Chapter 31 Redemption

Eric’s POV

I ran my hand over her bed and it was warm, as if someone just laid there. Her scent struck me again and it calmed me.

Maybe it would work. I agreed with Josephine, I prepared for bed hanging my jeans and shirt on the chair on her coffee table.

Then I crawled into bed, I never use my duvet, but the need to feel and smell Serenity I covered myself with her duvet. Underneath her duvet was another pillow that had a strong scent of her on it. it was probably the one she hugged when she sleeps. I wrapped my arms around it and held it close to me.

Somehow, I was calmed but at the back of my head, I had a feeling that this won’t last, as quick as it entered my mind, I pushed it away.

It didn’t matter, not right now.

Good night. I hear Josephine says.

Goodnight… I answered before I let the comforting darkness take me, Serenity.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I stood in front of the mirror checking on how I looked.

Alphas had been arriving since yesterday for the party that the girls had prepared for Anna and the baby. They have been on it for the last two weeks, and I guess the dinner that Anna prepared was a good idea seeing that the moment the news of her pregnancy broke, all the female alphas had been dropping by and congratulating her, bringing her gifts and stuff.

And with all the guests coming and going, Siam and I had agreed to heighten the guards seeing that our best guards were sent out to look for Serenity leaving us with the head guards of Crystal Falls.

Siam insisted that he would send out the family’s guards seeing that they know Serenity better, and that in case they have the chance to grab Serenity, she wouldn’t have second thoughts of going with them.

He did have a point.

And as much as I want to be the one to take her home, I’d prefer that she just get home in anyway possible, asap.

I was even hoping that they’ll be able to make it to the party tonight.

But I guess that’s asking for too much. I thought sarcastically.

Eric. Josephine reprimanded.

Sorry, I thought.

This is for Anna and Siam, she wouldn’t like you to be all gloomy. She said, my wolf gave a low growl of approval.

Whipped, I thought, he gave a louder growl making me laugh. It’s cool, I said, I just really hope she’d be here by now.

Josephine sighed, yeah, weird, but she sighed.

So do we Eric, she said, she’ll be home soon.

Not soon enough. I answered, thankfully, Josephine didn’t push it.

I stared at my reflection again and sighed remembering that this day is a happy day for all the shifters all over the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I laughed as I watched Siam twirl Anna around after she broke the news of her pregnancy.

“This calls for a celebration!” Uncle Luke announces excitedly.

“Yes!” Siam says, “Anything you want, babe, name it.”

Anna shook her head, “Just a dinner would be good.”

“A dinner?” Jake laughs, “This is the prince to be and the heir, you can’t just have dinner.”

Anna glances at me, “We have other priorities, guys.”

I shook my head, “They’re right Anna, and this is the first born son of the king we are talking about here.”

“But Eric-“

“It’s cool.” I reassured her, “It has been awhile since we’ve had a celebration hasn’t it?”

“Then it’s decided!” Cam announced.

“A party for the little bugger!” Jean says.

Jake and Aaron exchanged high fives and I smiled watching the girls give Anna a hug and guys congratulating Siam.

“Well, if that’s all I’m doing, I want it two weeks from now.” she said.

“Why the long wait?” Jake whined.

“As you have all so lovingly put that this nudger is the heir and prince-to-be, I am not gonna have a random party where everything was rushed.” She raised her chin up.

“So much for just having dinner.” Aaron says.

“And that dinner is still on,” Anna pointed out, “so please have all your work done by then, am I understood?”

“Yes ma’am.” We all said.

“Good.” She said, satisfied making us laugh.

“Eric?” I turned around and saw Mama Ellena with a pained smile.

“I’m ok grandma,” I sighed, “we need this celebration, she’d like that.”

Mama Ellena nodded, “Well, c’mon Cam,” they all turned to Mama Ellena, “we have a party and a dinner to plan. And you, Anna, rest. You’d need it.”

“I still can help mama Ellena.” Anna says.

“No.” Siam says, “Mama Ellena is right, you need to rest.”

