Laura's Legacy

by Lilli Carlisle

  “You did this,” Laura accused. “You are responsible for my legacy.”

  “Guilty. I am the one who placed it on your family line. Every second generation in your line will birth a person that will carry on the legacy once the current one, you, reaches your eight-hundredth year. At which point the legacy shall be passed on by you to the new legacy holder.”

  “You still haven’t explained about my pain; is that part of the curse?” Laura asked, because that would make a whole lot of sense.

  “For such a great gift there is a cost. For you the pain you suffer after you heal someone is the cost for your legacy. The gods have watched you grow; Fenrir himself has watched over you. The first time you healed someone and felt the pain afterward, they were there with you. They watched your reaction and the choice you made.”

  “Choice I made?” Laura asked.

  “Yes, sweet girl, you made a choice. You decided whether you’d take the pain to help others. And you did. Despite the pain, you continued to heal others which made you worthy of your legacy.”

  “It was a test?” Laura didn’t know whether to be offended or pissed off.

  “I feel as though I keep saying this but, yes. Your family line is strong and that’s the reason they were willing to take on this responsibility to make sure that the wolf shifters carried on and survived.”

  Laura wasn’t sure how to feel about this new revelation. On one hand, she was given a crucial gift that would ensure the continuation of the wolf shifter species. On the other, the gods watched her suffer for more years then she wanted to remember as she continued to heal others. She looked at Ceva in a new light because the white witch had orchestrated Laura’s entire life.

  Dedric must have noticed her confusion and took over the questioning. “So you are saying that Laura can heal others without pain as long as she’s pregnant but once she delivers our child she will continue to feel pain as she had before?”

  “All will return to as it was.”

  “So in a sense I’m paying for the ability to bring shifter babies into the world,” Laura said.

  “Would you change a thing if you had the chance?” Ceva asked, her expression completely serious.

  Laura thought about it; would she change her life if she had the chance? Images of the people she helped over the years raced through her mind followed by the mothers whose babies she helped bring into the world. Would she choose not to help them? Hell no.

  She answered with absolute certainty. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  Ceva smiled wide as she nodded her head. “I knew you would answer that way. You are as selfless as your ancestors.”

  “So, this will be our lives?” Dedric asked with a huff. “When Laura is pregnant she’ll be able to use her legacy powers and heal people without pain. When she’s not pregnant she’ll be able to use her legacy powers but will feel pain when she heals people?”

  Laura felt a moment of fear. Would Dedric turn her away if this were their future? Was he regretting mating with her?

  Ceva’s attitude changed in an instant and she pinned Dedric with her piercing gaze. Laura felt the tension rise in the room and couldn’t sit there and wait for a possible rejection. She stood and walked away. The last thing she saw was Ceva stopping Dedric from following her.

  Laura could feel her heart racing as she walked into their bedroom. She thought Dedric understood what he was getting into when they decided to mate but by the sound of that question perhaps he hadn’t. Confused, she sat down on their bed and tried to calm a bit.

  The scent of sulfur was her only warning before her world went dark.

  Dedric stood to follow his mate but was quickly stopped by Ceva. Something was wrong and he had no idea what it was but he had to fix it.

  “What?” Dedric snapped.

  Ceva’s eyes had turned hard. “Sit, let’s talk.”

  Gabi, Lily and Jennifer stood and walked into the kitchen. Dedric couldn’t figure out what he was missing. But whatever it was, the white witch was serious, so he sat.

  “If you had a problem with Laura’s gifts you should have said something before the mating ceremony,” Ceva stated in a harsh tone. “If you can’t or won’t stand beside her through everything then I will take her to Black Ridge with me.”

  Dedric stood, furious at the threat. “No one will take my mate from me. I will kill anyone who tries.” He knew he was making a direct threat to a powerful white witch, but he didn’t care.

  Ceva’s eyes squinted as she looked at him as if he was some sort of puzzle. “You’re the one who huffed out, ‘So this will be our lives?’ when Laura was already feeling vulnerable. You made it sound as though you were upset by the fact that she had these gifts.”

