51

Everything would be okay.

Repeating this mantra in her head, she remained alert and watchful. Following a narrow track that was barely visible amidst the dense underbrush, she kept thinking about what Luci had said. She'd crossed rivers and canyons to find her, and she knew that the north of the ForgedHearts territory was bounded by Falcon River which flowed from the foothills of the Stone Ridge mountains. She'd never been up there, but Ariella knew from geography lessons that canyons abounded on the slopes before they morphed into switchback paths that only the bravest wolves traversed.

Is that where they were now? On the slopes of Stone Ridge? The path descended before them and rocks skittered out from under her feet. She was glad she had her boots on still, with good tread to keep traction. Chesca wasn't so well off in thin slippers.

"What happened back there? Who was the rogue who was hurting you, and why did it sound like he knew you?" Ariella asked, thinking back on what the man had said before injecting the poison into Chesca.

"He wasn't a rogue. He used to work for Kaiden as his head guard. You probably wouldn't remember, because you were still young when he was exiled from the pack." Chesca panted hard and followed Ariella with absolute trust.

"Why? What did he do? He sounded pretty angry about something."

"He hurt Miranda big time, and had no respect for her. But that wasn't his grudge. Apparently I killed his brother, another guard in Kaiden's pack, many years ago. Back when Elbert was trying to take over my pack. He was the enemy and trespassing onto my territory, so of course I killed him. But Caleb doesn't see it that way. I hate that we're still paying for decisions made long ago. The enemies we've made. The actions that seem right at the time, but have consequences we could never have anticipated."

"As Alpha, there's always someone who'll disagree with your decisions, right or wrong." Ariella thought of Malachi and his dad, both of whom had suffered from pasts beyond their control.

"I guess. That doesn't make it any better for our children. All I'm trying to do is protect my family and those I care about most."

Ariella nodded, knowing all too well the price of love. But did she?

They reached the base of a small valley, and pulled up at a thick tree trunk when Chesca tugged on her arm.

"Ariella, I can't go on like this."

"What are you saying?" she looked closely at her Alpha, her face covered in the dark shadows of swaying leaves, but she didn't miss the twist of her features.

"The baby..." Her hand pressed tightly against her abdomen, and she leaned against the tree heavily.

Realisation washed over Ariella like a cold wave of dread. "Oh no. Don't tell me... don't tell me you're in labour!"

Chesca nodded and took deep breaths as she fought off another wave of pain. "My waters broke back at the barn. I don't know how long until..."

"But you can hold on, right? We just need to keep going. Alpha Kaiden is probably on his way, and we'll meet him—"

"No, Ariella," Chesca gripped her hands, her emerald eyes boring into hers with tenacity. "I need you to help me. This baby won't wait. He's fighting against the silver too. My body is rejecting him and pushing him out, protecting him from me."

"You can't just give birth here!" Ariella shook her head frantically. "In the middle of nowhere, with nothing, and nobody--"

"I have you."

"I can't do it. No, Chesca, please, we have to keep moving," she tried tugging her Alpha up the other side of the valley, but Chesca remained firm.

"Ariella, I have you. You're Lexi's daughter, and you've helped with a dozen births."

"But that was with her there! And other women. And sterilised scissors, stitches, equipment. All the proper tools--"

"Ari, listen to me!" Chesca growled and gripped her hands painfully tight, and Ariella knew the contractions were coming on closer together. She really was going to give birth in this God-forsaken forest. "I need you. My baby needs you. You are honestly the person I trust most to be with me right now. You can do this. We can both do this. I just need you to commit and--" she gasped and doubled over, clutching her hand to her stomach. Her knees hit the leaf-covered ground at the foot of the tree, and took out her pain on the bark, her nails digging in and scraping down as she bore through the contraction.

"Okay. Okay, I'll do my best. We can do this." Ariella conceded and rubbed Chesca's back in support. She really had no choice. They'd already come so far tonight, and if she let her Alpha and new pup die here, Kaiden and the pack would never forgive her.

She'd never forgive herself.

I'm running out of time. I know that now.

I don't know how, but I do.

