Chapter 32

2 updates in one day what is going on?!

Enjoy x

We were in the woodland manor.

I could tell immedietly from the smell of pine and Oak and grassland.

I opened my eyes contently, meeting sparkling grey orbs an inch away from my face.

But this wasn't Asher.

My little boy howled in laughter as he jumped off the bed, running into Ashers arms only a distance away.

"What is going on boys?" I yawned, but couldn't fight the smile that inked my face from waking up to my treasure, both of my treasures.

"Mummy it's a special day today!" Benjamin wriggled out of Ashers arms and launched himself back at the bed, unable to contain his excitement.

"It is?" I spoke, absentmindedly rubbing my protruding pregnant stomach. Bens labour was possibly one of the most painful experiences ever, and Asher was in trauma from not being able to stop my pain. Hopefully, this time round the labour would be an all round less traumatic experience, I wouldn't want Ash to have a heart attack before even meeting our second child.

"It's your birthday mummy ! Daddy said you're 21!" Ben squealed, wrapping his arms around my neck in a hug.

"Alright baby boy, let's go get some breakfast!"

Ben climbed up my torso, carefully on my stomach, and pulled his arms around my neck.

"Mummy you need to stay up here!!! Me and daddy have a birthday surprise" he just managed to properly pronounce the words, preschool paying off with his growth of confidence speaking.

"Ok, what number should I count to until I can come downstairs?"

Ben pondered for a few seconds, his cute little face scrunched up in thought.

"20"

With that he ran off into the hallway, Asher following closely behind, but not before dropping a smouldering kiss onto my lips, making me beg for more, tendrils of desire seeping out, eradicating the haze of tiredness.

I got dressed as I counted, throwing on my dressing gown and slippers, then slowly making my way down the grand staircase to hear hushed whispers.

"I'm coming..." I announced, and as I opened the kitchen door the boys shouted,

"Surprise!"

Ben looked so proud of himself as he stood near the birthday cake with what must be 21 candles in it, the candles standing precariously, evidence of bens contribution to the surprise.

I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with all the love of my mate, and my little boy, and our second child growing inside of me.

" I love you both so so so much"

They both engulfed me in a strong embrace, before I announced,

"Who wants pancakes?",

Ben screaming, "Me!"

I was too busy collecting the ingredients from the counter to notice the fire from the candles seeping onto the paper underneath the cake, flames igniting almost immediately. The fire travelled quicker than I could have ever predicted, the moment my head snapped back at the smell of smoke the counter was ablaze.

I could see Ash and Ben through the haze of the fire, Ben screaming my name with Asher holding his body away from the fire. Ashes face was pure anguish, and the flames continued to catch and spread across the kitchen, until I was spluttering from the smoke and the heat.

Before the flames engulfed Ash and Ben, I could feel a soft prod at my mind.

I love you.

I screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

When my eyes opened, I was glaring straight into the witches smug ones. My eyes flicked across my body and my surroundings until everything came rushing back in jumbled memories.

The witch played for me my deepest fear, and as I gazed around the field, our wolves staring in the trance, I realised that it was now between me and her.

"What the fuck do you think you're going to get from this? Momentary satisfaction from torturing me? Because your wrong. Once this is over you will go back to whatever pit you live in and go back to being weak and pathetic." I spat, whilst circling her, my hands reaching into the waistband of my trousers to keep a vice like hold on the hilt of my dagger.

"Darling, I have been waiting for this day for 3 years. Three gruelling years. If you think that killing you and seeing the pain that causes him will not give me life long satisfaction then you are so clearly mistaken."

With that she pulled out a dagger and jabbed for my torso. I quickly side stepped her, my own dagger coming down, slitting her waist. Blood immediately formed from the gash, and the witch growled in response. She hailed down a storm of blows against me, I narrowly twisted away from each one until her dagger sliced open my arm. My breath staggered out of lungs, and the witch used this momentary weakness to then punch my cheekbone, bringing my body to the floor in a mixture of kicks and punches.

My body was burning with pain, yet as the witch lifted her dagger high above her head to lodge into my heart, I twisted out of her way and sprung up onto my feet, dagger poised ready to attack. My focus was completely on her and her movements, I had no idea as to whether the wolves had broken out of their trances or whether reinforcements had arrived.

She was my sole focus.

And I was beyond ready to kill this bitch.

She glared me up and down as she spat blood onto the ground, twirling her dagger around her hand casually.

She lifted up her top where my dagger sliced open the skin near her waist, but I was greeted with a near enough healed wound. No blood, no scar. You almost couldn't tell that I had injured her.

"You see this?" She asked me despite her gaze being focused on her healed wound, " us witches have the perks of healing quicker than any other species. You as a mere werewolf do not share these perks. Look at you. You're already tired and hurting. Pathetic mortal. You shall get what you deserve."

She charged upon me, our daggers battling together, steel against steel, until I felt a frozen sensation in my heart. The witch looked at me with a smug smile. My insides were freezing up, and I could almost feel the ice. My throat was closing up, gasping for air which turned to ice in my mouth.

"This is why you never stood a chance." She spoke, " I have powers and you have nothing. You are nothing" with that she placed her dagger on my heart, and I was powerless to stop it, my body freezing in place like stone. She was just about to push her dagger in when a sword came mightily swinging down, pushing the witches dagger from my chest.

My eyes were the only thing left moving, with that I peered to see Asher wielding the sword, sweat forming on his brow as he fought with all his power against the witch.

I watched helped helplessly as Ash lost his footing and the witches dagger came crashing down, plunging into his chest.

Despite my body being physically immovable, my mind was unravelling. I was screaming over and over, sending jumbled messages to Asher that it was going to be alright.

But there was so much blood,

Too much blood.

Wolves are supposed to heal quicker than humans so heal goddamnit !!!

Please

for fucks sake!

The witch edged closer to Asher in victory, leaning down towards his stooped frame to whisper something in his ear. But by a twist of fate, he summed up enough energy to ram his dagger straight through her heart, twisting it in deep.

The witch fell to the floor in a trembling, bloody heap, her body convulsing for a few moments before lying still, blood still wet on her skin.

The ice that held my body in place melted away, and as soon as I sucked air in my lungs I ran over to Asher on shaky legs.

He was lying on the floor, his chest slowly moving up and down, his eyes fighting to keep open.

When he noticed me stooped over him, a faint smile grew on his face.

"It's alright" he spoke, lifting his arm up to hold my cheek. My palm wrapped around his, holding it there as I relished in his warmth.

"Ash what can I do" I was becoming frantic as I felt Ashers arm grow heavy, his eyes drooping shut.

I looked down to his chest to see the blood staining his shirt, the dagger sticking out just under his heart.

"Ash keep your eyes open, look at me!"

Grey orbs that lacked their usual sparkle held a gaze with my own, and I could see himself that he was losing hope.

"HELP, SOMEONE GET LAURENT, GET LAURENT" I screamed, cradling Asher to me, humming a faint tune to him.

"I like that song, my mother used to sing it to me" he said so faintly it must have taken him upmost effort to speak.

I didn't want him to see me cry, I knew it would make him upset, so I pushed my face into his hair and let the tears flow, my hands wrapped around his torso.

"Please don't cry" he spoke, his voice raspy and full of pain.

"Ash, stay with me please. I'm pregnant you can't leave me, you can't. We are going to have a baby" my voice cracked with anguish "wand they will be the sweetest, most loveable child you could ever imagine, and they will love you endlessly like I do"

He didn't say anything, he simply locked his palm with mine as I lent down to kiss his lips softly, and I hummed to him until the song morphed into sobs.