Eric pins Jenson down, sitting on his chest with his knees dug into Jensons shoulders. “Do you give up?” Jenson bares his teeth, “Never.”

Eric digs his knees in more and Jenson winces but he still tries fighting back. I had to give it to him, he wasn’t someone who backed down from a fight.

‘I’m sorry Jenson. You lost.” I call out

He thumps the ground with his fist and relaxes. “Fine.” “Happy?” I whisper to Neah

She nods her head and whispers. “I need to talk to you.”

Her hand links with mine and she pulls me to the house and into my office. Her hand drops from mine and she sits in her usual spot, only this time: she doesn’t pull her legs up to her chest.

“Is everything okay?”

“There is a flaw in your plan.” She doesn’t hold back. “You said and Raven said that you would be able to scent that I’m pregnant, that my hormones will change.”

“I did.”

“What about the guests? They will be able to tell that I’m not.” “We still have a couple of days.

“And if I’m still not?”

“Then we tell them your Lycan half is masking your scent.” I lean against my desk, watching her. “Who would have thought that you would be concerned that you are not carrying my heir?”

Exactly two days later, I smell the subtle changes in her lavender scent. Neah was curled up asleep, hugging a pillow as I showered. The moment I turned the water off, I could smell the change.

Walking over to her, I was half tempted to wake her and tell her the news. Instead I settle for sliding my hand between her and the pillow and resting it on her flat stomach, enjoying that I was the first to know.

‘Well, it finally happened.’ Aero muses. ‘Years we have been waiting for this.”

I agree, but I also internally sigh. ‘It was a pregnancy of convenience.’

Doesn’t matter. It is still our pup. Neah will be a great mother, if anything, her past trauma will make sure of that.’

I hope you are right.’

Pulling the blanket up around her, I quickly dress. Raven would be the first that I would tell, after all, she is the pack doctor and my baby sister. “You have to tell him.” I hear Raven as I push the door open

“He is your brother!” Klaus’s words come out in a rushed whisper.

“And he is our Alpha. It doesn’t matter who tells him, he needs to know.”

“I need to know what?

Both of them jump, which makes it even more infuriating. They would have done well if one of Trey’s assholes had crept up on them. “Well?

“You need to see for yourself.” Raven mutters, scurrying around the station. She grabs my hand, and leads me to the room at the far end. “I don’t know how to help her.”

“Her?”

She pushes open the heavy door and I’m hit bythe smell of iron.

Blood splattered the walls, floor, the, door andthe cupboards. Sat in the cornerrecking, is a naked Jess Deep.wounds littered her arms, > face, and Body. They were slow ta theal, rast likely because her body was tired.

“Eric left her with me last night.” Klaus mutters. “She cut her finger opening a tin. She watched it heal and just fucking lost it.”

“She keeps’shifting, and ripping into herself with her claws.” Raven <> whispers: “As soon as she is healed, she does it all over again. I can’t get nearher to sedate her. Putticy her in here I is alll could do.” Content bélongs to ~

“Why didn’t you let me know sooner?”

Raven’s eyes shift to Klaus. “Well, uh, you have been a little preoccupied. She was referring to me trying to get Neah pregnant.

“You should have told me, both of you! Get me a blanket!”

Raven runs out into the hallway and comes back with several blankets. “What are you going to do?”

“Leave me.”

“But Dane…..”

“Leave me.”

The door closes behind me. I quietly move towards Jess. Crouching down, I wrap the blanket around her. “Hey, it’s okay, you are safe.”

She continues to rock, seemingly oblivious te my presence. Grabbing a cloth, I begin to clean the blood from her face and she stills. Her hands clutch the blanket tightly.

‘I’m a monster.” she whispers. jo.” I state it simply and clearly. “You are a kid who has been thrown into the unknown. Why didn’t you leave with the others?”

“I don’t want to run.”

“But you wantto hurt yourself?” I

was so grateful that Neah hadn’t gone down this path, something <> tells me § She would have done a let more than just claw at her skinw Especially when she has a habit of gairig for the heart. to 4

“Death would be better.”

“Yours or the people that did this to you?”