74. Azra.

"My Queen, how are you feeling? Is the baby troubling you?" Michelle stood next to Eve, holding a pile of towels in her hands.

"I'm alright, thank you for taking care of us. I truly appreciate everything you do," Eve smiled, placing a hand on her back as a support.

"Oh, no, let me help you with that. Shifter babies grow fast, don't you remember anything I told you? Silly child. Humans need nine months for the baby to develop all vital organs and come to the due date. Us shifters, we need five at max. And since your mate is quite a big fish out there…" Michelle giggled.

She continued. "Since he is more potent than werewolves- your baby might be ready to see the world faster than we expect. It has only been two weeks since you lived with us and your bump is showing. That's one strong pup you got there." She helped Eve to stand up and flashed her signature smile at the human girl. Eve's hands instantly found her belly. It was like a reflex, and she did that whenever someone mentioned her baby. She couldn't believe how fast their baby was growing. Each time, when she stroked her belly, Eve couldn't stop thinking about Eros. She missed him. All she wanted was to wake up and fall asleep next to him. A single tear fell from her eye; Eve instantly tried to wipe it off- she didn't want to seem weak in front of people who did their best to protect her, but Michelle got ahead of her and cupped Eve's cheek.

"Don't cry, my child. It isn't good for you or the baby. Everything will be alright soon, I promise. You're not alone in this; all of us here will fall and rise for your safety," she tried to calm down the human girl.

"I know, I know. I miss my mate so much, and the thought that he will not be by my side as our child grows is breaking me. I never intended to run away in the first place, but I can't prioritize my happiness over my child's safety," Eve spoke truthfully, a hint of pain and regret flashing in her eyes.

"I never dared to ask, and forgive me if I'm asking for too much, but... Why did you leave him? Was the King abusive, didn't he love you? Or was he abusing the mating bond? I'm sorry for being so blunt, but I do find it weird that I'm standing in front of my Queen, but she is not mated. Of course, the claiming mark is visible on you, but there is no mark to show that you are a mated woman. Usually, women don't give birth before the mating process is fully done; this is quite an unusual situation," Michelle tried to sound reasonable, despite the fear of making her Queen feeling upset.

"My dear Michelle, it's not anything you could think of. I didn't leave him exactly. I was carried out of the territory- literally. Your grandson did it; he's quite a shocker, I must give him that," Eve smiled, walking towards the door.

"Come, let's go out for a walk and talk a little more, I need some fresh air," Eve reached for Michelle's hand and tugged it. The woman dropped the towels and followed Eve's lead. They were located around a hundred miles away from the pack where Eros was left. The Watchers made sure to hide the Queen in a territory nobody would dare to step in. The enormous land was guarded by their dogs and a couple of awakened Watchers. Even if someone would be foolish enough to take the risk and step over the lines- it was an instant suicide.

"I fell in love with him. Hard. So hard it nearly hurt. Think about it- would someone leave the love of their life willingly? I'm sure you wouldn't," Eve sighed, letting her eyes roam around the trees. She smiled when she noticed the curious eyes watching her. Anto was right- no matter where she goes, the Watchers will have their eyes on Eve’s every step.

"But how did my grandson manage to get himself into this mess?" Michelle thought out loud. She knew that there were a couple of problems since the Queen was human, but she had no idea that one of her own might be involved.

"He saved my life. He saved my unborn child," Eve smiled, nodding her head at the Watchers.

" At first, I thought that Eros was just another werewolf and truly hated him for who he was. I was blind and judged him too fast; back then, I didn't bother to get to know him. Later, I found out that he was not a regular shifter but that still didn't change my mind. Eros kept fighting for me; he proved that he is the man I was waiting for. He is the one for me. So, we grew closer through the ups and downs, somehow we got to a pretty good place in our relationship.”

“My parents are very kind people; they believe that everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what they did; therefore, I have the same beliefs. I had a pretty rocky start with my mates' mother- the pack's Luna, but despite all warnings, I tried to give her another chance. So stupid of me, right?" Eve shook her head, looking down at her feet. The human girl couldn't believe how foolish she had been so far.

"Oh, no, that is not foolish behaviour. I'm sure that you will become a great Queen after taking the throne. Not everyone has the ability not to judge people before blaming them for bad deeds. On the other hand, you will give them a chance to prove their innocence if you believe in them. Admirable, if you ask me. But please, do tell me more," Michelle kept encouraging Eve, pointing out the positive rather than speaking up about the negative traits. The woman knew how vital a peaceful environment was for the pregnant human.

