Ch. 146..150: The Luna and her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 146-150

The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 146

Jane

I haven’t spoken to Ethan through the entire car ride to the capital. In fact, I was feeling so petty after he forced me to promise to leave him behind if the worst should happen, that I refused to sit next to him. Instead I climbed into the back seat and cuddled up to Linda, even knowing that I would be more likely to get car sick this way.

I’ve felt Ethan’s eyes on me throughout the trip, watching me with the sharp focus of a worried mate, and it’s taken all of my willpower not to cave and speak to him – or perhaps more likely, crawl into his la*p and cry. However thus far l’ve been able to hold out – letting him feel the depth of my anger and betrayal over his high-handed demand.

After many hours on the road, we’ve finally arrived.

Ethan parked the car outside of a small bed and breakfast, and Linda and I waited while he went inside to check for vacancies.

“How are you doing?” My friend asks, squeezing my hand.

“1 don’t know.” l answer honestly. “I’m really beside myself Linda. I don’t know how I’ll survive if anything happens to the pups… and now Ethan demanded this damned promise. I just want one day of my life to be without struggle – is that too much to ask?

“Of course not” She croons, “it’s only natural that you would want that – anyone would.”

“How about you?” l inquire. “This can’t have been easy for you.”

“Honestly?” Linda responds, “l’m glad that Eric and l got to be together as mates, no matter what else happens. If I lose him, I’ll always have those nights on the ship together… ” She trails off, looking into the distance and -I suspect -fighting tears. “But I really don’t want to lose him.” She admits thickly. “I only just got him. It would be too cruel to lose him so quickly:”

That’s kind of how l feel about Ethan” I confess. “I only just got him back. The pups only just got their father – I cant’ bear the idea of losing him.”

“Whatever the men say, you and I don’t have to abide by their rule. We’re strong, independent she-wolves.” Linda suggests.

“He made me promise, Linda.” I explain, “a true, Alpha’s order. I can’t defy it.”

“Maybe.” She shrugs.”But he didn’t make me promise.”

Suddenly I realize she’s right. She – and Eric if we can find him – could rescue Ethan even if I cannot. That idea gives me a spark of hope, but it certainly doesn’t fix everything. I’m more upset that Ethan made the request in the first place, then used his power to force the promise against my will. It was too reminiscent of our past, when the difference in our strength ended up costing me my freedom.

A minute later my door opens, and Ethan is there, smelling incredible and looking between Linda and I.

They have rooms available. Let’s take our things in and then we can strategize.”

I step out of the car, trying to brush past my mate, but l should have known better than to try. He catches me easily, pressing me up against the car and bracing his arms on either side of my body. “Please don’t be cross with me, little wolf” He murmurs, nuzzling my neck.

I tilt my chin up defiantly. “l’m not cross.”

“You look cross.” He replies, grazing his knuckles over the high plane of my cheek.

“Well, I’m not” l insist, trying and falling to push past him.

“Janey Ethan rumbles, pulling me back and pressing up against me. I can feel every inch of his muscular body against my own, and his warmth seeps into my bones. My wolf is getting excited being so near her mate, and I have to forcibly push her back down.

I’m sorry.”

“If you were really sorry, you wouldn’t have done it.

“I grumble petulantly.

“Baby, look at me.” Ethan orders, an edge of steel in his beseeching tone. I turn my gaze up to his dark eyes, pouting petulantly. He circles his powerful hand around my nape, applying just enough pressure to make me squirm. “You know how much I love you, don’t you?”

“How much?” l ask, pecking up at him beneath my lashes.

Ethan chuckles, “To the ends of the earth and back.

“He professes, dropping a lingering k!ss to my l!ps. I want to turn my head away, but my wolf won’t let me.

Asking you to make that promise wasn’t any easier for me than it was for you.” He continues. “You think I like the idea of you all being without me, of not seeing the pups grow up? Of not being there to protect you? To miss out on another fifty or sixty years with my mate?

On having more babies with you?”

His words only remind me of the possible child in my womb, and I feel the emotion rising up inside me. I don’t want to live without Ethan either. I want my second chance with him, especially if we’re going tohave another baby. I had to do everything all alone the first time around, and he missed everything, We both deserve the chance to go through it all together.

“Ethan,” I’m tempted to tell him my suspicions – that there’s a chance I might be pregnant. I need him to do everything he can to stay free, to ensure he comes home with us. However, the more I think about that idea, the more I think it would be a mistake. My current pups are still in danger, and they need me. If Ethan thinks there’s a chance l’m pregnant he might forbid me from getting involved in the efforts to rescue them.I can’t have that either.

