Sinful Mates 1-3 novel Chapter 71

　　Imogen’s POV

　　For months we have been hiding at Claire’s cabin in the woods. Months of feeling their pain though they can’t feel mine, Claire assured me that much, I don’t think they would cope knowing how much I wanted them. I rubbed my hand over my swollen belly; it was hard and round while I looked out the window over the breathtaking scenery. We were high in the mountains, nothing to be seen except the dense forest. It was peaceful here, but lonely. I craved to be back in their arms, craved their touch, craved the smell of them, my entire body yearning to be with them. What made it worse was being able to feel them. Feel their heartache, feel their anger, feel their need for me. But knowing they were slowly going insane without me pulled at something deep within me. It ached more deeply than I could explain.

　　Like it was pulling on my soul, yet looking down at my growing belly, I knew it was worth it. Caroline thinks I could have the baby any day now. Yet we never talk about what will happen after. Never talk about whether I will still be alive to see my child. I know she fears the unknown too, fears what Tobias and Theo will do if I die. Claire told me she can’t see my future, can’t see if I will survive the birth. Said she can only see darkness when she tries.

　　Claire has been teaching me spells and how to make potions, using the herbs and plants from her gardens. Yet actually conjuring Magic is proving difficult, I can kind of feel it, yet nothing happens. I have scoured over my family’s grimoires so much; I now know every spell and enchantment off the top of my head. I can’t do anything with the power I apparently possess and can’t quite seem grasp it.

　　Claire seems to think I need to find my grounding place, I know I won’t find it here. I feel more grounded with them, calm. Here I feel nothing but loneliness.

　　 Looking out at the mountains, I watch them slowly disappear under the clouds. A storm has been brewing all day. I can feel its vibrations and know it’s going to be a bad one. Caroline and Claire seem to think it’s because I am feeling my inner power. I am not so sure, not sure what to believe anymore.

　　All I know is I need them, like I need oxygen breathe. Without them, my life is hollow. I feel like I am slowly losing myself. Constantly consumed by the chatter in my mind. Getting up from my position, I walked down the stairs to find Caroline and Claire. The cottage is more like a log home or a giant cubby house; I walk down the creaky wooden stairs that spiral to the floor below, an enormous fireplace sits in the centre of the house going through both floors. This place had its own aura, own life about it with its branches snaking in creating the roof protecting us from the elements outside these walls.

　　Standing on the slate floor, I feel the vibration through it as thunder crackles outside. The wind picking up and howling loudly. I walk to the front door and peer out. Caroline and Claire are running around trying to secure everything. Claire throwing nets over her garden beds, while Caroline moves all the outside furniture. Stepping outside, the wind blowing my hair wildly as it picks up in intensity, nearly knocking me off my feet.  Caroline, hearing my gasp as I breathe in the frosty air, looks in my direction.

　　“Imogen get inside, you shouldn’t be out in this” She yells, yet by the time her voice carries over the wind it sounds more like a soft murmur. Claire staggers over to me, grabbing my arm, pulling me inside and shutting the door.

　　“I will make some tea” She says, trying to distract me from the storm raging and building up outside.

　　“Will this place hold when it hits?” I ask.

　　Claire looks around nervously. “It should do. I will have the trees outside reinforce the place bend them to build a canopy” she said.

　　“Would be handy if my element was wind” She muttered to herself. I could tell it worried her. There had been plenty of storms while we have been here, but nothing felt like the one building up outside.

　　I learned that Claire was an Earth witch like my mother. By the grimoires, I am certain my grandfather’s element was fire. Mine is yet to be seen. There are only five elements. Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and Spirit. Though Spirit is rare, it has control over all four elements.  Claire and I have been working on trying to crack my talisman. But she seems to think only strong emotion or a vehement reaction from me will break its bindings. Being here, I feel nothing but hollow and she seems to think that is why I can’t break it.

　　I tug at the bracelet as it itches my wrist, my hands and feet have become so swollen and my blood pressure so high that everything swells and itches. I make my way over to the table and sit down. My back aching from the extra weight. Yet I have been lucky enough not to get stretch marks, not that it will matter once the baby tears itself from me. I often wonder how bad it will hurt.

　　Claire thinks the baby is a girl, yet I have this feeling it’s a boy. In my dreams I see a little boy with the most beautiful green eyes, yet Tobias’s dark hair and rosy cheeks. I have been finding one thing strange; we know this baby is a were-baby. Yet I have actually been craving blood, and not just human blood, any blood. I haven’t had the guts to tell Caroline, not wanting her to worry. But I even crave her blood, which I find weird. Vampires crave human and Lycan blood, not their own species. I don’t know what to think of it. So, I try to ignore it as best I can, plus the whole thought of drinking blood grosses me out.

　　Caroline comes in just as Claire finished making the tea. She sets a cup down in front of me. I can smell the lavender in it and my mouth waters. I never thought of lavender as edible, yet Claire puts it in everything. Caroline watches me sip my tea, a strange look on her face before grabbing her cup. She sighs after she takes a sip.

　　“How are you feeling today?” She asks, watching my face.

　　“The same as always” I murmur.

