Eve dropped the bomb so casually Visena nearly missed it.

"No, the fuck you're not! What?"

Pregnant.

A baby.

A wolf baby.

How did that even work?

No, she didn't want to know.

Prim laughed and squeezed Visena's hands in hers. "It's only a little bean right now."

"That is amazing. Congratulations Prim. You too, Orion!" Visena called over to the pale-faced male, who barely responded with a grunt. "Neither of you will be fighting now, though, you hear me?" 

"What?" Both Delta's spoke in unison.

"Your baby will need its parents, so when the fight comes, you will stay away. Both of you. Do you understand?" Visena used her Alpha command against them, and they bowed rigidly.

"Yes, Alpha."

Gideon walked over to his mate with a slight frown, his eyes phasing colours as his wolf wanted release. It appeared as if he would throw her over his shoulder and spank her again. Her stomach fluttered at the thought. Visena spotted another emotion swirling inside him too. Pride with a healthy dash of lust. 

"Shameless abuse of power, my love." His husky warning had her shivering. Their eyes locked as they stood shoulder to shoulder, and the world fell away. Olive green eyes bore into her liquid silvers and held her transfixed. He leaned down, and his nose brushed against hers, their lips parted and yearning. Visena couldn't hear anything besides the racing of her heart until one voice piped up from her cottage porch.

"Hey, get a room," Liam shouted over his shoulder, face twisted in mock disgust momentarily as he let himself into the cottage. The expression dropped faster than it appeared, and his jaw slackened. "Ooh, fancy. You know this place is much bigger on the inside!"

"It's enchanted, Liam. Don't wander too far. You might get eaten." Visena had pulled away from Gideon to tease the Beta. He always fell for it too.

Liam backed out, hands raised and eyes wide. "Nice house..."

The wolves all chuckled at his retreating figure.

"Come on, doofus. I'll make you something to eat."

They all filed in and sat down around the table, which had grown twice the size. 

Magic. 

Visena rolled her eyes and went to get them some snacks when Prim intercepted her. "You sit and rest. Gideon told me about your... episode," she whispered in her ear. No doubt everyone still heard Prim's words, but it was thoughtful.

Visena sat back down with a smile, but her throat burned, and heat flamed her pale face. She pushed the feelings of inadequacy and weakness down with a slow breath as the other wolves leaned in her direction.

"What happened to you in there?" Jed spoke first with boyish curiosity. "You look different."

"Probably because they half- starved me," Visena responded with a rueful smile. "It's good to see you, Jed."

He smiled back at her and bowed his head lightly. A demonstration of respect, Visena would never have expected from the young man when they first met. She was so glad she earned his trust. 

As she talked again about her time with the Council, she forgot about the previous embarrassment. "Sorry, Eve, I couldn't keep up with my training there," Visena said with a chuckle as Prim served her some sandwiches.

"Don't be ridiculous, Vi. You'll get back in fighting form in no time. Muscle memory, right?" Eve shovelled food into her mouth and pat Visena's hand resting on the table.

"We missed you so much!" Prim sniffled, hugging her from behind. "I've got so much to tell you!"

Visena squeezed Prims trembling arms and closed her eyes briefly. They were her family. They would do anything for her. 

I don't deserve them.

The Alpha's tale left a mix of emotions in her wolves. Anger at the way she was treated. Pride in how she handled herself and anticipation for what was coming next.

A firm knock at the door drew Visena's attention, and she stood so fast her chair fell to the hardwood floor. Then, with an ungraceful leap, she narrowly avoided a trip across the living room as she dove at the new arrival.

"Mother." Visena threw herself into Esmerelda's arms and squeezed her tight. The returning grip was just as intense. She felt a rush of love for her mother from somewhere deep in the memory vaults, causing her to pull back in shock. "I just remembered something."

"What?" Prim asked curiously, still standing by the fallen chair. 

Such a nosy wolf. I love her.

"Nothing of consequence." Esmerelda squeezed Visena's hand and gave her a knowing smile before turning toward the faces of her daughter's friends. "Everyone sit down. I don't have much time before I need to return to Caeruleum." 

Once the wolves had reseated, Esmerelda continued. "As I expected, my people are not taking this threat seriously. My mother refused to listen, as she believes, like the rest of the Water Fae, the wolves pose no danger. However, if Visena is right and Zeir has a device that can seek Fae portals, they may do more damage than Caeruleum can handle. Only a few of us have strong enough elemental magic to control living creatures. It would be a slaughter. I will need to be there to stop them."