“What is it, sweetheart?” He prompts when I don’t continue.

“Do you really want more babies?” I end up asking.

“Four is already a whole pack.”

“You forget I’ve only had Paisley these last few years.” He reminds me. “l want as many babies with you as the Goddess is willing to grant us. I already love the others so much, and I barely know them.”

His words warm my heart, even as l’m daunted by the idea. Of course, this is the Ethan I always knew before things went wrong- the one with endless amounts of love to give.

“And if we never have any more?” I prompt.

Ethan furrows his brow. “Why are you asking me these things?”

The truth is I don’t know, I don’t have the faintest idea why l I’m being so contrary, other than the fact that Ethan is here in front of me, and I don’t want him to let go of me. I’m suddenly so afraid of losing him it’s staggering, and as long as he’s here – talking to me –I know he’s safe.

“I m just curious.” I murmur, sliding my hands around his wa!st.

“Janey, I love you. I love our family” He proclaims, k!ssing me deeply. For a blissful few minutes, I’m locked in my mate’s arms as his steady strength washes over me, and my own wolf perks up with excitement. My b***d is heating in my veins, and despite the immediate danger, I’m feeling terribly needy. When we finally part, Ethan catches my face in his hands. “And I will carry on loving you all, no matter what the future will bring.

“But you have to be there for that future.” I remind him. “We need you. The pups need you, I need you.

“And I’m going to do everything I can to ensure we have a bright future together.” Ethan promises. “1 didn’t ask for your word because l didn’t want that – I did it purely because we have to be realistic. And the dangers here are undeniable. You have to know that I’d never willingly leave you.”

I nod, claiming his lips in a k**s of my own. “Just promise me you’ll fight. If l have to promise to let you go, promise you’ll fight until the very end.”

“Of course l promise.” Ethan agrees, gathering me to his ch3st. “I’ll fight until the end, no matter what happens.”

For the next few minutes, I forget that anything else exists beyond Ethan and I. We come together again, right there against the car. His hard body rocks against mine, and I wrap myself around him with pure adoration. How did I ever live without this man? How could I ever live without him again?

In a few hours, Anita will be crossing into the capital with our pups in tow. It’s going to take everything we have to intercept her before she reaches the king, but I’m grateful that we’re in this together.

Whatever else happens, Ethan and I will have each other, and together we can do anything. We’ll get our pups back, come hell or high water. I’ll make sure of it.

 

The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 147

3rd Person

“Can I see her photo again?” Linda asked Ethan, feeling more anxious the closer they drew to King Aimon’s palace.

He offered her his phone, where Anita’s photo was plastered across the screen. “Text it to yourself. We have no idea how she’s going to try and smuggle them in, so keep your eyes sharp. They might not be visible at all.”

“Just look for a b***h in leather” Jane suggested fiercely. She’d memorized every inch of Anita’s photo on their journey, but she had a feeling the woman’s clothing would call more attention than anything else.

“Okay.” Linda nodded, sending off a message so that her own phone binged in notification. “And if l see her?”

“Call us, and don’t let her out of your sight.” Ethan instructed.

“What if she goes past the palace gates, we can’t exactly walk inside” Linda murmured.

“We have to play it by ear:” Ethan frowned. “If we can catch her before she gets that close, we will”

“And if not?” Jane asked, wringing her hands.

Then we’ll find a way to sneak into the palace and get the pups back- and Eric if he’s there.” Ethan added for Linda’s benefit. “Aimon won’t hurt them. The most important thing is to make sure he doesn’t know we’re here.”

“Do you really think we can get to them first?” Jane asked, leaning into his side. They were back in their disguises, but she couldn’t help herself, she felt sick to her stomach and riddled with fear – she needed her mate.

“We have a chance.” Ethan nodded. Just don’t give up hope.” They came to a stop at the end of the main road, peering around the corner at the King’s opulent palace. It seemed all roads in the Southern Isles led here, to the seat of Aimon’s power.”There are three vehicle entrances, and I seriously doubt Anita will bring them on foot. We can split up, each cover one gate.”

Jane shook her head. “We’ll never stop her if she drives in.”

“That’s why we have these” Ethan pulled a bag of fireworks out of his rucksack. “If you see her on foot, do like l said and just follow. If she drives up to the gate however, set these off to distract the guards. They’re incredibly loud, so they should come running. Make sure you aren’t close when they’re deployed, you can even run so it looks like you’re fleeing some violence. If you have the opportunity, grab the pups and get out of there, if not, try to get a tracker onto them or Anita.” He pulled out a second bag, showing them a few microdots still in their packages.

