"Yes, I suppose that was her."
"Alana was trying to kill her own baby?” Jason didn't understand. “What was a baby doing there?"
Once again there was silence. When Glen spoke, his voice was low.
"Rose's baby. She's pregnant, or was pregnant. Cheyenne and Aurora delivered the baby, but Rose—"
"What, wait a minute? Rose is pregnant?” Jason felt a shiver and cold washed all over him. He stared at the wall, not seeing it. His wife, the woman he had left behind on his quest to find himself, was pregnant.
"Not anymore—"
"How? When?"
"She found out about the baby right about the time you left. We're hoping it's yours."
Suddenly, Jason felt sick to his stomach. The baby wasn't his. It was Simon's. Rose had slept with Simon. The baby wasn't his.
It was all too much to handle. Everything swirled around in his head, but none of it was sinking in. He tried to think back. He remembered the day he left, at Claire's memorial. She was dressed in a somber dress suit and she looked upset. There was something she was trying to tell him, but he had left so suddenly. Was that what she was trying to tell him? That she was pregnant?
"This can't be happening. She can't be dying."
"She is, Jason. The baby's fine, but Rose isn't. She had to shift while she was pregnant and it caused her to go into labor. She's lucky she's alive now. She can't hold on for long. Davis and I are on our way there."
"So am I."
"It's about damn time,” Glen said. “We've been waiting for you Jason. Rose is waiting for you."
He hung up, leaving Jason there, holding the phone.
"Rose,” he whispered. He stared at the receiver for a long time before putting it away. Amelia touched his shoulder gently.
"Jason?"
He shrugged her off and turned to look at her.
"My wife is dying,” he said, simply. “She was pregnant. I didn't even know it."
Amelia's hand flew to her mouth to cover her gasp. Jason shook his head. “And I don't even know if it's mine. And now, she's dying. Someone was trying to kill her and they've almost succeeded."
"Jason—” Amelia started but he brushed past her.
"We have to go,” he said. “We have to get there before it's too late."
"But, I don't understand. What do you mean—?"
"I'll explain it on the way. There isn't much time. We have to go.” With that, he walked out of the rest area and down the hill, to the car. Amelia followed and together they left, tearing down the interstate, toward Cheyenne's.
There really wasn't much time. With each passing moment, Jason could feel Rose's life slipping away.
"Amelia, I'm going to tell you everything I know about this situation, but before I do, I want you to promise me something."
"Anything, Jason. What do you need?"
And as they drove, Jason told her.
* * * *
* * * *
They arrived at Cheyenne's just before dawn. The sky was lightening with the sun's rising splendor. But Jason and Amelia didn't have time to marvel at the beauty of it.
Rose needed them.
Jason pulled the car behind Cheyenne's truck in the drive. There were several other vehicles there and Jason was sure they belonged to the other packmates. He glanced to the house as he killed the engine and climbed out. Lights were on in almost every room of the house and he could see shadows moving across the front room window.
"We have to hurry,” Jason told her. “There isn't much time."
Amelia nodded and stepped out with him. Together, they walked the short distance to the porch and climbed up the steps. Glen met them at the door.
The first words out of his mouth were “You look like shit.” Jason took that as a good sign that Rose was still alive. Otherwise, that would've been the first thing he said.
"Who's this?” Glen asked, looking to Amelia suspiciously.
"My mother,” Jason said. Glen raised an eyebrow but he offered no explanation.
"I'll tell you about it later. Right now, there's no time. Where's Rose?"
"Jason,” Glen said, his tone changing. “Rose isn't doing so well. We wanted to get a healer, but our resident physician, Dr. Nesbitt, was shot earlier. She's alive, in critical condition and can't use her healing. Without her, I'm afraid Rose will die."
"What about her were healing? Isn't that helping?"
Glen shook his head. He lowered his head. “I'm afraid not. I know, it doesn't make sense."
