Page 1 of The Dark War

Chapter One

Clara

“Harder!”Igrunted,holdingmy back. “Harder, come on, put your back into it!” Moans and groans left the other side of the room with one final push of the large elaborate crib that now sat at the base of a beautifully painted woodland scene. “Perfect!” I squealed with glee, rubbing my overly enormous belly.

“I hope you realize how much we love you.” Raine and Leia sighed as they leaned on the mahogany crib. Both panting from their exertion, they looked at each other, tired. “Carrying that up the stairs was brutal.” Raine straightened herself, coming over and sitting on the floor next to my feet.

“You’re a werewolf. Is it really that heavy?” I snickered. Leia rolled her eyes with her hands on her hips. Raine had been my right-hand woman when my mother wasn’t around. Technically, she was taking the role of the beta’s wife with how she helped me make schedules of renovations, new pup playgrounds, hosting luna seminars, planning parties for the unmated wolves, mating ceremonies for pack members, or even visiting with my new royal friend, King Osirus.

You name it, and Raine was by my side, especially when my mother came by every few days to help me learn my new role of queen in a few years’ time. I was barely hanging on as luna; I wasn’t sure how I would make it if Raine stayed in the pack.

“We haven’t been training like we should. I’ve been busy, mind you.” Leia and Raine had become my new interior decorators. We had slowly redecorated the alpha and luna’s bedroom, along with the new nursery that sat just beside our room. The inner connecting doors were the most helpful, so I didn’t have to walk my way down the hallway in the middle of the night and stare at some random wolf guarding our door. Kane had put guards on either side of our quarters’ doorway. He would have no one get in without us knowing.

After Darius came in through the large balcony window at the Ever Green pack on Earth, he also had our beautiful balcony with a hot tub boarded up. At first, I was angry he had taken away the beautiful view, but Kane had to be sated in some ways, and there were new dangers I wasn’t aware of.

Many kinds of shifters—not all friendly—lived around the territory. The first few nights we spent living here, a panther shifter had climbed up the trees just outside our window and peered in with their bright yellow eyes while I was sleeping. Torin ripped through Kane’s body so fast that he himself didn’t realize what he had done until the panther’s guts lay on the ground.

I had never screamed so loud in all my life hearing a panther’s cries. I think anyone would have. Luckily, I could heal them, but not as much as I wanted. Their innards were put back inside safely, but Kane made me stop so they could heal themselves. Kane was too worried about our little pup inside still growing, afraid if I used too much of my energy that the poor little thing wouldn’t grow properly.

“And why did you choose a large mahogany crib?” Leia scoffed. “It’s almost too gaudy looking and takes away from the beautiful mural I had painted.” Leia’s hand traced the animals in the wistful willow trees that came over the crib. She even made small pieces of fabric for the baby to grab once it got a little older.

“Kane was a teether and went through five cribs before he was four months old,” Raine replied, twisting her hair. “If this little alpha inside Clara is anything like Kane, this baby is going to grow fast, and teeth will sprout within a month or so. Might as well get a strong crib that will last at least six months before he or she crawls out.” I choked on my own spit, sitting up in the padded rocking chair.

“Six months? Aren’t babies supposed to crawl around at six months?” Raine laughed while Leia put the finishing touches to the ruffles on the bottom of the crib.

“That’s a human baby. This is a pup born of two very strong lineages. Werewolves alone start crawling at two to three months and walking by four or five. Climbing out of this thing”—she slapped the crib—“will be nothing for the little alpha.” I sat back in my chair, rubbing my forehead. This whole pup baby thing I was not prepared for.

I had done too much the previous three days, helping Osirus get his mate, Melina. She was a poor human girl that came to watch her best friend—almost sister—Tulip have their mating ceremony. They had just left the previous day, and I had to make sure Melina didn’t run off like a frightened lamb with the ever cryptic fae king.

“Calm down. Everything will be all right,” Raine rubbed my hand. “I’m here for you through it all. Dean too. He says he loves babies,” she cooed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he would want to practice making babies after seeing your little one born.” I smiled, rubbing my belly. The little pup kicked and poked Raine as she poked my belly back.

“A little fighter, aren’t you, little alpha?” Both of Raine’s hands held my stomach, kissing it gently.

“That’s just weird.” Leia turned her nose up. “What would you do if I came up and rubbed my nose all over your belly?”

“First, I’d punch you because talking to my food baby isn’t cute.” Leia snorted back a laugh. Raine stuck out her stomach, trying to push out as much as she could on her washboard abs. She was built athletically, matching the alpha physique of her father.

“I’m just saying, people have bubbles, and I’m sure Clara doesn’t appreciate you rubbing your cold, wet, dog nose all over it,” Leia snapped. Raine sat back against the wall.

“But I’m the favorite aunt,” Raine whined. “I have every right to shower the baby with love,” she cooed right into my belly.

“Let me remind you, you are the only blood-related aunt. I, on the other hand, am the favorite friend-aunt.” Leia laid the final blanket in the crib, studying her work.

“That’s not even a thing!” Raine retorted. They both argued, giving reasons for who would be the better aunt to the little one inside. Excited about the ruckus, the pup rolled inside me, causing me to wince at the kick in my ribs.

The pregnancy, overall, had been smooth sailing. Once Kane announced that I was pregnant at his alpha takeover ceremony, it was like clockwork that I felt sick the next day. Kane coddled me like a tiny baby, making sure any food I craved was brought up and rubbed my feet every night. The best part was when he would rub my feet. My poor feet were swollen every day, and my fast-growing belly made it that much worse.

Kane wouldn’t leave my side once he found out, neglecting his alpha duties, and his father had to step in, explaining that every woman would go through this, and his mother was just the same. Any groan I made, every trip to the toilet, Kane hovered over me like I would break. Thankfully, his mother came to help me during my sickness period that lasted only a week, and she had me back up and running with all the ginger-ale she had me drinking.

Kane reluctantly went back to his duties, taking the warriors out for random drills of fighting, running, cardio, weightlifting, and the sort. Even with his constantly busy schedule, he managed to link me once an hour, making sure I was doing all right.Five months—Five months for a werewolf pregnancy, and I was so over it. How humans make it to nine months, I’d never know. I was glad I won’t ever endure that pain.

I stood up, holding my back as I rose from the chair. I was missing the barely-there abs I had before the baby. Now, I had to roll across the room to get anywhere.

Raine and Leia continued their banter, not even bothering to look up at me as I waddled out of the room.

“What is that screeching?” Marcus walked into the main living area of the alpha-luna suite. Raine and Leia still squealed in laughter, with a few playful slaps echoing in the room on their skin.

At least I hope they were playful.

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