Birthright: Book 2: Know Thy Enemy

by Bella Colt

  I start to run towards the gates but hit the dirt face first, all four legs buckling underneath me when my body is racked with pain. Every muscle and joint are seizing in unison, I yelp out loud in distress. It feels as if my body is being pushed and pulled into every direction at once. Growling through it, I force myself to stand up and start running again. Amara... this must be her, the amount of pain she is suffering, but how? Trying to push the pain aside to remember what Raina said about her having to remain unconscious because the pain can be strong enough to kill her. Then, this must be her waking up. The thought causes me to howl as I run. I hear a howl in response as my dad appears catching up to my pace, running alongside me as we make our way around the wall towards the gates.

  Chapter 4

  Cassius

  Leaving Mason unconscious, back some distance, I make my way through the underbrush. I make it to the small dugout area with the circular door in front of me. I’m just grabbing the handle to pull it open when noise from the other side stops me dead in my tracks. I lean forward until my nose is up against the door, and I inhale deeply, trying to get a sense of how many wolves are on the other side. Assuming my nose and ears are right, there are only two unshifted males currently out there.

  Mother fuck! Can I not catch a break ever in my life? I need to come up with a distraction or a quick way to incapacitate them. Looking around the makeshift room, I see that there are a few liquor bottles that are still half full, a lighter, and a pack of old cigarettes. Well, shit, I think I can use these. Hmmm... I could do a Molotov cocktail, maybe? Looking around for a rag that can be used for a wick, but I can’t find anything. Deciding to improvise, I rip two long strips from the bottom of my shirt and wad them up, placing one in each of the tops of the liquor bottles.

  Grabbing the lighter, I strike it a few times to make sure it will still light. After a few successful attempts, I thank God for the longevity of Bic lighters. I hold my breath and pray for luck as I light the makeshift wicks and head for the door. Swinging the door open as quickly as I can, I throw a lit bottle towards the feet of each one of the wolves standing to the left and right before I bolt out of the door and make a run for it.

  Screams are all I can hear as I run past a man-sized ball of flame. Definitely hit at least one of them. Not looking back to see if anyone’s chasing after me, I run as fast as I can on two legs as I head into the woods. It isn’t until I hear running water that I realize that I ran straight to the waterfall. Stopping long enough for a quick breath, I look around and don’t see either of the oafs that were guarding the door. It seems like I wasn’t followed. The one that didn’t get hit must be taking care of the human torch. Lucky me! I turn towards the base of the waterfall to continue my escape when a pair of yellow-green eyes emerging from out the line of trees catches my gaze. SHIT!

  Chapter 5

  Declan

  Lifting my lips, I bare my teeth at Cassius in a snarl. I can feel my rage boiling at the surface as I pad slowly towards him. His face is pale, and his eyes are widening as big as saucers, unable to conceal his fear. I watch him closely as his eyes dart from side to side, he has to realize there is nowhere he can run. I growl loud and snap my jaw in warning as he plants his left foot and shifts his weight away from me, getting ready to make a run for it. Keeping less than two feet of space in between us, I wait, knowing he has no other option but to fight.

  I watch closely as he begins violently shaking as his muscles start convulsing, and he begins to shift into his dirty blond wolf. The process is slower than it should be, though, and he looks like he’s struggling and in pain. Like he’s fighting with himself to complete the shifting process, it takes him close to four minutes to complete his change.

  ‘Why?’ Is all that I can manage to yell at him now that we can communicate.‘We’ve never seen eye-to-eye, but you are still family! Why do all of this and take Amara? What do you gain? There has to be a reason for all of this.’

  ‘Ha, ha, ha!’ He laughs so hard it’s almost a cackle. ‘Why? Hmm, how about just because!’ Chuckling even more now, he reveals his teeth giving me his crooked wolf smile.

  ‘No, but seriously, how do you not know why? I hate you, you, and your perfect family! Now with your perfect little mate! You all disgust me! Even before I ever came here, it’s always been, “Be more like Bentley, or Bentley does it this way.”

