Chapter 127
Aurora’s POV
Anders is waiting for us when we enter the patient room. His familiar presence makes it a bit easier to keep walking, and his smile helps me calm down a bit.
“Aurora, this is my sister, Doctor Elisa,” he says. The woman, who is much smaller than him, steps forward and bows respectfully.
“It’s nice to meet you, Luna,” she says. Her kind eyes connect with mine, and her gentle voice wraps around me like a warm hug. Still, I hesitate before fully entering the exam room. She doesn’t push or demand I come in.
Doctor Elisa waits patiently as I inch my way inside with Thorne at my back.
“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?” Thorne whispers while helping me up onto the exam table. I tense at the cold surface, trying to fight back memories.
“I didn’t want to…” I take a deep breath and lean into him, “I didn’t want to add to your plate.”
My voice is barely a whisper, but I know he hears me. He always hears me.
“Don’t think that way,” he whispers through gritted teeth.
“What way?”
“That you’re a burden,” he grits. “You are not bothering me in any way. Ever. If you need to tell me something, then I want you to tell me.”
Something in me eases at his words just before I tighten up again when Doctor Elisa starts the exam. I lean into Thorne when I can, soaking in his protection and comfort while she asks questions, takes notes, and checks my vitals.
Then, she suggests a urine test, which is awkward.
I only agree because Thorne urges me to do what she says. So, I pee in the strangely small cup and rush back to Thorne’s side.
“I’ll be back soon,” Doctor Elisa says before leaving. I expect her to be gone for a while, but just like she says, she returns quickly. Her kind eyes beam with excitement, but I can tell by the way she walks over and stops in front of me that she’s trying to hold that excitement back.
“Aurora,” she says gently. “You’re pregnant.”
I blink as her words clatter around in my mind. Pregnant? I try to process what she’s saying, but images of tiny fingers curled around mine flitter through my mind. The thought of holding a baby, warm and curled against my chest, surfaces next.
And what follows is fear.
My life only just started to feel normal again, and now this? Can I even take care of a baby? I can barely keep myself safe… how am I going to protect a child?
“I—what?”
This time, Thorne pulls me into his arms, cocooning me from the others in the room.
“You’re carrying our child,” he murmurs, his voice low and reverent as he wraps himself around me.
“Thorne, I don’t—”
“I’ll protect you,” he swears, his thumb brushing my cheek. “You and the baby. I’ll protect you. Always.”
I swallow hard, the weight of his words sinking into my chest. They shove the fear down, reminding me that I’m not in this alone. We’re tethered together.
Thorne will protect us.
Thorne’s POV
One week.
I’ve known about my baby for one week, and I still can’t believe it as I watch Aurora talk with Elizabeth and Grayson. She told her human mother yesterday, and today, she’s telling her birth parents.
“I’m thirteen weeks along,” Aurora says, pulling my attention back to the conversation. Grayson’s mouth drops open, and Elizabeth begins to cry. They both hug my mate, but I can imagine how they feel. Neither of them got to watch her grow up, and now that they’ve found her, she’s already at the point of her life where she’s made a new family for herself.
Though, I don’t sense any anger from Grayson or Elizabeth. Instead, an overwhelming feeling of love fills the room as they embrace each other.
“Alpha.” That serious tone in Jace’s voice makes me sigh. “The Redwater scouts sent word.”
Standing, I move over to Aurora, kiss her head, and murmur, “I’ll be back.”
“Where are you going?” She asks, turning away from her parents.
“I’ve got to check on the scouts,” I tell her, cupping the back of her head and tipping it back. “Grayson and Anders are here, and so are many of my men. Everything will be safe, and I’ll be back later.”
I can tell she doesn’t want me to go, but she doesn’t speak it aloud. She knows that if we’re going to be safe—if our baby is going to be safe—I have to do this.
After kissing her one more time, I follow Jace outside where one of Sanders’s men is waiting. He bows then wastes no time, “The Black Knight Pack was no longer in their previous locations, but we ran the length of the werewolf-Lycan border and found a string of packs to the north that have had troubles popping up lately.”
“The Black Knight Pack?”
He nods, “We thought so, and when we visited each pack, they confirmed our suspicions. The Black Knight Pack has been terrorizing the weaker packs along the border, demanding food and resources in exchange for not killing them.”
“Bastards,” Jace growls.
Indeed.
The scout clears his throat and speaks again, “The packs gave us a location where the Black Knight Pack is currently based.”
“Show me,” I demand, shifting without another word. Jace shifts and follows behind me and the scout as we run through the forest. The trees blur as we run, and my mind races. If we can get the Black Knight Pack’s location today, then we could finish this once and for all within the next couple of days.
Then, Aurora will be safe, and we’ll be able to live our lives without worrying that someone is after her.
With our speed and the guidance of the Redwater scout, we easily find his fellow scouts. Like shadows, they drop from the trees and silently land in a circle around us. Each of them bows respectfully to me before one of them steps forward.
“The Black Knight Pack’s base is two miles north of here, in an abandoned warehouse. We can lead the way.”
Then, we’re running again. The closer we get, the slower we go until we’re hiding in the underbrush of some trees and bushes.
I shift back to my human form with one of the scouts, listening as he explains everything they’ve seen.
“Their patrols are heavy and are constantly moving around the compound,” he says, pointing to two men and two wolves that circle the area. “We’ve noticed an increase in pack members over the last two days, which means they’re gathering fighters. I haven’t seen their full ranks, but they’re pulling rogues in, and if we don’t strike soon, it might be too late.”
“Then we better return home and prepare for battle.”
The scout nods, and after we sit there for a while, watching the Black Knight Pack, I tell him I’ve seen enough. Their warriors are preparing, so we need to as well. I can’t waste anymore time.
As quickly as possible, we head out. Two scouts stay behind to keep us updated on the Black Knight Pack’s movements.
When I reach the house, Anders and my warriors are the only ones waiting for me. Aurora is sleeping, and Grayson and Elizabeth have left.
“How’d it go?”
“We’re striking in two days. Tell the men to be prepared.”
