by Lexy Timms
Start over because of the war they brought to our doorstep.
“We will no longer protect you,” I say. “You brought war to us. A war we planned to fight from the shadows. We lost good men on that battlefield. Men who will never see their children grow up like you will.”
I watch Clarissa’s stance falter as her eyes drop to her stomach. Her hand cups her waist protectively as she bounds from the table. I take a step back from her, watching as her naked body slowly stalks toward me. Her fangs retreat, and her claws recede, and instead of the fiery anger pouring from her stare, I see something I didn’t think a Primal was capable of.
Empathy.
Sorrow.
Sadness.
“I’m sorry,” Clarissa says.
“You don’t have to apologize to him,” Sebastian snarls.
“For once, I’m with the Wolf,” Toshi says.
Clarissa’s stare holds mine, and just as quickly as my disgust for her raged, it dissipates into respect. Admiration. She is so unlike a human, yet so unlike the Primals that want to accept her. She is different. Capable of so many things they aren’t. I can only hope the child growing within her will be more like her. Able to sympathize with humans who are afraid of them. Humans who even hate them. I don’t wish death on her. I don’t even wish a meager existence.
I only wish her the capacity to raise her child in a different way.
“Let’s get our things,” Clarissa says. “We’re heading out tonight.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Vlad,” she says.
I look back at the Wolf who is still snarling at me.
“I want to go home,” Clarissa says.
As if those are the magic words, they all retreat down the hallway. Clarissa whips her eyes up to mine, and her nostrils begin to flare. She takes another step toward me, and I watch as Josie’s hand hovers over her knife. Her hand falls from her stomach as her shoulders roll back, and I watch her lick her lips before she draws in a deep breath.
“You can blame Primals all you want for what happened to your families, but it was news to us that the Council was enslaving humans. We live in peace. We work among you. We fall in love and give birth to children and hold jobs. You can be angry at us all you want, but when all the pretense is stripped away, and all the lies are cast off to the side, the only thing that remains is your pride. Your anger at the fact that when you look at me, you realize you aren’t the strongest one in the room.”
I draw in a deep breath as my gaze hardens on her eyes.
“You can twist that however you want, Joel. But so long as your pride enslaves you, you’ll suffer the same fate as those who went before you.”
Clarissa brushes past me as Josie’s eyes grow wide. I pull my sister into my arms and rub her back as they all pack their things. They don’t have much. A few clothes the villagers gave up for them to have and some food they gathered along the way. They emerge an hour later, with small bags slung over their shoulders and Clarissa’s purse hanging from her shoulder.
I feel a sense of relief overwhelm me as they open the door and head out into the cold.
The village watches them from their porches and their fires. The sounds of children crying and women lamenting can be heard as they retreat into the forest. I rub Josie’s back as she cries into my chest, releasing the stress and emotion she held within her during the battle. The men are gathered around Clarissa, guarding her and protecting her as they fade away. Inside, I know we have done the right thing. I know that getting them to leave, no matter the means is the best decision I can make for the people I am responsible for.
But I do wish Clarissa well, and I hope she and her unborn child will be okay.
I place a kiss on the top of Josie’s head as they finally fade into the blackness of the night. I turn around and take in the people on their porches, their hands raised and waving them all off. I expect to see anger. I expect to see hatred pouring from their eyes. I expect women who lost husbands to be spitting at them, and I expect the children of the village to be clapping for their leave.
All I find, however, are smiles.
Thanks.
People shouting their well wishes to the Primals as they walk deeper into the woods.
Maybe Clarissa is right. Maybe my anger isn’t with them. Maybe it’s simply my pride getting in the way. As I look out across the sea of people who have made it out of this war alive, I see the joy of the future in their eyes. I see their acceptance of them and how heartbroken they are at their exit.
I guess I need to take a cue from my own people.
I guess even leaders still have lessons to learn.
Epilogue
Clarissa
“V lad!”
“Father!”
I watch as Vlad runs and gives his father a massive hug. The sight is heartwarming, and it comes at the perfect time. The guys and I have just arrived at Vlad’s village to rest after the war. The week-long journey is over, and I watch as Lord Wesley embraces his son. A smile slides across my face, and I can’t help but be filled with hope. The light and love in Vlad’s eyes for the only other piece of family he has is joyous. I lean into Sebastian’s embrace as Theo’s hand rubs my back, and I reach for Toshi’s hand and feel our fingers intertwine.
It had been a long journey to get to Vlad’s village, but we are finally here.
Lord Wesley looks over his son’s shoulder and his eyes meet mine. I peel away from the guys and walk forward, right underneath the offering of Vlad’s arm. He drapes his languid arm around my shoulder, and I smile up at him, but his father can’t take his eyes off me.
“You’re alive,” Lord Wesley says.
“I am.”
“And you’re expecting.”
“I am.”
“We need a place to stay. The battle has only been ended for a week, and we’re all tired,” Vlad says.
“My boy, you don’t need to ask to stay here. This is your home. Come. Rest. Eat. Do whatever it is you please.”