"I won't let it happen,” Jason said. “I can't let Rose die.” He grabbed hold of Amelia's arm and pulled her with him up the steps. “Amelia is a witch and so am I, partly. She has healing abilities and I do too. And Aurora, she has them too. Together, the three of us can heal her."
"Aurora?” Glen asked. “How does she fit into this?"
"Amelia is her mother's sister. Aurora will know her when she sees her. Just go, get her. We'll meet where Rose is. We need to heal her, now!” Jason hated that the desperation sounded in his voice, but he was about to lose the one good thing in his life. He couldn't let her die without trying at least.
Glen stepped back and let Jason enter. The house smelled of blood and death and something else he couldn't identify. He could smell the other weres. Davis was here, he recognized his scent and Cheyenne's as well. He saw her on the couch in the living room. She was wearing a tank top, a bandage on her arm. It was soaked through with blood. She didn't look so well.
"Cheyenne was shot by Alana,” Glen explained, leading him through the house. “It's only a flesh wound, but Cheyenne is a changed-blood. It takes her longer to heal."
Jason only nodded. He didn't care. He only wanted to save Rose.
Jason recognized Davis, standing at the end of the hall beside an open door. He could just see the corner of a bed, with someone in it, and the shadow of someone as they crossed the room.
"It's about damn time you came back.” Davis glared at Jason as he approached. He gave Amelia a once over, then looked back to Jason. Jason didn't bother glaring back. There was no time. He pushed past Davis and entered the room.
There she was, on the bed, as pale as death. Her dark hair framed her bruised and scratched face. Her eyes were open and she was looking at Aurora, who stood beside her bed, her back to Jason. Rose's gaze fell on him.
"Jason?” Rose said her voice cracking. “Is it you?"
Aurora turned and Jason saw that in her arms was a small newborn child. His breath caught in his chest. It was true. There was a baby. Rose's baby. Was it his baby?
"It's me,” Jason said as he approached slowly. Amelia stayed behind him, waiting in the doorway.
Jason knelt beside the bed. Rose smiled weakly and moved her hand. He took it and squeezed it. He could almost feel her pain. Someone had hurt her and he hadn't been here to protect her. Tears began to well in his eyes.
"Rose,” he said softly. “I'm sorry I left you. I had to find out who I was and—"
"Jason, it's okay,” Rose said, smiling a little more. “I know you had to do, what you had to do. I'm just glad you're back. You're here.” She paused to take a deep breath. “Have you seen our beautiful daughter?"
Our daughter. She had said “our daughter". Jason felt his heart swell. He looked up at Aurora, seeing the newborn. The baby was so small, with a wrinkled face and tiny hands. Her hair was red, and there was a lot of it on top her tiny head.
"Is she mine?” he asked. Rose's smile faded.
"I don't know,” she answered truthfully. “Simon was your brother. Doing a DNA test wouldn't help to answer. I don't know.” She started to cough.
"Don't talk,” Jason whispered. “You don't have to say anything.” His tears had begun to fall, one of them splashing on her hand. “I love you and I love her. She's beautiful, Rose. She's just like you."
Rose stopped coughing and smiled again. “I'm tired, Jason. So tired. I'm glad you came back. I was afraid you wouldn't. I wanted to see you one more time, befor
e I died—I know I'm dying. I wanted you to see the baby, to take care of her..."
"Rose, if I had known you were pregnant, I wouldn't have left. I would've stayed, protected you and the baby. I would never have—"
"Don't talk,” Rose said. “You don't have to say anything.” She closed her eyes and Jason began to weep.
* * * *
* * * *
Amelia watched her son cry at his wife's bed and she lowered her head. A tear of her own had begun to make its way down her cheek. She wiped it away and lifted her head.
The baby she held was asleep. She was a tiny little thing. Amelia was surprised she had survived at all. The baby was her granddaughter and she was a grandmother.
She looked away from the newborn and looked back to Jason and Rose. She could sense that Rose was close to death, but that there was still time, just enough, that a healing may save her. But in order to do so, they'd have to start now.
