***Natalia***
Rionna’s face pales when she turns to face me, a young woman standing at her side attempting to comfort her.
Something is very wrong here, Devina whispers.
"Where is Kota?" I ask, dread settling in the pit of my stomach.
"Where is my baby?"
"I- I ," Rionna stammers, tears clinging to her eyes as she looks around the play center frantically.
"I was just reading a magazine..." she whimpers.
"And then-" I follow her gaze, not seeing Kota anywhere in the playcenter.
"Where is my baby?" I repeat, handing my things to Celina and storming through the play center.
"Kota? Kota, ¢ donde estas? Dakota!"
Rionna follows close behind me, tears streaming down her face as I search for my pup.My lungs feel as though they are collapsing, every breath I take labored and almost too painful to take.I hold my breath as I search the area, refusing to breathe until I know my baby is safe.
A lump forms in my throat, trapping in the scream I want to release so desperately that it scratches and claws at my soul.
After a thorough search, I turn to Rionna, hoping this is all just a sick joke she’s playing.
"Where is he, Ri?" I ask her calmly, growing irritated when she opens her mouth but says nothing.
Grabbing her by the shoulders, I shake her violently.
"Where is my baby?!"
"I-I’m so sorry!" she cries, collapsing on her knees and begging for forgiveness.
"I was just reading my magazine when this-this man came up to me and-"
"Aman?!" I snap.
"What man?!"
"I don’t know." Rionna shakes her head.
"He was tall...blue eyes," she says, gesturing to her eyes.
"H-his hair, it was light but not blonde."
A chill crawls up my spine as she describes the man she had spoke to.
"H-He asked me which kid was mine and then I woke up all alone” Rionna explains.
"I started searching for Kota and ....Oh Goddess! I’m so sorry!"
She sobs, taking my hands in hers and squeezing them for comfort.
"I don’t...I don’t know what happened! I don’t know! I looked away for just a moment, it was just a moment-"
She weeps uncontrollably, Agnes doing her best to soothe her.
Meanwhile, something inside me is breaking, shattering into a million pieces as I try to take a breath and find myself unable to inhale even an ounce of air.My chest tightens and it hurts.It hurts to breathe.
All the sounds of the world, Rionna’s sobs, the laughter of the children playing in the background, the questions Celina asks the other adults in the room...
suddenly go quiet, and all I hear is the sound of my own beating heart.
Ba dump...
Ba dump...
Ba dump..
Dakota...
It means friend and for many weeks after I left Silver Crest, Kota was my only friend.
After he was born, Kota became my only source of happiness and my daily reminder to keep moving forward.I could not just collapse because I had a little someone depending on me to be strong and brave.I had to work, I had to forget, I had to build my walls nice and tall so no one would ever hurt us again.
But now, as the world around me continues moving forward, my world...my small beautiful little world is gone.
All the pent up frustration I’ve held in for so long has finally reached its limit.It starts with the tears rolling down my cheeks and a burning in my throat.
My face flushes with anguish and Celina tries to calm me down.
"Breathe, Talia, breathe!" she says cupping my cheeks.
unable to
"I can’t breathe!"
soothes, smoothing back my
suddenly feel an electric jolt ripple through my body, a calming
a deep breath
as we breathe
girl.Breathe in and out.In and
finally manage to catch my breath
healer,"
get your baby back.So this man," she says, turning back
Talia, do you
reply,
doubt in my mind it’s him.He’s the only man
you would know where to
"That’s all I remember."
you?" Celina asks
and think for a moment
bag, I check the caller ID before answering,
you help him take my baby?!"
fiber in my body, if that bastard hurts my baby, if that bastard harms a hair on Kota’s head, I will hunt you down! I will
me exactly what you know
the sound of his voice irritating
stupid!" I snap, putting
not! I swear!"
into California because I found your plane tickets and a phone number from the area.Christian doesn’t trust me anymore.He had me followed and watched and last night we discovered Christian is working with witches to find you and Kota.That’s what I’ve been trying
I ask, growing angry with myself for not
cheri, Micah and Nikki," Micah shouts
other random kid who's been watching Jordan like
you?" I
arrived in some City about 2 hours north of
what’s the pack
to Patrick's pack,"
to meet us
to River Moon," I instruct
us there
back to River Moon is silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I lower down
Rionna avoids my gaze, the guilt overwhelming me as I watch her
beside her, Rionna looked shocked as
tears begin to trickle down
so scared." I whimper, the thought of Christian or Jack hurting my baby terrifying
not have the patience for
back, Devina murmurs confidently.I set the
arrive at the pack house, a
with Nikki and Micah and
after she introduces herself as Princess of the lvory Phoenix Kingdom, her
me but
widen in shock when he takes a good look at
Surprise b***h, Devina snickers.
a wolf..."
this- when did this happen?" His
"You're marked?"
life!" I snap, unwilling to let
nods solemnly, defeat washing over him, but he does not argue with me.I turn to Nikki and Micah and they shift uncomfortably on their
am not angry with them.It is in their nature to help
they know, this particular wolf
house and
look
a glass of water is
going to kill my son?"
but it's a valid
kill him? Surely Vanessa has produced an heir or two
my son
need anything from him.He doesn’t belong at Silver Crest.He already has a home.He has a family.He has a father.So for f***s sake, give me back my pup and leave us alone!" I demand, rising to my feet and slamming my fist
carefully, leaning forward and softening his
infertile." I stare
"What?"
have not been
herself turned but she fell into a coma.Derek tells me she’s awake but it seems Christian is not interested in her anymore and
burst into laughter at the audacity that he has to even think that’s
satisfaction tickles my soul to
my mate is at war with his former pack and my pup is missing, likely
past four years, growing more desperate with every
of control.He’s killed dozens
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