– Chapter 182

Selene

I had a nightmare like this once: being helpless before Blaise while my family hangs in the balance. However even my worst dreams couldn’t have predicted this fate: being forced to choose between Bastien’s life and my own. Bastien is roaring and raging at me, ordering me to leave him behind, but I can’t bring myself to turn my back on him. Every time I see the knife go deeper into his back, Luna howls in agony and despair, freezing me in place.

I know Blaise’s offer is a trap, but I also know that there’s no way I can undo what he’s already discovered. One way or another Blaise knows who I am now, he knows where I live and he knows about my unborn child. He doesn’t know about Lila, and the only person in Tartarus who might have betrayed her existence to him is dead now. If I run away now, he’ll simply follow me back to Elysium, and then there’s no guaranteeing that I can keep my daughter safe.

“Bastien,” I sniffle, begging him to understand, “If I go now he’ll only come after me, he’ll follow me home.”

I can see my message click into place in his mind, but he only pauses for a moment. “Then don’t go home!” He hisses, “go to ground, go somewhere he’ll never find you. Don’t sacrifice yourself for me, I’m not worth it – think about the baby!”

“I am,” I cry, feeling more helpless than I can ever remember. Even if I went to ground, Blaise would find out about Lila, and I can’t stand the idea of running forever and losing Bastien too. “And you’re wrong, you are worth it. I’ll find a way out of this, but I can’t let him kill you.”

If I thought Bastien was angry with me when he learned I was alive and had hidden our child from him, I didn’t know the definition of the word. I’ve never seen rage like the emotion that pours out of my mate as I lower my hands and step towards Blaise. The sound of his fury fills the room like the blast from a cannon, and he actually manages to break free of the small army pinning him down.

Blaise’s spellcaster, just barely staggering to his feet, lashes out his power towards my mate, stopping him before he can collide with the tyrant in front of me. Bastien falls to the ground with a groan as the magic traps him in its hold, and I try to close the distance between us. Instead Blaise catches me around the wait, and I can only weep as I reach for my husband.

“It’ll be okay.” I tell Bastien as he loses consciousness. “I promise.”

“That’s it,” the madman praises me, his wide smile audible in his voice. “Hold onto that hope, my beauty.” Before I can stop him, he straightens me up and looks me over, studying my fair skin even as he makes it positively crawl. Already I can feel myself lighting up again, the moon’s light surging through my veins out of instinct rather than skill. Blaises tsks, “We’ll have to do something about this magic of yours. You could really do some damage in the right circumstances.”

“You can count on it.” I vow, trying and failing to pull away from him.

“And to think.” He leers, looking me up and down like a piece of meat, “You’ve already proven yourself capable of satisfying the strongest of Alphas, it’s almost as if he’s been preparing you for me.”

“You’re dreaming,” I grit out through clenched fangs, “I will never willingly allow you to lay a finger on me.”

“And do you think I care if you are willing?” Blaise counters, “do you not think I will appreciate you all the more for your fight?”

Realizing he’s the twisted sort of sadist that probably loves making others miserable, I soften my pose, ceasing to try and fight him and instead leaning into his large body. “By all means, Alpha.” I encourage, hoping my willingness will turn him off. “Tell me what you like.”

Blaise throws his head back and laughs, the same sort of delighted cackle he emitted when he realized I’d managed to harness my powers. “Oh my clever pet, do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting to find a she-wolf like you.”

“Of course I do.” I snap, giving up the act for the time being. “I’ve been running from you my whole life – even before I knew it. You killed my father, you caused my mother to die long before her time.”

“And you are even more magnificent than she was.” He traces a finger down my cheek, “the last Volana,” he grins, looking down at my belly. “For now.”

Narrowing my eyes, I wonder how much he actually knows about my bloodline. After all, there’s no guarantee the child will inherit the gene, and that’s assuming it’s another girl. The magic is only passed from mother to daughter. Still, telling him that can’t help me: either he’ll decide to kill me now despite his filthy fantasies, or decide to indulge them for the few months he can before killing me.

“I can see what you’re thinking.” The wretched man tells me smugly. “That there’s a chance your child won’t be the gift I’m hoping it to be.” I feel my eyes widen, and a skitter of worry works it’s way through my body. “But I’ve been studying your kind since I was a boy, since the very first time I ever heard about the bloodline. I could tell you secrets about your powers you never dreamed possible.”

As he speaks I can only half concentrate on his words, because his guards are busy shackling Bastien’s legs and dragging him from the room. I continue staring after him even he’s well out of sight, and Blaise catches my chin between his thumb and forefinger, draggin my attention back to him. “For example, I know that there’s about a seventy percent chance the child will inherit the Volana gift if it’s a girl – and Volana’s are almost twice as likely to bear daughters than they are sons.”

“That’s not how biology works.” I hiss.

“Magic finds a way.” He smiles, sounding so much like Helene in that moment, that I realize she’s missing for the first time. I don’t know why she didn’t stay and help us fight, but I trust her enough to know she wouldn’t have simply abandoned me in my time of need. She must have realized we were too outnumbered, she probably divined Blaise wouldn’t kill me now and slipped away to come back and fight another day. The tiny kernel of hope that formed when Blaise suggested keeping me for himself grows slightly, settling in my heart and giving me the strength to stare this monster in the eye.

“We can find out soon enough what you’re expecting.” Blaise reasons, leading me from the church, “If it’s a boy we’ll simply get rid of it and make a new one.” The kernel of hope twists and writhes, suddenly feeling too small to do anyone any good. If I’m having a boy he might abort it before I have enough time to escape and free Bastien, and as terrible as that sounds, imagining being raped just to make a child he can kill is worse.

Digging in my heels, I force Blaise to bodily drag me, but it barely slows him. He’s too strong. “You would kill your own child?” I squeak, unable to hide my horror.

Blaise only laughs. “I’m never going to die, so I don’t need an heir. A boy might grow up to challenge me to become Alpha, and I have no use for girls. Children are horrible hassles – in fact you should probably thank me for saving you from the trial of motherhood. You’re too lovely to wither away chasing after a bunch of brats.” He stops so suddenly that I almost fall over, and I’m only grateful he catches me because the collision might have hurt the baby. Otherwise I’d gladly smack my head on the church steps than have the psychopath pawing me this way.

When I look up at him, he looks as though he’s been struck with a brilliant idea – and that terrifies me more than anything. “In fact.” He muses, ogling my curves, “you’re too lovely to wither away at all. I think we’ll have to make a few pups either way. One for me, and one for you.”

Shaking my head, I gape at him in disbelief. When the time comes to fool him, I’ll act as sweet and submissive as possible to annoy him, but right now I’m incapable of keeping my outrage to myself. “You know I knew only a monster could create this atrocity of a city, but I think you might be the devil himself.”

“Then it’s a good thing I won’t ever have to face judgment in the afterlife.” He mocks me, not looking the least bit bothered by the accusation. “Now come along my pet, it’s time to see your new home.”

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