Poison

RORY

I sit, bracing myself against the back of the chair. The library fades into the background.

My eyes—wide, listless, and welling up with tears—stare straight into space, into nothingness.

My mind is a million miles away.

I’m barely aware of the doctor, who I think is still standing next to me. He’s speaking, but his voice sounds like it’s underwater.

But the words he spoke moments ago… Those are still ringing out in my mind, loud and clear. Like bells, chiming over and over again.

~No way~ I thought to myself.

Me. ~Pregnant.~

A baby. ~My baby.~

~Everett’s baby.~

I swallow hard. My throat is parched.

~What does this mean?~

I remember how my Mama first found me. A sweet, innocent baby in a dangerous land. Dead, covered in blood. It’s the same way Everett found me at age eighteen.

I’m cursed. Even if I always come back, the dying part is the same. Death always finds me. And by proxy, everyone around me.

Orion and Cassidy’s scared little faces flash through my head. I had no answers for them then, and still don’t. Nothing that really helps us anyways. Now the younger children are sick too.

How can I bring another child into this? One of my own?

Will they be doomed to bloody endings at every turn, simply because they were doomed to have me as a mother?

“Aurora?”

I snap to. “Huh? Oh. Sorry, doctor.”

“You should be with Everett now,” he says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “And you should rest. Let me walk you home.”

“No, I—”

~I want to be alone.~

~“~I insist,” he cuts me off, his voice gentle but stern.

I don’t say anything as he helps me up. I wobble on my feet at first and have to steady myself against him to walk straight.

The walk back is a silent blur.

He helps me to my room and tells me to wait there. He says he’ll tell Everett to come to me, but he won’t say anything. He’ll let me tell him the good news.

~The good news.~

It ~is~ good, isn’t it?

To most women, hearing they’re pregnant is one of the happiest moments in their entire lives.

Then again, I’m not most women. I come from a god and a goddess. I’m a Luna. I am mated to a wolf.

So where does that leave my child?

I’m still taking it all in when the door flies open. Everett rushes to my side. His blue eyes are wide and full of concern.

“What is it? What’s wrong? The doctor wouldn’t tell me anything. He said I needed to talk to you.”

I bite my bottom lip. Tears well up in my eyes.

“Aurora? Are you okay?” he asks, pulling me into his chest.

“I-I’m pregnant,” I whisper, my voice quivering as I sob against him.

His body stiffens as he hugs me. He murmurs into my hair. “That’s… that’s great news.”

I sniffle. “Really?”

“Yeah. Isn’t it?” He pulls me away, looking me up and down. His eyes linger on my stomach. We’re both thinking it… How crazy it is. There’s a life growing inside of me.

A flicker of doubt crosses his face.

“What’s wrong, Everett?”

I’m so scared. Does he not want this?

“Nothing,” he says, pulling me close to him again. “Nothing at all. My wolf is rolling over with joy.”

I note that he says this about his wolf, not his human side.

“And the rest of you?”

His brow furrows. “I…I don’t know what this means. What if the baby is a wolf-pup? How would your mortal body handle it? But then…they’ll also be part human, part goddess.”

I stare off in shock again. “I don’t know.”

His face washes over with a calmness that I can see straight through. He’s trying to be strong for me, but I know he’s just as scared and uncertain as I am.

“Well, one thing we do know for sure,” he says firmly. “No more of this Nemesis business. Not for you. I’ll have to fix it on my own.”

“You can’t,” I murmur, my face twisting up.

“No, you can’t. Not while you’re carrying our child.”

“Don’t you understand? That’s exactly why I have to fix it! I can’t bring our child into this world while Nemesis is fragmented off into these pieces, possessing the innocent. What if she…”

I shake my head, unable to speak such a thing out loud. But Everett is thinking the same horrid thought.

As long as pieces of Nemesis are floating around, searching for hosts…our own baby would be just as vulnerable to her as anyone else.

I can’t let that happen.

“I’m not giving up,” I insist, clenching my fists. “I can’t. Not until this is finished, once and for all.”

His lips part to speak, but he stops himself.

“Let’s talk about this later. You need rest,” he says finally, wrapping his hand around the side of my face.

He pulls me against his chest where everything is safe and warm again, at least for now.

The room shifts as he lays down, taking me with him. I feel tiny and weak, curled up in his arms, but I need to be strong. We both know there’s a long road ahead of us.

He closes his eyes and holds me even tighter.

I watch the ceiling as my mind wanders. I’m tired, but if I thought I was having trouble sleeping before…now the concept of rest is more foreign to me than ever.

How can I sleep with so much to do? With my mind racing a mile a minute? With every answered question, comes ten more unanswered ones.

I don’t know how much time passes before I decide to give up. I sit up in bed, but Everett doesn’t move.

I smile down at him, sleeping soundly, and stroke my fingers through his hair.

At least one of us is getting some sleep.

I bite into my bottom lip and look around our bedroom. It’s turned dark since we first laid down, and Everett doesn’t appear to be waking up any time soon.

That gives me a short amount of time to try and do something. Anything that will help.

An idea strikes.

~Andy. He’s still here.~

Even though he’s a rogue, he’s helped me before. I want to return the favor.

I quietly slip out of bed and tip-toe to the door.

I peek out into the dark silence. The coast is clear.

Andy is locked up in the basement where all the prisoners go, on the rare occasion we have to hold someone in our custody.

He’s chained to a chair in the corner where he sits, mumbling to himself. No, actually. Not to himself. He’s talking to someone…or something. I just can’t see them.

Just like the children in the orphanage were doing.

“Andy,” I call out, slowly stepping closer.

His murmurs stop for a moment, then resume like nothing happened. Like I’m not here.

“Andy,” I try again, circling around to kneel down in front of him.

