Chapter 12

"V?" I felt a hand gently try to wake me. "V?"

I slapped the hand away and a chuckle followed. It was Mavros.

"I'll kiss you if you don't get up in the next three seconds."

Jokes on him. I haven't brushed my teeth.

"One." his fingers trailed across my face. "Two," he continued. "Three."

My eyes shot open and I placed my hand over his mouth when I saw his lips were literally centimeters away from mine. Without speaking a word, I bolted out of his room. To my displeasure, I bumped into Drake as soon as I left.

"Val, what were you doing in there?" he questioned, eyeing me weirdly.

"I, um," I scratched the back of my neck nervously. "Well, I..."

"We slept in the same room." Mavros revealed as he came out of his room.

I bit my lower lip and wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole to save me from this firsthand embarrassment.

"Really?" Drake seemed to be amazed. "Val, you could have just said so." He said coolly. "I went to your room earlier to tell you that Azura is here. She's waiting for you."

"I'll be with her soon."

I left both men and went to my room to get dressed. As soon as I was done brushing my hair, there was a soft knock on the door. From the scent, I knew it was Hannah. I opened the door for her and let her in. She wore white pants and a brown shirt. Her dirty blonde hair was in loose curls.

"You didn't sleep here." She said, shutting the door behind her.

"Mavros asked me to stay in his room." I informed, "Nothing happened if that's what you're thinking."

She only smiled.

"What?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You're an adult, Val. It shouldn't matter to anyone if you two got dirty last night. I won't judge."

"Thanks." I tucked my phone into my pocket. "I was told Azura is waiting for me."

"Yeah." she confirmed. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that after she explains things to us, I'll be leaving. I've been away from my fiancé and kingdom for two days now. There are things I must attend to. The wedding preparations won't happen on their own, you know."

"I understand."

Even though we didn't meet on good terms, she was someone I saw myself aging with. Hannah was nothing like her father. She was kind-hearted and always did her best to make sure the surrounding people were safe and happy. Not everyone would leave their kingdoms or homes for another person, even after knowing their life could be in danger. She was a gem I'd do anything to keep around for a long time.

"Come on," she opened the door, "Let's go."

We headed downstairs to join Azura, who, just like Hannah, had a new hairdo. It made me feel alone in the world of hairstyles. Azura's waist-length red hair was now a shoulder length silver gray. It made her blue eyes standout.

"Alpha Valeria," Azura smiled widely, gesturing for me to come closer. When I did, she embraced me. "Good to see you."

I pulled away. "It's good to see you, too, Azura. How is Doris?"

Her smile faltered. "The old woman has been sick for some weeks now."

"Is it bad?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want to leave her to come here, but she insisted." She blinked away tears that had begun to glisten her eyes. "Stubborn woman."

"She'll be fine." I tried to assure her. "Don't worry about it too much."

"I know she won't be fine."

I smacked her arm lightly. "Where's the positivity? Think good thoughts, alright?" She nodded, and I continued. "Doris will be fine."

"I hope so." She averted her eyes to Hannah. "It's good to see you two again, honestly. I've missed the drama."

Hannah laughed softly. "You don't have to miss the drama, hon. There's more and it's spirit related."

"Zariya?" she questioned, shifting her attention to me. "Is this about her?"

I nodded and sat down. Hannah and Azura followed. "She began searching for me and I did not know until some alphas informed me about it. When she found me, the first thing she did was attack Logan. My friend is unconscious as we speak. That spirit is the reason I called you here."

"Has she told you what she wants?"

I sighed. "It's crazy. Zariya and Aspro made promises to have kids while she was alive, but after what happened, it couldn't happen. According to her, she concluded they could still keep the promise since she was reincarnated. I am that reincarnation. She wants me to have a child with Aspro."

Hannah's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I can't do that, though. I'll die."

"Well," I faced Azura when she spoke. "You won't die until you give birth. The gods cannot kill their own, so they'll spare you until you give birth to your hybrid. The moment that child is out of you, you'll be history."

I dragged a hand down my face. "Then what am I supposed to do? She'll hurt my family if I don't give in to what she wants."

"I know, I know." Azura. "Which is why we're going to get the council of elders involved. Zariya is a vengeful spirit and she can be an actual threat if she doesn't get what she wants. We need to find a way to force her back to the spirit realm after fifteen days of her stay here."

"Hold on a second." Hannah shifted in her chair. "You mean to tell me the only time we can send her back to the spirit realm is after fifteen days?"

"Yes." Azura confirmed. "A spirit can only stay in the mortal realm for fifteen days, after which they must return to the spirit realm. The elder gods have no control of the spirit until her stay here has expired. Only then can they act. Once her time expires, she will be sent back there forcefully if she doesn't comply. If she is back to the spirit realm, she will never return to the mortal realm again."

"How long has she been here?" My heart hammered against my chest as I waited for Azura's answer. I hoped she had only one day left. "Tell me."

"She has been here for six days."