  “Of course I’m upset. I don’t want my mate in any pain, ever.” How was that so hard to understand? “I watch her suffer and I beg the gods to give me her pain instead, but they never listen.”

  “You would take the pain for her?”

  “In a heartbeat. If you can make that so, I beg you to do it.” Dedric really needed to get to his mate and explain. His comment had been taken wrong. “I love my mate and would stand beside her through hell if need be.”

  The girls in the kitchen stuck their heads out. “So you’re not rejecting her?” Gabi asked.

  “Of course not. I treasure her. I would die without my mate.” Dedric stated as strongly as he could before walking to their bedroom.

  Ceva suddenly stood and growled, showing off her impressive fangs.

  Great,” Dedric thought. “What have I done now?

  “Sulfur. Dark magic is in the house.”

  Dedric took off at a sprint down the hall and didn’t stop until he stood in their empty bedroom. “Laura? Laura, where are you?”

  Ceva raced in behind him, her eyes shining gold along with her hands as if ready for a battle. Dedric turned to search the entire house when two dark witches appeared before them. Dedric readied to attack but Ceva stopped him in midstride. “Wait.”

  The witches were in a standoff of sorts, two dark against one white, the smell of sulfur filling his senses and making him cough. One witch had sunken, empty sockets where her eyes were supposed to be, and the other stood on a mechanical leg made out of wood and metal. This had to be Ula and Ethne, the original witches who set the curse on the wolf shifters.

  “What have you done with my mate?” Dedric growled. He had no problem tearing these two apart to find out.

  “Oh, she’s safe for the moment. Isn’t that right, Ceva?” Ethne stated as her head bobbed from side to side, staring straight at Ceva even without eyes.

  “You will not be able to harm her; she’s protected.” Ceva countered.

  “A spell that will be easily broken in time. Then this legacy shall die with her.” Ula laughed as she stabbed the tip of her pointed fake leg into the hardwood floor.

  “What do you want?” Dedric asked. There had to be something.

  The sisters looked at each other before Ethne said, “For all wolf shifters to suffer and die out. You dirty beasts don’t deserve to live, and we’ll start with your mate so that the legacy is lost along with all hope.”

  Dedric attacked. He’d been pushed too far. When he got within a foot of the sisters he was thrown back, crashing against the far wall but he still managed to land on his feet. He spun to attack again but the sisters were gone and so was his chance to find his mate.

  Shit.

  Chapter Twelve

  The sound of water dripping was maddening but Laura refused to open her eyes and alert her captors that she was awake. She’d been trying to teleport out of here since she woke up but it hadn’t worked. Laura was stuck wherever she was until Dedric found her, and he would find her even if he were having second thoughts about their mating.

  The mattress she was lying on smelled of mold, dirt and somebody else’s blood. Not a good sign for her future. The occasional gust of fresh air broke up the scent of a decaying body nearby. She estimated whateve
r or whoever it was had been dead a couple days.

  Over the last few hours, she’d heard two women arguing incessantly. First, it was about what to do with her, kill her outright or use her as a sacrifice for a spell. Then they went on to fight about whether or not to wake her up, and finally, they argued about which sister had sacrificed more for their cause. By the end of it, they had said their names multiple times and she knew these were the witches that cursed the wolf shifters. Ceva had said it was heartbreak that led to the curse. Laura wondered what kind of heartache drove them to it.

  The sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts. “You might as well open your eyes. We know you’re awake.”

  Laura knew they’d eventually figure it out, so she opened her eyes and looked at the blind woman on the other side of her cage. She looked around and noticed she was lying on a thin mattress thrown on the rocky cave floor. The area around her was dark and dirty. She wondered why dark wizards and witches always had to live in the creepiest places.

  “Are your lodgings acceptable, almighty legacy wielder?”