“lt sounds like a long shot” Linda murmured apologetically.

“It is. But long shots work sometimes.” Ethan confirmed. “And we don’t have a choice. We have to try.

“What if one of us is caught?” Jane fretted, thinking again of the horrible promise Ethan forced out of her.

“If one of you are caught, I’ll get you out” Ethan vowed.“But if l’m caught, the pups are the priority.

“We should go now? Linda interjected, before Jane could reply. “If the costume mistress was right, Linda will get here within the hour. Don’t forget, she was last seen driving a utility van.”

“Okay” Jane nodded, wishing she could k!ss Ethan one last time. She knew it wasn’t possible however, same s*x couples were forbidden in King Aimon’s kingdom, and right now they looked like two men.

Seeing her expression, Ethan leaned over to whisper in her ear. “l love you, it’ll be okay.”

Jane nodded, took her share of the supplies, and set off towards the farthest gate. It‘ll be okay. We’ll find them. She said the same words over and over in her head, chanting it like a prayer as she set up on the corner. Ethan had been incredibly industrious with the brief time they had, gathering books and various activities to make themselves look busy while they waited for Anita to arrive.

Jane would sit on a park bench and read, Linda would try her hand as a street performer – singing ballads with an upturned top hat in front of her to collect donations, and Ethan would join some other elderly men playing chess. They could all position themselves within sight of the gates, without ever calling attention to their presence. The fireworks and tracking chips were hidden in shopping bags and rucksacks, and Jane was pleased to move through the city invisibly.

Is this what it’s like to be a man? She wondered, Able to walk about freely without constantly feeling watches and observed? No one cat-called her or stared too long, no one even seemed to notice she was there.

It was a steep price to fly under the radar, but she couldn’t deny she was enjoying it for the moment.

Ethan had been smart to disguise them this way – she doubted she would ever have been able to walk around these isles without drawing attention to herself otherwise. Had she ever been able to peacefully mind her business in public without a man sniffing around at some point or another?

She kept one eye on the pages of her book, pretending to read while she actually watched the gate like a hawk. Would Anita come to this entrance? Was it a mistake to focus on her arriving by car? Would she go to one of the other entrances on foot, assuming we’d be expecting her to drive up?

Jane couldn’t imagine how the cruel woman would get all four pups into the palace on foot, though part of her hoped she’d try – just to give the kids a chance to escape. She didn’t want them alone in this capital, but she wanted them with the King less.

The waiting was torture. Jane didn’t think she could stand it. The minutes were ticking by so slowly, she wasn’t sure how she’d ever find the patience to simply do nothing when her pups could be right around the corner. Her ears were c****d towards her phone, anxiously awaiting any sort of notification that the others had sighted Anita.

Any minute now. Any minute now. She repeated to herself.

The minutes dragged into hours, until at last Jane heard her phone chirp. She whipped it out of her pocket, but it was only a text message from Linda. No luck?I haven’t seen anything yet .

Negative. Jane responded, feeling as though she could cry. Haven’t seen hide nor hair of them.

The device indicated Ethan was typing, and Jane wished she could hear his voice. Her stomach was growling and nauseous all at once, she was exhausted even though she hadn’t exerted herself in the least. The stress was grinding her down into dust, and she was only too aware of it.

Nothing yet. Came Ethan’s reply.

Hang in there.

Jane was about to return her phone to her pocket when another message came in, this time in a private chain. How are you holding up?

Jane was about to reply, when she noticed a white utility van circling the block in her periphery. Her heart stopped in her ch3st. There was a blonde woman driving… dressed in leather.

Even at this distance, Jane would have recognized Anita anywhere. The van was circling the block, and Jane quickly gathered her things, ducking around the corner. She pulled the fireworks from her shopping bag, laying them out in the mouth of an alley and setting the charges. She ripped the tracking chip out of it’s package, and peeked back around the corner, watching as the van rolled up to the gate.

The driver’s door opened, and Anita stepped out, batting her eyelashes at the guards. As she watched, the guards opened the cargo hatch of the vehicle, and she heard a tiny yelp. It was the pups!

The guard nodded and fastened the back doors closed once more, but the driver’s door was still open, and she could hear another small voice floating across the distance towards her.

“ls gonna be okay. That was Parker! Jane was sure of it.