She rolled her eyes, “It’s just half way the first trimester, I’m sure I can still walk around Siam.”

“That’s an alpha to be you have there Anna, believe me,” Uncle Luke grinned knowingly, “you’d need to rest.”

“Well, not yet.” Anna says and glanced at her stomach, “You will be a good babe and stay quietly in there until you need to get out.”

We laughed and Siam picked her up again and held her close to him.

For a moment a pinch of jealousy came to me, but I quickly dismissed it. I didn’t need Serenity to feel that she needs to worry about me.

“Well, if you will be so hard headed, you can help with the planning and telling off people since you are so good at it.” Cam says, putting an arm around one of Anna’s arm after Siam let her go.

“You ladies will look after her.” Siam says, it was probably meant to be a question but it sounded more of a statement.

“C’mon Siam,” Jean whines wrapping her arm with Anna on her free arm, “show a little trust.”

“That’s right.” Anna says, “We’ll see you boys later?”

“Yes, we just need to meet with the guards and the alphas, then we’re all yours.” Aaron says.

“Good,” Anna said, “I don’t want you guys out of my sight for the upcoming months.”

“Yes ma’am.” We said in unison.

“We’ll see you later then.” Jean says and they leave, probably for the ball room.

The moment the door of Siam’s office we all sighed and turned to Siam who still had his big goofy smile on his face.

“Excited much?” Jake teased.

Siam threw his head back, “You have no idea.”

“Serenity would have…” Aaron then stopped and looked away.

“Serenity would have been squealing and jumping.” I continued.

“That’s right.” Uncle Luke, “she would be upset if we don’t celebrate the news of her nephew.”

We shared a quick laugh and Siam gave me a look.

“You sure you’re ok with this Eric?”

“Yeah.” I nodded as I walked toward his table and leaned, “It’s nice to see Anna’s all perky self.”

“That is true.” Jake says. “That girl had been worrying for a while now.”

Siam sighed, “She misses Serenity a lot.” He confirms, “So I’m expecting a lot of water works during the pregnancy.”

“Ditto.” The boys and uncle Luke agreed.

“Anyway,” I cut the conversation about Serenity short, “what are today’s plans?”

Siam nods, turning to alpha mode, he walks behind his table and sat down Uncle Luke and I sat across him and Aaron leaned on Uncle Luke’s chair while Jake stood by the window.

“It has been two months.” Siam said. “And the ones who had been sent out to look for Serenity had started coming back with worthless news.”

“You think Jean is lying to us?” Jake frowned.

“No.” Siam says, “I think the hunters are trying to leave fake trails for us.”

“How?”

“They won’t risk having anyone, even humans, to see Serenity, that’s for sure.” Siam says.

“And Jean claims that she saw her being carried into a van.” Uncle Luke nods, thinking of Siam’s theory.

I looked up at Jake, “Any reports of missing shifters?”

“None.” He says, “Surprisingly the hunters are keeping their end of the bargain with Serenity.”

“And what about any changes in Serenity?” Aaron asks me.

I shook my head, “Just the normal mood swings. One moment she’s happy, the next she’s upset, then she’s worried.”

“Knowing Serenity, she’s probably thinking things way too much.” Jake says.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.” I said, “We don’t know what she’s thinking about so we don’t know if it’s worth thinking about or not.”

“Well, as long as she is no longer in agony…” Siam shrugged and leaned back as silence took over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*end.of.flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Hey, you ok there buddy?” I turned around and saw Jake by my door.

“Uhm yeah…” I grinned, “Just checking out… uhm, what you doing here?”

He grinned and walked up to me, “I just want to say that this is pretty cool of you.” he says, “I mean, I miss her, a lot, what more you being her mate?” he shook his head, “I don’t know how you do it.”

“That makes the two of us.” I sighed.

He chuckled, “Well, tell me, cause its pretty impressive.”

I raised a brow at him, “If I tell you, will you use it against my sister?”

“What?” he asked, surprised.

“I don’t get you Jake.” I shook my head, “We know you have a thing for Cam-“

“What?” he gasped.