  “Somehow I’m guessing you really don’t care what my answer is.” Laura wouldn’t back down to these vile creatures who killed innocent babies with their curse.

  “Ah, this one has a bit of a bite. Bad mutt,” she scolded. Laura wasn’t surprised by the put down and didn’t even bother to react. “You won’t be so smug once we remove the protection spell from you. You’ll be just like the rest of your kind, begging for your pathetic life.”

  “So which one are you? Ula or Ethne?” Laura asked, completely ignoring the threat.

  “I am Ethne, oldest of the Fire sisters,” she announced as though it was of great importance.

  “Yeah, you’re the blind one, and your sister, Ula, is missing a leg. Got it.” Laura waved her hand dismissively. If these two wanted their egos enlarged, it wouldn’t be coming from her.

  “You speak bravely for someone who is going to die.”

  “I’m not dead yet.”

  “Only a matter of time,” Ethne said and then waved her hand as Laura had done. For someone who’s supposed to be blind she certainly could see well. Good to know. “Sleep well, mutt. We start working on you tomorrow.”

  Ethne laughed as she and Ula walked away until Laura could no longer hear them. Laura opened her senses until she was sure she was alone. All around her was rock; she tried to call the wind to her but there was so little fresh air she couldn’t summon enough in this small section of the cave she was in.

  Laura tried a different one of her omega abilities and placed her palms against the rock beneath her. The permeability of the rock wasn’t the best but it might be good enough if given time. She could feel the living plants and roots around her. Even the moss on the cave walls responded to her call. If she could get a few large roots to the surface, she could use them as defense to buy her more time or give her a chance to escape. It would take time and she didn’t know how much of that she had left.

  She rested one of her palms on her stomach and swore to protect her baby no matter the cost.

  Dedric, my love, we need you.

  Dedric bolted out of his chair scaring the remaining people around the table. He’d heard her, he knew he did. “Laura?”

  Ceva and the king were by his side in seconds. “Do you hear her?” Ceva asked.

  “Yes, she’s calling for me.” Dedric’s heart was breaking. His mate was out there all alone and calling for him, and he was powerless to help.

  “Good…good, we can use that to search for her,” King Leonidas announced.

  “We can? How? Show me so I can find her.” Dedric would grovel if he had to. He needed his mate back.

  “It’s not a simple as that,” Ceva stated.

  “It never is, is it?” Dedric growled in frustration. Laura had been missing for over twenty-four hours and his patience had worn thin hours ago. He needed to be out there searching, doing something, anything instead of sitting around his dining room table discussing strategy.

  Samson was by his side while General Jensgar and Drune prepared the warriors to retrieve their omega. The pack had been distraught after learning their omega had been taken. Their fear turned into anger, which was a mighty thing. The pack would fight for Laura, no doubt. Dedric had taken the opportunity to inform the pack that Laura was pregnant with their first child. Not exactly the way they had planned to do it, but once he got his mate back they could throw a party to celebrate. Because he was getting his mate and baby back safe and sound—there was no other option.

  Dedric looked around the room at the people who had come to help: Ceva, the king, Aldric, Helena, Joseph, Rowl and Karli, Doc and a band of white witches who had helped find and rescue Ceva when she was taken by her father to be a sacrifice to his evil plans. Dedric was thankful to each and every one of them and knew the power each one brought with them. The pack had rallied and prepared for any battle that might end up on pack lands. Gabi, Lily and Jennifer kept a constant flow of food and coffee to the people gathered. Dedric knew Laura would have been so proud of their pack.

  “Okay, let’s have a seat and we’ll work on homing in on Laura,” Ceva suggested and the three sat back down. “Now I need you to concentrate as hard as you can on your mate. Picture her in your mind. Try to reach for her—talk to her.

  Dedric did as Ceva instructed. He pushed as hard as he could but nothing happened, not even a sense of her. He was failing his mate. Images of her holding their baby flashed through his mind, urging him on. His precious mate was depending on him to save them. He would not disappoint them.

