Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 293 Save the Baby
Trigger Warning: Traumatic birth – some may find it unsettling.
“Don’t listen to him,” Lord Brarthroroz hissed as Allen and Greyson pressed closer into her sides, “He’s only trying to get inside your head.”
“I’m really not,” Eromaug shrugged nonchalantly as he stood boldly in front of them, the shadows curling around the edges of his body in an otherworldly caress, “Everything I am doing is merely to reclaim what was taken. Perhaps you should ask your father…”
“I’m not f*****g interested in your bastard sob story,” Lexi seethed as she stepped to her father’s side, breaking away from Greyson and Alien’s almost suffocating presence, “How is your petty little squabble the fault of MY world?”
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Lord Brarthroroz suppressed a smirk at the frown of confusion on his brother’s face. He clearly hadn’t been expecting Lexi’s brash and uncaring reception when he revealed himself. “You’re supposed to be a daemon lord? You?!” She snorted disdainfully before spitting in front of him,
“Yet you’re acting like a spoiled little brat, kicking their toys out of the pram because they didn’t get what they wanted however long ago this f*****g disagreement happened. Has nobody ever told you to f*****g grow up and get over it?”
Eromaug’s face twitched slightly as he c****d his head, and Lexi sneered in disgust at him.
“Do you really remember nothing?”
“Oh, I remember plenty,” Lexi hissed as the faint light of hope lit in Eromaug’s eyes, “I remember those painful years thinking that my mother was dead and I had been unable to do anything about it. I remember Aoife, when you sent your f*****g puppet to put an end to her…they did nothing to you that would warrant their execution.”
Eromaug watched her quietly as she spoke, his hands clasped lightly behind his back as he listened, before his face broke into an eerie smile.
“Aoife was… an accident, in all honesty.” Eromaug shrugged as he began to walk slowly to the side, “A happy one, nonetheless. She has turned out to be quite useful.” He grinned wickedly, his sharp teeth glinting sinisterly in the dim light.
Lexi blinked in shock as Greyson and Allen exchanged a look.
“Wait…she’s still alive?” Lexi breathed hopefully, before she froze and her face clouded again, “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” “Lexi, don’t listen to him,” Her father murmured as Eromaug chuckled.
“Yes, Lexi. Why listen to me when you can listen to the man who left his wife to languish in my realm without even the slightest effort to reclaim her.” Eromag sneered.
“What…” Lexi murmured in confusion as, suddenly, realizaton dawned on her face and she let out a strangled cry as Lord Brarthroroz stiffened at her side, “My mother is alive?!”
Eromaug grinned as he stepped backwards into the shadows, his eyes trained on the spot where Lord Brarthroroz stood.
“An eye for an eye, brother.”
A terrifying roar ripped from Lord Brarthroroz’s chest as he surged forward, dropping the illusion of his smaller form as he ran at full speed towards Eromaug with his eyes blazing and fangs bared.
Lexi stood frozen to the spot as the shifters around them froze at the sight of the immense size of Lord Brarthroroz and watched uncertainly as Eromaug dodged each furious attack with ease.
A terrified scream came from the doorway behind them as Greyson whirled to see where the noise had come from, expecting an attack but seeing the form of the heavily pregnant Ada on the floor, scrabbling backwards from the eerie specter in front of her.
“Lexi,” He snapped urgently as she begrudgingly tore her eyes from her father to glare furiously at the scene behind them.
The unsettling sight of Narcissa towering over her daughter with malevolence shining in her eyes as she advanced towards the terrified Ada, greeted her and she felt her stomach knot in dismay.
“You vile, traitorous little b***h,” Narcissa crooned as she advanced towards her, before her voice raised into an ear splitting shriek “You would betray us and allow these vermin into the Lords chambers?! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”
“I never wanted any of this mother,” She stammered as she pushed herself backwards along the floor, “You’ve gone too far…”
Narcissa’s laugh cut her off as Lexi looked between where her father fought furiously and where Ada desperately was trying to reach the relative safety of the shifters, her heart torn. There was no love lost between Ada and her, and if she was perfectly honest with herself, she despised the woman, yet… she had helped them.
“You are wrong, you ungrateful little brat!” Narcissa hissed furiously, “You spurned the darkness and the wonderful gifts that our Lord provided, the sacrifices that I made for you…you were supposed to be the heir that I could be proud of, but you’re nothing but a pathetic little leech, and your child will be the same!”
In the same second that Narcissa lunged for her, Lexi made a split second decision and flew towards them with her arm outstretched, directing her own magick towards Narcissa.
Her father was right. The unborn child was innocent in all of this. If she didn’t intervene now, then how was she better than Narcissa, or Eromaug?
But she had moved too late and the wicked glint of the blade that arced through the air and plunged into Ada’s chest, split her heart in two as a roar of fury tore from her chest.
The initial burst of magick was deflected effortlessly by Narcissa as she glanced towards Lexi and the shifters that now barreled towards her, as if they were no more than a mild inconvenience.
“A little late to have an attack of conscience now, isn’t it?” Narcissa laughed as she deflected another burst of magick from Lexi’s outstretched arms whilst she circled to the side.
“Lexi, we’ll deal with her, see to Ada!” Allen snarled as he and Greyson shifted and raced towards the cackling figure of Narcissa, who was attempting to make her way to the pulsating darkness that was slowly receding, revealing various creatures that charged towards the group of shifters, attacking wildly.
The pool of blood that was already spreading underneath Ada did nothing to reassure Lexi as she reached her side and crochet down next to her.
“It’s okay,” Ada said weakly as her face contorted in pain, “I know I’m dying…”
“Shut up Ada,” Lexi ground out as she placed her hand on Ada’s chest and forced her magick into her, trying desperately to replenish the life that was leeching out of her, but she was losing it quicker than Lexi could heal.
Ada reached for her hand, laying her hand on top as she fought to breathe.
“Lexi… please… just… my baby …” she murmured, “Save the baby…” she murmured, as her eyes rolled and Lexi screamed for a medic.
“No! You stupid b***h, don’t make yourself a f ***** g martyr! You have a f*****g child to live for!” Lexi yelled furiously as the medic arrived at their side and quickly realized what was being asked of them.
“The baby…and… I’m sorry…” Ada murmured as her eyes seemed to glaze over and her breathing stilled.
The medic reached forwards to check for a pulse but it was obvious there was none, and that there was no possibility of saving her.
Without the ability to heal and Lexi’s magick unable to help and heal it was clear that Ada would not be able to come back from this, even if they had medical support available on the outside.
“I’m going to have to cut into her to get the baby out, otherwise they’ll both die.” The medic said hesitantly as Lexi nodded curtly and fought the urge to shake the lifeless body in front of her for everything that she had ever done.
She averted her eyes as the medic worked, pushing what magick she could towards the unborn child to try and protect it from harm as she tried to make sense of the confusing mix of anger, hatred, and sympathy that she felt towards Ada.
A few tense moments passed as the medic worked on the lifeless baby before suddenly, an ear splitting cry that tore at her heart drifted through the air.
Lexi’s head snapped to the screaming child cradled in the medic’s arms and she felt relief wash over her as the medic gave her a small smile.
“Get it out of here and keep it safe. The father is Alpha Brad of the Crystal Pack.” She said solemnly as she reached across and trailed her fingers lightly over Ada’s unseeing eyes, closing them for one last time.