Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
He traced the edges of the canvas then turned to me.
“I’m going to go through first. Think of Tabby and her home. Her living room, her scent. It’ll take you there,” Kai said.
I raised a brow. He wanted me to walk through the painting?
Was he crazy? Probably.
“It’s a portal. It’s powered by Tabby’s magic and Cain’s. Beenie’s too it seems since it was definitely her who painted it.”
Derik adjusted Zale as he spoke.
I chewed my lip. Portals were a little terrifying after the shadow world.
“Okay,” I said warily, knowing I had no choice. I had to get out of the city in case more rogues had gotten in with the other one.
Kai nodded, kissed me then hunched over and stepped through the painting.
I sucked in a breath when he disappeared. I hadn’t expected it to work.
“Go Spitfire, we don’t have long before the pack attacks the rogues head on,” he urged.
I hated the idea of going through first before the twins but I had to trust my Alphas.
So I did, walking straight through the painting.
I thought of Tabby, all our memories, her knowing smile, her papery soft touch, her firm beliefs.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in her living room.
Kai grinned at me, pulling me into him, kissing me.
“Good girl,” he said.
I spied two figures over his shoulder.
Beenie and Cain.
Cain was already making more tea. Beenie was sitting at the window on the other side of the dining table. Their things
–more paintings and magic paraphernalia–littered the small home.
“You’ve been staying here?” I asked.
Cain nodded, bringing over tea.
“Yeah,” he said, not elaborating on why.
Before I could ask him, Brax came through the painting. He stepped forward and Derik came in the next second. I let out a breath of relief seeing them here instead of away from me.
“I didn’t realize Mom had given you all access to her portal,” Cain admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, pulling some of the stray clothes off the sofa so we could sit.
“It was how I got here when I had the mating brand and didn’t want to travel through the city,” Kai smiled.
Cain rolled his eyes, “Of course she told you about it,” he shook his head and went over to Beenie.
They whispered harshly at each other, Beenie looking frustrated and pale.
I left them to it and went to the sofa.
“Bring the twins here,” I said, laying out their blanket from the bag Kai put next to me.
Derik and Brax put them down and I smiled as they sat up, playing with the things I put out for them.
“The border is unstable. The tunnels compromised. The rogues are on the brink of attacking,” Derik explained.
Cain nodded, “I know. I’ve been listening.”
“And offering nothing?” Brax snapped.
Cain narrowed his eyes, “I told you, I don’t think the rogues are behind this. So I have been working just not on the enemy you think we have,” Cain snapped.
Beenie huffed and went to the bedroom, slamming the door.
“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to intrude, we just needed somewhere safe for the moment,” I said.
Cain nodded, “You can stay here until the wolves have the city safe,” he said.
I nodded in thanks then sipped my tea.
The second it hit my throat, the heat slipped down into my stomach.
Where it grew.
And burned before an ache seared through me.
I clutched my stomach, wincing as the pain lowered into the bottom half, into my pelvis.
I sucked in a breath, the pain sharpening.
It throbbed in my back, across my hips, shooting down my legs.
I pressed against my stomach as it hardened unbearably.
All three of my Alphas looked at me with wide eyes, the color draining from their faces.
I grimaced, “Probably not the best timing but I’m pretty sure the baby is coming.”
Another searing pain broke through my lower stomach, confirming exactly what we were all terrified for.
I hoped the pack was ready because that border was coming down, my magic already retreating into my body to build it up for birth.
19. The Birth
Lorelai
I screamed. Loudly.
It echoed through Tabby’s cabin, rebounding off the walls, drowning out the encouraging words from my Alphas.
Beenie had taken the twins into the other room while Cain was collecting the things I apparently needed.
I didn’t care what he grabbed, I just wanted the pain to stop.
How had I forgotten how painful it was to give birth?
The last month I had been worried about rogues and my magic when I should have been worrying about my body being torn apart.
I screamed again as another contraction assaulted me.
My stomach tightened, my pelvis trying to break from the pressure of the baby bearing down on it.
My legs were wide as I sat in front of the sofa. I had a blanket down on the floor to protect the rug and I only had a long shirt on that was attempting to give me some modesty.
I didn’t give a fuck if it gave me any or not.
Sweat prickled along my skin as Derik dabbed at my forehead with a wet cloth.
It helped with the heat flaring inside me but it did nothing against the soul-deep ache.
I shuddered as the contraction ended and my fists unclenched from the blanket.
Brax’s shadows tried to soothe me, tried to connect with mine but I didn’t let him.
I needed mine undistracted so they could feel how the baby was doing.
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?