  Laura, love. Where are you? I’m trying to find you, baby.

  Dedric. He sensed her in his mind for a split second and it was gone, but it had been enough to get a general idea of where she was.

  “I had her. I know she is to the north of us deep inside the earth,” Dedric announced, feeling slightly better at having been able to reach his love. He would keep trying until he found her.

  “That’s what happened to me when we were looking for Ceva,” Lothar explained. “I was only able to sense a tiny bit, but with white witches’ help I was able to break through to reach her and teleport to that location.” He spoke with confidence.

  “How long did that take?” Dedric asked.

  Lothar wouldn’t meet his eyes when he said, “A couple days.”

  “Days! What if we don’t have days? What if they’re hurting her and our baby right now?” Dedric knew that logically the baby was only a group of cells at this point, but it was still his child.

  The room filled with calm and he knew all the omegas were trying to help, but he didn’t want calm. He wanted action.

  “They won’t be able to hurt her magically or physically,” Ceva announced. “The moment I sensed something was wrong I placed a protection ward on her and your unborn child. It should buy us enough time to find her.”

  “How strong are these wards?” Dedric asked.

  “Strong enough to keep two dark witches at bay, I assure you.”

  Dedric nodded, feeling a bit better knowing his mate wasn’t suffering, but still on edge. “I need to take a walk in the forest, to clear my mind and try again.”

  “Good idea, take some time, let your senses free and see what happens,” King Leonidas agreed.

  Before anyone could say another word, Dedric turned and walked out of the house. The sun was starting to rise as he made his way to the gardens. Laura had loved spending time here and he hoped that would help when he tried to reach her again.

  It was killing him to think that they had spent their last moments together with Laura believing he was having reservations about their mating. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. The only concern he had was the pain level she would suffer every time she healed someone. He would stand with his mate through anything they threw at them. His love was strong and sure. He prayed Laura knew that.

  He walked aimlessly through the flowers and fruit trees, no destination in mi
nd, simply trying to connect to his love. His heart and body ached to have his mate in his arms again. Dedric turned the corner and found himself in the tiny private garden where Laura had recently delivered a healthy baby boy and saved the mother.

  Dedric was shocked to find he wasn’t alone so early in the morning. Rion stood with his back turned, staring at the spot where his mate had delivered their son and his mate’s life was saved. Rion quickly turned when he sensed Dedric.

  “I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Dedric said before turning to walk away.

  “No, Alpha Dedric, you’re not interrupting. In fact I was asking the gods to help you in your search for your mate,” Rion replied before lowering his head. “She’s the only reason I have my family today. I don’t want to see anything happen to her.”

  Dedric was struck by the sincerity in Rion’s voice. “Care to join me?” Dedric asked as he pointed to a nearby table and chairs.

  “Are you sure, Alpha?”

  “Yes,” he answered. It may seem strange to others but it felt calming being with the last person his mate had helped.

  They sat both staring into the lush gardens. Laura loved this place and he’d often find her here. He’d give anything to have her here by his side. He would get his mate back no matter what it took.

  “I remember a time not long ago that even dreaming about having a mate and a future was dangerous. Our former alpha ruled with an iron fist, and we all lived in fear,” Rion explained. “When Alpha Joseph, Beta Rowl and Omega Karli came to take over the pack there was fear, but hope as well. I was over three hundred years old and afraid to bring another life into the hell we were living. Our new alpha triad had changed that and Amirelle and I mated with new hopes for our future. Amirelle became pregnant quickly afterward, but then there was the curse to contend with. We’d fought for so long to have the right to be a family and I could have lost it all if it weren’t for your mate.”

  Dedric thought over what Rion had said. Without Laura, shifters would lose hope of having a healthy baby and creating a family. She not only meant the world to Dedric but the entire wolf shifter population as a whole. He’d only been thinking how her disappearance had affected him, his feelings, his fears, and he felt humbled. There were families out there desperate for her help, praying right at this moment for her safety.