ARTEMISIA
The next few days are quite a struggle, but soon enough, I can breathe better and the presence of my mates seems to have a calming effect on the babies.
They never calm down fully and keep moving around aggressively, even managing to break other bones but luckily my wolf has it covered, making me heal swiftly.
The most disturbing part is probably that my pup seems to want to claw his way outside, and even if it freaked me out big time as I witnessed it for the first time, Cassy could reassure me quickly, promising me that he would never succeed.
This must be the demonic seeping through, which destabilised me for a second.
But as I just learned to live with it, I didn’t think of it as I undressed for my tailor to facilitate her taking my measurements.
The poor thing will probably be scarred for life as my son practically swung at her, making it look like his claws would rip my skin at any moment to go and get her.
So, kudos to her for managing to finish her job properly, even though she was a bit shaky.
After spending the entire morning with she-wolves bickering over the different catering options, I was overly happy to get the invitation from Astrid to get to the stables with the pups.
So now, I’m smiling happily, watching the little pups running around the horses with brushes in cute little wellies and not even Rachel standing beside me could bring me down.
“Do you think inviting your family is a good idea?” she asks, making me take a deep breath.
No, not even her stupid, annoying voice.
“I don’t think that is something I will discuss with you, Rachel,” I say, still in a relaxed mood.
She shakes her head, linking her fingers. “I was just thinking because all that happened. I mean, maybe it is a bit risky.”
“That coming from your mouth is utterly ridiculous if I might say,” I state coldly, as it is important that I keep my stress to the minimum as I can’t stand another rip being broken. “Maybe if you stopped going around, hugging my mates…”
“I’m sorry you had to witness it, but he hugged me,” she tries to defend herself. “I’m just here to observe. If you can’t keep your mates interested in you during the pregnancy, it isn’t my fault, Luna Artemisia.”
Fighting the urge to hit her straight in the face while Cassy roars in my head as she wants to behead her, I take a deep breath as I feel my pups already positioning to make hell break loose.
Please, calm down.
Mommy is here.
Everything is going to be okay.
I caress my belly, whispering the words to them internally like a mantra, hoping for the best.
“Leave!” I simply say, making her look at me miffed.
I don’t even look at her as I repeat it, “Leave, now!”
She scoffs offended, and walks away just as my mother comes to stand next to me. “Has she said something mean again?”
“Can she even say anything else?” I ask back sarcastically, making her giggle.
I watch as Rachel walks towards Fynn who is about to help one of the pups onto one of the horses to make him ride on the track accompanied by a stable guy.
“We can’t trust her. But it must be hard for her,” my mother says pensively, attracting my attention to her.
“What do you mean?”
She turns to me, lowering her voice. “Apparently, she wasn’t able to have any pups. That is why there was a lot of tension between her and Cayden, and she eventually left the pack, accepting the rejection of her mate.”
“Who told you that?” I gasp, my heart aching as the worst scenarios play in my head.
She shrugs, and I’m just about to regain my cool by thinking it must be something she heard as a rumour and was told to prevent the pack from knowing about her infidelity as her words crash my hope with one blow. “Alberta told me. She told me that Cayden kept being mean to her about the fact that she couldn’t give him an heir, so she took it out on him by sleeping with other men.”
“I beg your fucking pardon?” I ask completely shocked and she squints her eyes at me.
“Artemisia, your language,” she reprimands me, making me sigh.
“Sorry, Mom.”
She loops her arm into mine, hugging me close as she continues. “I know that these rumours can’t leave the inner circle because it would hurt his image of an Alpha. But she is dangerous. We have to do something about her. It doesn’t matter how sorry we feel for her.”
“Right,” I breathe out, my emotions starting to swirl freely as I can’t decide if I want to start crying desperately or just run away.
Laying my hand on my stomach, I try channelling my breathing, as I feel fire rise again.
This time Fynn doesn’t seem to be as absorbed by Rachel as he looks at me immediately as my panic grows. He pushes her out of her way, taking long strides to reach me as fast as possible. “Babe, breathe!”
I can barely feel his touch as the flames seem to consume me from the inside, my mother flinching as my skin burns up to the extent that it scorches her.
“Go! Fetch one of the doctors!” Fynn orders my mother, who starts running right away while he holds my arms.
Even if his touch feels amazingly soothing, I try to pull away, fearing I could hurt him. “Fynn, your skin… you will…”
The heat gets unbearable to stand, cutting my air, bereaving me of the ability to speak properly.
“Don’t worry,” he whispers, tightening his grip, keeping me from getting away. “The fire is nothing to me.”
He tilts his head, studying my face. “Breathe!”
Cassy screams in my mind, retreating as much as possible to shield herself.
“The doctor will be here in a minute.”
I’m about to lose consciousness because of the pain and the heat fogging my brain as I suddenly feel small hands wrapping around my leg.
“No!” I hear Astrid scream, Fynn shifting on his feet as Emma claws down on me.
He lets me go reluctantly, wanting to take Emma away before she can burn herself.
But Emma screams, hugging me tighter and before I can reach out to push her away, I notice a faint blue glow surrounding her.
I try to warn Fynn but just as I’m about to push against his chest, he has already touched her shoulder. He pulls back his hand with a hiss. “What the fuck?!”
My breath hitches in my throat as I suddenly feel a cool sensation stream through me.
It doesn’t feel like water as its consistency seems more like jelly.
As the sensation rises in me, Fynn takes a step back as something seems to reject his touch like she put up a shield.
Slowly, I feel able to breathe again as my pups calm down fully, and the fire retreats.
I take a deep breath as Emma, who had been burying her face into my thigh, looks up at me.
“Pup is angry,” her whisper gets fear to shoot through me but strangely it doesn’t get the pups to revolt as they seem calmed down by her touch.
As the doctor finally arrives, everything has already passed.
I smile tiredly as I hold Emma in my arms while sitting in a chair the teachers brought me.
“I feel alright, Mom. I swear.”
My mother is touching my face repeatedly as if she could reassure herself that I’m really okay like this.
“Let the doctor through, Mom,” I laugh, seeing the poor doctor of the royal team standing behind her lost.
“Oh, of course. I’m sorry, Doctor Jeffries,” she says, stepping aside.
The doctor does a good job at remaining patient even if my mother is riddling him with questions.
And once again, there is nothing he can do more than just register another strange incident and recommend to me to reduce the stress.
Genius.
As they help me settle back into my room, Emma has still not let go of me.
And fortunately, her father, on hearing what had happened, agreed to let Emma sleep with me as the doctors want to study what had led to her being able to make the demonic pups relax.
I know that it must be especially difficult for him to not have his daughter home overnight, so I was really grateful to him.
As my mother, Ramona and Mirella fall asleep sprawled in the bed and on the couches around me, I finally feel at ease as my pups aren’t creating havoc for once.
With Emma still hugging me as her head lays in my lap, I get to read without being interrupted by kicks or burning episodes.
I caress her hair while scrolling through the pages and humming a lullaby lowly as the door to the balcony opens, filling my bedroom with his scent.