“I’s scared .”Another little voice replied.

Paisley! They’re in the back of the van!

She could hear them. She could smell them. They were so close! She hadn’t been this close to them since the mountains, and she would be damned if she was going to let them slip through her fingers again.

Without a second thought, Jane lit the fuse on the fireworks behind her, then strode back around the corner. She walked towards the gate, then did her best to act shocked when explosions burst to life behind her.

The guards immediately leapt into action, and Jane catapulted herself forward, pretending to run from the loud noise. The guards raced past her, and Jane finally reached the van, tackling Anita while her back was turned. She didn’t know how she managed not to shift – after all her wolf was snarling to be released – instead she simply smashed the other woman’s head into the concrete, knocking her out cold.

Glancing over her shoulder to make sure the guards were still occupied trying to prevent the fireworks from setting the city ablaze, she moved to the back of the van, her b***d rushing in her ears. She reached for the double doors separating her from the pups, and r!pped them open.

 

The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 148

Ethan

I think l’m going crazy.

This waiting is interminable. I’m worried about my pups, worried about my mate – furious at the Goddess for doing this to us. I might understand if I was the only one who was suffering- I’ve certainly been no saint in the past. But Jane and the children don’t deserve this.

I’ve been staring at my phone, waiting for Jane to respond to my last message, when l hear the first explosions.

The fireworks! I thought, knowing this could only mean one thing. They were coming from Jane’s gate, which means she must have sight of the pups. I jump up from the table where I’ve been losing at chess for the last few hours, forgetting my pretense of being an old man as l take off in her direction.

The elderly man scattered throughout the little park look up at me in shock, but I don’t have time for excuses or explanations. If Jane has eyes on the pup, she needs me. I’m painfully aware of how desperate she’s become, not that I blame her. I was praying that Anita would come to my gate or even Linda’s. I don’t trust Jane not to sacrifice herself for our children, to take needless risks one they’re within reach. If we’d had any choice we never would have split up, but with three gates we didn’t have that luxury.

I run as fast as I can towards the crack and bang of the explosives, but the palace is huge and the gates are very far apart from one another. By the time I round the corner on Jane’s street, I see her tackling Anita to the ground. I feel a rush of pride as I watch her easily best the other woman, wanting to cheer her on but not feeling able to spare the breath. As soon as Anita stops moving Jane leaps off her, rushing towards the back of the van.

Unfortunately I see what she cannot, which is Anita rising up behind her, apparently having played possum. “Jane!” I roar the warning just as Anita lunges for Jane, just as she’d been opening the cargo bay. The doors had been swinging open a moment ago, but now No! I Jane crashes into them beneath Anita’s weight.

I think desperately, still too far away to help. Jane whirls around with a snarl, sinking her fangs into Anita’s hand as the other woman tries to attack.

Anita cries out in surprise and pain, and Jane takes the opportunity to kick her legs out from under her. The she-wolves topple to the ground, immediately shifting into their wolves. Fear slices through me, Jane is just an omega, so small and fragile compared to Anita’s alpha strength. She fights ferociously, with all the righteous outrage of a mother protecting her pups -I can only pray to the goddess that her adrenaline is enough to make up for their difference in size and strength.

The guards had been busy around the corner a moment ago, but l see a few helmeted heads peek back around the gates at the sound of the commotion. One of the men cries out when he sees the she-wolves tussling, waving to his comrades. I know then l can’t afford to go to Jane’s side. l’m closer to the guards, I have to intercept them first.

The guards don’t even see me coming. They’re so distracted by the scene at the gates that l’m able to knock two of them out before they even realize there’s a threat. The other men whirl around in surprise, eyes wide and growls already burgeoning in their ch3sts.

They shift, but l stay on two feet. These are mere sentries, and no match for my power. I charge towards them, lashing out with teeth and claws, vicious snarls r!pping through my lungs. The fireworks cleared the area, so no one is around to witness the c*e, but I’m ruthless as I fight. Everything I care about is on the line, and these are the only obstacles standing between us.

I can see flashes of the women’s fight as I dispatch the men one by one, my heart leaping into my throat as I see Jane begin to fade, then rally. Anita claws and bites at her, but Jane gives it back every bit as ferociously. Right now you’d never know she wasn’t an alpha herself.

My pride is distracted for a moment when the final guard, a wolf the size of a mountain, bears down on me, but even this is an easy battle. He might have bulk, but I have power beyond anything he could ever imagine. I r!p into his flesh with my fangs, making him cry out and lose consciousness. I straighten up with a surge of triumph, my wolf crowing with the knowledge that at least one threat has been dispatched.