  ‘After he died, it immediately changed from Bentley to Declan. I should not be compared to you or your dead brother, EVER! I know who I am, and I’m better than all of you!’

  ‘You’ve got to be kidding me, all of this because you’re a jealous little bitch! Grow some balls and man up! You don’t like your life; you do whatever you can to change it! Regardless of life or circumstance, you are the only one that holds power to affect that change ... not that it matters anymore. You won’t get that chance now!’ I yell, baring my fangs as I snarl and snap at him. There’s an instant shift in his demeanor. It causes my hair to stand on end, from the back of my neck down to my tail.

  ‘You know this waterfall holds some important memories for me... maybe it will be the one lucky thing for me, and I can get rid of both O’Connell boys here.’ He states calm and evenly.

  ‘What did you say?’ I growl gnashing my teeth.

  ‘Oh, you know, get rid of both brothers! In fact, I just recently disposed of my “fated” mate here as well not too long ago. So yes, I’m confident I can get rid of you here also before I’m on my way. It’s too bad though that I couldn’t see Amara off too!’

  Inhaling deeply in and out while I listen to his taunts, I feel my nostrils flare every time I inhale. Trying hard to control the burning rage that is overcoming me, gets harder with every passing second.

  ‘Calm down! He’s baiting you, trying to make you edgy and irrational so he can have the upper hand.’ Wolf advises me as I move closer to him. He watches my movements and starts to mirror them by stepping back. ‘You need him to lose his focus...take the control he thinks he has!’

  ‘Raina?’ I ask, and that catches him by surprise, and his steps slow, knowing this could be my only chance.

  ‘What? How could you know that name?’ He yells bewildered.

  ‘Because she’s alive, Mason rescued her!’ I growl right before I jump at him.

  Cassius quickly realizes his mistake and jumps to his left to avoid me. Instead of latching on to his throat, I catch him by his left shoulder and sink my teeth in, making him howl and whimper in pain. He starts jerking his body, trying to release his shoulder from my grip when he rolls himself on to his back, placing me on top of him.

  Pain shoots out from my stomach as he uses his hind legs to dig in and drag them across my sensitive underbelly. Releasing my grip on him, I jump and roll off before he can get a second deeper strike in, one that’s more than superficial. The instant I’m clear, he’s rolling over and is on his feet growling with his fangs bared as he slowly backs away. Closing the distance between us as I snap and snarl, he starts counteracting my movements. This causes him to go in circles avoiding me, I’m paying attention to my surroundings, looking for an advantage while keeping my eyes focused on him at the same time. About five yards away, I can see some large boulders that could help me if I can back him into that corner.

  Two yards to go, I take a deliberate step straight towards him in an attempt to keep him off balance and from guessing what I’ll do next. He falters, losing his footing on his left side and almost trips over his own paws. Fixing himself immediately, he stops going in circles to starts directly walking backward away from me, favoring his blood-soaked left leg. Perfect! One yard down and one left to go when a distant howl causes my hair on my back to stand up straight.

  Someone is calling for the Alpha, instinct is telling me to run to whoever made the call. Fighting to ignore the impulse, I can feel my skin straining against my muscles as I keep my attention on Cassius. He must realize he is trapped at this point because he starts looking to his left and right in jerky movements try
ing to find a way out.

  Again, we can hear another howl in the distance for the Alpha. Fighting against nature, I force myself to completely ignore it once again as I focus solely on him. Never letting my eyes off Cassius, I get my chance to move when a third howl is heard, and he jerks his head to the direction it’s coming from. No hesitation, I leap into the air at him with my jaws open wide aiming at his neck. The second he notices me move, it’s too late. I bite down and clamp my mouth tight around his throat as I use the momentum from my attack and throw him over with me and back down to the ground as I roll with him. The gurgle, whining, and yelps are barely audible as I place my front paws on his chest and forcefully dig my claws into his soft underbelly. I do this repeatedly like I’m digging a hole, needing him to suffer as much as possible.

