Anyway, to pass the time over the past few days, I've decided to look into something that doesn't concern me in the slightest. What is it? Simple, I'm trying to find Chloe's mate.
All she gave me as a lead was his name and that he's eight years older than her. His name is very... posh, in a way. His name is Charles. I don't know what he looks like, what his scent is, where he lives, what pack he's in. I've only got his name, Charles, and age, which would be around the 24 or 25 mark right about now.
So here I am, sitting on my bed with all of Axel's files about packs and who they harbor. I swear, I've gone through at least fifty today and the pile doesn't look smaller at all! None of the packs I've gone through have the name Charles and I don't even have a last name to work with! Do you know how hard this is? No, you don't. Ugh!
I take another file in my hands and instantly flip to the name section:
Fred
Bob
Tom
Greg
John
David
Kyle...
No Charles.
By this time, I hear the front door opening and closing and the sound of feet running up the stairs, taking three at a time. Seconds later, Axel calmly walks into the room and smiles at me. I quickly smile back then focus back on the files in front of me. Someone's got to have the name Charles...
"What are you doing?" Axel's confused voice fills the room. I barely glance at him before picking up another dreaded, pale yellow file.
"I'm looking through all the packs to try and find a flipping man by the name of Charles. I can't flipping find him though, so I'm getting flipping frustrated and flipping annoyed!" I explain without looking up from the file I'm reading.
A warm hand is suddenly placed underneath my chin, lifting my head so that my eyes meet with Axel's beautiful, greyish silver ones.
"Celina, you need to relax. How long have you been doing this?" he asks, concerned, his voice showing nothing but worry.
I sigh.
"I've been doing it for a few days now. I kept on falling asleep though, so I've only gotten through like 200 files and it's just so-" My rising voice is cut off by a pair of soft lips landing on my dry ones.
I instantly melt into Axel, wrapping my hands around his neck and licking his lips for entrance. He chuckles at my actions before pulling away and resting his forehead on mine, his hands gently massaging my still growing stomach. How big can it get?
"You need to relax," he repeats softly. "Take a break from looking over these folders and just relax for a moment. Plus, I have a surprise for you that I know you're gonna love."
He lightly kisses my nose as he smiles at me.
I bite my lip. I really should have a break... The relaxation will do me good, right? No. I'm doing this for Chloe, I can't just stop.
'Don't be so stubborn! Go and see the surprise our mate has! I'm very intrigued...’ My wolf tells me while purring lowly. I roll my eyes at what I know she's definitely thinking.
'Stop thinking dirty, you strange, strange thing that I call my wolf,' I lightly scold in an amused tone, earning me a chuckle from my wolf. To my surprise, she doesn't move into the corners of my mind like she usually does. Instead, she stays exactly where she is and wills me to go with Axel and see what this grand surprise is. She must be excited...
"Fine," I sigh defeated, Axel grinning widely. I hear my wolf purr knowing that I've made our mate happy.
"Only for a little while though, then I have to get back to work," I tell him sternly. He nods his head furiously while I chuckle at his childish behavior.
"Trust me, you'll love it," he assures before taking me in his arms and carrying me out the room.
He huffs before moving me around a bit to try and balance my weight.
"Geez, sweetheart, have you gained some weight lately?" he jokes, but I instantly feel self-conscious. Am I fat?
I wrap my arms around my belly and suck in a deep breath to make myself lighter.
"Sorry," I mumble. Axel chuckles lightly before placing a kiss on the top of my head.
"I'm just joking, sweetheart," he whispers in my ear before stopping in front of the door that's across from our room.
"Here we are!" he exclaims before opening the door to one of the most amazing surprises I have ever been given.
In front of my very wide eyes are my friends ranging from Declan, Jasper, Matthew, Callum, and Comrade, sadly no girlfriends, all wearing clothes that are covered in paint. Not only is the paint on their clothing, but on their faces, arms, legs, and even on their hair! They all have wide grins plastered on their faces and their eyes seem to sparkle with excitement.
