Chapter 82

☆ ☆ James ☆ ☆

Sylas continued, "I'm sure they are using your unborn child as a bargaining chip. Witches don't do things for free, and their prices are typically sacrificial; I couldn't think of anything worth more." I needed to talk to Kara about Sylas's findings if she would allow it.

I asked, "Do you mind if I leave?" Sylas waved me away, "Go be with your bitch; next time, don't train without me." I nodded and dismissed myself. I rushed into the estate and up the baluster staircase. I entered through the front door to the sitting room. Kara wasn't to be seen, so I assumed that she was still locked away in the master bedroom.

I walked down the hall and could hear her sniffling. I gently tapped on the door and used a gentle tone, "Kara?" I heard her sniffle again, and then the sound of her footsteps came toward the door. The lock clicked, and the door opened slightly. Her beautiful heterochromatic eyes were bloodshot, and I could tell that she had cried almost the entire time I was gone.

I reached through the door and embraced her tightly in a hug. I leaned down and whispered, "I'm sorry, Kara." She nuzzled into me, and I could feel the warmth exuding through my shirt from her cheeks. I kissed her on the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around me. She started to sob again, and through her tears, she said, "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that." 

I stroked my fingers along her spine and said, "It's alright, I can take it." I realized that she only lashed out because she felt comfortable enough to do so, and that made me happy. I still spoke gently, "I went to train some more while I was giving you your space, and Sylas found me to update me on the latest intel that his friend had gathered." 

She looked up at me and wiped her eyes with balled fists. I coaxed her back toward the bed and said, "I think you should sit down while we talk." She obliged and allowed me to lead her. She sat down on the mattress, where I noticed her tear-stained pillow. I would get her a new one before we went to sleep; I'm sure that she was exhausted from her surge of emotions.

I sat next to her and began; I wanted to address the issue that she had blown up over first. I said, "I asked Sylas what would happen if we were to have sex before we completed our blood bond." Her head perked up unexpectedly as she listened to what I was about to say.

I continued, "Sylas said that the prophecy didn't go into that much detail; it didn't state that you had to be a virgin for the prophecy to be fulfilled or that we couldn't have sex prior to completing the blood bond." I paused, "He suggested that any number of things could happen." 

I inhaled deeply before saying, "He threw out a few scenarios, one being that we could potentially spawn a dhampir, but he was still sure that you would die upon their birth, the dhampir offspring would likely drain you as it was developing similarly to the hybrid. He did mention that because you were technically a werewolf, your body could also reject the pregnancy, and you would lose the child, like a miscarriage."

I paused, "He said that it could also trigger your ability to shift; in that case, if you shifted and bit me, even if by mistake, your saliva would kill me." I added, "Or we could have sex, and nothing would happen. There are just too many unknowns, and those were only a few scenarios that he could come up with off the top of his head."

She looked at me, slightly disappointed, "Thank you for asking; I understand that the potential risks just aren't worth it." I was glad she was reasonable, and we could actively have a productive conversation. I replied, "I'm sorry; I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear, and it's not just you. I want you just as much; it kills me to have to restrain myself around you." 

She smiled; I think she needed to hear me say that. I held her hands tightly and asked, "Is there anything else that Layla mentioned?" She said, "She said that she hoped that I was okay after hearing about my hospitalization, but I told you the other things that she mentioned." I asked, "So, there was no mention of them teaming up with a witch?" 

She shook her head, and I let out a sigh, "When you talk to her again, can you please ask her about it?" She nodded but remained silent. I continued, "Sylas said that they know about our unique hemokinesis ability and a few of the other's abilities. That's not too concerning, but I will train especially hard to ensure that I can use it to my full ability to protect you before the battle ensues."

She nodded once more, "I know that you will protect me, and I trust your judgment regarding that." I was relieved. Her view of me had been restored, and I still had her trust, which was essential to me. Without trust, our relationship would be meaningless. Kara asked, "Should we be overly concerned about a witch joining in the battle against us?"

My face turned grim, just like Sylas' had. I inhaled deeply before saying, "Witches are powerful beings, and they haven't been fond of our kind since the beginning of time. There are a lot of differences as far as threat levels go. It really depends on what type of magic she practices and the size of the coven practicing with her." 

She looked confused, understandably so. I added, "If she's a healer, it wouldn't be that detrimental to us, but a necromancer could prove disastrous. If she has a following of less than ten members, she won't be as strong as someone with fifty. Does that make sense?" Kara nodded.

I added, "Witches are notorious for accepting payment through great sacrifice. Money and items typically mean little to them, and if they are teaming up with a witch, it is highly possible that your child, regardless of the outcome, will be given to her as a sacrificial lamb. Kara gasped and touched her stomach instinctively, though she was not carrying it yet. 

She was going to be a great mother—a mother that she herself deserved and longed for. I placed my hand over hers and said, "I will do everything within my power to ensure no harm comes to you or our unborn child. This is why I need you to ask Layla if she knows anything. The more information we have, the better we can prepare for this." 

She nodded, "Of course, I'll text her right now." I shifted and peered over her shoulder to read as she typed her message. She said, "Layla, sorry to bother you again; please respond when you can. James said that Sylas had received some information about the werewolves teaming up with a witch. If this is true, we need to know her identity so that we can prepare accordingly."

She stopped typing briefly, turned to look at me, and said, "Is there anything else I should add?" I said, "You should ask her if she needs help or anything; after all, they've turned on her and are holding her prisoner." Kara looked back down at her phone and added, "I hope you are doing okay. Is there anything we can do to help you with your situation?"

I nodded, and Kara hit the send button. An idea popped into my head: I asked, "Kara, you trust Layla, right?" She nodded, "Almost as much as I trust you." I said, "If we could help or rescue her, do you think she would help us with our child while we complete your transformation? You know, trust her to care for our daughter for three days?"

Kara thought for a moment, "But how would she do that? She's not a leader of a pack and is inherently weaker than the other werewolves who are; the others would just kill her and then kill our daughter." I said, "I'm not sure how many others will be left after this battle; the numbers on both sides will be severely diminished. I'm just doing everything to ensure that we are on the surviving side." 

Kara nodded. She knew how grave our situation was. She looked at her phone to check the time and said, "We need to get ready for bed; the sun will be up soon." I nodded in agreement but not before asking, "Are you sure you're okay? That we're okay?" She nodded and started to tear up again, "I'm sorry, James, I know that you aren't using me. I just... I just feel like everyone only wants me around for this child."

I hugged her again, "I just want to be with you, child, no child. You are the most important person to me." Kara said, "I feel the same way." She crawled over to her side of the bed to prepare for bed. I quickly swapped out her pillow for my own as she attached her phone to its charger and placed it on the nightstand.

I flipped her tear-stained pillow over to the dry side and placed it down on my side of the mattress. I locked the bedroom door, removed my clothes, and turned off the lights before climbing in beside her. She was still sleeping on a slight incline, so I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, getting ready to sleep, and said, "I love you." Before she could respond, her phone dinged.