In the back of my mind, even as I'm focused on Aunt Chesca and her baby who is about to join us in this forest on such a terrible night, I think about Malachi. I think about how he's out there, somewhere, and I just revealed his possible whereabouts to a bunch of sinister rogues who have the intent to kill.

To save my own skin? Did I do it for self-preservation?

Never. I would never do something like that to save myself.

"Ari, he's coming! You'll need something to cut the cord. As much as I hate it, we need to break the connection as soon as possible," Chesca grinds out the words through clenched teeth.

I can see she is in pain, but she barely makes a sound. We are still in unmarked territory, hunted in this forest, and we have to keep our noise as limited as possible.

But the smell of Chesca's blood.... There is nothing we can do about it. She is bleeding, and I have to deliver this baby before she entirely bleeds out. I have no way of telling if there are internal injuries from her ordeal tonight, or if her body is just trying to purge itself of the metallic poison that taints her red blood with silver.

"I have a knife, but it's not clean..."

"It doesn't matter, you just need to sever the cord. A moment too long could make all the difference. You have to be ready, Ariella."

"I am. I'm ready." I pull the knife from my waistband, the one Luci used to kill the rogue before he hurt me, and I wipe the bloodied edge along the tree bark. The stain doesn't all come off, so I wipe it faster, as fast as I can, hoping the friction and heat will cleanse it from the horrible blood.

I watch as another contraction overcomes Aunt Chesca, and she breathes hard.

"That's it, take short breaths when you can. Just keep breathing and focus only on the baby. He's healthy, he's strong, and you're both going to be okay," I assure her, rubbing her back as I slip the knife back in my belt. I don't need it just yet. Chesca isn't fully dilated, so it could still be another hour before the baby comes.

I began counting the length of contractions and time between them since they started, and just this simple routine helps my own mind to stay focused. "That's it, you can relax now," I tell her as her muscles ease from the strain, and she rests her head on my shoulder. The night air is icy, but neither of us feel it. A thin layer of sweat glistens on Chesca's skin, and my own body is still pumping with adrenaline from our escape from the barn.

"What if he finds us again?" Chesca asks in a small voice.

"Who?"

"Caleb. Or his rogue buddies. What if he wants to take my baby? I couldn't even stop them from taking me—"

"Shh, Chesca, don't think about that now. I need you to focus on giving birth to your baby. I will protect you. No one will hurt you as long as I'm here." I promise, praying it may be so. As soon as I began monitoring Chesca and noting how wide her cervix was dilated, my mindset had completely changed.

Before, I was scared. Before, I still wanted to keep going until we found Alpha Kaiden or someone else to help us. But now— now I am the help. I am in charge of our fate. I will do everything in my power to help this mother bring her baby into the world. This is all that matters to me in this moment, this time and place, and neither of us can afford to think of anything else.

"Okay, the baby's head is crowning. I can see him!" Excitement fills my voice, but nerves of fear still manage to snake around my heart. What if he is entangled in the cord? What if he ingested the silver and has stopped breathing? What if—

I cut my negative thoughts off and paste on a brave smile. "It won't be long now until you can push, when you feel the urge." I tell Chesca, and she gets back into a natural and comfortable position.

"Oh, I feel the urge. I just want this baby out as soon as possible." She kneels, her arms against the tree for support, and I continue massaging her lower back.

"And he will be. You'll both be okay. Have you picked names?" I ask as we wait for the next contraction.

"We have."

I wait a moment, expecting her to say more, but all I hear is her measured breaths. "And..."

"And now I'm not so sure. Nothing seems right about them, not now. I need....I just need to make sure he's okay..." her voice breaks, and I notice the tears mingling with the drops of sweat running down her face.

I grasp her shoulders in a hug, feeling her fear in my own soul. "It's going to be okay, Chesca. I'm here for you and I'm not going anywhere until this baby is safe in your arms. You're going to make it. You're the strongest, most brave woman I know. Besides my mom." I add with a winsome smile on my lips.

Chesca laughs too, then grunts and clamps her mouth shut. For another half hour we breathe in sync through the contractions, and I mirror everything I have seen my mom do during the labours of shewolves in our pack. I comfort, I wipe her brow, I massage her back, and I hold her hand as she grips it almost tightly enough to crack my bones. I absorb her pain, and I whisper prayers over her baby and us all. It will take a miracle to get us through this nightmare intact.

