by Idella Breen
“Just offer yourself up to my every whim and we can call it even.” The werewolf gave a wolfish grin.
“And then you go and say something like that, and I realize that no one else wanted you, and that I’m actually stuck with you.”
Cait frowned at the insult. “Fine, then I won’t help you.”
“ Wait, I take it back.”
“Nope, too late.”
“Cait!”
“Nope.”
“Please! My adult life is on the line.”
The werewolf looked thoughtful for a moment, then walked closer, so that they were standing side by side. “If you give me a kiss, I might reconsider.”
Snow smiled and reached up to plant her lips briefly on the older woman’s, before pulling away and hobbling forward.
“You’re such a tease sometimes.” Cait murmured.
“You’re stuck with me too.” The girl called, as she reached the front door and rang the bell.
The werewolf smiled and crossed the short distance to the door. She got a brief whiff of peppermint and felt herself relax. It was Snow’s own unique scent. She paused for a moment at something else in the scent. Something different. Like a spice of some type, mingled in, with the girl’s natural scent. She was pulled from her werewolf moment when Gwen pulled her into the house impatiently. “ About damn time you too geezers got here. The boys started training without you. Their out back-“
Cait interrupted the omega. “Does Snow smell different to you?”
Gwen pause and sniffed before frowning. “No, not really. Why?”
“Nothing. It must be my imagination.”
Gwen shrugged. “Well come on or I’ll make you roast me some marshmallows.”
The redhead rolled her eyes. “You’ll make me do that anyway.”
Gwen smirked. “You know me so well. I’m honored.”
Cait smirked and followed the omega out to the backyard that had turned into their unofficial training grounds. Remus had insisted that they continue to train at least twice a month. Despite Dian’s success at the election and taking the position of queen of the dark bloods, there were still many rouge vampires roaming the streets looking for a meal, and Remus thought it beneficial that they be able to defend themselves.
Cait agreed wholeheartedly with this and found the monthly meetings to be a guilty pleasure. She had finished her work as a Captain of Integra’s guard and had resumed her work as a teacher at Monster High School. She would never admit it to anyone besides Snow, but she had missed the kids, and teaching in general. There was something about pushing children past their limitations and helping them break barriers in learning that was deeply satisfying, and rewarding all at the same time.
Cait smiled as she watched Snow freeze one of the younger werewolf’s legs, after he tried to push her over. Snow was looking a bit chubbier around the middle. Cait mused. Maybe she should cut the girl off of so many sweets before bedtime. The brunette had probably been sneaking a chocolate bar or two into their room at night. Regretfully, the werewolf had woke a few times to several chocolate stains on her pajamas. She would seriously need to speak with the girl about it, but for now, she was just happy things had settled back into normal everyday life.
The redhead sighed. Everything was back to normal. Almost perfect. So why did she feel like something was missing from it all?
***
Cait woke to being jostled suddenly and thrown out of bed. A door slammed shut waking her from a deep sleep. Then the sound of retching followed and she was jumping out of bed as well and running to the bathroom. She grabbed the girl’s brunette and white locks of hair, holding them out of her face. This was the third time this week. Cait was convinced Snow had contracted some type of stomach bug, but what was so strange was that it only affected her in the morning. The rest of the day she was fine. Just last night the girl had devoured an entire pizza. Quite the feat for someone so small.
“It’s okay babe. Just let it all out.” Cait cooed as she rubbed circles on the girl’s back and grimaced at the smell. That’s it, she was taking Snow to see the doctor today. She was going to take a sick day at work, lord knew she had plenty of them. She would just call Remus directly and explain it to him.
Snow retched again, followed by a whimper. She would do it after she safely tucked the girl back into bed.
***
“Hey, Remus?” Cait said into the cellphone as she rubbed Snow’s belly. The girl was drifting in and out of sleep but the rubbing seemed to help settle her stomach a little.
“Cait? What’s the matter?”