“C’mon man,” I rolled my eyes at him, “it takes mated guys to know.”

“She isn’t my mate.” He says.

“Says the player.” I said.

“I’m serious Eric.”

I turned to him, “And I’m serious about kicking your ass if you make this harder for my sister.”

He sighed, “I do have reasons you know.” I crossed my arms and gave him a look. He shrugged and rolled his eyes, “C’mon Eric, I’m not exactly the guy you’d go take to meet the parents, am I?”

“Well, lucky you there’s no parents to meet now.” I said.

“There’s you.”

I chuckled, “C’mon Jake, I don’t think it matters that much.”

“It does to her.” Jake says, I raised a brow and he continued, “We have actually talked about it, you know?”

“No I don’t, that’s why we’re having this conversation in the first place.” I said shaking my head and walking to my bed and sat on the end of the bed, “What’s wrong?”

Jake dropped his shoulder, “I just don’t know if its right.”

“What are you saying, of course it is,” I said, “she’s your mate, how is that not right?”

“No, it’s not about her,” he said, “I mean, with out situation right now. We’re all caught up in this drama and with Siam and Anna having a baby, it just won’t do well knowing Siam’s attention would barely be on us.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this, but…” I sighed, “I’m using the Serenity won’t like this card.”

Jake groaned.

“You saw how it was with Anna and Siam-“

“That’s different cause Siam hid that like, for a year.” Jake defended.

“The difference is that Serenity saw that you are mates,” I pointed, “she knows.”

Jake groaned again, “I hate this.”

“Just do it.” I said.

“No.” he said.

“What the hell Jake?” I stood up.

“I don’t want to do this cause you told me so, or cause Serenity wouldn’t want me to not to.” He said walking toward the door, “I’m doing this cause I’m ready for it and when I think I already deserve your sister.”

With that he walked out of my room, not angry but thinking.

Well, at least he’s maturing. I thought.

Then I chuckled.

What is it? Josephine asked.

It’s funny how Serenity always worms her way to everyone. I answered.

Well she’s the princess, isn’t she? She says.

Not to them. I reminded her, this is her family.

“Hey! What’s taking you?” I turned and saw Cam standing by my door, “Let’s go, guests are coming.”

“I’ll be right there.” I said.

“C’mon!” she walks up to me and reached for my collar and popped it up. I grinned and set the collar back down. She raised a brow.

“I’m not planning to get any tonight.” I said.

She rolled her eyes, “It’s not just to get some its to look more handsome than you already are.”

I laughed and let her fix up my clothes and hair. I stared at her as she hum a tune going through my hair.

“How are you?” I asked.

“I’m good.” She said, “You?”

“Could be better.” She laughs.

“I bet.” She says and puts her attention back to my hair.

“So, I talk with Jake.”

She stopped and looked me straight in the eye. I gave her a look and she just looks back to my hair.

“Uhm, really?” she stuttered, “Uhm, what about?”

“I’m not stupid Camster.” I said.

She shrugged, “Just drop it Eric.” she dropped her shoulders, just like how Jake did it. “If he thinks it wouldn’t work, then maybe it really won’t.”

“That’s the wife alpha talking.” I teased. “Where’s my kick ass female alpha baby sister?”

She chuckled, “She’s still here.” she says, “Just not that much of a kick ass anymore,” I raised my brow, “c’mon, this is my mate that we’re talking about. You got whipped somehow by Serenity.”

“I got a lot of whipped.” I corrected her, “I think my hunter experience made that clear.”

She laughs and I took her hands. And put it between mine.

“So…” I start over, “How are you?”

She stared at me for a second and pulled off a pained smile, she took a deep breath and a tear escape from her.

“I just want things to be ok already…” she says and tears poured out of her like crazy.

I pulled her to me and gave her a hug.

“So do I, Camster.” I said, “I know there’s nothing I can say that will make it better, but Jake is a-“

“Player?”

I stifled a laugh, “Yeah, he was.” She gave me a questioned look, “Jake’s a great guy, it can be hard to believe but he’s doing this cause he has things straightened. I don’t think he’ll make you wait for a year or anything, but trust me,” I cupped her cheek with my hand, “he’ll be much better than he is.”

