Chapter 50
It feels like I’m being torn apart from the inside, I g
gag and bring up more bitterness from my stomach as I collapse to my knees.
“Ariella!” My brothers are by my side. They lift me off
my feet.
“She needs treatment” Castor yells, “Give her to me.
“Castor is right,” Ethan orders, “Arrest all the Midnight Moon pack members here and interrogate them. find out if they were involved in the attack. King Eli and Rafe, I need your help too.”
Sounds mutile around me and I can’t even keep my eyes open.
My head. My body. My everything is swirling with pain. This is beyond anything I have ever experienced, even worse than what those rogues did to
Ime.
Then I am placed on something soft. A bed.
“Hang on, Ariella!” Castor yells
I feel a needle pierce my arm and a spike of energy is shot into me. I bolt upright, gasping for air. My throat feels like sandpaper.
“Water.” I crook.
Castor hands me a glass and 1 gulp it down like a fish trapped in the desert,
Castor wipes his brow and collapses into his clair. “Feel better now!
Inod, “Yes. Physically”
Evelyn’s words linger in my mind, I’m scared.. for me, but mostly for my baby, I wish it all was just a dream.
Lifting my head to look at Castor, I ask him, “What happened to me?”
Please tell me none of that was real.
He sighs, his expression strained, “The witch, Evelyn Keenan, placed a curse on you. At least now we know whose child you carry”
“There has to be something you can do. Can’t you remove it with your powers?”
Castor shakes his head. “A healer’s power doesn’t work like that. We heal physical injuries and, on the odd occasion, an illness. But this is dark magic. The only thing that can fix this is..”
He sucks in some air and finishes his words. the one who cursed you.
“No it can’t be!” 1 shout out, falling back into bed and holding back my tears. “What will happen to my child!”
“Based on the wording of the witch, and from what I scanned..it’s a curse that affects the mind of the child, weakening its will and that of its wolf “Meaning what. Be honest with me, Castor!”
“Meaning that as he or she reaches maturity, they will begin to lose cognitive function and become little more than a feral beast. There will be no humanity left.”
I start to tremble and sob. No, it can’t end like this. There must be something, anything we can do to stop it!
I try to get up, but another wave of exhaustion overwhelma me, and my vision fades to black. I collapse backward, but find myself caught in a warin embrace.
“How is she?” Ethan asks. My head is still dizzy so I stay in Ethan’s arms, taking a moment to regain my strength.
I hear Castor answer him matter–of–factly. “Not so good.”
“Then do something!” Ethan roars.
Castor sighs, “Tm sorry, but my power won’t be of much help in this situation. She’s cursed by a witch, Ethan.”
I’m a little surprised that Castor is
is now addressing Ethan by his name. Things must be quite dire, and Castor is trying to get the point across not just as Ethan’s subordinate, but as his friend.
My dizzy spell passes, and the world comes back into proper focus. I can almost sense Ethan’s fury. As soon as I can see, I grab his hand.
210 PM
Chapter 50
“Ethan
“Ariella!” Ethan urges, his anger seems to have been replaced with concern, “Can you hear me now!”
1 nod and look him in the eye. “Ethan, we should talk.”
He turns to Castor, “Castor, leave us”
Castor gets up and starts to walk away. Before he exits the room, he gives me an encouraging look. “I just be outside. Call me if you need anything.”
Once we are alone, Ethan stares at me for a long time. It feels like eternity. Finally, he asks. “So is it true!”
He and I both know what he’s referring to. The baby.
“Yes,” I tell him softly, placing my hands on my stomach and lowering my gaze to look at the very slight bump on my stomach. “I am carrying your child-
I have been fighting off cradling my stomach for so long in order to not make others suspicious. Now, I can finally do so. I’ve never known it could be so peaceful
But that peace is short–lived. I’m shocked to feel a rush of mixed fury and anguish coming off Ethan and I look away from my stomach, to him.
However, by then those emotions fade. While I can tell from Ethan’s face he is still upset, I can no longer feel it the way I did.
How can I sense his emotion! Did I really feel that or was it just my imagination!
Could the baby have done that? Or is it my wolf stirring again!
“You had no right to keep this from me,” Ethan groans.
so weak now.
“I didn’t know for sure it’s yours until today, I tell him softly. However, all the justification that I have convinced myself of seems so “Still, you’re right. Either way, I should’ve told you earlier. I am so sorry”
He keeps his silence.
“I am so sorry.” I repeat “I understand there’s no excuse for withholding something like this from you, but I was scared. I intended to tell you last night…then we got sidetracked, and it slipped my mind.”
His expression softens and the fury in his eyes seems to have faded a little. He lets out a heavy sigh and asks, “How far along are you?”
I take a deep breath
“I realized after my brothers found me but back then, I didn’t know who the father was.”
“And you said the reason you kept this from me is because you are scared. What are you scared of?”
His voice is calm, but I can tell it’s taking everything for him to keep it together.
*I kept it from you because you branded me. Because I wasn’t sure where I stood with you and I knew you’d never let me leave your kingdom if the baby turns out to be yours” Tears stream from mine. “When we first met, you made it clear what you saw me as A breeder. An object. A possession And I don’t want to be any of those.”
“You are more than that.”
“Well, your words and actions back then didn’t necessarily give me that confidence.” I smile bitterly, but start to get dizzy again. Sweat trickles down my forehead.
“Back then you didn’t have confidence. How about now?” he aska.
I am about to answer when the dizziness intensities. My head crashes on the pillows and my breathing becomes ragged. I am gasping for air.
“Ariella! What’s wrong?” Ethan shouts. “Castor!”
Through my blurry y vision I see the infirmary doors burst open Castor rushes into the room, followed by Ell and Rafe.
I reckon Castor must have intercepted my brothers at the door, giving me and Ethan the chance to conclude our private conversation
“Ari! Castor, is the okay!” Eli urges.
Castor grabs my hand and I feel his power begin to flow through me. The pain cases but the discomfort remains. Castor administers more of the comics he gave me earlier and my sickness subsides again.