Unfortunately, that’s the last of the good news.

When I look back, I see Anita clumsily loading Jane’s unconscious form into the back of the van, and my wolf howls in outrage to see her rough treatment. I take off again, determined to reach my mate and pups before Anita can get them into the palace.

It’s impossible! My wolf g****s in my head. They’re too far away!

Still I don’t give up. I run even as Anita slides into the drivers side of the van, even as she drives through the gates and the huge metal bars close behind her. I’m roaring with pure, undiluted rage, but it doesn’t do any good. More sentries have poured out of the palace in the midst of the chaos, and Anita is safely ensconced behind their protective force.

Before I can even process the shift, I find myself no longer hunting Anita, but running from the stampede of guards bearing down on me. There are too many to fight, and my only hope now is to get away. If they catch me it will be the end for me and the boys, and Goddess only knows what Aimon will do to Jane and the girls. I have to live to fight another day if I want to rescue them, even though it breaks my heart to leave Jane behind. My only comfort is that the pups are no longer alone – they have their mother, or they will when she wakes up.

But what if she doesn’t? My wolf frets, feeling horribly guilty for landing Jane in this situation in the first place.

I can’t deny the validity of his fears. I didn’t see how the fight ended, what if Jane hit her head, or Anita was simply packing her body into the van to hide the evidence. Are my pups staring at their mother’s corpse right now? The idea is too horrific to bare, yet I can’t stop seeing it.

You see! I roar at my wolf. This is why I didn’t want her with us. I knew it was a bad idea to let her come.

What if she never wakes up?

All at once lI’m catapulted into the past, remembering the last time I thought l’d lost Jane forever.

The doctor’s phone call.

Too many words that didn’t make sense. Your ex-wife… pregnancy, severe hemorrhage in the delivery room… premature pup, in desperate need of emergency surgery.”l’d barely been able to process any of it. I thought they’d gotten the wrong wolf on the line.

It wasn’t until he said those horrible unforgettable words that I realized it was real. Jane is gone, but your daughter still needs you.

My daughter, precious Paisley.. who became the light of my life in a world without Jane.

l’d never known grief like that – and it wasn’t even real. True grief would have been to lose them both, to lose Jane for real.

I know now that I only survived because of Paisley, and because Jane wasn’t really gone and deep down my wolf sensed she was still alive. Could I survive it if she truly died? Can I survive losing her if she doesn’t live on with our pups? I know the answer to that without even thinking about it: No. There’s not a chance in hell.

And now it’s not only Paisley and Jane out there in danger, it’s all of our babies. I have to save them, I have to do whatever I can to bring them home -even if I don’t go with them.

Please let Jane wake up. I think desperately. Please let her be alright. Let her be comforting them right now.

If nothing else, please spare them and take me. They don’t deserve this. They’ve never done anything wrong.

But l have. I think grimly. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, committed too many wrongs I can’t take back. Maybe l deserve to be punished. But please not like this. Don’t punish Jane and the Pups too, If l must suffer, Ill gladly do it – just as long as they’re all right. Punish me, not them.

Little did I know then, but my prayers would soon be answered.

 

The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 149

Jane

I dream of Ethan.

I dream of our last night together, before he made me promise him anything – when we were just two people in love, sharing our passion in the most natural way. The vision is surreal and wonderful at once, and my hazy thoughts are reluctant to return to reality. I keep myself trapped in the dream, only for it to change, transforming into a nightmare where I’m all alone, and running towards a finish line I won’t ever reach.

No, I think, fighting the visions assailing my slumbering mind. Go back, don’t take Ethan from me now, I only just got him back.

I’m still tossing and turning, fighting the twists and turns of my mind, when a new sound reaches my ears.

Why hasn’ she woked up yets?” A little voice asks.

“l dunno, maybe she just really needs a nap.”

Another replies.

“But what if ‘Nita really hurted her?” The third voice is barely more than a whisper, and the next thing I know, l’m hurtling back into consciousness.

My pups! I surge up into a sitting position, scanning the room and immediately locking my attention on my babies. We’re in some sort of bedroom suite, the furnishings more opulent than anything I’ve ever seen outside of Ethan’s penthouse. But none of that matters.

My pups are here, all four of them.