She gave a groan, “Is that even humanly possible?”

“I think its werewolf possible?” she laughed and wrapped one arm around my waist, “I miss this.”

“So did I.” I said hugging her again, “You know nothing will change after the mates right?”

“I know,” she said, “but I haven’t had a hug from you since dad…”

“Sorry.” I said.

“Its cool,” she stepped away and looked up at me, “it’s a surprise you don’t look like you have a missing mate.”

I chuckled, “I hope I can say the same on how I feel.”

She made a face, “Sorry.”

I shook my head and kissed her on the temple, “We should go.” I stepped away and stretched my hands out, “Am I good to go miss stylist?”

“Definitely.”

I laughed seeing how easy it was to make her smile, it had always been like that since we were kids. She’d cry and bawl but the lamest joke will make her forget.

I raised a hand and pulled out my handkerchief, “I can’t have you be a less perfect than you’re supposed to be.” She smiled and let me wipe away her tears. “Ok, now the Johansens are ready to go.”

“Let’s go!” she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.

One hour into the celebration and it was in full swing, Siam and Anna were dancing and on the other side of the dance floor was Cam was laughing as Jake expertly twirls her around and wrap her in his arms.

There right there is a happy ending. I hear Josephine says.

Yeah… I grinned, but not ours, not yet.

“Hey!” I felt an arm snake over my shoulder and I see Jean laughing, holding a drink in her hand.

“Should you even be drinking?” I teased.

She raised her cup, “For your information its coke,” she said and took her arm off my shoulder, “Aaron said if I behave I might find my mate.”

“Well,” I glanced at the end of the room, “you should tell him to listen to his own advise.”

She followed my look and laughed. “I should.” Then she turned to me, “You ok?”

I rolled my eyes, “Do I really look so weak to everyone that you need to ask me that every hour?”

She rolled her eyes back, mocking me, “Well, we can’t have another episode like that one in your mate’s room.”

I chuckled, “If you put it that way.”

She grinned and looked around. “I didn’t become like this intentionally, you know.”

I turned to her surprised, we have been asking her about her past since she arrived but she always found a way to shake it off.

She took another sip from her cup and refused to catch my eyes.

“I’m not a full shifter.” She start, “My mom is a human, an idiot at that. She was my dad’s mate. And, well, let’s just say that she didn’t take the truth of what he was well. She tried, but she failed miserably.” she paused and stared at the drink in her hand, “I was six when my dad told her, and it was down hill from then. She drank, began using drugs, the works, just so she could forget the truth. I thought it can’t get any worse, but when I started showing signs of being a shifter hell broke lose.”

“Finding about the shifters and mates she made me her personal credit card.” She stifled a laugh, “The night of my sixteenth birthday, I thought she was going to throw me a surprised birthday party, cause I over heard her talking with caterers on the phone. My dad needed to leave for a business trip, he promised that he’ll make it up to me by giving me a car and credit card before he left.”

I frowned, hearing the pain in her voice.

“They say that a girl’s sweet sixteen is something to remember as it was her first step to become a woman.” She gave a sarcastic laugh and shook her head, “And boy did my mom made that come true. I came home, all the lights were dead and expecting a group of people jumping out on me shouting happy birthday, well, you can just say I was surprise, but not by happy cheers.” Her brows met in the middle and her voice began to shake, “Apparently, my mom hired thugs to jump on me and rape me. Saying she won’t let another human being go through what she did. That by having my innocence taken from me will surely push away my mate, human or not.”

I stared at her with disbelief as she nod and smiled my way with so much hurt.

“Yeah, she watched her only child get raped.” She says and finished off her drink.

“Jean-“

“After that, I didn’t know how to face my dad.” She continues before I can cut in. “So I took my car keys and card, wrote a note to my dad and left.” She turns to me, still having that pained smile on her face. “Now here I am.”