Visena realised then that she would fight Zeir without Prim, Orion, and now her mother. But what of the others? How can I expect them to risk their lives for me? Looking around the room, she swallowed a growing lump seeing the adoring expressions.

Esmerelda continued talking, but her eyes lingered on her child. "The Earth Fae have wanted to destroy us for aeons. I imagine Zeir has promised my home's destruction for their alliance." 

I shouldn't even exist. My bloodline is an 'abomination,' so why should anyone sacrifice themself for me? Visena dared a peek over to her mate, who was already watching her with an unreadable expression. Her hands wrung in her lap and dampened her pants from their slickness.

What if he gets hurt because of me?

"I suspect Zeir will not wait any longer. He will find you and end this. Tonight."

Visena turned from the table, breath rate rising by the second, and fled from the room. Each inhalation failed to fill her aching lungs, and she saw explosions of black and white behind her papery lids. Her hands wouldn't stop trembling as she stumbled down the stairs and hunched over the flat stone's perimeter. Sweat dripped down from her hairline while she shook from chills. "What's happening?" 

Gideon appeared in front of her, his warm hands latching onto her shivering frame, mouth opening and closing, saying something that resembled words.

"What? she gasped, vaguely noticing his paling face, dark bags still haunting his under eyes.

I'm already hurting him. Visena knew at that moment she had to leave. She had to do this on her own. She didn't want to drag everyone else along with her. Her lungs screamed at the pitiful oxygen she was failing to draw.

"Breathe, Vi." Gideon held her shoulders steady when Esmerelda floated in, satin dress swishing away dirt and pebbles. A tiny cricket jumped out of harm's way and onto Visena's leg. She stared at its black, twitching hind legs, trying to regain control through distraction, but Esmerelda shooed it away. If the Alpha had been in her right mind, she would have grumbled at her mother for disturbing the little creature.

"Calm yourself, Visena. You are having a panic attack."

She shook her head, trying to swallow past the tightness in her throat and say something, anything at all. Instead, her mother hushed her, stroked her hair, and with a whisper, it was all gone. Visena could breathe again, but her body still quivered with aftershocks. Gideon pulled her into an embrace, burying his head in her hair.

Her mother's soothing, silky voice penetrated her mental fog. "This is too much of a burden for one person to bear, Visena. Let us help you." 

The Fae nodded slightly, not looking anyone in the eyes. She would accept help. She would... 

But not from her family and not from Gideon. She had hurt him enough already. She met his eyes and, with a shallow breath, asked him, "Can I borrow your phone?" 

*

"When will I be able to leave here without dying?"

Esmerelda scoffed at her daughter's dramatics. "You're fully healed now. I gave you some healing essence earlier."

Dusk was almost upon them, and the moon crested the horizon. Visena nervously turned Gideon's mobile in her hands, waiting for confirmation. Mihnea would be there at sundown with his kin. He promised he would. Her pack members had headed to the forest to hunt and prepare themselves for battle. Prim and Orion went to alert Praelia, and Visena waited. There would be no hiding tonight, but if Visena's plans worked, they would still be hunting as she disappeared into the night.

The phone buzzed in her hands. The message read, 'thirty minutes,' which she promptly deleted and fretted over as she pocketed the mobile. She had told Gideon she would call Calypso to come back early, and the look of suspicion in his eyes nearly killed her. It was gone in an instant as he handed it over. It seemed he couldn't fathom his mate lying to him. And she didn't lie; she couldn't have. She called Calypso too, but the Witch didn't answer.

Now it was time for Esmerelda to return to the Veil and wait for the Blue moon to rise. "Don't do anything stupid," she said as she gave her daughter one last hug accompanied by a motherly look. A tender kiss to the temple was the Fae Princess's final goodbye as she disappeared through a conjured portal.

 I have to learn that!

Visena waited for a few more minutes before throwing patience out the window. Gideon might return too soon to check on her if she waited any longer.

She poised herself above the flat stone circle and took the first step. 

~~~

A/N

Sorry guys, this chapter is not my best. I'm hoping it reads okay. 

Work, life, sleep, write balance have been a tad askew lately. 

In other more exciting news, The First Fae Mate hit 3k reads :)

Thank you to everyone who got this far!!

See you soon for some actionnnnnn

K <3