“I need to call in a sick day. Snow isn’t feeling well and I need to take her to see a doctor.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
Cait sighed. “I don’t know. She seems to have a stomach bug, but it’s the strangest thing.”
“What is?”
“It only affects her in the morning. Have you ever heard of something like that?”
The other end of the line was silent for a moment and Cait wondered if the other werewolf had hung up on her. “Remus?”
“Sorry Cait, but let me ask you a strange question?”
“Okay, but make it quick. I need to call in an appointment for Snow.”
“I think I can help you with that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Has Snow smelt different to you lately by any chance? Like another smell blended in with her own natural one?”
Cait paused. “Umm, yeah actually. How did you know that?”
Remus mumbled to himself. “How could this have happened?”
“Remus? How could what have happened.”
“Cait, don’t take Snow to the hospital. I’m sending Gwen over there.”
“What can Gwen do?”
“Just trust me Cait. Gwen is exactly who you need right now, if my hunch is correct. Just do one thing for me?”
“What?”
“Try not to kill anyone.”
“What?” The redhead asked but the line went dead. She pulled the phone back to glare at it. What had he meant by that last statement? Cait shrugged and bent down to kiss Snow’s forehead. She should make the girl a cup of tea. It would help settle her stomach when she woke again.”
***
There was a knock at her apartment door and Cait answered it, still dressed in her pajamas. Gwen’s grinning face greeted her and she sighed, letting the woman in. “What is this all about Gwen?”
The omega pat her on the back. “I won’t know until I get a whiff of Snow.”
The redhead folded her arms, but sighed and turned. “Fine, come on. The sooner you do this, the sooner Snow will feel better.”
“Yep.”
Cait led Gwen back to her bedroom and opened the door. Snow was sitting up in bed drinking from a mug. As soon as Gwen entered the room a frown marred her features. “Huh.”
The redhead turned back to her. “What does that mean?”
Gwen took a step back from Cait and held up her hands. “Now Cait. There is something I’m going to tell you, but rest assured, it’s yours. I can tell by the smell.”
Cait frowned. “Gwen, what on earth are you talking about. First Remus and now you? What is going on here.”
The omega took a deep breath then answered. “Snow is pregnant.”
Silence engulfed the room as Cait stared at Gwen. “What?”
“I said Snow is-“
“I heard what you said!” Cait yelled.
“Calm down Cait.” The omega took another step back.
“How can she be pregnant? How is that possible?”
“It’s your baby.” Gwen assured, as she saw the clogs in the werewolf’s head moving.
“But-“
“I’m pregnant?” Snow whispered.
Gwen turned to her and smiled. “Yes, I can tell by your scent. I have dealt with enough pregnant women to know what it smells like and I’m one hundred percent sure. You have the spice in your scent.”
Cait wa
s mimicking a fish out of water as her mind tried again and failed to comprehend what was happening. “How is it possible?”
Gwen shrugged. “It’s a miracle. I’m also one hundred percent sure that it’s your baby. The scent signature matches both of you making you a proud momma!” Gwen clapped.
“It doesn’t make any sense.” The redhead whispered to herself.
Suddenly, there was another knock at the front door. Cait looked up at Gwen questioningly but the omega simply shrugged and hopped over to where Snow was sitting in the bed. The redhead left the bedroom and answered the door. Standing in front of her was Yu, the witch from Remus’s land.
“What are you doing here?” Cait asked in shock.
“I have come to deliver a message.” Yu smiled softly.
“What message?”
“How about I come in and tell you. I’m sure you are having quite the eventful morning today.”
The werewolf frowned but stepped aside letting the witch inside. Yu looked expectantly at her.
“What?”
“Well, lead me to your other half. The message is for both of you.”
Cait nodded, bewildered, and made the trip back to her bedroom.
“Yu, what are you doing here?” Gwen asked as she stood from where she had been kneeling next to the bed speaking with Snow.
The witch met Snow’s gaze and gave her a toothy grin. “My, how beautiful you are this time around.”