My heart sank.

"Zariya has nine days left here. During these nine days, she can do anything. The closer her time is, the deadlier she'll be because she's desperate. It doesn't help that she has ichor."

"But my family," I got up. "They are in danger. Melody is pregnant, you know."

"Hey." Our heads snapped to the right when Mavros walked in. He glanced at Hannah for a brief second, and when he looked at Azura, he gave a nod. "What's the problem?" his question was directed at me.

Without answering, I walked out of the living room. I was pissed. I was confused. I was scared. No. I was an Alpha. No ordinary Alpha at that. Valeria Claire Romero was an Alpha Queen. A tough one who feared nothing. Warm air slapped me as soon as I stepped out of the house, forcing my hair to block my vision. I flung it over my shoulder and lifted my eyes to the sky. I needed to do something this morning if I wanted to get Zariya off my mind.

"Val?" Mavros called, walking over to me.

"Go back in." I said. "Leave me alone."

When he didn't stop, I made a run for it in the forest's direction. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now. I wished to be alone. My thoughts were suffocating me and I needed to get rid of them. Pushing my arms back and forth, I jetted deeper into the forest, dodging trees and jumping over the ones that longed to trip me.

"Valeria!" Mavros shouted from behind me.

I pumped my human legs as fast as they could go. These things were too slow sometimes. Wolf legs would never disappoint.

"Valeria." He shouted again as I zoomed past trees.

My breathing was labored and the wind poked my eyes mercilessly. I wiped away the tears that formed from the wind's ruthlessness.

"Valeria."

I turned to see how close he was to me. He was gaining on me. When I focused on the path ahead, it was already too late. I bumped face first into a tree and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The last thing I heard was Mavros cursing me out as his voice slowly faded into a black silence.

<<<>>>

"There is nothing you or anyone can do for her until the fifteen days are over." Azura's voice sounded distant to me, yet I could hear the worry in her tone.

"She'll never bear a child for Aspro. I won't let it happen." Mavros said.

I heard shuffling of feet and the sound of a door slamming shut followed. Azura sighed. I opened my eyes only when she touched my hand. Thankfully, the curtains were closed, so I didn't have to deal with the blinding light of the sun. I

"Hey," Azura waved a hand in my face. "Are you okay?"

With a groan, I sat up on the bed, taking help from her. "I'm okay." I looked in the door's direction. "What happened? Why is he upset?"

Azura sat on my bed. "Mavros wants to know if there is another way out of this whole pregnancy nonsense. He hopes there is a much easier way. He isn't ready to wait nine more days and watch Zariya have her way."

I didn't respond. The throbbing in my head was a reminder of what had happened. From wanting to be alone to slamming my head into a darn tree. Not very alpha like. The door opened and Maya walked in alongside Melody. Maya held a tray that had a glass of water and aspirin on it.

"How do you feel?" she inquired, setting the tray down on the bedside table.

"I'm fine." I answered, "Did I worry you?"

She smiled. "A little." She handed me the medicine and I took it. "Why did you run away?"

I took the glass of water from her and gulped down the drug before speaking. "I wanted to be alone. When Mavros kept coming after me, I ran. I needed to have some time to myself to think."

"He probably wanted to protect you." Melody. "Zariya could have tried to attack you."

I shook my head. "She wouldn't. She needs me alive so I can have a child with her lover. Besides, I can hold my own in a fight."

Maya ruffled my hair as though I were a kid. I let her. "I know, you rascal. Still, you shouldn't have run off. It's not safe." She flicked Azura a glance. "She told us everything. Who knows, she could be getting desperate as her time draws nearer. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I'd lose my mind."

"Me too." I shifted closer to Maya and held her hand. "She's ready to harm you guys, and I don't want that. It's scary to think of a world with none of you."

"We're not going anywhere." Melody walked to me and swung her arm over my shoulder.

Because of how close she was, I could hear her child's steady beating heart. It ignited a fire in me. I would protect the both of them with everything in me. Mel was always there for me, and it was time I did the same for her and her unborn child.

"I love you. All of you."

"Ah," Melody punched my arm. "Stop being mushy. It's unnatural."

"I love you," I repeated with a smile just to bug her. Maya and Azura laughed. "I lo-lo-love you."

"Bumping into that tree must have caused a nut to fall off." Mel joked.

"Maybe." I relaxed against the headboard, just staring at the women in front of me.

These were people I'd go to the moon and back for and I was certain they would do the same for me if I needed them to. Looking at them made me realize that despite my father's and brother's deaths, I wasn't alone and would never be. They would always have my back.

"V?"

I turned to Azura. "Yeah?"

She got to her feet. "I have to be on my way now." She fumbled with her shirt. "I'd love to help, but Doris needs me around. It'd be wrong of me to leave her alone at such a time considering her health status."

"I know." I reached for her hand. "Be strong, okay? No matter what happens, you will always have a home here."

She nodded, and a tear dropped from her ocean-blue eyes. "Thank you."