“Thank you, Lord Wesley. We appreciate your kindness,” I say.
“Do you know who the father is?” Lord Wesley asks.
I look up at Vlad and his hand begins to run along my back.
“It’s obvious all of you are together, but if you don’t know who the father is then it means you haven’t seen a proper doctor,” Wesley says.
“That would be correct,” I say. “I haven’t yet.”
“Then that’s our first stop. Come on. There’s a great doctor on the corner of the main road that will take you immediately upon my request.”
We’re ushered down the main. All around us are people who are happy. In love. Ready to mate as they drag their soon-to-be conquests into rooms and down alleyways. It’s like this place hasn’t even been touched by the destruction we witnessed. The death we all partook in.
It’s like we’ve stepped into another reality, and it feels more like home than home does.
We enter the doctor’s office, and I’m taken back to see the doctor immediately. Everyone follows me back. Soon blood is being drawn, and I’m laying back on a bed. An ultrasound machine is pushed into the room. My hand is shaking, and all around me are my men as they try to steady my mind. Vlad is stroking my hand, and Sebastian is running his fingers through my hair. Toshi is massaging one foot, and Theo has the other. I feel cold. Exposed. Confined. I don’t like the small room, and I want to get out as fast as I can.
“Deep breaths. It’ll be over soon.”
I look up into Sebastian’s eyes, and I know. Even before the ultrasound is performed and the bloodwork comes back, I know this child is his. He reaches down and kisses me, pressing his fiery lips to mine.
And the child within my body jumps against the ultrasound wand.
“Well, I guess we know who the father is,” the doctor says. “Would you like to know the gender?”
“Please,” Theo says. “If that’s okay with Clarissa.”
I look up at
Theo, and he’s smiling at me. Toshi’s eyes are hooked to the ultrasound picture, and Vlad’s smile is broad. Despite it being Sebastian’s child growing within me, they’re all happy. Like they’re all looking at their own child.
My men.
Staring at a child they will help me raise.
“I would like to know,” I say. “Can I take a guess, though?”
“A mother’s intuition is always strongest,” the doctor says.
“It’s a girl, isn’t it?” I ask.
I can feel everyone’s hands clamp down onto my body. I know what this means. The small voice in my head. The prospect of carrying a girl. She’ll be able to mate. Breed. Expand the Primal races, no matter what race she gives birth to. The prophecy rolls around in my mind as the doctor moves the wand over my stomach, and tears spring to my eyes as that small voice pops into my mind.
“I love you.”
My breath catches in my throat as the small child presses against the ultrasound wand. Clear as day, in black and white on the screen, is the evidence of her gender. My little girl, rolling and tumbling safely within my body, is announcing her presence.
I’m not the woman of the prophecy.
She is.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor says. “Congratulations.”
Sebastian’s lips crash to mine before he pulls back. Vlad slips his tongue into my mouth before Toshi pulls him out of the way. Kiss after kiss is pressed against me. Against every part of me. The doctor is chuckling, and Lord Wesley is clapping outside in the hallway, and an elation I never thought I would experience again in my lifetime bubbles in my gut.
My daughter will carry the future of the Primal race on her shoulders.
I get cleaned up before Vlad’s father leads us to our quarters. I recognize the building. I recognize Vlad’s room. But there are other rooms just as decadent that are set up for all of us. Beautifully-colored walls and sprawling mattresses with silken sheets that call to me. I run and jump into my bed as tears of happiness stream down my cheeks. I slip beneath the covers and allow sleep to overcome me as my men stand by my bed.
Protecting me and the daughter I carry inside my body.
I stir a few hours later, my eyes fluttering open. The luxurious smell of meat and vegetables take over my senses. I see a plate thrust underneath my nose, and I become ravenous. I sit up in bed and reach for a fork, then begin to devour the food placed on my lap. Vlad and Theo and Toshi and Sebastian—they’re all sitting with me. On the edge of the massive bed eating their own plates of food as their eyes dance along my body.
We all eat in silence until our plates have been cleaned, and then I feel myself fill with enough energy to have the conversation we need to have.
“I need to make sure,” I say.
“Make sure of what?” Vlad asks.
I look over at the handmaiden standing at the door, and I nod toward her. She shuts the door, leaving us all alone in my bedroom, and I reach my hands out for my men.
The men I’ve fallen desperately in love with.
“I love you all. Every single one of you. And I want us to be together. To create a life together. So much has happened. So much good and so much bad. And I—”
My voice catches in my throat as my emotions begin to overwhelm me.
“Take your time,” Sebastian says. “Gather yourself.”
“I want you guys to be okay with this,” I say. “I don’t want you getting into something that doesn’t make you happy. In a few months, I’m going to be a mother. My body’s going to change, and this little girl is going to become my greatest priority. Things are going to change, and if you don’t want to be here, I need you guys to know that I won’t judge you if you leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Sebastian growls. “You know that.”
“Neither am I,” Theo says. “You’re going to need support. Help. Because if that little girl is anything like you, she’s going to run you ragged.”
I giggle as a tear slips down my cheek.
