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

imag ining making a break for the dungeons. If the city is on lock down all the guards will be called away to help, and I’m always strongest first thing

understand.”

to get you in trouble and I don’t know what you might risk by running,

going to escape?” She repeats,

going on right now, but I guarantee Blaise and his guards are more distracted than they’ll ever be. So yes,

– I can’t.” Clara whimpers,

start.” I beg, tak ing her by the shoulders. “Do you know

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

my robe and nightgown and pulling on a pair of maternity jeans, a black top and flats. “Please, promise me you won’t tell them where l’ ve gone. You never

limp, her jaw slackens, and she repeats,

I praise, dashing out of

but Blaise hasn’t trusted me enough to tell me about any such precautions in his mansion, so I dart down the halls, hugging the walls and praying I don’t encounter

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

like to, but I know the southern wing has multiple exits, and I have to assume that most of Blaise’s security force have gone to the guard house beside the front courtyard. I have to 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 forces to be mobilizing this way, and I can only pray this is something

the dim light of early morning and blinding the few guards I do encounter. The rising sun 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, but I can’t stop to overthink it now – I have

Calypso leadership, and I doubt it’s another pack. I feel a brief moment of hesitation as I worry I might be mistaken for one of Blaise’s devoted followers

off the ground as I yelp in surprise. Struggling to escape the man holding me, I kick and claw and his beefy arms, so preoccupied with getting away that I’m not even paying

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

feel sure I’m going to be sick. No. I

But clearly he can.