And Then There Were Four

Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Uncertain Futures

As soon as the party was over and everyone had gone, I helped my mom and Kate move everything I had received up into the nursery. Not twenty minutes into working, Damian found me, and the scowl on his face spoke volumes to his mood.

“Damian, if you have come to yell at me, please don’t.”

My mother and Kate stopped in their tracks as they glanced towards where Damian stood off to the side. My eyes were concentrating on the beautiful mobile in my hand. The celestial crystal was mesmerizing, and as I looked up towards the cribs, I tried to think of where to hang it.

“Ivy, we need to talk,” Damian said, causing a sigh to escape me.

“I figured you would want to.” I turned to him. “Kate, can you hang this over the twins’ cribs please?”

Handing the mobile to Kate, I moved towards Damian and exited the nursery making my way towards his room. “Let’s talk.”

When the door to his room closed behind me, I turned to face him, and the look in his eyes was no longer of anger but extreme remorse. “Why did you interfere today, Ivy?”

“What do you mean, why? You’re my mate, Damian. I won’t let them take you from me.”

Shaking his head, he moved towards me and lowered himself onto the bed. “I don’t deserve you, though. I was willing to go with them in order to protect you.”

“Protect me? What are you talking about?”

As his eyes met mine, I watched the tears build within him he refused to let fall. “They want to kill you, Ivy. You’re a threat to them, and if they take you out, they dismantle our pack.”

I hadn’t really thought too much about what he was saying before, but honestly, it made a lot of sense. If I was in their position, I would do the same.

“That doesn’t mean that you sacrifice yourself for me, Damian. You’re needed here, and we have two beautiful children on the way that are going to need you. You don’t just try and throw that all away.”

“I wasn’t throwing it away,” he scoffed. “Plus, what good am I going to be to them? I’m broken, Ivy.”

Never had I once seen Damian in the state he was. He was literally sulking, and something deeper was bothering him. Stepping closer to him, I ran my hand over the side of

his face and smiled.

“I can see that you’re hiding something from me, and until we talk about it, things are going to remain as they are.”

“I’m fine,” he sighed, moving his face from my hand.

LD

“No, you’re not. Now tell me why you think you’re broken.”

“It’s not something easily explained, Ivy.” He stood to his feet. “If I tell you, you’re going to look at me differently.”

“Don’t assume things, Damian. We have been through hell and back since the moment I got here. If I was going to pass judgment like that, I would have done it already.”

Staring at him, I could tell whatever it was conflicted him, and I hated it. For him to think he couldn’t talk to me because I would think ill of him was ridiculous, but I was patient. I would wait if he wanted me to.

“Ivy, i’m losing my wolf.”

The words that came out of his mouth were not what I expected. It wasn’t possible for him to lose his wolf. He was a werewolf. It was who he was.

“How… that doesn’t make sense. You’re a werewolf, Damian.”

“I didn’t notice it before, but since the claim… I feel it. It’s like part of me is slipping away, and I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. That’s why I was fine with taking your place for judgment,” he replied as if that was logical.

“Damian, why didn’t you tell me this before?”

Throwing his hands up in the air, he gave a soft desperate laugh, “I don’t know, Ivy. It isn’t like we have ever really had the chance to talk about things like this.”

Staring at him, I tried to wrap my mind around what he was saying. He wasn’t making sense, and for him to think he was losing his wolf was crazy.

“I think you need to talk to Priscilla about this, Damian.” I breathed. “I honestly don’t know what to say. I mean… what would cause you to lose yourself? Like I said.. You’re a werewolf. That’s like telling a human they’re losing their humanity.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he replied, staring at me. “Priscilla is the right person to talk

to.”

The sarcasm was heavy in his tone, and that annoyed me more than anything. “Don’t act like that. I’m only being honest, Damian. This is serious, and if you really think you are, we need to find out from someone why that would be. She’s your aunt… I mean, she should know something, right?”

Turning away from me, he made his way towards the door. “Well, I’ll go talk to her then. I’m sorry to have bothered you with this.”

“Damian,”I called after him as he walked out of the open doorway, disappearing from my sight. “Are you f*****g kidding me, man?” I muttered with aggravation.

“What was that about?” Hale asked in confusion as he glanced at me, and then back down the hallways where Damian had gone. “Don’t tell me you guys are fighting again.”

“No,” I sighed as I walked towards him. “He just has some s’it on his mind, and he thought I could help, but honestly, this is something I wouldn’t even know how to deal with.”

Pulling me close, he looked down at me with a grin. “Something big bad Ivy can’t handle? That’s shocking.”