That's not what makes me gasp loudly and stare in shock though. No. It’s the beautiful nursery that has been set up in what used to seem like an empty, useless room.
One side of the room has pink walls with toys that little girls would play with, including the baby doll that Chloe gave me. A cot has also been set up with a cute little mattress and stuffed toys all over it. In fact, stuffed toys are all over what seems to be the girl's side of the room.
The walls are covered with crown stencils and gems that seem to sparkle in the afternoon sun. The only thing that seems to be out of place is the box filled with letters that are also pink and glittered. I wonder what they're for...
My eyes travel to the other side of the room. This half has light blue walls with rocket and dinosaur stencils. Two cots have been set up with another two adorable little mattresses and a mass of stuffed animals.
The two blankets that Chloe gave me rest nicely on the cot’s edge, showing who will soon be sleeping in them. This side of the room also has a box full of blue letters, but with no glitter. All in all, it's absolutely stunning.
"A-Axel? What is all this?" I ask, bewildered. This has to be a dream...
"It's not like we helped or anything, you know," jokes a grinning Matthew, earning a slap on the head from Callum, brotherly love.
"I apologize for him, Celina. He was dropped on his head at birth," Callum says with fake sadness in his teasing tone.
"Are you sure it was him who was dropped on his head?" I ask innocently with wide eyes and a sweet smile. A series of 'ooohs' is heard around the room while Callum grins at me.
"It will remain a mystery to you, won't it?" he jokes again, earning an eye roll from me. That's when my mind snaps back to the task at hand. My pregnancy brain is all jumbled up!
"Anyway, you’re way off the topic there. Did you guys do this?" My voice has a bewildered tone while all the guys nod with smiles on their shining faces.
"It's amazing," I whisper, my eyes glassing over with tears.
Axel slowly places me on the rocking chair that's off to the side as Declan continues to say, "It took a while, but we did it and once you get some photos, you can put them all over the walls. It was actually Chloe's idea."
A pang of sadness strikes my heart, but it's gone as soon as it came. No, I've worried about Chloe enough. I need to focus on the now. I'm still gonna find her mate though...
"Well, it's beautiful. I can't believe you guys did this for me," I whisper to them. Lopsided smiles grace their faces as they all look at me with the same sparkling eyes.
"Oh!" Comrade suddenly exclaims. "Check this out."
He quickly rushes over to what looks like a miniature wardrobe. He grips the tiny handles before pulling open the doors to reveal a whole wardrobe for the three little pups.
I gasp again, putting a hand over my mouth and one to my chest.
"As unmanly as this sounds, I think it’s really cute," he says in a boyish voice with a matching boyish grin. I laugh at his comment. It is pretty cute.
"Cute? It's adorable! Did you guys make that?" I ask as I now notice the very detailed carvings that go around the whole edge of it. They all nod as I shake my head.
"Unbelievable," I mutter to myself. The wonderful thing about that little wardrobe is that I can use it until the three pups have grown up. I think that wardrobe will
be passed down through our generations.
"So, do you like it?" Axel asks nervously. I turn to him with a smile and pull his face towards mine only to place a soft kiss on his lips.
"I love it," I whisper and I honestly do. It's absolutely the sweetest thing that's been done for me. A second later, a yawn escapes my mouth and that's when I realize how tired I actually am. Stupid pregnancy...
I'm suddenly being scooped up by a pair of strong arms, but they're not Axel's. I stiffen.
"Relax, it's only me," an amused voice whispers in my ear and I instantly recognize it as Callum's. I relax again as my eyes start to drop close.
"Callum, take her up to bed, will ya? I have a call to make," I hear Axel say, but it doesn't really register as I fall into a light sleep.
I awake as I feel myself being placed on our bed. Callum softly kisses my forehead before whispering, "Goodnight, Celina."