Paisley, Parker, Ryder and Riley are all gathered around my prone form, looking down at me with love and worry. They’d snuggled close even as I dozed completely oblivious, and all of a sudden l’m reminded of those stories about pets staying alongside their owners even after they’ve died. The possibility that I might never have opened my eyes again, even as my babies gathered around me, sends me into a riot of tears.

“Oh my Goddess!”l exclaim, gathering their beloved little bodies to mine. “You’re here, you’re really here.” I’m sobbing now, and so are they, but none of us can stop. It doesn’t matter that I’m battered and bruised, that they’re filthy or even that l’m n*ked after shifting. All that matters is that my pups are finally back in my arms at long last. “Are you okay? l’m so sorry, I’ve missed you so much!”

They’re all talking at once, trying to fill me in on everything that’s happened, fighting for spots in my la*p and leaning their tearstained faces against my skin.”

And then there was a boat and we’s were so sicks!”

Ryder is m0aning.

“And a big snake tried to eats us!” Parker adds woefully.

“And I almost drowneds but fluffy saved me.”

Paisley contributes.

“Then we had to go underground like rats!” Riley exclaims.

“Oh my angels.” I croon, trying to soothe, rock, and k!ss them all at once. “l’m so sorry. It’s alright. I’m here now. I won’t let anything else happen to you.”

It’s chaotic and wonderful. An uproar of emotion as we all reunite, sharing our sadness, fear and relief in all its different forms. “I’ll never leave you again”‘ I promise. “l’m so sorry I ran out that night. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“We just wanted to help.” Parker explains, sniffling.

“To make you feels better.”

“l know, my love.” I shush him gently, “but that’s my job, not yours. I’m supposed to care for you, you shouldn’t ever feel like it’s your responsibility to make me feel better.”

“But Mommy what happened?” Paisley chirps, “

Where’s Daddy?”

“He’s here in the capital.” I whisper. “He’s probably planning a rescue for us right now.” I can’t get enough of their sweet faces. Have lever known such joy?”Oh, let me look at you – are you hurt?”

“We’re fines, Mommy. Riley promises. “But you’re bleeding”

“Nevermind that.” l insist, clutching them tightly to my ch3st. “You four are the only things that matter.

It speaks volumes that they’re letting me overload them with affection this way. Paisley and Ryder have always been my cuddle bugs, but Riley and Parker can usually only handle so much snuggle time before their energy overflows and they need to play. However right now all of my babies seem perfectly content to let me smother them with hugs and k****s. I know their journey must not have been easy, and I feel a rush of anger towards the woman who started all this.

“Do you know where Anita went?” I ask after a moment.

“She dropped us offs here with you.” Riley answers.

“Then she said something about the King.”

“Have you seen the king?” I ask them anxiously, taking the opportunity to study them more closely.

Their sweet faces are smudged with mud and dirt, and their clothes have seen better days, but Il can’t find any obvious signs of injury. I see only terrible neglect, and my heart cracks open in my ch3st. Should I be relieved they aren’t hurt, or gutted that they’ve been so deprived?

“No” Ryder assures me.”Nita said we wouldn’ meet him till you woke.”

“She also said you were going to double our value.”

Paisley whispers, clearly not understanding what her kidnapper had meant.

But I understand. With me in his position, he’ll have even more power to leverage against Ethan, and I’m terribly afraid he’ll succeed.I wonder what Ethan is doing right now? What he’s thinking? How badly is he suffering? l can only imagine.

Guilt floods through my body. This isn’t what I wanted to happen. I wanted my pups back of course, but not at the cost of my freedom and Ethan’s happiness. Are we even safe? Is Aimon simply going to ransom us, or will he try to harm us too?

My emotions are all over the map, and I know it’s just the stress and chaos of the situation. My heart can’t seem to land on any one feeling, and even as loverflow with pain and fear, I also feel cold hard fury simmering in my veins. If anyone is to blame in all this, it’s Eric’s father.

“Mommy?” Riley asks anxiously. “Are we ever going to go home again?”

“Yes, sweetheart.” Il promise, “Daddy and I are going to take you home as soon as we can”

“You shouldn’t lie to them that way”‘ A drawling voice sounds from the doorway, and I whip my head around, realizing we aren’t alone for the first time. Anita is standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her ch3st and a cruel sneer on her face. “You won’t be going home for a very long time – ifever”

“You!” I hiss, rising to my feet and gathering the pups behind me.”l ought to tear you limb from limb.”

“Oh give it up.” Anita scoffs, “ You’ve already lost, remember?” She flicks her gaze to my body. “If I were you l’d get dressed, unless you want to go in front of the king like that.”