"Aurora,” Amelia said and the girl turned to her. Her eyes went wide, seeing her there for the first time.
"It's you. Amelia. What are you—?"
"There is very little time to explain. All you need to know is that I am Jason's mother and I am your aunt and we are descended from a line of strong witches. We have the power to say a spell and use the earth's natural energies to save Rose."
Aurora looked doubtful. “But, the last time I did a spell—"
"The last time you did a spell, you did it well. The Book of Shadows—where is it?"
Aurora pointed with her free hand to the backpack lying near the door. Amelia immediately went to it, passing the baby gently to Aurora. She touched the familiar leather binding of her family's book. She felt the residual energies of all the magick performed by it.
There was strong magick here and it was growing ever stronger.
"The book pulsed with power when Nola, I mean, Alana, was near to me. I felt it in the PRDI and I felt it here, when she attacked. What does it mean? Do you know?” she asked. She cradled the baby close to her and looked down at her.
"Usually, when a power is that strong, there is a reason to it. Perhaps a spell in the book was trying to point you in the right direction."
"A book can do that?"
"This book can, or at least it used to.” Amelia opened the book, flipping through it. She set it on the floor and held her hands over it. She closed her eyes and said, “Ancient book of magick past, show us the spell needs be cast."
The pages in the book began to turn on their own. Aurora gasped. “It never did that before."
"It only does it when you ask.” The book stopped on a particular page and Amelia said. “This spell it landed on was a spell to uncover deceit. I believe the book was trying to warn you of Nola's—Alana's—misdeeds."
"If only I knew how to do it, I could've stopped all this.” She looked over at the bed with a wane looking Rose and a distressed Jason.
"There may or may not have been anything you could've done and the past is the past. With time, maybe you could learn to use this book to the fullest advantage. Right now, we need to find a high strength healing spell and I think I know the one."
Amelia held her hands over the pages and chanted the short little spell again. The pages flipped until it found the spell.
"Here it is.” She read over it, mouthing the words silently. “Have you done a healing,” she asked Aurora. The girl nodded.
"A few times, but nothing like this."
Amelia closed the book and stood. “Jason, I think we're ready."
Jason nodded and stood, leaning over to kiss Rose on the forehead. “We're going to help you. Just rest, close your eyes."
Rose smiled softly and closed her eyes. Amelia took her place beside Jason. She reached for his hand. Aurora took a place beside Amelia and following suit, took hold of Amelia's hand, while cradling the baby in the other.
"Just repeat after me, everyone and focus whatever power you feel, toward Rose. Ready?"
Jason nodded and Aurora answered with a weak, “yes."
Amelia began to chant: Wrap thee in cotton and bind thee with love, protection from pain surrounds like a glove. The brightest of blessings surround thee this night for thou art cared for, healing thoughts sent in flight.
The others repeated after her and they began to say in unison. Amelia closed her eyes as the power began to swell around them. She felt Aurora tighten her grip, heard Jason audibly gasped as the power grew beyond anything she had ever felt. It was strong.
As the others chanted, Amelia whispered, “Now use your mind and push the power. See it surround Rose, like cotton, soft and enveloping. Feel it penetrate her body, healing her wounds, taking away her pain."
The power grew and she began to shake with it. The power had crested and she let it go, aiming it in Rose's direction. She imagined it as a white light, healing her.
When Amelia opened her eyes once again, the light was so bright she was momentarily blinded and Rose was encircled in the healing power that they had raised.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jason sat on the front step of Cheyenne's ranch house, watching the sun as it rose fully into the sky. The worst was over and the shining sun seemed a testament to that. They were out of the dark. It was over.
But Jason's hands still shook. The power they had used to heal Rose had been so strong, it shook through all of them—the newborn included. But the baby was strong and the power served only as a finger of proof.
The baby was Jason's.
The evidence came to him only moments after Rose was back to her fully healed self. When she spoke of the visions she had seen, just before the bullet had hit the window, Jason knew. The little daughter Rose now held in her arms was his little girl. She was a witch, showing her powers way before she was ever born.