“I love you,” Toshi says. “You know this. Though I have to say, one day I would enjoy the chance to have a child with you as well.”
“Me too,” Theo says.
“Vlad?”
My eyes pan over to the Wolf sitting on the edge of the bed. His arms are crossed over his chest, and his eyes are hooked to mine. The small grin on his cheeks grows into a massive smile, and I watch as he slips his hand into his pocket.
“I guess I’ll get this started then,” he says.
“Get what started?” I ask.
He pulls out a small ring box. My eyes widen. He scoots up the bed until my legs are in his lap, then he opens the box and shows me the delicate ring within the velvety confines. All at once, the rest of the men move, placing their hands in their pockets and pulling out small ring boxes. Tears flood my cheeks as my hands cover my mouth and glittering in all of the beautiful boxes are rings of every color.
Then, Vlad begins.
“From the moment you first entered this village, I knew you were mine. I wasn’t sure why Sebastian was with you or why the two of you were trying to con me, but I knew you were mine. I felt it. In my bones, Clarissa. An Alpha Wolf only feels that way when looking at his one true mate. And when you left Russia, your scent stayed with me. The guilt of what happened between us weighed heavily on me for days, and I knew I had to go after you.”
Vlad takes the sparkling silver ring that matches his eyes and hovers it over my left ring finger.
“I love you, Clarissa. And just like everyone else in this room, one day I hope to have a child with you. I’m not leaving, and I’m not compromising myself to be here with you. I want you. Forever. No matter what that means. Clarissa, will you marry me?”
My eyes whip over to Sebastian, and all he does is grin.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes,” I say breathlessly.
Vlad slips the ring on my finger before he passes my hand to Toshi. The ring in his box is swirling with colors. Just like his eyes. Greens and blues and purples and reds, all mirrored depending on how it tilts in the light. He poises it just beyond my left ring finger, then his eyes come up to meet mine.
“I love you, Clarissa. And I hope to have many, many adventures with you. I hope to always be able to whisk you away and fill you with nothing but the love and happiness you deserve. And no, I’m not compromising anything to be here with you. I want to help you raise the family I know we’ll all create together. I want to protect you, and cherish you, every single day for the rest of my life. Will you let me do that? Will you let me marry you?”
I nod my head silently, and Toshi slips his ring up against Vlad’s. Then, he passes my hand off to Theo.
And it doesn't shock me that his ring is carved from what smells to be cedar.
“The winds of my ancestors call to me, but they settle the second I’m around you. From the moment I warmed your body against mine on my boat until now, all I’ve done is fall more and more in love with you. Creating a family with you, it’s all I want. Being by your side is all I want. Protecting you and making sure you could have everything you need, it’s all I want Clarissa. You, in every form, just as my ancestors call to me in any form they can. Will you marry me?”
My forehead falls to his as he slips the ring up against Toshi’s.
And then, it’s Sebastian’s turn.
I watch him take the copper-red ring from the box. He takes my left hand within his and slips the ring on before he even asks. He presses all of the rings together, and I watch as they morph and twist. Melding together before my eyes and twisting into the most intricate design that somehow fits everything that has transpired between all of us.
I look up into his darkened stare, and his words rattle my bones.
“You are the mother of my child, and there will never be a moment where I will leave your side. I will hunt for you, protect you, and give you anything you need. Wherever you go, I will be there. Wherever you lay your head, I will be n
ext to you. I saved you from that plane, and from the moment you ran your fingers through my hair I knew I was in trouble with you in all the best ways. You are mine, and you are theirs, and I am yours. Forever.”
“Marry me, Clarissa. Please.”
I grab his cheeks and crash our lips together as I nod my head against his lips. I feel him grin as his hands wrap around my back, and we slowly descend to the bed.
THE WEEKS PASS ON AND my stomach grows rounder with my daughter. Sebastian is constantly at my side, and I find myself not minding it. The guys slip in every night, slinking into bed with me so I can bask in their grasp. Vlad’s village is feeling more like home with every passing day, and the longer we stay here, the more all of us feel that it’s right to be here.
To live here.
To raise our daughter here.
“Vlad!”
My head whips around at the sound of Lord Wesley’s voice.
“What is it?” Vlad asks.
“It’s the Council,” he says. “We need to talk.”
“We eliminated the Council,” I say. “How can this be about them?”
“Clarissa? Where are you?” Sebastian calls out.
“Over here!” I exclaim.
I can hear Sebastian running up as fast as he can. Our minds have been more connected than ever, and even when I don’t call out to him, he can sense when I’m in distress. Toshi slips from the restaurant we were all going to meet in, and Theo comes running down the alleyway at the sound of all the commotion.
“What’s going on?” Theo asks. “I heard Sebastian calling for Clarissa.”
“I have information,” Lord Wesley says. “About the Council.”
“That’s not possible,” Toshi says. “The Council no longer exists.”
“They do. Or they did,” Lord Wesley says.
“Father, spit it out,” Vlad says. “What’s happened?”
I watch Lord Wesley’s eyes slowly pan over to mine, and I know what he’s going to say.