I glance down at my exposed body, half tempted to tell her to go to hell. I need to buy us time somehow, to find a way to escape before the King sees us. I scan our surroundings, seeing only elegant furnishings and no tools. “l don’t have any clothes.” I tell Anita, trying to dampen my fury. I need to find a way to get her to leave, so that l can search the room and try to make a plan.

“Look in the wardrobe. There’s things for the children too. I’ll have a maid sent to help you get cleaned up.” Anita informs me coolly.

“I hardly need help bathing my own pups.” I growl.

“Nor do I want anyone in this place laying a finger on them.”

“They’re for you too.” Anita snorts, “it won’t look good if you go to a royal audience bleeding like a stuck pig. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on you. If you’re have as clever as your brats you certainly can’t be trusted.

I feel a rush of pride for my pups, even as I dream of lashing at at her. True to her word, a pair of servant women in uniform enter a moment later, and my opportunity to try and figure out an escape vanishes before my eyes. I let the maids patch up the scratches and bite marks Anita left on my arms and legs, but I insist on caring for my pups myself.

It’s so strange to think that bath time used to be a hassle, but now I relish it more than anything. I never thought I’d get to wrestle my babies into a tub again, and they’re so relieved to be with me they don’t even complain. Within half an hour, we’ re all clean and sweet- smelling, dressed in clothes equally as fine as any of the designer pieces I would wear at home.

I can’t stop looking at my pups – hugging them and k!ssing them, asking them questions just to hear their perfect little voices. Our reunion is too short lived though, because before long Anita is back, and we’re on our way to meet the King.

 

The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 150

Jane

I’ve never met a King before.

I’m not sure what I expected – a fancy throne? An old man in a crown and fur-lined cape? A golden scepter? King Aimon doesn’t fulfill any of these expectations. Instead I find a middle-aged man in simple clothing, seated in a private parlor in the Palace’s East Wing. The pups and I are herded inside by his guards, but I stop in the doorway, not wanting to move any closer to our captor.

The room is set up as if a tea party is about to be held, with a steaming china kettle and an array of snacks on silver trays. Normally I would have my hands full having to hold the pups back from all the cakes and sweets, but they’re all cowering safely behind me, not trusting this strange situation.

The King rises to his feet as the door closes behind us.”Well I can certainly see why you turned my feckless son’s head.” Aimon says by way of greeting. The words aren’t a compliment – he says them entirely without feeling or emotion, and his face is an expressionless mask. “I’m pleased to meet you at last, Jane.”

“You’ll forgive me if l don’t return the sentiment.” I bite, keeping my pups huddled behind my legs.

“Anita tells me you put up quite the fight trying to rescue your little ones.” For the first time a note of approval enters his voice. “I hope she didn’t rough you up too badly.”

I want to tell him that Ethan will kill him either way, but I keep my mouth shut. We have to play this smart. I need to figure out what he’s planning, and l have to make him believe we won’t try to escape. It will be so much harder to get away if he’s let on to our intentions.

“What does it matter?” I question, wishing I could have this conversation without the pups present, but unwilling to let them out of my sight. “We both know that any you ransom you try to collect on us will only be for show – so our condition is irrelevant.”

“What makes you say that?” The king questions shrewdly.

“Because you don’t need money.” I declare, gesturing to our luxurious surroundings. “The only ways you stand to gain here are politically.”

He nods, “Eric always said you were clever:”

“You must have a low opinion of women’s intelligence if you think figuring out the painfully obvious shows intelligence.” I proclaim bitterly.

Now Aimon does smile, he cheeks splitting into a terrifying leer. “If I didn’t know better, l’d never believe you were an omega. It’s a shame Ethan robbed you of being Luna for so many years.”

“Pitting me against my mate won’t work either.” I inform him icily. “We’ve moved beyond the troubles in our past”

“I’m just trying to make conversation” Aimon shrugs, sweeping his arms to the couches and tea service. “Won’t you sit down? You all must be hungry.

“Why don’t you just tell me what you want and be done with it?” I counter. I’m worried about getting food into my pups, but I don’t trust this man enough to eat or drink anything he gives us.

“You’re giving me what I want just by being here.”

Aimon states coolly.

“Leverage against Ethan?” I guess, wishing we’d arrived later. Maybe if he’d invited us to dinner instead of tea, there would be some knives about. “To what end? To steal his pack, expand your empire?”

