Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE ALPHA'S ASSASSIN MATE: Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

Third person limited (Serna's eyes)Ironfang rooftop, two days after everyone heard the heartbeats"You SOLD it." Serna had the healer by the hair, dragging her up the stairs toward the roof access. "You sold information about the twins.""I didn't—I was just TALKING, I didn't think—" The healer's name was Maris or Maren or something, Serna couldn't remember and didn't care."Talking to who?" Serna kicked the roof door open, pulled Maris through. Wind hit them hard, cold enough to sting."Just—just some of Tarian's old officers, they wanted to KNOW if the Sleepers were—" Maris tried to dig her heels in but Serna kept dragging."And you TOLD them." Serna's voice came out flat. "Told them about the pregnancy, about the twins being alive.""They already KNEW, everyone knows after—after you played the heartbeats for the whole fortress." Maris was crying now, snot running into her mouth."They knew BEFORE that." Rhea appeared at the roof door with a piece of paper. "Found this in her quart

Third person limited (Serna's eyes)Ironfang infirmary, one year after the blood eclipse"It's been a YEAR." Kaelin stood in the doorway with three bottles of something that looked expensive, labels written in script Serna couldn't read. "One full year of them just laying there.""I know." Serna was wedged in her usual spot between the cots, hand on Lyra's belly where the twins were doing flips. "I can count days.""So we're drinking." Kaelin set the bottles on the medicine cabinet with three dull thuds. "We're drinking and we're—we're doing SOMETHING cause I can't just sit here sober on the anniversary of—"Her voice cracked apart and she stopped talking, just started opening bottles instead."What'd you bring?" Rhea appeared behind her, already reaching for one."Honey-mead from the deep cellars." Kaelin passed her a bottle. "The good stuff, aged twenty years, probably worth more than this whole wing.""Perfect." Rhea took a long pull, didn't even wince. "Let's drink expensive shit

Five days after the catapult assault"How the fuck does blood even—okay this is disgusting." Kaelin was yanking at the sheet under Lyra, half of it glued down with dried whatever. "When did anyone last—never mind I don't wanna know."Serna was slumped against the wall snoring like a drunk, bandage on her thigh soaked through again. Her head kept dropping forward then jerking back up."Idiot keeps walking on it." Kaelin finally ripped the sheet free, sent dust everywhere. "Like you can just ignore a spear hole through your leg."She grabbed a clean sheet, shook it out. Started trying to get it under Lyra without flipping her over like a corpse. "Alright gonna lift you just—just a bit here—"Lyra's belly MOVED.Not the flutter thing. HARD. Like someone inside swung a fist as hard as they could.Kaelin froze. "What the—"It happened again. Other side. THUMP against her hands."Holy shit—"Both at once and Lyra's whole stomach jumped, two separate bumps shoving out."Oh fuck—" Kaelin drop

Eleven days after the night raid"Serna wake UP." Elira's voice came out all high and wrong.Serna jerked awake, neck stiff from sleeping against the wall. "What?""Her belly just—look at it—" Elira had both hands on Lyra's stomach.Serna crawled over, put her hand next to Elira's. The belly was hard as stone under her palm, tight and wrong."What the fuck is that?" "Contraction." Elira's face had gone white. "That's a contraction.""She's only seven months." Serna pressed harder. "Babies don't come at seven months.""Her body doesn't CARE—" Elira was already yanking drawers open, bottles crashing to the floor.The belly released, went soft again. Serna counted in her head. Got to forty-three before it went hard again."Shit." Elira dropped two bottles trying to open a third. "Shit shit SHIT—""How do we stop it?" Serna kept her palm flat on the belly."Herbs maybe, there's—fuck where is the raspberry leaf—" More bottles hitting the floor."ELIRA—""I'm TRYING—" Elira found something

Six days after they pulled Serna out"You're too skinny." Kaelin was trying to get Aziel to drink water, tilting his head back, dribbling it into his mouth. "I can feel your ribs through the blanket."Most of it ran down his chin. She wiped it with her sleeve, tried again."Lyra's doing better than you." Kaelin glanced across at the other cot where Serna was spooning broth into Lyra's mouth. "Well. Better's relative. She's swallowing more anyway."She got a few drops in. Aziel's throat worked, swallowed on reflex."There. See?" Kaelin set the cup down, adjusted his pillow. "Not that hard."His eyes opened.Kaelin stopped breathing. Just stopped completely.They were OPEN. Actually fucking open. Staring up at the ceiling or maybe through it or maybe at nothing but they were OPEN."Aziel?" Her voice came out like she'd been strangled. "Can you hear me?"Nothing. Eyes just staring. Not blinking. Not moving. Not seeing her even though she was right there."Aziel if you can hear me blink."