The Heir

by Ariana Rodriguez

  Christian slapped his hand away, "No! I'm not letting her go!" Christian turned to look at Jessica, with the eyes of a wild and desperate man, "you can save her. You are the Lykaon, if you wanted to, you could save her."

  Jessica cringed in pain from her wounds as she moved to kneel beside him, and croaked, "How?"

  "You could turn her into one of us; you’re the only one with the power to change her."

  "No!" Nick exclaimed, "Jessica's too weak, the wounds and the baby are taking most of her energy. She could die."

  "Dani is dying!" Christian screamed then turned his pleas to Jessica, "please! She is my mate!" he cried.

  "It hasn't been done in twenty years!" Nick argued wildly trying to pull Jessica back but she weakly slapped his hands away. "All three of them could die! That’s my child she is carrying!"

  Jessica ignored Nick’s outburst, she'd never planned on saying no. Dani had risked her life for hers and her baby’s, if it wasn't for her they would already be dead. Jessica would agree to do anything to save her sister, even risk her own life. "What do I have to do?"

  Christian rushed to explain over Nicks cursing and growls, "Your nails and teeth have to shift, and you-you bite her neck and dig your claws into her. As your enzymes enter her blood stream you have to send a shock of power to her through your claws to keep her body from rejecting the change and dying."

  Jessica nodded and concentrated on shifting her teeth and nails. It was easier now that Nick had talked her through it once. When she was ready she bent over Dani and followed the instructions hat Christian relayed to her. When it was time to transfer some of her power to Dani, Jessica closed her eyes and pictured herself dividing the last of her energy in half. She infused one half of it with all the love in her heart and transferred it to the innocent being in her womb who was fighting to live after suffering so much trauma. The other half she pushed it out of herself and sent it into Dani.

  Jessica kept enough of her energy to stay conscious long enough only to make sure that both Dani and the baby would survive. The strengthening of their heart beats was all the reassurance she needed and stopped fighting the currents pulling her under.

  "Jessica! No!"

  Nick screaming her name was the last thing she heard.

  Chapter 26

  “Wake up Jessica, please wake up."

  Jessica walked through the thick fog following the faint voice that was calling her name. She turned in a circle to look around her and found nothing. There was nothing here, no time, no pain, no ending or beginning-nothing. As far she could see there was only fog.

  "Please open your eyes, please."

  There was desperation in the pleading voice that touched a similar chord deep inside of her and she picked up the pace and ran towards it. She didn't remember how she'd gotten here or why but she knew that this wasn't where she belonged. She lost track of the time she spent running, following the voice, looking for a way out when all of a sudden the fog began to clear. The voice sounded clearer, closer and as she drew near she recognized its owner.

  "I can't do this without you." Nick murmured.

  Jessica opened her eyes slowly.

  Disoriented, she looked at Nicks down turned head for a moment before the sunlight had her cringing and closing her eyes again. With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath in an attempt to clear her mind. She had the nagging feeling that something was wrong, that she should remember something but she couldn't figure out what…

  Nick was looking down at the floor when he noticed a slight movement out of the corner of his eyes. He scooted to the edge of his seat and leaned closer to the bed. Clasping one of her hands between his, he called her name and his heart soared when he felt the hand he held move just the slightest bit.

  "Oh thank the moon!" Nick got up and rushed to the door "She is awake!"

  Not a second later, a doctor came jogging in. He headed straight for Jessica and checked her vitals. When he was done he looked at nick and motioned for him to follow him to the door, "Everything looks good, she healed fantastically and like I said before she shouldn't have any problems conceiving again." The doctor reassured him in a hushed tone then looked at Jessica who was fully conscious and added, "I'll give you guys sometime alone but I will be back to check on you again."

  Jessica gave a soft nod and Nick once again took his seat by her bed. He'd been here for days, willing her to live, to wake up.

  He took Jessica’s hand and asked, "How are you feeling?"

