23: Second Trimester

SECOND TRIMESTER: WEEK 22

Marisol painfully closed her eyes, hearing her beloved dog whimper. She was told Tala attacked the man who conned his way into her home. The fight left Tala severely injured. Ever since Tala had been at the vet hospital and Marisol refused to leave her side.

Greyson stood by the door, watching Marisol cry into her palms once again. She had no physical wounds, but her emotional turmoil was far worse. He had promised her nothing would hurt her again. He was made a liar. Tala's fate was grim, but Marisol insisted she received the best care possible.

"The man who attacked you was a beta of a rival pack," he explained, walking into the room. He stood behind her chair and watched as she leaned her head against his stomach.

"I-I thought there was a date decided for when the combat would begin."

"There was. They broke it."

"Do you think they'll try something else again?"

"Maybe they have something planned, but it won't get that far."

"How can you be sure?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I just am. Abigail has woken up."

She turned in her seat quickly. "Can I see her?"

"My mother is coming to take you to her," he said with a subtle nod. There was a quaint knock on the door and Grey looked at Irabella with a soft gaze.

"Sweetheart, are you ready?"

"I-I can't leave Tala–"

"I'll stay with her," he affirmed. She hesitantly stood up, needing a little help from Greyson. Irabella cautiously grabbed her hand, leading her out of the room. Greyson sighed, walking around the bed where the half-breed laid, unmoving. He ran his tough hand through her fur, wrapping behind her ear. Her leg twitched and he smiled.

"You better not die, pup."

His heart swelled as he heard her scoff in response. He stayed by her, rubbing his hand over her fur. He was tired of seeing people around him get hurt. He promised Marisol she would be safe. He couldn't risk this convoluted war anymore. He could end it. Granted, he wasn't sure if it would end in his favor, but he could end it, stopping this tirade of pain and havoc.

He sat down again, linking someone to come to this room. He'd end this. Whether he survived or not. After a few minutes, a young guard came to the door. Greyson allowed him in and handed him a seal note.

"Alpha?" The boy asked.

"Take this straight into the rival border. Wear white. Tell them it's letter from me."

"But what is it, Alpha?"

"A request," he said. "Once you have given this note, go to our allies and explain two them the situation."

"Y-you're challenging him? For this pack?"

"Yes."

"With all due respect, Alpha, you have a mate and pups on the way...a challenge to an Alpha position is one to the death."

"Go, please. And do not tell your Luna or my parents. Tell no one."

Greyson watched as the young male retreated out of the room. He looked back at Tala who finally blinked her eyes slowly. "I guess you're alright."

She kicked her leg to which Grey grabbed it gently and stroked her fur again. "Thank you for saving her."

She growled softly, but he understood her command. "I know," he whispered. His eyes went to her heartbeat line and saw that it had dulled. He called the vet in, but all he could hear was the obnoxious high-pitched ring of a flat line.

❥

Marisol smiled at Abigail who was up and walking around. Abigail was more worried about her Luna than about herself.

"I'm fine," she said with a soft smile.

"Good," Abigail said. "Then what is wrong?"

"Tala isn't," she continued. Abigail remained silent, taking her Luna into her arms. Looking behind Marisol, she saw Greyson who looked less than pleased.

Marisol's world dimmed and deafened as Greyson told her what happened. Tala was gone. Her heart stopped. Her organs failed. She lost too much blood. Tala lost her life because of her. Tala was dead because she couldn't protect herself. She seemed unphased at first, uncaring that many other people were entering Abigail's room. Nolan watched, skeptically, as Marisol didn't react.

Until she did. Until her eyes filled with tears. Until she paled.

"I-I don't feel so well," she said softly as her legs gave away. Greyson caught her before she hit the ground. She hung her head low and scoffed to herself as her hand palmed her stomach. She felt a twinge under her skin. A flutter. A movement. She smiled somewhat through the commotion and pain. Her babies were moving as her beloved dog died. There must have been some type of irony or lesson there.

After a few hours of laying down next to her mate, she finally sat up and felt his hand run through her hair. His thumb wiped her tears.

"Talk to me," he whispered.

"She died because of me."

"No, Marisol–"

"Yes, yes she did."

"No, it wasn't your fault. She's part wolf, Marisol. It is in her blood to protect her pack. You, the babies, Brad, Emilia, all of you were her family."

"Maybe if I could see none of this would have happened."

"But then you wouldn't have had Tala."

Marisol laid her head on his shoulder as she cried. "I don't think I can sleep in this room anymore. He-I...Greyson, I'm so sorry, I...I kissed him."

"I know," he said with a grim expression. "But I know why you did. You aren't to blame. We'll move, then Marisol. I can build us a home on our land or find one close by...we can start over."

She nodded as Grey gently rubbed her back. "She needs a funeral. She was a good dog."

"And an even better wolf."

❥

It could rain. She was sure of it. She could smell it. The sounds of horns blaring through the sky made her skin crawl even though she knew it was a symbol of honor. She was told the entire pack had come to honor Tala.

Good. She deserved that.

She couldn't see the casket or Tala who laid in it. She couldn't see the people around her. She couldn't see anything. Just blackness. Greyson must have laid a flower down because his arm wrapped around her again. She knew someone was lowering the wooden box into the ground, but it didn't matter. Tala would live on in memory.

She liked to think that Tala was in some kind of wolfy heaven. That she was running in a field of poppies, doing what she loved. She liked to think that Tala found a mate and had some beautiful puppies of her own.

Did she take Tala's life? She felt like she had. Marisol turned around, walking through the field with her mate. She stopped for a second, turning her head. She didn't know why.

