Chapter 24: Going Back To Oakland.
"Your fucking pup? Since when did you..."
"Answer me! I only want to hear yes or no. Did you try to kill my pups?" Princess’s voice barked, and immediately a thrill of fear rushed through me. It was not just fear. It was sharp and electric, like something crawling up my spine. I could not move. My throat went dry. My heart was beating too loud, too fast, like she could hear it.
"Yes!" I said back. The word came out before I could soften it. Before I could think.
Her grip on my shoulder tightened. I could feel her claws about to pop out. The pressure increased slowly, not enough to cut, just enough to warn. It itched my chin where her fingers brushed earlier. My breathing shortened. I forced myself not to look away. Before saying her next word, her voice shivered as she looked down at my stomach. I saw it. That flicker. That hesitation.
"Did you..."
"No." I knew what she was going to ask. I told her, "I did not. And if you don’t believe me, listen. You are going to hear a heartbeat for your confirmation," I muttered. My voice dropped. Not weak. Just honest.
With her blue eyes still on, like they wanted to consume me, she slowly relaxed them and removed her bloody hand from my chin, then touched my tummy. Her palm was warm. Too warm against my cold skin. Her ears were on alert, trying to hear a single heartbeat. Everything went quiet. Even the wind felt like it stopped. I prayed she heard it because the girl before me was ready to rip me apart. And right now I am not in any position to fight back. My legs still felt like they did not belong to me.
Seconds passed. Long seconds.
"Good. Their heartbeats are beating perfectly," she muttered. I saw a sign of relief on her face. Not big. Just enough. Her shoulders lowered slightly. Her jaw unclenched.
But wait a minute. Pups. Heartbeats. Did I hear correctly?
"What do you mean by heartbeats?" I asked. My voice cracked without permission.
"You are carrying more than one pup. I don’t know how many, but I know it’s not only one."
My mouth opened. My brain froze for a second. I have more than one pup inside me. Fuck. The word echoed inside my head. More than one. My hand instinctively hovered over my stomach. I felt nothing. It was still flat. Still normal. But it was not just me anymore.
"Why were you trying to kill my..."
"Hey, hey, hey. Yo. You said this was on me. You ignored me like I was some fucking ghost. Now you are calling them your pups? They are mine," I said. My chest rose and fell harder. Anger mixed with everything else. Shame. Fear. Pride.
"Says the one who was trying to erase them. I told you to fucking wait for 48 hours until my exams were done. Did I ever deny you? I said wait. A simple instruction even a 2 year old understands that statement. It was not hard. Or is something wrong with your brain or something?" she replied, then tried to catch her breath. I noticed it. The way she paused. The way she swallowed before continuing. "Do you know what you have cost me tonight? That thing would have killed you if I had not arrived on time."
Her voice did not shake now. It was controlled. Tight.
"At least you should have given me hope that you were going to say something positive. I thought you were going to ask for an abortion or worse, kick me out of the school."
"Your thoughts were wrong. Again, I never denied you. I wanted to focus on my exams that were going to determine my future. Now, thank you to your impulsive behavior, I failed my exams because I wanted to save my pups."
Wait. Are the results out? Or are her exams different from the one I know? What the fuck is this bitch talking about? My head spun. So much information at once. My emotions were not even settled yet.
I was about to ask, to quench my thoughts, but a howling sound interrupted our conversation. It was distant, but close enough to matter.
"We have to get out of here. Blackwood is not a safe place to be. There are bandits, hedge-wolves, and other uncultured creatures lurking around," she said, standing up and heading to the car.
Wow. Bitch just leave me and my paralyzed legs here.
She stopped and turned. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"What are you waiting for? Do you want another dangerous beast to come and attack us? Fucking get up."
"If I could stand on my feet, I would not have to listen to your voice from the moment you said pups," I replied. My breathing was still uneven. "The fucking beast scratched me, so if you don’t want to wait for another 15 to 20 minutes, best you carry me to the car."
The words tasted bitter. I can’t believe I am saying it. Telling her to carry me. This is a shame for me. My pride.
In a heartbeat, she carried me in her arms so easily, like I was some pillow. No struggle. No adjustment. Just lifted. My body reacted before my brain did. My hand instinctively grabbed onto her shoulder for balance. So fucking easy. This shame is never going to leave me for eternity. The Alpha princess carrying me. I will never be able to forget this moment. This is so fucking shameful..... And delicious..
Her scent hit me stronger at this distance. Clean. Sharp. Familiar. It wrapped around me without asking permission. My breathing slowed without me realizing it.
I don’t know when I fell asleep during the ride back to Oakland. Princess had shown me the time in the car. It was 2 am. I dozed off and the time was 2:10. The road was free and the car was fast, super fast. I remember the faint hum of the engine. The steady vibration.
She carried me again. I could feel my legs moving, tingling slightly, but when she was about to carry me out of the car, something inside me made me stay still and let her carry me. I did not want her to put me down. I did not want that distance. With shame, I wrapped my hands around her as she carried me, looking at her face, then to her lips. What the fuck is wrong with me? I should not be having this thought. But I was still having them. My fingers tightened slightly around her collar without meaning to.
Princess had another passage to her room inside the Lunny Club. The club was still busy. I could hear faint music somewhere behind walls, but it felt far away. She used the passage, opening it with a single card key. The hallway was narrow. It went straight to her room. Her steps were steady. Confident. Like she had done this a hundred times.
She slowly dropped me on her bed. The mattress dipped under my weight. My body felt heavy now. Tired. Everything from tonight crashing at once.
"You can sleep here tonight. You can leave in the morning. I will go take a shower, and after that you can have your turn," she said, going into the bathroom. The door closed.
I breathed out. I can’t believe I was holding my breath because her scent was tempting and consuming. It lingered in the room. On the sheets. On my clothes. I almost let my intrusive thoughts win. I controlled myself. I controlled the heat rising in my chest. I turned my face into the pillow once, inhaled, then cursed under my breath.
Then I heard the sound of water rushing down from the shower in her bathroom. It was steady. Loud. Clear. I swear it was so loud that I could hear her breathing. Slow at first. Then deeper. The sound of water hitting skin. My throat went dry again.
I stood up before I even realized it. My feet moved on their own. My hand touched the bathroom door. It was warm from the steam inside.
"What are you doing here?"
I swallowed as I found myself in her bathroom. Steam wrapped around us. Looking at her naked body turned me on immediately. My breath caught. My pulse shifted lower, heavier. The heat that I was controlling broke loose. Without any word, I gave in. I betrayed myself. I consumed her immediately.
