Page 71 of The Dark War

The echo returned with such force it had me step back. Clara would never return from this. Hell, what mother would? To lose a child that was nestled into the womb, supposedly cared for by their bodies. Clara’s body didn’t fail, though—far from it—but it was her fortress to protect our child.

I howled again, our beast crying for the first time. I didn’t know if I felt more sadness or anger. I shouldn’t have let her come with me. All this time she had wanted to be there for every battle, every tiff that was fought with our warriors.

She was a damn queen—my queen. She should have been nestled and protected behind the castle walls. But my Clara, my luna, my moon, was not like that.

I ran with swiftness down the mountain, feeling every scrape of rock, stick, and thorned bush, ordering Torin not to heal us. I wanted to bleed, feel the pain in my body as Clara felt in hers. Her body was weak. Giana could not heal her after healing Apollo.

Why the fuck would she go heal him? Why take that extra strength she had and bestow it upon someone she didn’t know? I howled again, animals jumping from the thickets, trees brushing by my head. Clara sat bundled in my arms, tightly against my chest in her own world.

The pack was silent as we entered, night had fallen, and the usual blue moon no longer held its gentle hue. Red surrounded the moon in a harsh halo. My eyes squinted through the darkness. Torin pushed our bond to Clara now that we had returned, and now my vision lacked.

“Kane.” Marcus’s gentle tone had me stiffen. He was the friend I needed, not the beta who took my orders. My usual snap fleeted, listening to him. Marcus’s eyes softened in pity, his shoulders slumping as he saw me hunched over Clara’s still sleeping body.

“Dr. Talbert will have you stay in your quarters. He’s got nurses to tend to her tonight. Borders are secure, and Folen is taking care of the whispering rumors of the roots. Take your time with her.” Marcus glanced at Clara, his hand reaching, but I pulled her away.

My hanging head pulled up from my sleeping mate, seeing our pack members. Warriors took a knee, putting their arms over their chests as they watched. Warriors that still sat in their wolf forms whimpered, the women coming with small white and gold flowers, putting them at the base of the pack house steps.

Losing a pup in the womb was rare for werewolves. So rare that my mother never heard of such a thing as I mind-linked her during our journey home. Our doctors would have time on their hands trying to understand Clara’s body.

Fuck, they couldn’t touch her. I would take care of her.

I snarled, Marcus stepping away. Torin surfaced. I could see the reflection of his red eyes in the fear of the pack. My maw opened to snap orders until August howled. Other wolves followed, filling the air of the forest of our home with sad whimpers.

The howls didn’t stop, my eyes brimming with unshed tears as I stepped on Clara’s favorite flowers leading us to the pack house. The double doors were opened, candles sweeping the stairs as we ascended.

Doctors stood on either side of the door while we entered. Laying her on the bed, her head fell to the side on the pillow. “We can clean her, Alpha,”one nurse mind-linked. I grunted, shifting in front of everyone in the room.

“Leave us.” My hand came to my mate's cheek, wiping away the dried blood. The nurse pursed her lips, backing away slowly. The shuffling of feet and the harsh whispers of whether they should stay or go were ignored. I pulled the soapy water bin and began to wash my mate’s body.

The door shut, and piece by piece, I washed each section of her.

My mate now lay clean; the soft smell of vanilla candles sat by her nightstand. She hadn’t stirred. She sighed softly, her brows forming a worried arch. Kissing each cheek, I pulled the cover’s over her body.

Feeling the heat of a body behind me, my worried sister placed a hand on my naked back. “Clara would want you to take care of yourself too.” The gentle sternness in her voice almost made me smile. “I feel her healing. Giana is doing her job.” Raine coddled me, putting a sheet over my body. “To be sure, we should let the doctors examine her.”

“No,” I spat out. I couldn’t let any male touch her, even if it was to help her. I was a fucking selfish bastard, and it was my job as her mate to help her. If I couldn’t help her now, I would be running rampant throughout the pack, ripping warriors to pieces for not doing their fucking job better.

“Can I check her then?” Raine had so kindly delivered our daughter. Torin trusted her, loved her, and would almost do anything for her besides our mate.

“I stay.” I grunted. Lifting up from the bed, wrapping the now dirty sheet around my hips, Raine sat on the bed. She kept her link open, letting me hear the words she spoke to the doctor on the outside of the door.

Raine hummed, taking a clean cloth and examining her new scar. “It looks like that powder was on her fur when he scratched her.” Raine touched the jagged scar. “It’s what caused her to scar and ruin her womb.”

A knot formed in my throat. The possibility of only having one child strongly hung in my mind. We had Evelyn, but I knew that Clara wanted another. She wanted as many as we could.

“I—” I choked back, rubbing my hands up and down my face.

“Her womb is all right, brother.” Raine pulled the sheet back over Clara’s naked body. “The powder only touched the outside of her body.” Relief filled me. I sat back in the chair beside Clara’s bed, burying my face in my hands.

I couldn’t protect my mate, couldn’t protect the warriors.Fuck, how the hell are we supposed to win this!?“Kane?” Raine came to my side, awkwardly pulling me into a hug while I leaned into her.

“Fucking shit, I’m losing it, Raine.” Raine hummed, stroking my hair as Clara liked to do. I don’t fucking cry, I don’t let anyone break me, but gods damn it I was so fucking over it.

“No one said you had it to begin with,” she innocently joked. “Big brother, no one said you had to have it all together. No one said that you were to protect everyone, just that you would, in your power, do your best.” I sobbed, holding onto her.

“Clara thinks she failed. I’m the one that is supposed to take care of her.” I growled. Torin sat in the back of my mind, staring back at me. He had no emotion, just a blank look in his eyes.

“I know Clara, and she would not think that at all,” she said sternly. “Now, what do you think she would want you to do right now instead of whining over what you should or shouldn’t have done? Would she want you sitting here upset? Or go kick some fucking ass?”

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