ELIA

Elia woke from her nap and stretched—but a muscle at the side of her stomach grabbed and she winced, rubbing it as she rolled over.

"Reth, maybe we didn't—

" Elia broke off as she found the furs next to her empty. Her heart began to pound, throbbing in her ears and that wave of fear crashed over her. For a moment all she could do was pant and grab at the furs—but then she blinked and made herself think.

Reth had been here when she woke up. They had made love, and it was wonderful. Reth was gone because Gahrye had come to visit. Reth had only gone to get some food for them to share for lunch. He wouldn't be away for long.

But how long had she been asleep? How long had he been gone already?

She realized her breathing was shallow and made herself take a slow, deep breath… but that only made her stomach hurt more. The muscles in a band around her lower back and low on her stomach were slowly pulling tighter in a warning she recognized but didn't want to acknowledge.

Shit. Shit ** **.

She had known they shouldn't have had sex that morning, but she found she couldn't regret it. For a moment as the cramp intensified, she just held her stomach and breathed, but when it began to ease, she sighed and whispered.

"Stay in there, my baby girl. Please. Mommy made a bad decision, but it was a good decision, I promise. Please… just… just stay in there.

"

She was going to be good now. She wouldn't do anything else to jeopardize her little girl. She just needed some help, that was all. Aymora would be coming, or Jayah.

Then she swore under her breath.

Aymora and Jayah had been there the night before. She'd told them not to come this morning, to take the morning off. They thought Reth was going to be with her all morning. She and Reth had been so excited by the idea of hours alone, they'd insisted no one else come to the cave. Aymora hadn't been happy, but she'd left the tonics last night and told Reth to send a messenger if they were needed. She wasn't coming until after lunch, when Reth thought he would have to get some things done.

Elia peered at the lanterns and the cave wall, cursing that there was no way to tell from in here how late it was. Maybe Aymora was already on her way?

But no, Reth had been going to get some food for them to share for lunch. If it was that late, he'd already be back.

Where was he? Why wasn't he impatiently nudging Gahrye out of the room and insisting on being here with her?

Had something happened?

Images flashed through her mind then of assassins hiding in the forest. Of rebellious wolves setting an ambush, laughing as they dropped their King just when everyone thought they were at peace.

Of Reth, standing in defense of Lerrin and being killed by his own people…

Her heart raced faster and for a moment all she could see was herself there, alone, in bed and unable to move, waiting for the whole day, going into labor—or shifting into her beast—and having no one there to help. Images of herself and Elreth dead…

The fear was overwhelming. Subconsciously, she pulled the furs up to her chin and pushed her face into them. But then she sucked in a breath and shook her head.

No. No, she couldn't think that way. She couldn't let this overcome her again. She had to be strong. She had to find peace. She couldn't live this way for the rest of her life!

What was it Jayah had said? Retreat only made her fear worse. She had to face it. She had to give the Creator a chance to see what He would do to help her—only then could she start to get past it.

She didn't want to be weak anymore. She wanted to live in strength and peace.

But before she could start to seek it, in the next breath her entire world turned into a burning, glittering pain as her entire lower body spasmed in a contraction intense enough to steal her breath. And in the next breath, when she could take it, her beast began to claw at her from the inside, pushing for release.

Elia spent endless seconds holding onto herself, trying to breathe through the pain until everything eased.

It was happening. Shit, it was happening. She pounded a fist on the furs and blinked back tears.

Damn. DAMN!

But as her body eased and she knew that she would have some minutes before the next wave of a contraction, she forced herself to think.

She needed to stop the contractions, which meant she needed Aymora. But unless Reth showed up in the next five minutes, that meant she was going to have to get out of this bed.

Reth… Reth was going to be so angry that Gahrye had left her. He would be furious—so furious he would hunt the male down. Except, he wouldn't find him.

Or would he? Would he go so far as to have trackers follow Gahrye's trail? Had Gahrye gone straight to the Portal from here? Would Reth find out she'd sent him across, defying Reth's orders?

An image of Reth, wild-eyed and red faced with rage at Gahrye terrified her—which made the beast snarl within her again and she was once again locked in battle to keep herself here, and solid, and in control.

But tears of frustration and pain streamed down her cheeks.

She couldn't give in—not to the beast, and not to her fear of Reth's rage. She needed to take the tonic, and she needed to get a message out of the cave.

Praying silently for the safety of her baby, Elia forced herself to throw the covers back and get to her feet, her nightdress twisted around her. She walked very slowly to the dresser at the side of the room where Aymora had left the tonics, and took a full dose.

Then she shuffled back to the sleeping platform, easing herself back onto it, but not laying down.

How long did it take to work? She knew that when Reth had been struggling he'd still been able to shift for a time after he took it.

Elia blinked down at her belly, holding it in her arms and pleading with Elreth to forgive her.

"Momma needs some help,

" she whispered, stroking her wide, hard stomach.

"I have to get up, Elreth. But that doesn't mean you move, okay? You stay right where you are.

"

She was hit with another contraction then and didn't say anything for a while, trying to breathe through the pain, hissing through gritted teeth. Her beast roared and she had to fight, holding on by her fingernails to this world—to herself—as the pain ricocheted through her. As soon as it edged off even a little, Elia was resolved.

She had to get Aymora.

She had to get Reth.

And that meant that she had to get moving before she couldn't move anymore.

Tears streaming down her face, Elia waited until the pain had eased enough that she could breath again, then pushed off of the sleeping platform, groaning when the weight of her stomach pulled down on the pain. But she kept her teeth gritted and started for the door, slowly, cradling her belly in her arms.

There were sentries in the meadow, she was sure of it. Even if they were in the forest, they'd hear her if she went to the cave mouth. That's all she had to do. Get to the cave mouth and call for help.

Creator bless Anima senses.

As she shuffled down the tunnel, the contraction eased away completely, and she could breathe more easily.

"It's going to be fine, Elreth. You and me, we're both going to be fine,

" she whispered to her baby.

"I'll call daddy and he'll call Aymora, and between them we'll make everything better. You just hold on.

"

She got as far as the Great Room when her stomach began to tighten again. Too soon. Far too soon. She shouldn't be having another contraction already. She would have to sit down and wait it out until she could get to the front door.

One hand on the back of one of the couches, she took one step, then another, creeping around to the arm. Three more steps, then she would be in front of it and she could sit. But just as her foot took her weight, the contraction hit, tearing across her stomach and lower back in blinding pain. Her leg never braced, but gave completely as she cried out and tumbled to the floor.

Her head bounced against the coffee table. Along with a flash of light behind her eyelids, she heard a sound like a basketball on cement.

Then everything went black.