I try to get him to look me in the eyes, but he always seems to see past them. Like we’re sitting in two different rooms right now, and he’s completely unable to see me…even though I’m right in front of him.

“Nemesis,” he rasps. The name comes out with a string of other unintelligible words.

I feel the dreaded chill in my bones return. It makes me want to run, but I can’t do that.

Closing my eyes, I swallow hard and try to restore my courage.

“Andy? Can you hear me? It’s me.”

I hesitate, afraid to speak my name out loud. Xander and Nemesis have to know I’m here whether I say it or not. Just as Mariah said, they’re watching me.

Still, I want to cling to the hope that I am somehow in hiding…that they can’t see me. Even if it’s false.

A loud boom thunders through the room, drawing a shrieking gasp from my lungs. I jump so hard, I almost fall backwards onto the cold, damp concrete.

The sudden noise only makes Andy’s chanting grow louder.

~Nemesis. Nemesis. Nemesis.~

I turn to the door where the sound came from, deflating with relief when I see it’s only Everett standing there.

“You scared me. I thought you were asleep.”

“So you went sneaking out!?” he growls.

“Everett, please. It’s more important now than ever before to get to the bottom of this, and…”

But he’s not having it.

“You went behind my back…for what? For this prisoner?”

“He can help us figure out how to…”

I stop and look at Andy. I don’t feel safe talking about this in front of him, so I walk over to guide Everett outside the door.

“He can help us figure out how to destroy Nemesis,” I whisper. “All of her. For good.”

“Then I’ll figure it out,” he shoots back. “From now on, I want you to stay in the pack house. I want someone with you at all times. No more sneaking around. Understand?”

My face strains as I look deep into his eyes. I know he’s only trying to protect me.

Truthfully, I want to be protected. I do feel safe with Everett…but this time, it’s not enough.

“I wish I could do what you’re asking me to do,” I say softly. “I want to hide away from all of this and let you handle it.”

“You don’t think I can?” His voice cracks with hurt.

“I think you would die trying.” I shake my head. “But that’s just it. I don’t want you to die. I can’t either. We have to be careful now.”

I take his hand into mine and press it against my stomach.

“Neither of us can afford to be reckless anymore,” I tell him. “We have to be careful, and we have to support each other.”

“You can keep fighting me on this, and I’ll keep sneaking off to do what I know I have to do. Or…you can support me. You can stay with me and protect me. You decide.”

He considers it for a moment. I can tell this is killing him inside, and I hate that. I don’t want to hurt him, but I can’t unknow the things I know…or ignore my gut instincts any longer.

Mama told me to trust them. So did Mariah.

I’m finally ready to. But Everett isn’t quite as ready as I am.

His eyes search mine for any hint of backing down, and as usual, he finds none. He melts in reluctant acceptance.

“What do you want to do?”

A smile curls on the edge of my lips. My arms shoot out, wrapping around his neck. He pulls me close, lifting my feet slightly from the ground, as he kisses my forehead.

I relish the feeling of his big, strong arms holding onto me so tightly.

“I have a plan,” I whisper against his neck.

***

Everett wraps his arm around me as we stand in the corner and watch. The doctor sits at Andy’s side, checking his vitals while the poison he just administered runs its course.

He places a hand on his forehead, then listens for his pulse with his stethoscope.

“You’re sure it won’t hurt him?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “It will be quick and painless.”

Everett questions me with his eyes, then his words.

“You’re sure about this?”

I watch as the life starts to leave Andy’s body.

“I have to be. It’s too late now,” I tell him.

I hope I’m making the right choice. But even if my plan doesn’t work, Andy isn’t living like this. He’s just a prisoner to Nemesis.

We all are…until I can find a way to stop this.

At least Andy has a good fighting chance if this works, and so do the rest of us. I have to believe he would want me to try.

He hasn’t been eating or drinking since coming to the pack house. The doctor had to force feed him to build up a little strength before he could give him the drugs he concocted.

It doesn’t take much, but what little bit he gives him should kill him while allowing some extra time for me to do my thing before his soul leaves his body.

That’s the hope anyway.

The doctor stands up, nodding to me and Everett.

“He’s gone,” he confirms.

He’s right. There’s no life left in his body. I can see it.

As the doctor steps aside to give me room, I try to fight the doubt that sets in. Guilt gnaws away at my gut.

Am I so sure I know what I’m doing?

I just took someone’s life.

Everett rubs my back. “It’s okay, Aurora,” he says. “Just take a deep breath. You can do this. I believe in you.”

I look at him, into his beautiful eyes. I know he’s right.

I nod and look back at Andy’s body. I can do this. I hope.

I close my eyes, focusing on the feeling of his warm hand in mine. I trigger the life force in my body, letting it flood out through my fingertips and into Andy. It’s a warm tingling sensation.

I move my hands up to his head and press them to his temples, then spread them across his chest.

That’s when I feel it.

~Thump…thump…thump.~

It’s weak and irregular at first. But then…

~Thadump…thadump…thadump.~

I feel so strange. Like I’m fading away or sinking deep into a trance. But as I feel myself fading, Andy’s heartbeat is growing stronger.

“He’s coming back,” I whisper.

No sooner than I say the words, I feel something convulse inside of me. It’s like an electric shock that starts deep in my core and shoots out through my limbs.

My whole body shakes and falls to the floor.

I think I can hear Everett shouting out my name.

Then I hear another familiar voice. The doctor’s.

~You’re pregnant. You’re with child.~

The thought brings a smile to my lips.

A horrible sharp gasp rips through my lungs. My head falls back. I expect to feel it crack against the hard pavement, but it catches on something…

Hands…Arms…a warm chest that I know well.

~Everett’s chest.~

Everything turns black.