“Hey, I never said I could solve the world’s issues, Hale. Plus, this is something that needs far more care than I can give him. I don’t even know how to fix my own problems. How the hell am I supposed to fix other peoples?”

“You’re a goddess, Ivy. You will figure it out.”

Rolling my eyes, I groaned. “I’m not a goddess. I don’t know why everyone seems to think that I am. I’m far from godly… I’m a murderer.”

Gripping my chin, he raised my eyes to his and stared intently. “Don’t ever say that. You’re not a murderer, lvy. What you did was to protect your family, and is one of us had been in your position, we would have done it as well.”

“You’re just saying that,” I sighed. “No, I’m serious. If I had been in your position, I would have killed them as well.”

His words were slightly comforting, but my mind kept drifting back to what Damian had said. I was worried, and I had every right to be. The thought I could possibly lose him wasn’t one I wanted to contemplate.

“I guess we can only take things one day at a time.” Hale kissed me gently. Hale kissed me gently. “Exactly. So for now, don’t let it bother you, okay?” “Okay.” I smiled.

“I have to go down to the training field and help James. I will be back later, though. Are you going to be okay?” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Nodding my head, I pulled away from him with a forced smile. “Of course. I’m just going to finish helping my mom and Kate put some things up. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay then,” he whispered as he turned and left me standing in Damian’s bedroom doorway by myself. Watching him walk down the hall towards the stairs, I left an exhausted breath escape me.

My life had become one dramatic event after another, and the only thing I wanted was to move past what I was and become accepted as I should be. From everything I had read in

the books Priscilla had given me… I wasn’t living like a Luna.

Kate’s laughing face came into view as she exited the nursery with my mother. I had to find something- anything-to preoccupy my mind. “Hey, wait up.”

Stopping, they looked at me with small smiles and questioning glances. “Everything okay?” My mother asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m good. Damian was just going over to safety stuff they are going to be doing.”

“That’s a good idea,” Kate replied. “With how things went today with the council guys, I don’t trust it.”

Looking at her with confusion, I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean?”

“Ivy…” Kate said with slight hesitation. The council doesn’t act upon anything unless they plan to follow through. You may have deterred them for now, but it won’t last.”

“So you’re saying they will be back?”

The silence from Kate was the only answer I needed, and with a frown, she finally nodded. Of course, they would be back. After all, there was much here they wanted. Me being the primary thing.

Stepping towards me, my mother wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug. “Hey, don’t worry about it, okay? Let your mates handle this. You only need to worry about those two precious babies growing inside you.”

As she pulled away, I looked down at my stomach and smiled. “You’re right. Goddess knows they are going to be here in a few weeks.”

“Ivy, according to the pack doctor, you’re measuring at almost full cycle. There is a chance you could have them sooner. So you need to be careful. I don’t want there to end up being complications, because you’re stressed.”

My mother was the most caring woman I knew, and regardless of the past, she was right.

Unknown POV

“Has there been any progress?” I asked, staring at the Alpha in front of me. I was an impatient man, and I had been more patient with this situation than any other I had ever faced. It has been twenty years.

“They have fortified their defenses.”

“I take it that is something that you just can’t fix, is it?” I sneered with disgust. Pathetic ass wolf was getting on my last damn nerve. He was pissed because his son died, but that was his fault. That boy was still attached to his mother’s bosom.

“I will see to it,” he growled low, causing me to laugh.

“No, you won’t. I will handle it as I always do. Now get out of my face, wolf,” I snapped as I crushed the glass I had been holding in my hand. He didn’t hesitate to get out of my sight, which was smart, considering I wanted to rip someone apart.

f*****g pathetic-all of them.

Standing to my feet, I quickly let the surge of power wrap around me, and within a matter of seconds, I was walking across the cobbled floor of damp and dark dungeon. There was one person in particular I had toyed with for years dying for the opportunity to fix her mistakes.

“Hello, pet.”

Her blue eyes connected with mine from where she sat on the concrete floor. Tattered in dirt and blood, I found the sight before me enjoyable. She was like this because of me, and yet when she looked at me, she still saw hope and love.

“Master… are you here to save me?”

“Perhaps, pet,” I replied smoothly as I open the cage she was in and watched her stand to her feet. “Are you ready to be a good girl for me?”

“Yes, master. Please let me show you I can be good.” “Very well. I want you to do one very important thing for me and if you do, I’ll reward

you heavily. You will once again have your life back, and revenge on the one who hurt you.” My teasing comment lit a fire in her eyes as she narrowed her gaze.

“I can kill her?” She asked with a small smile. “Oh, yes, my dear. You can help me kill them all.”