Snow frowned at her. Cait rounded on her. She had enough of this. It didn’t help that the witch knew how to get on her nerves. “Yu, what is this all about? Do you know how Snow is pregnant?”
Yu turned to Cait and grabbed both of her hands lifting them up so that the palms were facing up. “First things first. Cait Fallon, I renounce the name of your first born. It is once again your’s to command.”
With those words, the werewolf felt a power settle on her, but it was gone as soon as it had come. Yu swung around to face Snow once more.
“Now then, I expect you have many questions, and I have many answers, but alas I have very little time, so first let me get the important things out of the way. The child is born of both the Fallon and Bennett blood. She is your’s wholly and truly. I called her into being when I owned her name. She is the final gift to which I owed you as a debt. I gave you an eternal life. Now I give to you a life to love eternally. She will complete the prophecy. As you two have brought about a new era of peace, this child will bring about an eternal love. Treat her kindly and you will be fulfilled.”
With that a gust of wind came seemingly from nowhere, and wrapped around the witch, and she was gone. Everyone remained silent and still. No one daring to move. No one except Gwen.
“So chick flicks and pizza anyone?”
Epilogue
9 months later
Monitors were beeping wildly while Gwen was barking out orders. “Cait, hold her hand. Snow, you need to push on the count of three. I need you to give it all you got. She’s almost out!”
Cait wiped the girl’s forehead. It was drenched in sweat. Snow’s grip on her hand was bone breaking but she wouldn’t let her go even if Gwen told her to. Her babe was in pain.
“On the count of three!”
“Ahh,” Snow yelled.
“One!”
The girl’s grip tightened in preparation for the final push.
“Two!”
Cait cooed in her ear. “I got you babe. You can do this.”
“Three! Push!”
“Ahh!” Snow cried out and she pushed with every working muscle in her body. It was painful, tense, it felt like she was being split in two. Then, there was a release, followed by a beautiful baby’s wail. The wail of new life. The cord was snipped and Gwen turned around.
“You did it. Babe. You did it.” Cait whispered in the girl’s ear as she stroked her hair and waited for Gwen to clean the baby’s ears and nose.
When the omega turned around with a bundle in her arm, Cait felt tears trail down her cheeks. Gwen gently placed the baby girl in her arms and she looked down at the sleeping bundle of joy. Cait brought the child over and placed her in her mother’s arms. Snow was crying as she kissed the little girl on the head. When she looked up to meet Cait’s gaze there was so much love in her eyes. “What shall we call her?” Snow whispered.
“Elena. Elena Marie Fallon. Our daughter.” Cait kissed her on the lips and turned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“The pack will want to know!” Cait cheered as she raced out of the makeshift hospital, stripping her clothes off as she ran outside, and leapt into air phasing mid stride, and landing on all fours. She lifted her head to the full moon and sang a new song.
“I sing a song of victory, happiness, and love. Today, a new pup is born, a family made. The Fallon’s are strong, we will live long, and we will never fade away. I welcome Elena Marie Fallon to the pack. She will add to our strength. Let her hear your welcome!”
The wolves of Lander raised their muzzles and answered in jovial songs.
“Praise Fallon! Praise Lander! Welcome home Elena Fallon!”
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Hello Everyone,
I hope you all enjoyed the book as much as I enjoyed writing it! I originally wasn’t planning on writing a second book to Blood Bound, but after reading so many comments and reviews, I realized that there needed to be another book for all of you! As I started writing, the characters came to life once more, and I realized I had unconsciously left some little nuggets to be explored in this second book. I really hope I did all of you justice and gave you the book you wanted to read. If not, well I’m sorry about that. There will be more books in the future, but I believe Cait and Snow’s story has been told, though I’m not ruling anything out yet. Leave a review and tell me what you thought. If you’re not comfortable leaving a review you can always message me on Facebook or email me at ( [email protected]). I hope to hear from you!
Thank you,
Idella Breen
Fire& Ice Series
Blood Bound
Soul Awakened