  She tried to speak but her words came out in a painful croak and she brought her hand up to her throat. Nick offered her a sip of the water from the cup that sat on the night stand and after clearing her throat, she tried again, "I've been better." She rasped, "What happened? What was the doctor talking about?"

  Nick eyed her with trepidation, "what's the last thing you remember?"

  Jessica closed her eyes; at first all she saw was darkness but then it was as if she'd hit a switch and all of her recent memories came flooding back. She remembered her disillusionment, her heart break, her time in New York, her return home. She remembered her confrontation with Kate. She remembered Dani lying on the ground dying and she remembered sacrificing herself for Dani and the baby.

  Her baby!

  She finally realized why she'd been having that nagging feeling as if she'd forgotten something important. How could she have forgotten her baby? Jessica looked at her stomach but she already knew what she would find, it was flat. Horrorstricken and pale, she looked around but found no signs of her child.

  Afraid of the answer, she looked at Nick and asked about her baby.

  Nick closed his eyes and bent his head, "I'm so sorry, I couldn't let you die. The doctor assures me that you'll be able to conceive again. Please forgive me for what I had to do-"

  Jessica shook her head vehemently and cried "oh no, no, not my baby. Nick, not my baby! Not my baby!"

  His heart split in two upon seeing the pain in her eyes and he shook his head when he realized that he'd given her the wrong impression, "No! That’s not what I meant," he tried to explain but she didn't hear him over her heart wracking sobs.

  Holding her stomach, she curled herself into a ball and nudged Nick's hand away when he tried to get her attention. For the second time her world came apart and Jessica wasn't sure she'd survive. This time she had nothing to live for. With every breath she took, she prayed for death. How could she go on living when her baby was gone?

  Eyeing the inconsolable Jessica, not for the first time, Nick wondered if he was forever destined to hurt his mate. He knew he didn't deserve her but during the time she'd been unconscious he’d promised the gods countless of times that he would change.

  He would make her happy.

  Starting now.

  He got up, ran to the door and called for Dani then returned to Jessica’s side and once more tried to calm her down. He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and hold her, make her listen, but he knew that that wasn't what she needed. Her tears tore at his heart and he silently willed Danielle to hurry up.

  The instant the thought crossed his mind, he sensed Dani step into the room, carrying the baby in her arms. Nick stood and took his son from her and like every other time he looked at him, his heart swelled and he was flooded with an emotion, too beautiful and too immense to name or described.

  In this room were the two people that completed his world and the word 'love' didn't begin to describe his feelings for them.

  Smiling softly at his son, he murmured, "Your mommy is dying to meet you."

  His words accompanied with the soft, unique sounds a baby makes, penetrated through Jessica's pain, she turned around and looked at the bundle in his arms with a mixture of hope and unconcealed longing, as if unable to believe that she was seeing. Jessica sat up to take a better look at her baby, her recent tears and pain long forgotten.

  "He survived?" She asked incredulously.

  "All thanks to you."

  Nick sat on the edge of the
bed and held the baby so she could see him. Jessica raised her hand to touch the baby but hesitated with her hand in midair, afraid to find out that it was just her imagination. Nick moved the baby closer to her, she finally touched the baby’s soft cheek and felt her tears return, this time they were tears of happiness.

  She reached for her son, “How did we both manage to survive? I gave him all of my energy. He was too young and under so much stress- I felt it, when he was dying I felt it."

  "I realized what you did the moment you lost consciousness. I could sense your heart beat growing week and the baby’s growing stronger. I refused to lose either one of you so I did the only thing I could think of." He laid a gentle hand on her stomach and continued, without revealing none of the pain and despair he'd felt when he realized that she was dying, “I removed him from your womb using my claws. He is a shifter, stronger than a human baby. I knew he would survive with the energy you gave him. Your energy made him even stronger, ensuring his survival. The Doctor assures me that I didn't cause you any irreparable damage."