"Okay now, push when you're ready. You're doing great! Deep breaths, that's it. Just keep going." I get ready to catch the baby, and watch as his head slides out, followed by the rest of his little body. My hands quickly grasp his slippery body, the skin glistening in the moonlight, and then I quickly place him on his mother's chest so he stays warm. "It's a boy! Oh, Chesca, it's a little boy!" Tears are pricking my own eyes and I have to blink them back to clear my blurry vision.

He wriggles, yet doesn't make a sound, and I have to firmly wipe his face to clear the fluid and open his airways. With a little sneeze, he takes a breath and releases it in a healthy and high-pitched little cry.

Chesca holds him close and kisses the top of his head. "He's beautiful! Oh, Ari, he's so perfect!" Chesca sinks back, resting against the tree as I take off my jacket and lay it over her.

As she holds her newborn baby, I would normally wait a minute or two until I take my shoelace that I removed earlier and tie it around the cord near his belly. However, I do it straight away. Carefully using the sharp hunting knife, I cut the cord and feel a certain amount of relief wash over me. The baby is alive, he is breathing, he looks healthy and pink, and he is bonding well with his mother.

Willing my hands to still be warm, I gently feel the baby over, counting his fingers and toes, and checking other vitals just like I've seen my mom do every time before the doctor does a more thorough check. Once I am done, I tuck my jacket around him, allowing some of his skin to be pressed against Chesca's for maximum contact. These first moments of baby and mother bonding are crucial, and despite the surroundings we have found ourselves in, I try and keep this birth as normal as possible.

He is perfect, just like his mother said. I knew he was anyway, with my sense just feeling him before he had even fully entered this world. He is destined for something special, this little, wrinkled pup that squirms in his mother's arms, oblivious to the dangerous situation we are in.

"Thank you, Ariella. I couldn't have done this without you." Chesca smiles at me with tears running down her cheeks, and my own heart nearly bursts with joy over what has just happened. The miracle of birth will always enchant me.

Everything is going well, until I hear a twig crack behind me.

Instantly jumping up and turning on the spot, I scan the dark trees but see nothing. Only my breath exhales in a warm mist against the backdrop of frigid air, mixing with the dancing shadows of the overhanging branches to create the only movement I can see. Another twig snaps to my left, and I spin that direction. I take a step closer, careful to keep Chesca at my back, placing myself between her and whatever is out there in the dark.

When a bush rustles on my other side, I shout into the darkness. "Who's there? Show your face!"

A sinister chuckles vibrates from the shadows. "You're in a funny position to be making demands. Such a scared little girl."

The rough and cracked voice seems to come from the trees themselves as I still can't see who is out there. The scent of Chesca and her newborn pup clings to me, messing with my nose and covering any trace of the rogue's scent that might be lingering on the air currents.

"You can't even dare to approach us and show your face? Coward! Stop hiding in the shadows and face me like a man." I can't handle this mystery, this nervous tension that has every hair on my neck tingling with anticipation. I want this out in the open, this enemy that is stalking us right where I can see him.

"Ariella, be careful," Chesca whispers a warning, the urgency in her voice evident despite being quiet. She and her baby are helpless, and I am their only line of defence.

But I have been training.

I have been working hard to become stronger, to become a skilled fighter.

Even if I didn't have this knife in my hand, I'm sure I could take this threat on and protect my Alpha and her baby.

My blood is pulsing, my muscles twitching with the hunger to strike this enemy.

"Sure, I'll show my face. You better like it, because it'll be the last thing you see, little girl." The rogue steps out into a shaft of moonlight, and I don't even give myself a moment to look at him.

I am already leaping, arm extended and claws protruded as I make my first swipe at his face. He ducks and kicks out my legs from under me, and I land heavily on my back. My shoulder lights up with a flash of pain, but I am up again in an instant, lungs heaving for air, heart racing to pump energy into my limbs. I feel every motion, every action before I do it, seeing the fight in my mind.

