ArthurAs the sun began its descent on the city, a sense of unease settled upon Arthur's heart. The evening air seemed to grow colder, carrying with it a disquieting hush that echoed through the empty rooms of his home.Almara hadn't returned as she always did. Panic took root, gnawing at his insides, as the minutes stretched into hours, each one etching deeper lines of worry onto his face. He had tried so many times to reach out via the mate bond, but there had been no answer.The only solace he had was that he could feel she was alive. But he should have been able to feel so much
AlmaraI had no idea how long I'd been in this cellar. There were no windows. There were no clocks. It could have only been a day. It could have been multiple days. Noah didn't exactly keep a firm schedule when it came to feeding me.But whatever he was feeding me was keeping Lily quiet. I hadn't heard her voice ever since I'd woken up down here. I wasn't sure how that was even possible. I had tried so hard to shift, but nothing had happened.All I could do was pray to the Moon Goddess that everything would work out. That me and the baby would get saved. That Arthur would somehow fi
My breaths came in shallow, measured waves, my hand resting gently on the mound of my swollen belly. The room was quiet, save for the soft rustling of crisp white sheets.I felt it, a subtle ripple of sensation, the unmistakable sign that the moment I'd been waiting for was drawing near. I couldn't believe it was finally happening and that my dream had turned into a nightmare.I was having contractions. They were still playing a gentle rhythm, a distant promise that soon my world would transform. I'd prepared for this, read all the books, attended the classes, yet no amount of knowledge could completely dispel the mixture of relief and fear that now surged within
ArthurArthur is downright distraught. He hasn’t been able to focus at all. It has been three days since Almara has gone missing and Noah never returned home. He’s completely sure that Noah had something to do with her disappearance, but no one has found anything on where he could have taken her.It’s like they just vanished off the face of the earth. He wasn’t sure what else he could do. He had followed every single lead that his pack had come up with and it had all led to a dead end.
Almara I wasn’t sure how she had done it, but the nurse had been able to mimic the sterile, antiseptic scent of a hospital room. The smell seemed to intensify as my contractions grew closer and closer together. The rhythmic tightening of my abdomen was a relentless reminder of the impending moment when life would irrevocably change.The nurse's calm voice sliced through the tension, her words a mixture of reassurance and warning. Active labor loomed, a thundercloud on the horizon, ready to unleash its storm at any given moment.Noah, his face a whirlwind of emotions, stood vigil by my side. His eyes sparkled with a mixture of joy, trepidation, and something
Noah Noah's mind had become a twisted labyrinth, a maelstrom of obsession and delusion. The light in the cellar flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls, illuminating Almara's pained expression. He hated seeing her like this. Perhaps he should have just ordered the C-section.Noah had lost track of time, consumed by his manic pursuit of claiming the love of his life. His once well-kempt appearance had given way to wild, unkempt hair and sunken, bloodshot eyes. He had barely eaten or slept, sustained only by the fire of his obsession.He could no longer hear that voice in his head. The one that told him something was wrong. It had been gone for days now. Noah
ArthurArthur slammed the journal down onto Noah’s desk. Despite all the information in there, there hadn’t been mention of where he was keeping Almara. Arthur hadn’t really expected that to be in the journal since he was pretty sure it was a type of torture, but the hope had been there all the same.Perhaps it had been foolish, but Arthur just couldn’t help it. He missed Almara so much and he was desperate to find her. He needed her and the baby home and safe. Foolish hope was all that he had left.A sound by the window had his head snapping toward it. It ha
AlmaraWhen the door swung open, the last thing I had expected to see was Noah's sinister grin glinting in the dim light as he dragged in Arthur's limp body, the life draining from his face. I could hardly recognize my husband in that state.A strong contraction had me doubling over and I lost the ability to speak for a few moments. After it passed, I could only stare in horror as Noah brought Arthur's unconscious form to the foot of the bed."Noah, what have you done?" I choked out, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear. Throughout all of his talks, he had never menti
Almara’s Pov5 Years Later“Cheers,” Arthur sys clinking his mixed drink of vodka and lemonade with my non-alcoholic lemonade. I’m pregnant, again. This pregnancy is completely different than my first two, I actually get to relax. Which is exactly what we’re doing in the manicured garden of our backyard.We sit stretched out on zero-gravity pool chairs, sweat
Almara’s PovAfter a much-needed week of rest and restoration, Arthur and I are back on the vampire territory. I suppose that it can officially be called that again now that it has been reclaimed.My body healed magnificently after months of not only growing another being, but also fighting a war. It’s amazing what good rest and proper nutrition can do. Of course, the real healing ingredient came from the sacrificial love of my wonderful husband.Even though he suffered his own inju
Almara’s PovFinally, after several journeys back and forth from our homeland to the enemies we come to the final steps. We saw plenty of wolves making their expedition back home and there was a unspoken agreement that what everyone needs right now is peace.Thankfully, no one came up to us with questions, grief, or comments. It’s like we have this new kinship with the gammas in our world that we didn’t before. We seem to understand each other, or at least truly see one another.
Almara’s PovOn the way home we make a pitstop to a very special place. “Why are we seeing more dead bodies?” Grace asks, her tone telling me we are nearing a full-blown tantrum.“This body belongs to someone very important in our family,” I tell her calmly and hike her up on my hip. I’m not sure if my words got through to her, or maybe it’s her father's serenity as we ascend up one final hill to where Bess lays.Bess’s gravestone is set apart fro
Almara’s PovWith the vortex closed off and gone, the air becomes breathable again and the storm lessens. Still, my paws squelch in the wet terrain.Unfortunately, as I look around at the battlefield and see the piles of bodies slumped over one another, I think it’s more than just mud causing the stickiness.I try not to look down at the innocent blood shed on the ground. As I take careful consideration to step over and around the bodies, I tell myself they chose to come out and hel
Almara’s PovCathy and I weave through the castle, barely missing rubble crumbling off from the stony walls. We leap over counters, using everything we have in us to catapult ourselves past knocked over statues of gargoyles and shredded velvet furniture.“Catch!” Cathy calls out and reflexively I snatch a jagged shard of ceramic in my hand. I recognize it from a broken pot on the ground. Then out of the corner of my eye I see something else flying at me, though I don’t catch it this time, I duck.
Almara’s PovI’ve never seen Cathy look more confident and proud than she does at this moment. She stands tall, cuts strewn across her body, but they only add to her tough exterior. She’s covered in her enemy’s blood and she has a thrilling look in her eyes.“Have you seen Arthur?” I ask cutting to the chase. Cathy nods back towards tall white cabinet doors. I turn back to look at my mother who nods in confirmation. I rush over to the door and throw it open.
Almara’s PovI awake to a familiar beeping sound. It’s faint at first, like a distant call from far away until it’s suddenly blaring in my ears. My eyes shoot open and the blood in my body rushes to the important organs and I sit up with a jolt.“Where’s Grace?” I ask before I can make out anything else. “Arthur? Robbie?” I call out, hoping the sound of my distressed voice will cause Robbie to cry back.“Shhh,” a gentle voice says with
Almara’s PovArthur flings open the door, this time it breaks off the hinges. I guess there’s no changing our mind now. I keep Robbie wrapped up in both my arms and under my shirt.Arthur uses his body to guard mine, outstretching his arms and a puffed-out chest as he keeps his eyes zeroed in on every moving body around us all while moving us forward and falling in exact pace with each of my steps.We fight through sideways rain and vicious winds, it dawns on me that this storm isn&