"It's the same thing that happened to me, when I was pregnant with you, Jason. I had visions that weren't from me. This child has to be yours. How else do you explain it? What about that spontaneous, sudden healing you spoke of, Rose? That had to be from the baby. And look at that red hair,” Amelia laughed, shaking out her own mane of red curls. The baby only flexed her hands as if to agree and Rose smiled.
"Jason, I know she's yours. She has your eyes."
Indeed, she had bright blue eyes.
"Big deal,” Davis said. He still didn't believe the child wasn't Simon's. “All babies have blue eyes when they're born."
"Maybe so, but this one's going to stay blue, just like her father."
It was at that point Jason stepped out of the room. It had gotten too crowded anyway. Everyone had gathered around to coo over the baby and to see Rose. Jason didn't want to be in the room when he finally broke down.
Outside on the steps, he began to cry. This time his tears weren't from despair, they were from relief. Rose was alive and he had found his true family. He had found his mother and he had found himself. Now, he had a daughter. Things were truly complete. All his searching, all his anger, all his pain was gone. Now, instead of darkness and fear, their future looked bright and unclouded.
Jason wiped his tears away and stood. He caught Amelia's scent as he lifted his head and knew she was there, even before he turned around.
"It looks like you're fitting in quite nicely with the pack,” he said, then turned to look at her. The sunlight caught her hair, making it look like fire. His mother's hair, just like his daughter's hair.
"They all seem pretty accepting."
"With all that we've been through, we kinda have to be accepting.” Jason offered her a small smile. “Thank you, for keeping your promise."
"I only helped, Jason. We all helped. You should thank Aurora, and your daughter. They helped too. She has your abilities and she's a full-blood werewolf. That in itself is very powerful."
"No, she's not a full-blood. I'm not a full-blood."
"Technically, no, she's not, but she's close enough. She's like Aurora. Her mother, my sister, was a half-blood were,
but from what I've learned, her husband was a full-blood. That guarantees the children will have damn near close to the abilities of a full-blood. It's really the only way to describe them."
Jason nodded as he digested it. There was so much he had to process and his brain was feeling a little overworked. He wanted to lie down beside Rose and sleep for a nice long while.
Amelia touched his shoulder softly. Her hand was warm. She smiled. “You need to be with your wife. You should go to her. Be with your family."
Jason nodded and started up the steps. He was close to the door when he turned back to her. “Aren't you coming?"
Amelia raised an eyebrow.
"You're part of my family, aren't you?” At that, she smiled. Jason saw tears glisten in her eyes.
"I suppose I am, yes."
"Then come on inside. You're more than welcome."
"Thank you,” she said, in a quiet tone. She followed Jason up the steps and into the house.
Everyone was still gathered in the bedroom with Rose. She sat up; the baby nestled against her breast. Aurora sat with her. They were talking and laughing. It seemed very hard to believe that a few hours ago Rose had almost died and his world had nearly come to a crashing halt.
He thought back on the past few years. The years had been filled with turmoil. First, there had been Marcus Brown and his attack on Rose. Then Simon and his group of hunters had attacked. Simon's constant pursuit of Rose and the annihilation of the werewolf race had nearly torn them apart. Quenten had tried to create his ultimate specimen, in a way, trying to achieve what Simon had wanted all along.
And Alana had tried to kill Rose and Rose now had a baby. Jason knew about his heritage and his family. He had a mother, a couple of cousins now and a daughter. His pack was together and things were looking up for the first time in years.
It was too hard to believe, but it was true.
When Jason walked into the room, Rose looked up at him. Her blue eyes were bright and she had a glow about her. She was happy, at peace. And she looked perfect, holding the baby. Jason couldn't help but smile.
"Jason, where were you? We were just talking about what we were going to do now that you're back."
Dark Moon Magick [The Moon Series: Book 4] Page 32