  ‘Yes... kill him. Deserves it!’ Wolf giddily celebrates.

  When his entrails are exposed and hanging from his stomach, I lock my jaw while holding him down. With my blood-soaked paws on his chest, I yank my head back as hard as I can until I’m standing over him with his throat in my mouth and his lifeless body unmoving underneath me. Spitting out his neck, I howl triumphantly into the sky!

  Sitting back and inhaling for a moment, I let everything hit me. All this shit that keeps happening because people are jealous or afraid of things they don't know or understand... I still don’t know where she is. I pray to the elders that she’s safe, that our pup is safe. Growling, I walk to the water and put my muzzle down to wash the nasty taste of Cassius’s blood out of the mouth, when I hear the call of that howl again. This time it’s much closer. Not having the energy or desire to respond, I lay down next to the water and continue to pray for Amara.

  Minutes go by when familiar scents hit me, and I hear two wolves come out from the trees behind me.

  "What are you doing? We’ve been calling for you! You need to come home now!" My father yells agitated.

  ‘Why? Amara’s gone.’ I'm so tired I respond without turning around, making my father growl at me.

  ‘Amara’s fine; she’s at your house right now as we speak, being treated by Dr. Adams. I called for you as soon as I found out. First I had to help that poor burned pup.' My father explains as he steps in front of me, looking like he wants to bite me.

  ‘It’s why we’ve been calling for you!’ John adds, looking at the ground where Cassius’s bloody body lies then adding with a smile. ‘Obviously, you were busy.’

  ‘What are we waiting for then!’ I yell as I’m already running towards my house. She’s there, and she’s alive...that all that matters right now. Running as fast as I inhumanly can, I must see her.

  Chapter 6

  John

  "Declan, wait!" I yell, attempting to get his attention while he runs a few yards ahead of Adair and me. Picking up my speed, I catch up to him and yell, "Wait a second, you need to know some things first!" That makes him stop in his tracks.

  "Like what?’ He growls.

  ‘She’s unconscious still, and she has an I.V., and some tubes hooked up to her for support and monitoring. She doesn’t look good, but Dr. Adams assures us that she will be fine!’ The grim look on his face tells me that he is not sure whether he should believe me or not. Nudging his shoulder with my head in a gesture of comfort as I add. "I believe the doctor in this matter... she Will be fine!"

  "Yes, your Mother and I tend to agree with him as well. Amara and your pup Will be fine." Adair chimes in from a few feet behind us as we start walking again.

  "Okay... I get it the Doctor is helping, I’ll be calm! Let’s go I need to see my mate. Like now!" Declan responds as he starts to run again.

  Neither Adair nor I say another word on our way back to his house, reaching it in record time after that. We all phase back as we are greeted by Audrey, who gives each of us a pair of shorts to throw on. Standing at the steps, I decide to hang out outside for a while as I watch Declan, followed by his parents go through the front door.

  Chapter 7

  Dr. Adams

  I’m just checking Amara’s vitals and readouts from the machines when Raina and Brianna stop talking simultaneously and stare at the door. Turning my head, I see our Alpha standing there with the grimmest expression on his face that I have ever seen before. His eyes are cast at the bed where Amara lies unconscious, looking him over he has some dried blood on his face and covering his hands completely. Looking at his bare chest and stomach, there are claw marks across it that is just beginning to heal.

  He slowly walks to the edge of her bed. He falls unceremoniously down on his knees, gently placing his head across her stomach as he inhales deeply. Raina and Brianna slowly and quietly walk out of the room to give him privacy. Without moving from his spot or turning his head, he says.

  “Tell me everything, Doc!”

  “Ummm?” I stutter, confused about whether he wants to know about what happened when we were with Cassius or her condition.

  “Just tell me what’s wrong with her first!” He demands to growl. I clear my throat before I answer him.