A young woman stood, a fragment of a memory by the tree-line. She smiled softly, walking toward Marisol. She couldn't be seen. She wasn't there. She wasn't alive. She was lying in the ground.

She rubbed her head against Marisol's, purring softly as calmness surrounded her.

Marisol could feel the breeze go through her hair.

"I'll be okay," she whispered.

❥

After Marisol took a few days off, she decided that her life had to continue. That didn't mean that she didn't cry often still. She found herself desperately missing her pup.

Marisol trudged through the door of the home and set down here briefcase somewhere. She could feel that someone else was around her, but she didn't bother to ask. Nolan and Abigail remained quiet as they saw their Alpha standing by the stairs.

"Could you give us a second?"

"Of course," Abigail said. She gave Marisol a quick hug before disappearing somewhere with her mate. Greyson cleared his throat and made his way to her, slowly. "We haven't had time together lately."

"We've been busy," she responded, feeling his hands gently grip her arms.

"Or maybe we just forgot for a split second why we are here."

"What do you mean?"

"Take a walk with me."

"I'm kinda tired, Grey–"

"The doctor said you should get some exercise. Just for a little bit."

Marisol sighed, smiling softly. She missed him. She missed how they used to be. She missed when she didn't have a care in the world. Grey must have been excited because she could hear him chuckle as he grabbed her waist, taking her out of the house.

When Marisol almost tripped over the third twig, she finally stopped and turned to her mate. "Where are you taking me?"

Greyson picked her up, taking her off her feet. She giggled, resting her head on his chest. "I thought the point of this walk was to workout."

"Yeah, well, you're a little bit of a klutz."

Marisol feigned hurt, whacking his arm. "You're wrong," she started, "I'm a big klutz."

"Besides, we can find other ways to workout."

"Was that an innuendo?"

He answered with a chuckle as he carried her through his packland. They must have gotten to the desired place because he warned her that he'd be putting her down. She landed with a louder the usual thud on her feet. She could hear something swish in the wind, but it was only when Greyson pulled her into his lap that she realized it was a blanket. Her eyes widened with a smile. "A picnic?"

"I'm not the greatest chef, so I asked my mom to pack something for us."

She placed her hand on his with a small smile. She could tell he was a little nervous about whether she'd like it. "I love it. This is really sweet."

"Wait, I'm not done yet."

She could hear something turn on, and her grin widened as the opening sequence of her favorite movie began. "You did not rent Breaking Dawn!"

"Of course not. I bought it."

Marisol laughed, resting her head on his shoulder as he unpacked her healthy meal. She groaned, pushing her cabbage around in her plate. "I cannot wait until I can eat normally again."

"You can eat normally. Just no caffeine, no sushi, no processed junk foods, no unpasteurized dairy, and no alcohol."

"And yet why can I smell a sushi roll?"

Greyson sheepishly put down his wrap. "Well I can still eat good food."

She smiled, taking his wrap and throwing it somewhere. "No buckaroo, if I can't eat something, you can't either."

"Harsh. Fine, then I get to gain pregnancy weight too."

She laughed, shaking her head. He would never stop working out. As the first part came to a closing, Marisol was laying on Grey's lap listening to the movie conclude. He was happily feeding her chocolate strawberries, insisting that she could break her meal plan sometimes. She enjoyed the sweet taste of chocolate on her lips.

"Delicious," she chimed.

He leaned down, kissing her. "You had chocolate on your face."

"Mhm, that's why you kissed me. I think you should make sure it's all gone."

He smiled again, kissing her. When he pulled away, he started running his hand through her hair. "There was another reason why I wanted to take this walk."

"Why's that?"

She could hear something jingle, and she sat up. He grabbed her hand and she could feel something cold land in her palm. "What is this?"

"Feel it."

She opened her palm, feeling the metallic piece with something attached with it. She smiled as she realized it was dog tags. She started to tear up when she realized it said Tala in braille. She immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he chuckled catching her. "You like it?"

"I love it. C-can you put it on?" She turned around, moving her hair as he strapped the necklace around her.

"Do you want to know something that makes me feel better? I've lost many wolves who were my friends, but we have this...belief that makes me feel better. We believe that a wolf doesn't die, they just are reborn. They're given a new body."

"Tala isn't dead," Marisol said. "She's just somewhere else."

"Mhm and if she hasn't gotten her new body, she will. And one day we'll be somewhere and you'll just know. You'll feel her again."

"That does make me feel better. Thank you."

"Lay down. Let's watch the other part. It's still warm out, but are you cold?"

"I'm a little cold. I think you should take off your shirt and warm me up," she said, chuckling.

"Well, I can't let my mate get cold, now can I?" He food off his shirt and laid down again on the blanket with his mate in his arms.

And while the pain was still there, while she felt guilty, while she knew things might get worse, he helped. He made pain so incredibly beautiful.

As Marisol sat on their bed, listening to the sound of the TV, she felt the familiar twinge in her stomach. She stood up quickly and ran down the hall to Grey's office. She didn't bother knocking and she clearly interrupted a conversation but she was so excited for him to feel.

"Marisol?"

"Feel!" Taking his hand, she placed it on her stomach and he stilled for a moment, feeling the light patter of feet. His eyes brightened and he scoffed with excitement.

"They're moving."

"Yes! I can feel their little feet stomping on my stomach!"

Greyson didn't care that his family watched him. He laid his head on her stomach and closed his eyes. Marisol ran her hands gently through his hair.

"I-I can hear something."

"What?"

"I don't know what it is...it sounds like a flutter...a blink...?"

Marisol suddenly had a migraine, and she folded herself forward with her hands on her head.

Sorry, I did not read through this chapter :(