  Jessica looked down at the baby in wonder, "I can't believe it, he is perfect and he looks healthy, not like a baby born four months too early."

  "That’s because by our standards, he is not. A were's gestation period is only five months."

  Jessica nuzzled the baby’s cheek; nothing could surprise her now or bring her down from heaven.

  "That explains a lot." Interpreting his questioning look correctly, Jessica told him about her appointment with the ultrasound technician. "But what about my birth?" Jessica asked him, “my mom carried me for nine months.”

  "Your father must've had something to do with that. If he found a way to suppress your powers maybe he also found a way to lengthen the time you spent within your mother’s womb to resemble that of a human baby. Your father was ahead of his time in many ways," Nick explained to her. His words captivating Jessica and knowing that this was his only chance he kept going. "We are an ancient race, stuck in our ways, and while he was loved by the majority there were some people who didn't.

  Your father believed in equality; before Cade when your grandfather was in power, interaction with humans was limited and those with mixed bloodlines were considered third class citizens. His beliefs clashed with a lot of shifters because they knew that if your father succeeded in erasing the class lines that they would lose a lot of their power over their packs. We call those people purebloods and my father was like that, when your father died no one was there to make people like him accountable, he treated his people like scum.

  I grew up seeing people suffer until one day I couldn't take it anymore. I packed my things are left the pack, taking with me everyone who wasn't pureblooded. But we were broke.”

  “When I found out about your existence it was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I do have a trust fund" he admitted. "But it's dirty money gained by the pain and blood of others and I refused to use it. Somehow in my mind I thought using you was better than using bloody money." He shook his head in self-deprecation. "I convinced myself into thinking that I was doing you a favor. If I mated with you, I got control of your inheritance and you got my protection. Something you would need once your identity became know because your father’s enemies are your own. As the Heir, you are like our queen and since they can’t take your powers from you the only option is death."

  Jessica thought she had gotten over the pain but his words struck deep. To hear him talk about using her so callously brought it all back home. Trying to cover her pain from his eyes, she looked down at her sleeping child and smiled, for the first time realizing that it was all worth it, and blocked out the rest of his words.

  Even though he was sitting next to her, Nick sensed that they were oceans apart and he knew that he had no one to blame but himself. He hated that he couldn't take her in his arms, kiss her and reassure himself that she was all right-not until he'd come clean about everything. Needing a moment to compose himself, he pushed himself off the bed and went to stand before the window with his hands curled in his pockets. For the last days-months even-he'd been thinking about what he was going to say to her at all of his well-rehearsed explanations seemed to have deserted him.

  "Thank you." Jessica murmured and kissed her baby softly before looking back at Nick. "Everything that I inherited from my father you can have it. It's the only way I can think of repaying you for saving our lives."

  Her gratitude roused his ire. He knew he had no one to blame but himself for her low judgment of his character but what did she expect him to do? Sit back and watch as he lost his life, watch his mate and child die?

  "I don’t-" he turned to look at her and the sight that awaited him arrested his breath.

  The baby had become fuzzy and following an instinct as oldest time, Jessica brought the baby up to one of her breasts. With fascination he watched as the baby latched on and suckled vigorously. For Nick it was an image that he would take with him to the grave. Seeing the pleasure that breastfeeding brought to mother and son, he was glad that he'd done everything he could to ensure her ability to breastfeed while she was unconscious.

  Feeling like an intruder, a lascivious one, Nick turned back to face the window and waited until the baby was sated and sleeping again before turning back to Jessica.

  "I know it's going to be hard for you to believe this but I want you to try anyways. All I want is you-and the baby."

  Jessica looked away, refusing to believe his words, busying herself with laying the baby next to her.

  Nick called her name and waited patiently for her to look at him, "I love you; I've never said that to anyone else," he admitted proudly. "I've never loved anyone before you. It might be hard for you to believe but it's true. Kate lied; I never wanted her as my mate. Even when it was for the wrong reason, I wanted you, no one else but you. You are my soul mate."

