“Hey Sugar, whatcha doin’?” Milo’s voice floats down the hallway.“I’m just thinking?” I hear myself say. I mean, it’s my voice, so I must have said it. “You wouldn’t believe what just happened, Babe.”“Lenora, you okay?!” He kneels in front of me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”“I-I felt the Moon Goddess.” My heart pounds in my chest, but I feel a little disconnected from it. “When Kas tried on her wedding dress. The Goddess was with us. I felt her. We all did. I think even Codi felt her.”“Leni, you’re not making sense.” He slides his hands onto my cheeks and looks at me with concern. “Holy shit. You’re burning up.”“Huh?” I lean into his hands while he presses them against my forehead and back of my neck. “Leni, you have a fever.” He sounds worried. I don’t know why, though. The Moon Goddess is with me. She’s still with me. “I’m calling Doctor Nolan to check on you and Codi.”“No, Milo, I’m fine. Really.” I look into his gray eyes and smile. “I don’t know how to explain it.
Justice’s POV My head throbs so hard that it wakes me up. Lenora feels like she’s still sleeping after the fever. The energy it took for her to fight it off was intense, especially with how difficult it was to protect Cordelia. It affected me as well. It was so powerful that I couldn’t block her from seeing my memories. I hope I can convince her it was a dream from the fever. Poor girl. I wish so badly I could tell her that the fever is the first sign. It doesn’t get easier from here. Cordelia will be born soon and our time together will be over. I will miss her tenacious spirit. I sit up with a groan and look around. I’m in the hospital wing. There are cool ice packs under my knees and the back of my neck. I run my hands over my belly. There’s a strap around my midsection. I assume it’s monitoring Cordelia. Technology still amazes me. Codi kicks one of my kidneys, trying to make room for herself. “Ah, take it easy there, Cordelia.” I rub my belly and smile. “We’ll be reunited soon
***TRIGGER WARNING - The next two chapters contain content related to pregnancy complications that could be upsetting to some readers. *** As a personal note, for those who have been personally affected by pregnancy compilations and/or loss of a child, I send my love to you and all of our angel babies. ’s POV “Leni, come on. Doctor Nolan said bed rest.” I turn her around to go back to the bedroom before she gets to the kitchen in our apartment. “That means you have to stay in bed unless someone is with you to help you get where you need to go.” “Milo, I feel fine.” She whines at me while she holds her belly as I lead her back to the bed. “I’m just a little achy. That’s all. I want a snack and I need to stretch my legs or something.” “If you need anything, I can get it for you. Including snacks.” I pull back the linens and help her back into the bed. “We can get Jorge up here to help you stretch while you stay in bed where you belong.” “This is so dumb.” She huffs and cro
“Milo! Oh my Goddess! Oh MY GODDESS!”Ghost jumps forward, swiping the air to defend us. Someone screams. There’s no one there. It’s just Leni and me and the thick metallic scent of liquid death.Blood? Why is there blood? I’m hallucinating. I grab my head to shake the feeling away. My hands are wet. What the fuck? I yank Ghost back and stumble forward, disoriented from the transition. “MILO! Help me!” Lenora screams.I turn on the light and look at Lenora. She’s covered in blood. I look down. I’m covered in blood, too. Oh Goddess. Did I do this?“MEDICAL TO THE BETA RESIDENCE!” I yell into a mindlink. “EMERGENCY MEDICAL EVAC!”“On the way, Beta!” A chorus of voices reply. “Leni, what happened?” I rip the covers off if her. The linens under Lenora are soaked through with deep red blood. I secure my arms to carry her while she writhes in pain.“Codi is dying!” She wails and grabs her stomach. “I can’t feel her! Justice is fading away! Milo! Help me, please!!”“Beta! Medical team is
Bronx’s POV I look up from my book when Leni tries to adjust her position in her sleep. I kneel by the side of the bed to check on her. “Hey, Leni.” I whisper. Part of me hopes she wakes up. Part of me wants her to get as much sleep as possible. “You feel okay?” She groans with a whine and squints her eyes open. “Where’s Milo?” “He was pacing a hole in the floor. I didn’t want him to wake you up, so I sent him to the living room. Last I checked, he burned through the nervous energy. He’s finally taking a nap.” “Oh.” She snuggles down into the pillow. “Thank you for helping while I’m on bed rest.” “Pshh. Please.” I sit on the bed next to her. “I’m your big brother. It’s like my job to make sure you’re good.” She moves from the pillow to rest her head on my leg instead. It reminds me of when we were little. She would come to my room when she was scared of monsters in her closet and I would sit up and read books until she fell asleep. “How do you feel?” I tug her ponytail when she
Milo's POV“You just have to rock back and forth. It should help relieve pressure on your pelvic area and your tailbone.” Jorge takes Leni’s hands and makes sure she’s stable sitting on the ball. “You can also slide forward and let the ball support your back.” He shows her how to slide forward, then sits her up again. “Oh wow. That feels… amazing.” A look of relief washes over her face as she rocks. “Mm hmm. Most of my patients say that.” He chuckles. She nods with a smile and rubs her belly. I tilt my head and smile at her. “Looking at you compared to a few days ago, it seems like the baby’s starting to drop. She ain’t sitting as high as she was. We should see you in Labor and Delivery any day now.” “Jorge, you’re a Goddess send.” Leni coos at him, still rocking on the ball. “This is perfect. Thank you.” “You’re welcome, Beta.” He gives her a little salute. “I’ll catch up with you after your pup is born to see how you’re feeling. Beta Milo, just stay close while she’s on the ba
Lenora’s POV“Oh, Lenora, I can’t get over how beautiful she is. Those eyes. Just like yours when you were a baby. They’re going to be the most gorgeous green.” Milo’s mom gushes over Codi. “She has Milo’s cheeks, though.” She coos at her granddaughter and nuzzles her chubby cheek. Her gray eyes sparkle with joy. There are crinkles in the corners of her eyes that never used to be there and the tone of her skin has changed from the time she’s spent outdoors since she and Ron were forced to leave the pack. She says they’ve taken up hiking and love it, but miss Blood River.They came home yesterday, a few hours before Codi and I were released from the hospital. She and Ron have settled in, but this is the first time she has really spent quality time with Codi. We sent our mates to the kitchen to get lunch for us. Becca mindlinked Mrs. Miller and asked her to take her time preparing the meal for us.“Yeah. I think her nose looks like Milo’s, too. And her hair is his color, but I think it
It feels like someone has thrown ice water at me. I hold Codi closer and try to calm my mind. The door opens and closes. Milo comes in and wraps his arms around me from behind the sofa, kissing my cheek.“How are my favorite girls?” He squeezes me.“She’s so special, Milo.” I feel a tear fall down my cheek. “Codi is so, so special.”“Leni?” He hurries to the other side of the sofa. I shake my head in disbelief. I can’t tell him. I can’t tell him anything Justice just told me. Codi cries when she feels me getting upset. I rock her in my arms, but it doesn’t help. The sound of her cries makes me cry harder creating a vicious cycle between us. “Lenora?” Becca squats next to Milo. “What happened, dear?”“It’s too much.” I stifle a sob, but my composure quickly falls apart. “I- how can we protect her? Wh-what do I do? I’m her mother. How can I be her… her mother? How can we be parents to such a special little girl? How will she know how much I love her and how much she means to me? Is it