Chapter 157

Third Person POV

In Kenneth’s mind, he was hoping that Maeve would willingly want to stay in his pack. He hoped that she would see on her own that Prince Xaden didn’t deserve her and the one that was there for her was none other than Nicholas. However, he could see in her eyes that she was determined to return to the Capital and make things work with her mate. She was leaving and Kenneth was running out of options.

Thankfully, he had a plan B.

He had one of his healers create a sedative that was safe for pregnant women. It worked kind of like wolfbane, except it wasn’t harmful to the fetus. That baby was the only thing that truly mattered right now. Kenneth was determined to get that baby; he also wanted to create a few other children between Maeve and his son and create an entire army of Enigmas.

“Take her to the underground dungeon,” Kenneth ordered his guards; the very guards he appointed to keep track of Maeve’s every move from the second she arrived in the pack.

They nodded and one of them scooped the girl into his arms. Even pregnant, she looked small in comparison to the large gamma warriors. She was unconscious thanks to the sedative; she was going to be furious when she woke up, but Kenneth didn’t care.

A smile crept along his lips as he watched the guards carry her out of his office. After a moment, he turned to his desk and went towards his phone. He grabbed it and swiped across the screen until he found the number he was looking for.

He pressed the “call” button and put the phone against his ear, waiting until a familiar voice sounded on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Let’s meet in the usual spot,” was all he said before he hung up the phone.

About 30 minutes later, Kenneth was standing in the middle of the forest between the territories, waiting for his company. He was alone, just as he requested before he left his pack to meet with this person. He leaned against a giant Oaktree, glancing at his watch with a frown. They were late and Kenneth did not like being late.

It did not take this long to get to this spot, and for a moment, he wondered if they were even going to show up. But then a shadow emerged, and a familiar figure walked towards him. She held her head high and walked with a power that he had never seen from her before.

He narrowed his eyes at her.

“I wasn’t going to show up,” Victoria admitted as she folded her arms across her chest. “You made me look stupid the last time we spoke.”

“Not showing up would have been a mistake,” Kenneth told her. “I think you’ll be pleased with what I have in store.”

“If it doesn’t have anything to do with getting my daughter out of the dungeon…”

“We are both going to get what we want, Victoria. But I need you to be a little more patient,” Kenneth told her, his tone growing growly, making her freeze.

“Okay fine,” she conceded. “What do you have in store?”

“She was determined to leave, so I sedated her,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. Her eyes grew wide at his words, not expecting that information. “She’s being transported to the underground dungeon as we speak. They won’t be able to track her scent under the ground, so she will be held there for a while. Once she has that baby, I’ll take him from her and raise him in my pack. I’ll make my son mark and mate with her as well. They will produce more children and create an Enigma army. She will be an Enigma baby machine, just as I always wanted. Once she’s used up and no longer of use to me, you can do whatever you want with her.”

Victoria thought about it for a moment and then narrowed her icy blue eyes.

“I like the idea of her being used,” Victoria agreed, tapping her finger on her chin. “She will suffer if she’s only a baby machine.”

“Exactly,” Kenneth murmured. “She won’t have a day of peace, and she will live as a prisoner in the Dawnguard pack. My son will be too busy with his duties to tend to her, leaving her vulnerable.”

“But what about Sarah?” Victoria asked. “You’ll help me with her, won’t you? She can’t stay in that dungeon much longer.”

Kenneth grinned.

“I’ll help with whatever you need if you help me,” he agreed.

She nodded and then studied him for a moment longer.

“And what is it you need me to do?”

“Maeve’s scent is all over my pack. It’s obvious she’s been there. If Xaden and his people search for her, which they are bound to do, they will pick up her scent easily. I need to cleanse my pack of her scent, but I need some time,” he explained.

She nodded.

“Okay?” She urged.

“I need you to throw them off her scent,” he continued. He reached into his pocket and grabbed Maeve’s sock. He managed to swipe it off her after she passed out in his office. “Send them on a wild goose chase.”

Victora stared wide-eyed at the sock and then back up at Kenneth.

“Do you really think this will work?” She asked.

He nodded.

“For now, yes,” he told her. “It won’t take long for Maeve to give birth to that Enigma. That’s my main priority right now.” He frowned as he thought more about his plan. “Unfortunately, my son already knows that Maeve is in our pack and having issues with her mate. If he caught wind that they were searching for her, it wouldn’t be long before they realized she was here. So, I’ll have to send him on a mission far from here. I can have him packing and leaving within the hour. Of course, he’ll need to return before she actually gives birth though. Which is where my daughter will come in. She will get Nicholas to return. He will need to mark Maeve before she actually gives birth if he wants to protect her.”

Victoria nodded, though she had no idea why it was important for Nicholas to mark Maeve before she gave birth, she chose to pick her battles and not say anything about the matter.

“I need to know that you can do this, Victoria,” he told her firmly. “Can I count on you?”

She stared at the sock for a moment longer before she grabbed it from him.

“Yes,” she finally answered. “It’s time that that bitch got what was coming to her.”

Kenneth grinned.

“Perfect,” he murmured. “If I need more from you, I’ll call you.”

With those words left in the air, he turned and walked away. His next step in his plan was to get rid of Nicholas for a few days because he knew if Nicholas knew what was happening right now, he would ruin everything.

…..

Maeve’s POV

When I woke up next, I felt hungover. I knew that wasn’t possible though because I didn’t drink. I wouldn’t drink knowing that I was pregnant. A shiver went through my body and my head pounded as I pried my tired eyes open. The room I was in was cold and damp, leaving me feeling queasy. The scent of mildew and dirt was all I could smell, and it was making me feel sick to my stomach.

I peeked around the dark room that I was in, realizing that I was in some kind of dungeon. There were no windows, so I had no idea what time of day it was. The door was a wooden door with bars on the small window that looked out into some kind of dark hallway.

I realized quickly that I was in a dungeon, but I wasn’t sure where or why I was being held there.

My memory was a bit foggy, but I remembered that I wanted to leave. I wanted to return to Xaden and talk to him about everything. I was going to Kenneth’s office to tell him thanks for everything, but it was time for me to leave, and then everything ended up going black.

I reached up and touched the nape of my neck, remembering the sting that I felt. Feeling a small bump where I was sure a needle was inserted into my skin, I winced. It was still a bit tender and swollen where it was injected.

I was still wearing my clothes, so at least I knew nothing happened to me while I was passed out. I touched my belly, panic seizing me. What if something happened to my baby though? What kind of drug was pumped into me? Was it harmful to my baby?

I quickly stood to my feet, my legs feeling wobbly as I made my way to the door. My fingers trembled as I tried to open it. As predicted, it was locked. I started to bang on the door, tears spilling out of my eyes.

“Someone help me!” I screamed, but there was no response. I wasn’t sure if anyone was even there in the first place. I tried to peek through the small door window to look out into the hallway, but it was too dark. I couldn’t see a single thing.

I banged on the door for a little while longer, trying to get someone to say something… anything. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t truly alone in this strange place.

To my shock, the door was unlatched, and I stumbled backward, my heart in my throat.

A man stood before me and the second his face came into view; I felt my entire world caving in around me.