"Well, as it turns out, your grandson was caught by the pack border patrol and thrown into the cells. Luna kept him around there for a while until her big chance. She promised him freedom if he killed me. Instead of committing the crime, your grandson chose to save me. That was the moment when I understood how genuinely amazing so-called rogues are. I prefer to use terminology such as free runners or lone wolves, though. Luna told me that I was pregnant, I didn't know that yet, so it was a big surprise to find out such news. She promised to talk to mine and her mate. Luna made it seem as if she had a reason for that. As if me, getting pregnant was the worst thing to happen. So she planned to hide me in a territory that was already known to me. I would stay with cats until Eros and the Alpha would come to their senses," Eve opened her mouth to keep explaining the situation, but Michelle interrupted her.

"Cats? They would kill you! How foolish people can be- those cats are dangerous for humans."

"No, they aren't, and they wouldn't. I already visited the territory, had a great time with the children. The stigma built around them is wrong- those cats knew who they were hiding and still stood by my side," Eve replied. While everyone around her seemed to hate other species- the human saw them all equal.
"Anyway, I thought I was going to the cats, but oh, how wrong was I. When it was safe to speak- your grandson explained to me everything about Luna’s plans. She sent him to kill us, but instead- he took a little blood from me and threw it as bait for Luna. Then he offered for me to follow him- since the man already saved my life, I agreed. That's how I ended up in your pack. You know the rest- Anto coming in and taking us here," a sad smile appeared on Eve's lips. She appreciated everything they were doing for her safety, but she couldn't help herself and dream about the day when she would see Eros again.

"You've been through a lot. Unfortunately, that's how things work in our world- lots of enemies will try their best to find a weak spot in their targets. And you are the soft spot of our King," Michelle stated, avoiding facing her Queen.

"Can I ask a question, please?"

"You already did, but sure, child," the older woman laughed, amused about the simple joke. These days, she tried to smile even when times were hard, and there were more to come.

"Why are there so many Watchers around us? I thought that I had only Anto, but I feel like hundreds of eyes are watching each step I take now," Eve scratched her upper arm nervously, noticing how interested the eyes became after her question.

"We're on their territory, child. This place is called the lands of damned and undead. Nobody, even the bravest leaders, dare to step on these lands. Everyone avoids this place as if it were an epicentre of the plague. The Watchers are extraordinary creatures- made to serve and protect. Anto was the first one to awake, as they say, but he wasn't alone.”

“Along with Anto, his sister, Aaraya, was awakened. You had two pairs of eyes following you- they knew what was to come and the title you'd carry later, but they were not allowed to intervene before it was time to do so. When they brought us here, others felt the royal's presence, so awakenings began. Soon, this place will be packed with hundreds of those who managed to survive through centuries."

"Will I get to know them? If they are here to protect me- can't I just go back home and take a few of them with me?" Eve sounded so hopeful it nearly broke Michelle's heart.

"I wish that would be an answer for everything. The Watchers won't let you leave the territory. There are too many eyes following the King right now, and trust me- the things are not looking good back there," the older woman shook her head. If only Eve knew how crazy Eros was acting. If only she knew how bad it looked from his point of view. Because of the silence and unspoken pain- both were left with raw facts only they could see. Eve's disappearance wasn't looking good in his eyes, especially after taking in events from the past.

"What do you mean? Is he in danger? Was Eros attacked or injured? I should go home now- if anything happens, I have to stay next to him!" Eve tried to break out of Michelle's hold, but the older woman wouldn't let her go. They could hear some snarls and tree branches snapping around them.

"Calm down, I'm trying to protect you, but I'll be the one to end up as their dinner," Michelle pointed at the trees.
"That's your problem- letting the emotions lead you without knowing facts. Breathe, calm down, don't let the stress and fear harm your baby. I will explain, but if you keep on acting like this- I will be eaten by your guard monsters, and you will never get out of here!" she nearly yelled at Eve.

"Okay, okay, I'll calm down," Eve sat down and motioned for Watchers to step back. She didn't know if they would get the order, but Eve could try and get them to stay away. Surprisingly, they did- the snarling died, and blood-red eyes turned back to yellow.

"How well did you know the previous Alpha of the pack you came from?" Michelle sat next to Eve, her sharp movements making the older woman look like a teen.

"Alpha Xavier? Not well, but why are you calling him the previous Alpha?" Eve furrowed her brows, silently wondering how much she had missed in the time of her absence.

"He was killed," Michelle whispered.

"Huh? So, they have a new Alpha now?"

"Alpha Azra." For some strange reason, Michelle looked guilty, she had something she wanted to tell Eve badly, but she couldn't. All the woman was left with was giving out some hints and hoping that Eve would catch on to those.

"Azra? I have heard that name before..."