Chapter 3

Heather's POV

Ever since that night in the Royal Pack, when we met the Oracle, things between Cole and me have been strained. I think he does not fully believe what she told us, yet at the same time, he cannot refute an Oracle’s words.

Having our pregnancy revealed by a stranger certainly did not help. But more than that, I think he is scared.

Our pack is in the thick of a brutal war with Shadow Pack, and the idea of bringing another child into the chaos terrifies him. But knowing that she—our daughter—is destined to “stand against the darkness” has shaken him to his core.

We have argued many times.

He has even suggested sending me and Zach away, back to my parents, to keep us safe. But I refuse to be separated from my mate. Indefinitely. I know he means well, but I will not run and hide while he fights to protect our home.

Still, I stew over the pieces the Oracle told me privately—the things she did not want Cole to know. I have not shared them with him. If she had wanted him to know, she would have spoken the words to him as well.

Luna Alison and I stand in the living room of the central packhouse, pouring over safety protocols, evacuation routes, and supply lists for the safe houses. The last two months have been relentless, three large-scale attacks draining our resources. We are running dangerously low in key areas.

We discuss medical provisions next. I know we need more doctors and nurses stationed across the territory. Right now, too many people—warriors and civilians alike—must travel to the pack hospital for treatment, and that is not always an option during an attack.

“It’s a great idea, Heather.” Alison beams at me, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I will speak to Lucas and arrange interviews.”

Just then, a sharp shriek echoes through the hall, followed by a burst of giggles.

Before I can turn, four small boys come barrelling into the room.

They are covered in chocolate—faces smeared, little hands sticky, the undeniable glint of toddler mischief shining in their eyes.

Zach. Xander. Oscar. Eliot.

The future leaders of the Blood Moon Pack. Troublemakers. Pack brothers.

“Mummy!” Zach shrieks, launching himself at me.

Alison intercepts him just in time, stopping him before he can crash into my belly.

“Now, Zachy,” she chides gently, tapping his nose, “you know you need to be careful with Mama, don’t you?”

“Yes, Aunty Alison,” he mumbles, his lower lip jutting out in a pout.

“Come here, my baby boy,” I say, holding my arms out.

He wriggles free from Alison and climbs onto me, his plump, sticky hands wrapping tightly around my neck.

Alison eyes the boys suspiciously. “And just where did you four rascals get so sticky?”

Xander giggles, his bright little eyes full of glee. “Lacy let us lick the bowl from her chocolate cake!”

The pure joy radiating from them is contagious, and despite the worries pressing on my mind, I cannot help but smile.

A sharp mind-link cuts through my thoughts, urgent and commanding.

‘We are under attack. Evacuate immediately. All women and children to the safe houses or bunkers at once.’

Alpha Lucas’s pack-wide link is short and to the point, sending a pulse of alarm through me.

I scoop up Oscar onto my other hip, heart pounding, and Alison grabs Eliot and Xander in her arms. Without hesitation, we run toward the packhouse safe room, our movements swift and practiced after too many of these evacuations.

Claire and Lauren are on duty today. They know we have the boys, but Alison mind-links them anyway once we are safely inside.

We settle in, trying to keep everyone calm.

On one hand, we have done this so many times recently that the evacuation was carried out quickly. But on the other, the tension is unbearable. The room is thick with fear, suffocating, pressing in on all of us. The pups are restless, their little faces filled with confusion, while the adults try to hide their worry.

I make a mental note to have TVs and  more books installed in all our safe houses. Something—anything—to keep everyone distracted. We never know how long we will be down here, and the waiting only worsens the dread.

The hours drag on.

Intermittent updates come through Alison from Lucas, but each passing minute feels heavier than the last.

Periodically anguished cries cut through the air. The unmistakable wail of a mate bond breaking. I squeeze my eyes shut as the tether to another packmate snaps. And the entire room shudders with grief.

Mothers, daughters, friends, women losing the other half of their soul, and pups losing a parent.

The weight of sorrow settles over the bunker like a lead blanket. Even the pups seem to sense the change, huddling closer together in the corner, their small bodies trembling.

One of the omegas from the school is reading to them, her voice soft but steady. She does her best to distract them, to keep their focus anywhere but on the terror radiating through the room.

A sudden, sharp pain blooms in my stomach. I gasp, hand flying to my belly as panic surges through me.

Cole!

Alison’s eyes snap to mine immediately, her face tight with concern. I grimace, shaking my head slightly, trying to keep my fear in check. We both reach for our mates through our bonds, straining for reassurance without distracting them from the battle.

Suddenly another pain. Fiercer. Deeper. I double over, clutching my stomach.

“Cole!” His name rips from my lips, fear clawing at my chest.

Alison is at my side in an instant, steadying me. “Heather,” she says quickly, her tone firm but gentle, “I am sure he is fine. I have not sensed any distress from Lucas, and they are fighting side by side.”

I nod, she’s right, I can’t sense any fear through our bond, and now the pain is easing. forcing myself to take deep breaths, I try really, really hard to relax again.

The pain is gone now. But the lingering unease won’t fade.

A sudden, crushing pain tightens around my abdomen, rippling through my back like fire. My breath is ripped away, and I double over, gasping.

“Heather, I’m not sure this is Cole’s pain you’re feeling,” Alison says, her voice edged with something close to alarm.

I lift my head, confused and disoriented. “What do you mean? Of course, it is!”

Her gaze drops to where I’m hunched over on the floor. “I think it’s yours.”

I open my mouth to argue, but then I notice the dampness that’s spreading between my legs. A warm trickle turns into a flood, soaking through my trousers.

No. No, no, no.

“Shit!” I cry out as another contraction claws through me, sharp and relentless. The pain in my back and pelvis turns brutal, tearing through my body.

She’s coming. Too soon.

Cole had been convinced the Oracle’s words weren’t about our baby, especially when we calculated her due date, Six weeks after the coming Pink Moon. But if she’s coming now, trapped down here with no way to check the sky… Goddess, what if it is the Pink Moon tonight?

A familiar presence pushes through our mate bond, Cole, sensing my pain. I slam my walls up immediately. He cannot feel this. I will not let him be distracted.

I can do this myself.

The contractions come hard and fast, my body working against me, forcing me forward with a terrifying speed I hadn’t experienced with Zach.

With him, it had been slower, controlled. But now? It feels like I’m being torn apart.

Alison helps me change into a loose-fitting dress from the basket of spare clothes, and I force myself to pace, desperate to keep my mind off the relentless pain.

But it keeps getting worse. So much worse.

Why is it happening so fast?

Suddenly, I feel as something rips through me.

That is different.

Not a contraction. Not pressure. severe pain.

I scream.

The sound is raw, primal, and Helena whimpers in my mind.

‘What? What is it?’

Helena’s voice is sharp. ‘It’s the pup… she’s not going to make it. She’s dying.’

NO!