  “Nothing that serious, she’s a little dehydrated and hungry, but other than that, she’s physically fine. In fact, I’ll be able to wake her up gradually over the next two days. I assume you know about the pregnancy, and we all know that our women can’t shift while pregnant without risking the pup and themselves. So, she must be put under to save them both. It will save her from the intense pain and the pup from her shifting, both are life-threatening. I’m not entirely sure how her other half has or will affect this pregnancy, but I believe that she and the pup will be fine once she wakes up.” I explain to him everything that I know as clear and calm as I can, praying that he doesn’t want to kill me. Sighing loudly, he grabs her hand as he turns his head to look directly at me.

  “Are you absolutely sure that it's fine?”

  “Yes, I’ve already heard the pup's heartbeat and was actually going to set up my ultrasound machine when you arrived. With your permission, I’ll do it now and then draw some blood to do some more tests to make extra sure all is good with mom and baby.”

  Getting his nod of approval, I leave the room to grab the ultrasound machine and phlebotomy cart for later out of the hallway and wheel them in. Audrey sent a few guards to Medical to grab a bunch of supplies after Adair brought the young man in with severe burns. I made sure I requested a few things like the ultrasound machine.

  Chapter 8

  Declan

  Looking at Amara, my heart is breaking, she seems so fragile. How can she possibly be able to deal with everything that’s happened to her and then to find out about that she’s pregnant? We never even discussed kids! This is too much! She may just get fed up and want to leave me. Uncontrollably my eyes begin to water, my heart feels ten times heavier, and the guilt is cramping my stomach, making me nauseous.

  A noise coming into the room catches my attention, and I bring my head up as I watch the doctor bring a machine on wheels in, closing the door behind him. It looks like a computer, but the screen is a lot larger, and the keyboard is entirely different from a wand looking thing that is hanging at the side. He stops with it right next to the other side of the bed Amara is on. Immediately I growl when he grabs the top part of the sheet, causing him to drop it instantly.

  “I need her stomach exposed!” He jumps to explain.

  “If You would just lower the sheets to her pelvic bone, I’d appreciate it.” He states, clearly not wanting to touch her anymore. Very wise choice doctor, I think, as I lower the sheet as low as I’m comfortable with. I don’t care if he is a medical professional, she’s mine, and no one sees her but me.

  “Okay, this is jelly that I’ll be placing over her belly that helps with receiving clear ultrasound images.” He explains while holding up a bottle that has what appears to be light blue jelly in it. “This wand I’ll be playing against her abdomen to examine the pup and over here.” He says, pointing to the computer monitor. “We will be able to see it and make sure everything is okay and that it
’s healthy. Understand, do you have any questions?” He asks, waiting for me to answer.

  “I understand,” I answer before he squeezes the tube and drops a large amount of the jelly over her soft stomach.

  “Okay, so here we go!” He smiles nervously as he places the wand against her flesh. Immediately I hear a sound that can only be described as water swishing around but also staticky as he moves the rod around. Watching the monitor, I have no idea what I’m seeing, it looks like a bunch of white snow on a screen to me. I’m focusing hard on the screen, trying to decipher its images when I hear the doctor say.

  “Hmmm!”

  “What’s wrong?” I demand a panicky feeling take a seat deep in my stomach, twisting it more into knots.

  “Umm... there are two in there.” He says with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile on his face.

  “Excuse me, what do you mean there are two? Two what?” I ask, bewildered.

  “Congratulations, Alpha! The elders have blessed you with two pups, twins! Look here.” He says, pointing at what looks to be a white bean or something.

  “This is baby A, and over here is baby B.” Moving the wand over just a bit, he hovers over baby B. Completely in shock, I stare in disbelief. Feeling inadequate as a parent already, I don’t see what he is talking about.

  “You’re sure? Twins?”

  “Yes. There’s absolutely no doubt that you’re having twins, sir.” Beaming from ear to ear with a smile, he adds. “It’s rare for us to have twins, consider yourself lucky. However, I will have to talk to her about a scheduled c-section. Trying to deliver two babies will put too much strain on her.”