I quickly grip his hand as I feel him move away. I crack open my tired eyes and offer a small smile.
"Stay with me," I say tiredly. I feel safer when I know someone's in the room and who’s better than my own guardian, if Axel's not with me.
"Of course," he immediately answers, making himself comfy on the bed beside me. He softly strokes my hair and hums a soft lullaby that soon has me falling into another sleep once again.
35
CELINA
(5 days until the war)
I wake up to the sweet sound of birds chirping, the fresh sunlight streaming in, and the cool breeze coming in through the window.
Yeah, right!
Instead of the sweet chirping of birds, I can hear punches and kicks, growls and snarls. Instead of the fresh sunlight, I have the scorching sun. Instead of a cool breeze, I have the heat from the sun with no breeze or wind at all.
I guess that's what you get when it's five days until a life changing war.
Axel and Callum have been training everyone who volunteered at the start and so far, no one has backed out. If anything, more people have joined, much to my dismay and horror.
The training of the pack starts at about seven in the morning and goes on until lunch time, which is about twelve or so. After that, everyone gets lunch and goes off to do their own thing; everyone except Axel, Callum, and Comrade. Yes, I said Comrade.
To my utter and complete horror, the three of them train for another two hours by themselves. Comrade and Callum have become stronger since they have truly become my guardians. This means that Axel is pushing them to their absolute limit.
For Callum, I guess it's just protocol because he's the Beta. I'm guessing he's had training that has worked him harder when he did the test to become Beta. That would've been some painful training...
Comrade though... Comrade has never had this sort of training. After all, he was shunned from his pack and instead of fighting, he ran. Don't get me wrong, I'm not turning on Comrade and saying he's a weakling. No! Anything but that! I actually view him as brave for running. You never know, if he hadn't ran he might have ended up with a worse fate than mine.
Anyway, back on track. Callum will be able to handle the intensity of the training, but Comrade won't be able to, or maybe not as well. From Axel's point of view though, Comrade's doing really well.
Axel...
He's working way too hard! The only time he takes a break is when he has to take food to Chloe or when he sleeps. This is worse than a few weeks ago! Yes, the war is in five days and yes, Axel needs to be prepared. Working himself to the point of exhaustion though, is certainly not the way to go.
I hardly get to spend any time with him anymore and it's all because of this stupid, flipping war! Maybe if I hadn't run away, none of this would've happened... No! Stop right there, Celina Heart! You are put on this world for a reason and it certainly isn't for burying yourself in sadness and uncertainty. It is to protect. Protect the ones you love and cherish the most.
A sudden pain erupts in my stomach, causing me to gasp in pain. I have to grip the bed sheets to keep from screaming. It stays for a while then passes again. This stupid pain has been happening to me all morning... Its super weird but I haven't told anyone yet. I don't want anyone worrying more than they already are.
It's actually not morning anymore. It's about six in the evening or something like that. Everyone's down at dinner, including Axel, Callum, and Comrade, so I'm all alone in this massive room.
The pain suddenly hits me again, but with greater intensity. I bite my lip to keep myself from screaming, biting so hard that I draw blood. Oh god, this hurts! What the hell is happening? The pain passes again, leaving me absolutely baffled by the whole situation.
A few more hours pass and soon it's ten or so at night. Axel still hasn't come up and I’m getting worried about him.
'Axel? Are you there?' I decide to call him through the mind link we share. He better answer.
'Yes, sweetheart, I'm here. You alright?' he asks, but he sounds really distracted. What is he doing?
'I was gonna ask you the same thing,' I mumble. Axel doesn't reply, my mind falling into silence.
'Uh, Axel? Are you still there?' I ask, thinking he's gone off into his own little world.
'Yeah, I'm here. Celina, can you hurry up? I'm in the middle of a phone conversation with another Alpha,' he quickly explains distractedly again.