Slamming the palm of my hand up into his jaw, I hear it crack and in the same moment, while he is stunned, I draw the blade across his stomach. His own claws shred through my shirt and tug at the skin beneath, drawing a pattern of four stripes across my face and neck, even down onto my chest before I can push him away. We both fall to the ground, and his heavy body rolls on top of me.

Pinned down, I can only stare up at the black silhouette that looms over me. His hand holds my wrists in place, the other snakes over my throat, and his hips press against my own to keep me down. I feel his warm blood seeping onto me and I am revolted by the sickly metallic smell that is so different from the life-giving scents of birth.

"You want to explain how a couple of pretty shewolves escaped our base and ended up here? This forest is a dangerous place after dark, and I wouldn't want you to go through it alone," he chuckles where his lips press against my ear and his hand tightens around my neck, choking me.

Chesca's baby whimpers, giving voice to the screams in my own head. I bite my lip and pray he quietens down or else we'll be in much more trouble.

"Ahh, you even have a newborn pup to offer me," the rogue says, and I feel my heart constrict in agony. "How darling. I'm sure the boss would just love this little present all tied up in a red bow for him to play with."

His breath is nasty and stale, making me want to vomit, but I swallow hard and think fast. Everything Hamilton and his warriors have taught me over the last few weeks kick in, the instinct taking over even as my chest is squeezed tight with terror. WIth all my strength, I roll us both over and wrench my hand free.

The hand with the knife.

Before he can react, I bring it down hard into his chest, and feel his grip loosen on my neck. I don't even notice the sting where his claws bit into my skin, I just watch his face twist in horror and I turn away for the second time tonight as someone dies in front of me.

As if my dreams weren't haunting enough, I now have these images imprinted on my mind to keep me wide awake during the darkest hours of night.

As his twitching body stills beneath mine, I rise to my feet and feel sick to my stomach. I pull the knife from his chest and throw it to the side, my hands shaking, then think better of it. I may need it again. Wiping it on the ground, I slide it back in my waistband and turn to make sure Chesca and her baby are okay.

Her eyes are wide, frightened, but full of pride.

She's proud of me? But I've done nothing praiseworthy. I feel disgusting. With so much blood on my hands from different bodies, I can only see the killer I've become.

"We have to go before anyone else comes," Chesca shifts, trying to push herself up on her seat.

"You're not ready. The placenta—"

"It's coming, I can feel it. Just tug on the cord." She winces and holds her baby closer as a cool shift of air whistles past us, stirring the leaves of the trees.

I try and catch any scent other than pine needles and honeysuckle, trying to ascertain if any other rogues are out amongst the trees, stalking us. The air comes up clean, but still a trace of something is making my hair stand up on my neck and my nose twitch.

I gently pull on the umbilical cord, hoping it comes out cleanly and doesn't cause Chesca to bleed any more than she already is. Normally, in the comfort of the pack clinic, we'd wait and give it time, but that is just another precious thing we don't have out here in this forsaken forest. After a few minutes of Chesca pushing through the final contractions, the afterbirth comes out and I bury it under some rocks, hoping to cover the scent as much as possible.

I help Chesca ready herself for the journey ahead before we continue. With her baby wrapped snugly in her arms, I lead us down the slopes, wending our way through the trees, over small gullies and creeks, and around jagged outcroppings. I'm following my instinct right now, the rest of my senses blind as tears keep blurring my eyes and the baby's quiet whimpers deafening my ears.

My fingers are nearly frozen, and I rub my arms in a futile attempt to warm myself. My nose soon picks up on familiar scents; grasses, wildflowers, spruce trees. Even the smell of Falcon River beckons me home.

We're nearly on ForgedHearts territory, and my body nearly breaks down from relief.

But we aren't there just yet, and I keep the knife gripped in one hand and my claws extended on the other, Chesca firmly gripping my shoulder so as not to lose me in the darkened land that has now become shrouded in heavy mist.

"Hunter."

The determination in her voice snaps me from my hopeless thoughts. "Pardon?"

"His name. I'm going to call him Hunter. It is what he will become."

"Ahh..." My feet slide down a small embankment, and I grab onto some scrub to regain my balance. Chesca collides into me, but I manage to keep us both on our feet. Once we are righted, she continues.