“Jean you didn’t have to-“

“I do Eric.” she said, “I know I’ve never met the princess, but with all the stories I’ve been hearing, and with Uncle Luke’s son willing to give up his life for her, I’m pretty sure she’s a great girl, maybe greater than Anna.”

I chuckled, “She’s great in her own way.” She laughs in respond. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Cause you have to understand that you haven’t lost her and you never will. That’s what my mom never understood about the mating. She never wondered why she can’t leave if she hated us so much. So though some of our kind is disgusted with my smell, no pun intended,” I chuckled, “I still know that my mate is waiting for me.”

I stared at her, absorbing every word she was saying.

“Serenity is still with you and will always be yours no matter what happened.” I frowned, “I was disgraced by someone who I trusted, I’m praying that she won’t go through the same thing, but you have to reassure her that nothing will change no matter what. That your bond is far greater than physical connection. The fact that you are feeling her pain and calm, or her anger despite the fact that you aren’t even fully mated just proves that you are connected in a way that even the magic of our kind can comprehend.”

I looked back at the last couple of weeks, after that agonizing wake up call I had in her room, everything has been, well, better than the moment in pain.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I sat up and looked around, I was in Serenity’s room. I stood up and checked if there was any open window around. Wondering where the sudden chill in the room came from.

Then I cursed under my breath on the way back to bed when I felt a nudge on my ankle. I looked at it, there was nothing.

Weird. I thought.

I took another step, and in an instant I bit my lip as pain ran up my leg, as if something was tugging it again, this time harder. I dropped on my knees, gasping, I sat and wrapped an arm around my leg and grabbed for my ankle where the source of the pain was.

Next thing I knew I was doubling in pain as another wave of pain rush through me. I closed my eyes fighting off the urge to scream.

And as quick as it came it was gone. I crawled by the foot of the bed and leaned on the poster. Catching my breath, I wiped the perspiration off of my forehead with the back of my palm.

Then I heard foot steps from outside and saw the door burst open. I raised my arm up to shield my eyes from the light bursting into the room from the hallway.

“Eric?” footsteps filled the room and stopped beside me, “God, you are freezing.” She touches my shoulder but I flinched away, the cold heightening. Then Anna ran off, I looked around and see her run back to me holding Serenity’s blanket and wrapped it around me.

Serenity’s scent filled my head and helped calm me, unfortunately I can’t say the same for the pain.

“Sorry.” Anna said. I gave a weak nod as I leaned back, calming myself. “Is it her?”

“I’m not really sure…” I said. Jospehine?

I’m sorry Eric…

I hissed, getting angry, she was in pain and I can’t do anything about it but whine and groan.

“Can you get up?” Anna asks, taking my hand and putting it over her shoulders.

“I think so.” I said, “No need to-“

“Eric, you are as pale as a ghost, meaning you are in pain.” Anna snaps, “So stop being so hard headed and let me help you.”

I sighed and accepted her help. She helped me back to the side of the bed where I was back lying down. Anna pulled the comforter over me.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Uncle Luke said that this can help?” I said under my breath.

“What can help?” she looked confuse.

I sighed and closed my eyes for a second, still recovering from the pain.

“Eric-“

“He said that when his wife died, the only way he could sleep was when he’d lie on her side of the bed.” I said.

“Oh…” she says, “I guess it worked, you’ve been asleep for the past four hours or were you out cold?”

I grinned and looked up at her, “I think that’s the same Anna.”

She chuckled and hit me playfully, “Its not.” Then she sighed, “How is she feeling now?”

I gave a weak nod, pushing the lump that built on my throat, “She’s fine now, I think.”

“Eric, I know it’s hard-“

“No words can say how hard it is Anna.” I said, “Even Josephine worries about her.”

“Well, at least there’s just a couple of pains like this, right?” she reassured me, “I mean, its better that she’s just calm and collected rather than in constant pain.”

“I guess…” I said remembering the days that I was being too melancholy with Serenity’s calmness. It was as if she was feeling nothing or probably asleep. “Argh!!!”

“Eric calm down.” Anna says.

