing signs of being a Guardian,” Julia said to me. “What?” I asked, surprised and a little concerned. “There is this look in her eye, like she is far more advanced than having just been born a few days ago,” Julia shared. “We will have to do our best to encourage them both to stay young. I do not want them growing up too fast. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with being a Guardian,” I shared. “I agree. I only found out once I was grown, I cannot imagine the pressure she will be under at such a young age,” Julia agreed. As we continued to talk, I heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Laura came around the corner, “Am I intruding?” she asked, prepared to leave the room. “Not at all. We were just admiring the babie
Julia POV “Are you mad?” she whispered. “Mad? Are you crazy? I could not be prouder to know my mate is expecting our pup,” Jackson replied before capturing Cami’s lips in a passionate kiss. The room exploded with excitement, as everyone gathered around to congratulate the couple. I hugged Cami, with Beatrix between us. “I am so happy for you,” I said, as I wiped tears from my cheeks. “I am excited and terrified. We will have two babies under a year old. I cannot imagine,” she said, sounding a bit overwhelmed. I stared at her for a moment and then we both burst out laughing. With the twins, I also had two under the age of one. “We will figure it all out together,” I promised her as she hugged me again, before everyone else crowded in to get hugs. I could not believe how blessed we all were. With the four babies being gifted to us, and knowing their futures would be bright, and dangerous, I sat there for a moment as the re
Julia POV “What does everyone mean?” I questioned, as Eric moved towards me, nudging me to sit down. I took my seat while Jackson stood by the chair where Cami and Beatrix were sitting. “It is not an easy answer,” Elizabeth starts to say as Cami gasps, her grip on Beatrix tightening. Elizabeth stepped forward and took a seat on the table directly in front of Cami. She reached out and touched the baby in Cami’s arms before looking to both Cami and Jackson. “I have worked out an arrangement,” she started to say when Jackson cut her off, “What kind of arrangement?”. “One where you get to keep Beatrix, for the time being,” Elizabeth said. I gasped, realizing that Cami may not get to keep Beatrix. I had assumed because she was here, she was theirs. I had forgotten about the witches who wanted Beatrix. “That does not sound good,” Cami stated as she rubbed the baby’s back. Jackson had his hand on Cami’s shoulde
Eric POV I held Julia in my arms for hours. I never stirred and as if sensing the need for this time, the pups did not stir either. I heard the doctor enter the room, “Prince Eric, we wanted to check on your mate, before we sign the release documents,” she said softly. I looked at her in surprise, “So soon?” I asked. “It is incredible. I ran the labs a short time ago, and she was already healing much further along that we would have expected. I suspect she has a strong wolf, who was able to take over once we had done all we could,” the doctor stated. I looked to her for a moment, before turning my head back to Julia. “You did it sweetheart,” I whispered as the doctor left me to wake my mate up. I leaned forward, kissing Julia’s lips softly. Moaning in her sleep, her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. Our tongues slid over one another, tasting each other, reconnecting and celebrating us. As our kiss deepened
Julia POV I laid there silently watching my family. Eric was asleep in the chair beside me. He was slumped over the bed, with his arm around my waist. I could hear the little satisfied sounds babies make when they first wake up. I loved that they were patient enough to wait for their daddy to wake. I lifted my arm, it was heavy and shaky, but I moved it to place it on Eric’s head. Playing with his hair, as I waited for him to wake up. I knew all that he had gone through was horrible. Watching me being rushed to the operating room, our babies being delivered without him being there. Waiting for me to wake up. It had been a long couple of days, but I finally opened my eyes. I did not think I would ever close them again, for fear of missing something. As my fingers moved through Eric’s hair, I felt him stir. I recognized the moment he realized something was different. He slowly turned lifted his head, look
Eric POV I watched as the twins were wheeled into Julia’s room. I went to her and told her that her babies were waiting for her. I kissed her warm lips softly, before stepping away to help set the twins up. It was late, and I wanted to get the twins settled before I stepped over to watch over Julia. Both twins fussed for a couple minutes but quickly settled after they had a bottle. I kissed each child, “Your mommy is going to be with you soon; I promise,” I murmured to them both. The nurse looked to me, “Would you like me to stay?” she asked quietly. I looked to her, “No, thank you for everything you have done,” I responded as she nodded and walked from the room. Everyone had left, as I had requested, so it was just the four of us. I could hardly grasp everything that had happened today. From finding out Henrietta had been under our noses all along. To having the twins arrive, to almost losing my mate. I did not care what
Eric POV I watched Julia fight to survive; I held my breath waiting. The intense sound of the alarm signalling death was unnerving. I started to turn away, my heart in my throat, ready to crumble to the ground. Suddenly there was a faint blip in the sound. It did not fully register with me until I heard a second … and then a third. I heard a gasp from one of the medical team, “She is alive,” they stated. “Barely. We need to get her to the ICU. Finish stitching her up, and then we will move her quickly,” the doctor said. I watched in disbelief as they prepared Julia for the ICU. “Is she in any pain?” I asked, alarmed at everything that was happening around me. “We do not know; we will give her something to help just in case,” the doctor assured me. I watched as they finished and rushed Julia to another area. Realizing I had forgotten about our pups, I turned to see them being wheeled away, “Where are you taking them?” I as