Chapter 27-

Ember-
The room is blurry when I wake up and my body feels so heavy. Something is covering my left eye making it hard to see well and place where I am. Panic builds in my chest, my mates, my babies…are they okay? I’m not ready to leave them, there are so many things we planned, so many things I want to experience with Lucas and James by my side. I go to touch my stomach thinking about the beautiful lives growing inside me, but they are both weighed down. Panic washes over me thinking that I am paralyzed. It’s then that I notice that both of my hands are holding my mates’ heads, I twirl my fingers in their hair and it helps ground me. On my left is sweet Lucas; my protector and friend, the man who makes me feel cherished and in my right hand is James beautiful face, my Alpha and fierce companion; he is the man who lifts me up and makes me feel like a queen. A relieved sob pours out of my mouth knowing not only am I not dead, but my mates are here and okay.
James sits up his back rod straight and when his onyx eyes meet mine his worried face softens. “My love, your safe now. No one will ever hurt you again I promise. I’m so sorry I left you alone honey. Your safe.” “Max? Ava? I saw him attack Max…he was trying to protect us. There was so much blood.” Max's body being torn into fills my mind and I feel sick. I couldn’t stop the tears from pouring down my face or the burn that laced my throat. “Ava is safe.” Lucas’s sweet voice reassures me, but I note his hesitation to continue. “Max didn’t make it.”
My mates held me as I bellowed out my agonized cries, he was so young and the guilt of his death I know will follow me all of my life. “I know that look my love. You were his queen, and he laid his life down in the most noble way. We will honor his memory and carry on the tale of his bravery. The guilt you feel lies with me alone, I should have stationed more guards to you. I should have thought more carefully about how to capture Ian without risk to my pack. I was so intent on vengence that it clogged my judgement. I will never leave you vulnerable again my Luna, forgive me.” “I love you James there is nothing to forgive. I am just so desperately sad to lose him. I hate that Ian has taken so much from us.”
James continues to sweetly reassure me and places sweet soft kisses all along my face and jaw. I lean into his loving mouth savoring the safety that his strong presence brings. “I tore him apart piece by piece; he will never again be able to touch this pack with his hatred. I will always avenge my queen.” I feel like the world is righting itself when I feel full lips on the other side of my jaw and Lucas starts whispering sweet words into my mouth. “Phoenix, my love we’re here. Your safe now. No one will ever hurt you again.” Seeing both of my dominant mates here sharing my space without tearing each other apart heals the broken pieces of my heart.
“James, Lucas…” I can’t speak past the lump in my throat or the fire still coating my chest that is still so full of grief. I’m so tired and relived and so content to be alive with my men that I just cry while they hold and kiss me. My hands now being free of their weight slide down my chest and onto my stomach that I know holds something so precious. “I have something I need to tell you both.” I try to sit up, but blinding pain sends me right back down to the bed. I don’t even know where to start knowing that I’ll probably sound like a lunatic, but I have to tell them. “I’m pregnant…The babies she told me about them and about you. They are special. She told me that they will unite shifters and wage war for our protection. The babies they are from both of you. I know that sounds crazy but when she saved me, she said I have a child from each of you inside me. I don’t know how, but you are both are going to be fathers.” I know I sound frantic but the woman in white who touched me and saved me from certain death she was so specific. I feel crazed trying to get all of the information out, scared I will forget. She told me about my mates and their past, and of the future we could have. She spoke of her longing for peace and safety for her creations. She called herself Dea Luna she told me that she is the mother of all shifters and creatures that belong to the night. We are part of her plan to bring peace back to her children and when I was on the edge of darkness her touch brought me back. She was so beautiful and clothed in stars, her hair was white and her voice so ethereal. “Ember we can figure all this out when you’re better I don’t want you to be stressed it’s not good for the babies.” Lucas must think I’m crazy. I touch his sweet, scared face and try to calm my erratic thoughts. They didn’t even look surprised when I mentioned the babies. “You guys already know about the babies?” “Yes love, the doctor told us that you told him about them when you woke up while they were working to save you. We’re just so lucky that we didn’t loose you or them.” James calm voice soothes me, and I know we have so much to work out, but I feel sleep closing in on me. I want to stay awake with my men but it's so hard to keep my eye open. Just being awake this short time has drained me, at least I can rest knowing they are here and okay. “Wait before I fall asleep again, I have to tell you, Lucas she heard your prayers and saved me. Her touch, it’s what saved me.” I can’t hold it off any longer, darkness closes in as sleep consumes me.
James:
Seeing my Ember awake and alive feels like a boulder has been lifted off of my chest. My hand glides down her beautiful and bruised body caressing her still flat belly. My chest puffs out with pride knowing that a part of me is growing in there, but it also brings a wave of sadness thinking about my first-born son and how he was torn from me so quickly. I can’t hold back the wave of tears that built up behind my eyes. I will do anything in my power to protect Ember and our children, I can’t fail again the thought alone threatens to crush me. I feel my brothers body press into my back, and I allow myself to be comforted by him. He knows what pain I have suffered and has always been there to help me through it. “You can grieve your son and still be excited about new life. We will work together to keep them safe.” I look at my brother and know that our fate is settled. This is how it will be and how it should have been from the beginning Ember is ours and we will strive together to keep her and our family safe, we will spend our lives making her happy. “I’m sorry I tried to take her from you.” Lucas gives me his stupid (I told you so) smile and I punch him in the shoulder. “I don’t know how it will look exactly, but we’ll figure this out. We have to…we’re both fathers now.” I look at my brothers beaming face and let it all sink in. “I’ve never heard of anything like this happening before. This will be interesting to explain to the pack that’s for sure.” “Fuck ‘em who cares what they think as long as Ember and our babies are safe, who cares if our family doesn’t look how they think it should, besides big bad alpha; you’re the boss.” “True.” I can’t help but chuckle, Lucas has always been the lighter of the two of us. “Who do you think she saw? Who she thinks saved her and who told her about the babies?” “Who else could it be? She has seen what we could only dream of our god. I prayed to the moon goddess to spare her, and she has.” The thought amazes me and even though I hate the thought of sharing my mate with anyone I believe Ember has been brought to us for something great she is truly touched by the goddess, and I will take any part of her she will give, and I will die before she is ever put in danger again.