'Oh, sorry. I, um-' I start to say, until I'm cut off as the pain shoots through me again. I haven't had it in a few hours, so it hits me full force. I release a blood-curdling scream as I grip my stomach for dear life. What the hell is happening? I suddenly feel a warm liquid trickling down my leg, but I pay no mind to it. The pain is just too much!
Tears start to stream down my face as I sob loudly. The pain doesn't seem to pass this time, causing me to release another pain-filled scream. Oh god, this is hurting so freaking much!
The door suddenly bursts open to reveal three panicked-looking males. Axel, Callum, and Comrade. They take one look at me and inhale sharp breaths. Callum and Comrade seem to freeze as Axel rushes over and carefully picks me up.
"Shh, sweetheart, shh. Everything's gonna be ok, everything's gonna be fine." Axel tries to soothe me, but the pain just increases and I scream once again.
My scream seems to pull Callum and Comrade from their shock as they race downstairs to what I presume is the medic station.
"A-Axel? What's happening?" I ask in a scared and pain-filled voice. Axel looks down at my shaking body and kisses me on the forehead.
"You're going into labor," he whispers hoarsely, causing me to freeze for a second before the pain fills me once more. Is child birth supposed to be this painful?!
Axel bursts through the door of the medic station to find everything has been set up and ready for the birth of our pups. Axel sets me down gently on the made bed, then stays beside me holding my hand.
"I'm here, sweetheart. Just remember, I will always love you," Axel whispers with tears in his eyes.
"I love you too," I whisper back before the mayhem starts.
I'm stripped of my clothing and quickly dressed in scrub type things. I squeeze Axel's hand as the pain courses through me again.
A heart monitor is hooked to me and an IV is hastily inserted in my arm. The pain it causes is nothing in comparison to the labor pains I'm currently experiencing.
Doctor Aileen suddenly comes into view. She looks frantic and very worried.
"Celina, I need you to listen to me. This is going to be very painful and nothing you could've done will prepare you for what is to come. All I ask of you is to not fall asleep. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep while the pups are still inside you. The reasons are not important right now, just focus on staying awake and pushing. Understand?" she says hastily. I quickly nod in response to Doctor Aileen's strict and serious words.
A lower ranking wolf using my real name is a sign of disrespect, but in the circumstances, I don’t care. I just want this to be over already!
"How long will this take?" Axel's strained voice flow
s through my ears. He sounds so scared and worried at the same time...
"At least three hours minimum," Doctor Aileen informs him as she positions the last of the machines.
Without any warning whatsoever, the strongest of pains courses through my entire body. I release one of my loudest screams and convulse on the bed. What's happening to me?
"Celina, come on! Stay strong, fight it!" I hear doctor Aileen's distant voice filter through my ears. Fight it? Fight what? Where are Callum and Comrade? I need them!
Another warm hand grips the one Axel isn't holding. I slowly look towards it to see Comrade looking at me with pained eyes and Callum standing next to him with equally pained eyes.
"Don't give up," they whisper at the same time.
Something inside me snaps at that moment. If I give up now, my pups may die. Axel will be left with no heirs and the pack will hate me forever. I'll have to live with the fact that I was too weak to give birth. That's if... I even make it through this.
I turn my head to Axel. I need to know the truth. I need to know if I'm going to die.
"A-Axel, tell me the truth," I say painfully as I shut my eyes to try to block away the pain. It doesn't work. "Am I going to die?" I whisper in a strained voice.
The whole room goes silent, all movements ceasing. The only sound heard is my heavy breathing and the beeping of the heart monitor. Axel seems speechless.
"Axel, please," I beg quietly as my eyelids start to droop. Not even an hour has passed and I'm already tired. Great, just great.
He suddenly snaps out of his speechless state and says determinedly, "Not if I can help it."
I smile at him before screaming out in pain again. This is going to be a long night...
Unique, Different, Found: Werewolf Paranormal Romance (Nightfall Book 1) Page 27
