Pregnant And Rejected

Charta 19.3 -Lockdoen

Selene

I’m woken by the sounds of blaring alarms, the sound so shrill and horrible | slam a pillow over my face before I can stop to consider what the sound might mean. It’s not until my bedroom door swings open and a young servant girl pokes her head in, that I lower the plush implement. She pulls me out of bed and helps me into a robe while my head spins.

An alarm. I think hopefully, that’s bad for Blaise.

And what’s bad for Blaise can only be good for us. Luna answers slyly.

“What’s happened?” I ask the girl helping me.

“We‘re going into lockdown, miss.” the young servant an swers, breaking the silence her station usually demands.

“What do you mean, lockdown?” | question, “What’s hap pened?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never heard the alarms go off before, but the Alpha’s orders were unequivocal. The entire above ground is locking down, so it can’t be a fire or flood.” She rea sons, her voice hoarse from lack of use.

“Did you speak to him yourself?” | ask, trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. If it’s just a lockdown and he doesn’t know where I am, I might be able to get away. But if she was specifically sent to retrieve me, I probably can’t escape with out endangering her.

com “No.” She shakes her head, “This is just standard proce

dure. I’m taking you to one of the safe rooms.”

“Wait!” I cry, pulling her to a stop. “What’s your name?”

girl

strongest first thing in the morning. This could be my chance to free myself, Bastien and my father at once. Helene’s voice rings in my ears, urging me to be patient, but only a

don’t understand.” Clara murmurs

I declare, “I don’t want to get you in trouble and I don’t know what you might risk by running, but | want to give you the chance to escape with me

to escape?”

on right now, but I guarantee Blaise and his guards

can’t.” Clara whimpers,

ask is that you give me a head start.” I beg, tak ing her by

End, just past the park, but you can’t go out there!” She insists, “the city might be

top and flats. “Please,

her jaw slackens, and she repeats,

praise, dashing out

Blaise hasn’t trusted me enough to tell me about any such precautions in

first few corridors are clear, and I have to think that they’ve all gone to handle whatever disaster spurred the alarms. I’m trying to be as quiet as possible, but I’m also painfully aware that my scent is leaving a trail behind me and anyone seeking to find me will be able to follow it with little difficulty.

pause at every other corner I reach, waiting for neat rows of march ing sentries to pass by before I continue on. Something seri ous is definitely going down for Blaise’s security

blinds me when I fi nally break out into the fresh air, feeling a rush of exhilaration to think I’m finally out of the Alpha’s palace. It almost feels too easy,

hopes must be correct. Someone is attacking the Calypso leadership, and I doubt it’s another pack. I feel a brief moment of hesitation as I worry

as I yelp in surprise. Struggling to escape the man holding

jerk my head up at the sound of someone clear ing their throat, my eyes going wide as’l see a line of guards circling myself and my captor. There at their center, is Blaise, watching me with the sort of twisted hunger he

my stomach, plummeting so quickly! feel sure I’m going to be sick. No. I think desperately, no, no, no. He can’t win

But clearly he can.