  Jessica nodded, after what Kate told her she was ready to accept some of his statements as true-some not all. But she wouldn't tell him that, not until she heard everything.

  "I am not going to lie, my motives weren't always pure but everything changed-my feelings for you changed-long before I marked you. I was foolish to deny the truth to myself. My biggest mistake was not revealing what was in my heart."

  Nick raked a hand through his hair, he hated talking about his family life but he knew he had to tell her everything-no more secrets.

  "Growing up, feelings were seen as something below me-a weakness and it has always been hard for me to express my feelings. When Kate confronted me that day about my feelings for you, I stayed quiet because I've never said those words and I didn't want to say them to her-even if I was talking about you. It was something I wanted to say to you and you alone."

  Nick walked back to the side of the bed and knelt down on the floor.

  "I know I lied, that I am arrogant, heavy handed and that I don't deserve you but I also know that I love you. Without you my life is hell and if you give us a second chance I'll do my best to make you happy every day of the rest of your life." He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles, "if you don't want to take your rightful place then don't. We'll leave, just the three of us. I don't care where we go, as long as you're with me, nothing else matters."

  Jessica eyed their connected hands with wonder, but she still had to ask, no more guessing. "You'd be willing to give up the pack and my inheritance?"

  "I'd give up the very breath from my lungs."

  His declaration was music to her ears. For the first time in months, Jessica was able to breathe without her chest constricting in pain. One good thing that came from being a shifter was the ability to sense a lie, none of the things Nick had said were lies. Even though it had been painful to hear the truth, Jessica would take it over a lie any day.

  "Keep the air; I just want your heart."

  Nick got off his knees and leaned in close to her, “you have it," he murmured right before closing the gap between them. "Five long months," he ground out against
her lips, his voice throbbing with emotion. “I've been aching for you, every breath, every step I took, hurt because you weren't by my side."

  He didn't give her a chance to respond, he took her mouth with a sweet thoroughness that left her breathless and aching. They kissed softly, tenderly, savoring the knowledge that they belonged to each other. They kissed until they were both out of breath, Nick held on tight to her, burying his face against her neck and growled, "When I clawed at you to save you both, I didn't know what I was doing and when you wouldn't wake up I feared I’d caused irreparable damage. If something happened to either of you, I would've never forgiven myself."

  Feeling her old good natured -self return, she smiled at him, "Haven't you heard. We are the all-powerful Lykaons, we are hard to kill."

  "Does that mean that you're accepting your rightful place?"

  The twinkle in her eyes was his only response.

  Epilogue

  "Are you sure about this?" With her hands behind her back, Dani gave Jessica an affirmative nod. "Christian isn't going to just let you go, he is your mate."

  "I'm not giving him a choice." Dani turned and began to pace around the room like a caged animal. "I can’t be here" she explained, "I feel like trapped animal," she stopped mid-step, thought about what she said and laughed, "I am an animal!"

  Jessica grimaced; her turning her into a shifter was a sore topic between them. "I couldn't allow you to die."

  "But I didn't want to be saved!" Dani snarled, displaying her sharp canines and the eerie glow of her eyes that preluded a shift.

  Jessica pushed back the desk chair and stood up straight, her powers surrounding her like a cloak. With Nick's help, Jessica was learning to control her powers and every day discovered just how much power she had over other shifters- a lot. Compared to a normal shifter, they were tenfold.

  For now she used her powers to calm her sister.

  Dani took a deep breath and bowed her head, "I'm sorry."

  When Jessica was sure the outburst had passed, she relaxed and gave her a soothing smile, "it’s OK, and Nick tells me that the first couple of months are difficult. A turned shifter needs to overcome all kinds of mental obstacles, unlike naturally born shifters who grow up learning to control their beasts."