Aimon nods again, “As I said- clever:”

“And what is to become of us when you achieve your aims?” I inquire, nodding towards my babies.

“Well that would depend” Aimon muses, watching me closely.

“On what?” I prompt him.

“Why, on you of course.” He chuckles. “I should think that would be obvious.”

l only glare, still searching the peripheries of my vision for some sort of weapon, or any implement that might aid in our escape. When I don’t respond, Aimon continues, “I had one heir worthy of taking over my throne when I die, but as you know I outlived him. My second heir seemed hopeless, but I gave him the opportunity to prove himself, and he turned out to a traitor twice over:”

“Where is Eric?” I wonder aloud, thinking of Linda.

“He’s dealing with the consequences of his treachery.” Aimon announces bleakly. “The point is that once your dear Ethan is out of the way, I’ll finally have the empire l desire, but I won’t have anyone to pass it down to.

I glance nervously at Parker and Ryder, painfully aware of the threat they pose to Aimon as Ethan’s heirs.

Why is Aimon even telling me this? What does this have to do with me? Suddenly the thoughts click in my brain,surely he’s not suggesting what I think he is?

There, I can tell you’ve worked it out.” Aimon grins. “You’ve already proven yourself capable of bearing an Alpha’s pups, and I admit that of the various women in my orbit -I find your spirit refreshing” He rises from his chair, coming towards us. “Not to mention, your smell..” He breathes in deeply, his eyes beginning to glow. “‘ve always heard about omegas’ entracing scents, but I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing one for myself:”

“And you think I would agree to be your brood mare?” I scoff.

“You must know your kind are incredibly hard to come by – and your current litter is proof of why Alphas and omegas are fated thus. I’m sure l’ll never meet another omega again, and I’m not so foolish as to pass up a golden opportunity. Don’t worry though – it’s only until you birth me a healthy son” He shrugs, “Then you and your girls would be free to leave.”

“My girls,” I repeat hoarsely, even though this is no surprise. “What of Ryder and Parker?”

Aimon gives me an exasperated look, “do you really want me to say it in front of them?”

My maternal instincts roar to life as my wolfstruggles to be let out. A feral snarl rips out of my ch3st, and I surge forward. “I”ll tell you this much, if you lay a hand on a single hair on their heads, I will do everything in my power to destroy you. Not only will l not agree to your sickplan, but I will make your life absolutely miserable.”

“Come now, Jane.” Aimon encourages. “Be reasonable – you don’t have many options here. You can save some of your children, or none at all. Is that what you want?”

The ground beneath my feet feels as though it’s crumbling right out from under me. This can’t be real, it can’t actually be happening. It’s too awful. “What about exile?” I suggest desperately.

Aimon simply snorts. “You know as well as I do that exile is only a temporary solution. How many times throughout history has a fallen or exiled heir waged war to reclaim their birthright or enact vengeance?

The room is spinning now, and despite my prayers for this all to be a dream, I know it isn’t. As horrible as this situation is, I know worse things happen to good people all the time. I’ve never been one of those shifters who fearlessly dives into danger, convinced the worst can’t happen to me. I’ve always been painfully aware of my own mortality, of the world’s cruel realities. For a moment I forget Ethan, I forget my own happiness – faced with the very real threat against my pups, their precious lives become the only things that matter in my world.

“Let them go.” I plead, my voice shaking. “Let them go, and l’ll agree to stay with you. I’ll do anything you want- just let them go.”

Aimon c***s his head to the side studying me closely. You can’t fool me into lowering my guards and giving you the chance to escape Jane.”

That’s not what I’m doing.” l tell him sincerely. “I would die for my pups, and if you’re telling me l have to choose between their lives and my own -I choose them.”

Aimon’s sharp eyes bore into me, and I think he realizes I’m telling the truth. He steps closer still, and poor Paisley whimpers behind me. I wish I could comfort her, I wish I could turn around and run out of here with all four of them.

“Mommy, don’t do its!” Riley whispers behind me.

“Hush baby” I scold gently, my voice thick with emotion as l look back to Aimon. “Well?” King Aimon chuckles, a hollow, humorless sound.

He begins circling us as he speaks, his inner predator responding to my palpable fear. “Poor little Luna. Don’t you see, it’s not a choice between you and them. I have you all, and l’m going to do what I like with you and your precious pups.” He stops before me, so close that | can smell his aftershave. “But you will do what I want and without complaint, otherwise l’ll make things worse for your girls. If I were you, l’d make your remaining time with the boys last – they only get to live as long as Ethan does.”