29

Z A I R A

✿

I quickly closed the door, but the smoke had already crept into the basement and the air was getting stuffy.

“Mom. What's going on?"

"Shh, everything's fine," I reassured him. My mind raced. I couldn't get us up the stairs, it was impossible. So I had to find another way. Brenda knew we were in the basement, someone was coming for us.

Koray coughed. "Mom?" Then he started to cry.

The air was getting stuffier. More smoke entered the room.

"Don't cry, everything's fine." I rushed to the far corner of the room and put him down. Then I tore a piece of cloth from my dress, crouched down in front of him and pressed the cloth over his mouth and nose. "Mommy has to press this on, okay? This will help you. Mommy'll heal you.” I cupped my hand over his mouth and my palm glowed golden, keeping his lungs healthy as more and more smoke filled mine.

His coughing stopped and he stopped crying.

"Better?" I croaked, pulling the neckline of my dress over my mouth with my free hand.

He nodded, his green eyes wide with shock.

Keep calm, Zaira. For Koray, I tried to calm myself down. Brenda hadn't forgotten us, she'd be there soon to get us.

"Okay, okay." Right now the fire hasn't reached us and the door would buy us a few extra minutes. So it was the smoke that I had to worry about. I ripped another scrap of fabric from my dress. "Koray. Koray, look at me, darling.” When he turned his eyes to me, I continued. "Will you take care of Beasty? Will you do it for me?"

Koray, who had pressed his kite tightly to himself, nodded. "Yes, Mommy," he mumbled behind my hand.

"Good. Put that on his mouth.” I handed him the rag and his little fingers grabbed it. He did what I said. "That's my boy." Then I put my other hand over my own mouth. My eyes frantically scanned the room and spotted a window a few meters above us.

"Squeeze it nice, okay?" I coughed.

Koray pressed the cloth tighter over Beasty's mouth.

Then I got up, hurried across the room to the pile of old children's furniture and grabbed the children's chair. After putting him under the window, I took Koray in my arms. 'Shh, don't cry. Mommy's getting you out of here.” I hugged him, then helped him onto the chair, which wobbled slightly beneath me. Koray clung to me so tightly I could only hold him with one arm, one hand cupped to his mouth while I tried to reach the window with the other. I had to stretch really hard to grab the lever, but when I tugged it wouldn't open.

I kept trying. My hand trembled. Slipped off. I tried again. I tried to pull it with all my might, but it wouldn't open. My wolf scratched my skin in fear. Shit, shit, shit!

"Mommy!" Koray called and I heard the panic in his voice. It was like a switch flipped inside me. I pressed my hand to my stomach. These were my children here. I would protect her no matter what I had to do to get it. Maybe Brenda had forgotten me, Aramis never would. He probably already knew. He would save me. I had to save our children.

Koray cried in my arms as a coughing fit overcame me. And he shrieked as the door shattered and shattered into pieces. I held him close, his head against my neck, shielding him from the shrapnel. Then the fire broke in and the smoke worsened tenfold.

I held Koray to me with one arm and with the other I elbowed my elbow against the pane. Once... twice... three times... My dress tore and my skin bled. I coughed. Then I swung again. Four times... five times... Then it shattered.

"Koray, you have to listen to me, okay?" I ground out hoarsely. Sweat ran down my back.

Koray, heaving heart-rending sobs, said, "Mommy, scared."

I had to hold back my own tears. “I know, Liahevu, I know. But everything will be fine, I promise you that.” I coughed, and it felt like fragments of broken glass stuck in my throat. “I'll pick you up and you'll climb out the window. Then you must run away from the house quickly, do you understand?'

"Mommy!" He was crying so hard he choked, and his little hands clawed at my dress as I tried to pick him up. He cried. My arms were shaking and my eyes were watering.

The fire spread through the room, the flames grew larger. “Koray, you're a big boy. Like daddy, yeah?'

Tears ran down his cheeks like waterfalls and his face was red. "Dadda, want Dadda."

"Yes, dear. I'll pick you up and you go to daddy, yeah? You run off to Daddy's real quick.” Sweat pooled on my forehead, running down my temple. It was so hot in here.

I hugged Koray tightly again, breathing in his scent. i loved him so much "You have to call Daddy, okay? Call for Daddy, he'll help Mommy.” I kissed his head as silent tears rolled down my cheeks. “Ehsa teru eyan, Koray. Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you so much.” I couldn't help the sobs that escaped my lips. “Now transform. Where's your wolf, honey? Grrrr!”

Koray changed and as soon as I held the little black wolf pup in my hands, whose three paws were white, I pushed him up. It was the hardest and at the same time the easiest decision I have ever had to make in my life. Everything inside me refused to let my son go, and my chest ripped as I gently pushed him through the narrow window that only he could fit through. But it was the moment when I realized why my mother had sent me away at the time. I would do anything for Koray to live. Would go through hell just to have that carefree laugh again that bathed the whole world in sunshine. He had to live. Even if that meant I might not be able to do it anymore.

As soon as he had firm ground under his paws, he looked at me.

"Come on, run!"

Then he hissed away and I lost sight of him. I heard the crash of objects breaking and smashing the ground, saw the flames getting closer and closer. The temperature rose. My eyes burned from the smoke, as did my throat. Coughs shook my body.

There was no way out for me.

I pressed one hand to my mouth and the other to my stomach and sobbed. I couldn't lose this baby, not when I'd only just found out. I couldn't even tell him. My wolf whimpered.

Aramis, where are you?