Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
“Whatever you had when the border broke will stay with you. Same for Adrenna,”
Kai said, tense and watching Galen.
I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I was still in pain, and I pushed against it again.
“But the pack?” I asked, arching as another contraction tortured me.
“We’ve called them back,” Kai bit, and I opened my eyes to the regret in his.
“They couldn’t defeat her?”
Derik shook his head. “Not once the border broke. She got a boost to her magic too, and the vampires will be crossing soon. Whenever they want from now on.
“I’m sure Silas will give it a bit though. He’ll want the dramatic effect.”
“And what about my brother, where is he?” I demanded, tensing, breathing through another contraction before it became too much and I screamed out again, pushing like it wasn’t freaking me the hell out that I still felt the need to.
Galen looked just as concerned.
“He was fighting with us at the border,” Brax said from behind me. “As much as I hate what he is, he was helping.”
He shook his head, his son still crying, like the more pain I had, he was directly affected.
“Brax, go to him,” I breathed, pushing again.
He helped me through it, rubbing my back before sliding out from behind me. He stood up and went to Kai, taking his son and holding him against his chest.
He hiccuped against Brax, his cries turning to whispers.
“He has shadows,” Brax breathed, his eyes wide, sinking into a seat.
I wanted to answer, to tell him that it was okay, but I couldn’t. I fell back on the pillows, my body forcing me into pushing again, pain and pressure making sure my voice was only used to scream.
Kai and Derik stood on either side of my legs, helping me, holding me.
“I don’t know how it’s possible that none of us sensed this or heard the heartbeat, but this is not the placenta like I was worried about, Lorelai.
“You’re going to have another baby. Are you ready?” Galen asked, and I scoffed, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Does it matter?”
He smirked and shook his head as my mom knelt down next to me, using her damp cloth to wipe away my tears and sweat as I gave everything I had to the secret baby I never knew existed.
38. The Legacy
LORELAI
Twins. Winter born twins. The ultimate threat, the ultimate reason to be shunned and unwanted, and I had birthed them.
But I looked around the room, my daughter expelling from my body with a scream, and I knew my twins wouldn’t be locked in that fate. They were already so loved, so coveted.
Things had changed since I was born, and I didn’t know what that meant for the darkness that would haunt them later, but I knew that the alphas and I wouldn’t let them go to that part of themselves.
It was a fierce need inside me to make sure they were safe and loved, one the women of my village had said I would feel and understand when I had kids.
I just never expected them to be right about anything. They were though. I felt so attached, so committed to these little souls I had brought into the world.
Kai caught our daughter as she came out, and I leaned up to see her. She had thick dark hair, unlike her brother’s head of baldness, and I grinned.
My son stopped crying instantly, his arms flailing, and Brax looked over at our daughter.
“He wants to go to her,” he said, tears in his eyes as he placed him next to her between my legs.
We watched as our baby boy touched his sister, and a ripple of magic went through the room.
A shimmer from her skin peeled back, lowering, and then our son’s eyes flicked to a deep purple like mine had been, matching his sister’s.
“He was shielding her,” Galen breathed, and I looked at them.
“From what?” I whispered, reaching for her, holding her to me as Mom propped me against the pillows.
“From the toxin. Your daughter is human. Your son is wolf,” Galen said, brushing over their bodies with two fingers down their spines before Derik picked up the boy.
“How is that possible?” I breathed, tucking my daughter in. She didn’t cry, she didn’t make noises, she just looked up at me, staring.
“Magic, the balance, the shadows you and Brax share. Many possibilities, but I don’t think we will ever have the true reason,” Galen said, then knelt down to my legs.
“I do need to get you fixed up since Cain isn’t here to heal you. Is that okay?” he asked, and I nodded, my eyes never leaving my daughter’s.
“I’m here,” Cain breathed, rushing in, stopping short as he took in both babies.
“Twins?” he said tightly, and I nodded. “They both have shadows.”
I had been hoping at least one of them had avoided that part of the winter born curse, but they hadn’t, and that was okay too. It had to be; it led me to them.
“How is the pack?” Derik asked, rocking our son in his arms like a pro. He definitely had the paternal instinct I had been expecting.
Cain nodded to Galen, who stepped back and let him heal me.
“They’re tired, but the magic boost at the end got us out. Whatever that was, it broke the border, but it also stunned Adrenna. It was like she got electrocuted.
“When she tried to set her sand on us when we retreated, it wouldn’t. There was this purple mist leaking out of her too.”
I smirked. The border magic wasn’t easy to control, and I had practice. We had a mutual understanding that it was not my subject, it was helping me.
If she tried to force it to do her will without convincing it to her cause then she might as well surrender now.
“She’ll have to learn how to get it to listen to her,” I said, and Cain held his hand over me, the glowing seeping into my body, warming me up as I handed our daughter to Brax.
He snuggled her in, kissing her forehead, whispering to her.
Kai held my hand as my mom stepped back with Galen.
Ryleigh had dropped off the blankets and gone to find Vaughn, but I still hadn’t seen my brother. Worry pierced me, and my shadows finally came out of hiding to soothe me.
It was almost a relief to feel them so fully again, to not have them constantly in the pit of my stomach. I was grateful they had done what they did, but I missed them.
Beenie moved inside then, sinking in to lean against the corner, her arms wrapped around her as she took in the babies.
“They’re the ones the prophecy meant,” she breathed.
I frowned at her. “What prophecy?”
“The one about the winter born twins defeating a great evil. We thought it was you and your brother ending Elias, but I feel it now, it’s them.”
She nodded to them, and I wanted to question how the hell she would know that, but just by the glare in her eyes, I knew this wasn’t the place.
“Well, before we get to defeating great evils, can we just enjoy the moment?” I asked, and she nodded once, looking to Cain.
I was pretty sure she was only here because he was. She still looked uncomfortable, but I said nothing, turning to Cain, my body refreshed and healed.
“Did my brother come back with you?” I asked.
“Yes. But the wolves are angry about it.” He looked guilty, then sighed and turned to me, taking his hand off me.
“I put him in the dungeons, Lorelai. I had to. He’s a vamp, and they were behind this the whole time. We have to assume he knew about it,” he said, then looked to my alphas.
“You three knew that,” I accused them, and they met it with silence.
My mother sniffled from her spot next to Galen, who pulled her hand to his lips.
“If he is innocent, we will prove it.”
“And if he’s not?” I asked.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?