“This is so frustrating.” I said rubbing my face with my hands. “I want her home Anna, I need her here, I want her to be foolish and sarcastic and crazy here, not somewhere I can’t catch her or snap at her for being silly.”

“Eric, calm down,” she says again, “I know you want her here, so do I. And we’re doing everything we could-“

I grab a pillow and threw it on the corner of the room, “It isn’t enough!”

There was a crash when the pillow hit a lamp. Anna jumped away from me, I roughly ran my hands through my hair.

Eric, calm down… Josephine says, she’ll feel this anger.

“I need her to feel it!” I groaned, “I need her to feel everything I’m feeling!”

“What’s going on?” I hear Siam and the others run in the room. “Eric.”

“Get out.” I said.

“Eric, what’s wrong?” Cam asks.

“I don’t get it!” I snapped, “One moment she’s in pain, now she’s all calm and even a bit comfortable. I need to know what’s going in! I hate being left in the dark, I hate this… this… this connection!”

They all remained quiet, of course I didn’t mean that. It was all that I had with Serenity and I’d cherish it forever.

But not being able to make out what is happening to her, that was what I was pissed off about.

“Eric,” I hear Jean says, “you don’t mean that. We know you don’t. I haven’t even met her but I know that she’s worth this pain and wait.”

“I never said I wouldn’t-“

“But you are talking like you are giving up on her.” she cuts me off. “I know she has Siam and Anna to go home to, even Uncle Luke, Cam, the boys and Liam… but at the end of the day you are still the one she’ll want to go to. So you can’t just say you hate this connection.”

I shook my head, still not looking up at them, ashamed.

“Jean is right.” Siam says, “We know it must feel like hell, but at least you know that she’s alive, that she’s still fighting. That there’s still hope that we can get her home.”

I shook my head, “What if she stays away? What if she never comes home to keep this peace between us and the hunters?”

“Well, that would suck.” Aaron said. “But it wouldn’t be like her.”

“She promised to come home Eric.” Jake says, “She will.”

I finally got the guts to look up at them and saw them standing by the foot of the bed.

Anna chuckled and walked up to me, “You’re scared, all of us are. The only difference is, you have more to lose.”

“If Liam’s here he’d hit you, for sure and say that-“

“I don’t like you saying that about my best friend.” I grinned, “I know uncle.”

“Just a little more patience, Eric, everything will fall in place soon.” He says.

I nodded and took a deep breath.

“So, crashing in Serenity’s room helped you sleep?” Siam asks, a note of amusement on his voice.

“Uncle Luke said it would help,” I glanced outside and saw that it was already dark, “and it seems like it did work, I didn’t remember being this dark when I fell asleep.”

“Well, you slept long enough to miss dinner.” Aaron said.

“Do you want me to get you something to eat?” Anna asked checking my temperature, “You’re no longer shaking, that’s good.”

I forced at smile at her, “Thanks, but I’m good, Anna.” I said, “I think I’d sleep this off.”

“You sure?” Jean asked, “We can keep you company, I don’t mind.”

“We’re sure you don’t.” Jake rolled his eyes making us laugh. I stared at them as Jean and Jake had another go of their usual name calling.

I glanced at Cam who just watched them, amused and shook her head. Then I reached for my heart, over whelmed of the moment, then there was a tug in me. Serenity was the missing character in this scene, and Liam.

But that wasn’t why I was feeling this… Longing? Pride? Worry? Nervous? Scared?

“Eric?” I looked up at Cam who was giving me a concerned look. “You’re blushing.”

“She’s just overwhelmed,” I said, “nothing to- urgh!”

I doubled in pain again, coming from my neck up. Suddenly my shoulder throbbed as if it as struck by a metal pole. I dropped back in bed in pain.

I could hear them calling for me but the pain was blinding.

I grabbed a handful of sheets, keeping myself from screaming. But it was harder than I thought, a long excruciating scream escaped from me, causing my sight to turn black and white again.

Serenity… I thought. I lied on my back and stared at the ceiling. I was catching my breath as I continue to fight off the pain. Please, please be alright, babe…

And that was the last thing I remember.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*end.of.flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*