Caged in Labor novel - Episode 4

She stormed out, but not before scattering more silver dust around the cage. The silver poison made my whole body tremble uncontrollably. In the haze, I could have sworn I heard my pup crying. A tiny voice in the darkness of my mind, calling ” Mama,” begging me to save it. I broke down, sobbing. I was supposed to meet my baby today, to hold it in my arms. I was so close. Why was fate so cruel to me and my child? Tlet out a guttural roar. Helplessness pierced my heart.

The chances of rescue were nearly gone. I stroked my belly through the pain, talking to my baby. I prayed that, if it had a next life, it would be born into —- a pack where its father loved its mother. Then it would be happy. My breath grew faint, my blood turning to ice in my veins. Suddenly, the cage door swung open, and the lights flickered on. The sight of me in a pool of my blood startled the wolf who stood there. Iused my last bit of strength to inch forward, whispering, “Help…

me.” His voice shook with fear. “Who are you? What did you do to be punished by the Alpha like this?” He was wary. “T’m… Damien’s mate,” I rasped. With blood-slicked fingers, I struggled to pull down the collar of my dress, revealing the mate mark on my neck. It was so smeared with gore, it was almost unrecognizable. —- “This is his mark.” He recognized the mate mark and moved to help me, but then he hesitated, sending a mind link to Damien. “Alpha Damien, I’m in the basement.

I found the Luna. She’s covered in blood. Should I take her to the clinic right away?” Damien’s reply was laced with confusion. “Blood? You’re mistaken. That’s not blood. It’s the foul stain left by Elena’s forbidden magic! It’s corrupted the whole basement. No wonder Sophia was so furious.” His voice hardened. “Don’t take her to the clinic. She’s perfectly fine. She’s just pulling another desperate stunt to have her pup first. Stay out of it.

I’ll go get her myself.” The wolf tried to explain, but Damien cut the link. He looked at me with pity, then walked past me to move some supplies. Just when I thought he was leaving me, he came back. He seemed to be fighting with himself. “You’re pregnant,” he said, his voice firming with —- resolve. “I can’t just leave you to die. My mate is pregnant. I can’t risk bringing a curse on my pup.” He dragged me out of the silver cage and carried me toward the pack’s main infirmary.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I was saved. But when we got to the infirmary, there were no herbs, no equipment, nothing left to help me deliver. Damien, worried about Victoria, had moved every single resource to her private clinic. My situation was critical.