　　“It will be over soon” She says but adds nothing else. Like my death is an unwelcome topic. I go to ask her a question when a pained expression takes over face. The cup she is holding dropping from her hands, shattering. Her eyes glaze over. I watch as she grips the table, the broken glass cutting into her hands. Caroline tries to ride out the sudden pain. I stand up alarmed moving away from her, as I watch her eyes regain focus turning a crimson shade, her fangs protruding making her features look malevolent.

　　The pain seems to leave her, yet her breathing remains ragged. Claire is watching her worriedly.

　　“I know,” she says to Caroline, touching her shoulder. Caroline looks to me in panic, before pain has her clawing at her back as she screams in agony. Her voice distorted as she tries to talk through her pain.

　　“I have to go: I can’t let him bear it,” she screams. Claire is frantically racing around the kitchen while I stand paralysed in fear.

　　“Bear what, Caroline?” I stutter. Her eyes flick to my face, her teeth bared as an animalist glint flits across her features. Claire was busy making something before walking over, a green concoction in a cup in her hand.

　　“Drink this, it will help.” Caroline clutched the cup, her hands trembling as she tries to hold it to her lips, gulping down the liquid fast. It works instantly. I can tell she is in pain, yet it somehow becomes bearable for her.

　　“I need to go. Claire, you need to watch over her,” she gasps out.

　　“What’s going on?” I ask in panic.

　　“They’re torturing him. Something has gone wrong. I can feel my partner being tortured. Josiah, I need to get to him. I’m sorry Imogen I must go” She says trying to stand on shaky legs. I have no idea how she thinks she can run to him in this state, yet I can tell she is determined to try. She walks over to the sink and I nearly throw up as I watch her grab a knife and run it across her wrist, letting the blood run into a cup.

　　My mouth instantly watering at the smell of it, I swallow loudly, my mouth filled with my saliva.

　　“It will congeal but you’re going to have to force it down Imogen. They will kill me if you die” she said before turning toward Claire.

　　“Make sure she takes it as soon as she is in pain” Claire nods before giving Caroline a hug.

　　Caroline walks on wobbly legs as pain hits her again. She wraps her arms around me before rubbing my swollen belly.

　　“Take care of yourself, I will be back as soon as I can” She says before running out the door. I could hear the wind howling and screaming. The storm was going to hit soon. I just hope Caroline clears the mountains and doesn’t get stuck outside in it.

　　“Maybe you should go lay down, Imogen. I will call out when dinner is done.”

　　I nodded my head at Claire. I feel like, all I do is sleep. Feeling constantly drained and exhausted. My mind going to Josiah, wondering what could have happened, to cause such panic in the Caroline. I could feel Tobias and Theo’s anxiety, they also felt almost closer to me. Like they weren’t far at all. I played with the bangle Claire gave me that blocks the bond, knowing I only had to take it off and they would find me. I couldn’t risk my baby. So, I dropped the bangle and it pressed back against my wrist. I laid on the bed before slowly drifting off.

　　My sleep was restless, and I couldn’t find a comfortable position. Tossing and turning constantly. When I finally awakened and open my eyes, it was because the storm was raging outside. The wind sounded like a freight train against the walls. The entire place shaking in its wrath. I throw my legs over the side of the bed and notice there is no light, and the cottage is eerily quiet. The only noises are the crackle of the fireplace. I stood up and stretched, taking a deep breath only to see my own breath in the air. I could feel the heat coming from the fireplace, so why was I so cold all of a sudden. My breath making little clouds in the air.

　　Opening my bedroom door, I see darkness. The lights were all off. I trudge down the stairs, excited to see the flames in the fireplace offering a little light. I couldn’t hear Claire anywhere or smell her cooking I had become familiar with. Feeling a sense of dread wash over me, when I felt the first sharp pain stirring deep within my stomach. I clutched my belly, trying to breathe through the pain and stumbled down the rest of the stairs. That’s when I smelt it. Blood and lots of it. My mouth watering at the delectable smell.

　　I stagger into the kitchen as pain ripples through me again, knowing I have to get the glass of blood from the fridge. But where is Claire? I wondered. Flicking the light switch, no lights come on, the storm having knocked the power out somehow even though it ran off solar. I feel my way into the kitchen at the back of the house, listening for any sounds, but can only hear the storm raging outside and my own footsteps on the slate floor. It’s not until my feet step in something warm and wet that I know something is wrong. I bend down, pain searing through my abdomen at the movement and feel the ground, my hands coming in contact with the intoxicating liquid spilt on the floor. I feel around my hand becoming coated in the gooey liquid, before I feel hair, curly hair and I jump up. “Claire” I gasp.

　　Knowing it’s her body bleeding out on the floor at my feet. I stagger back, panic setting in. That’s why she couldn’t see the baby be born, why she thought my future was darkness. She never got to live for it. I scream in agony as I feel something shift within me. Pain being the only thing I can focus on.

　　I hear her laugh before I see her figure standing in the kitchen's corner in its shadows. She steps forward; I step back toward the primary room with the fireplace. I turn and try to run, holding my stomach, but she is in front of me in seconds.

　　The fire crackling, illuminating her features as I come face to face with the homicidal bitch.

　　“Miss me” She taunts just as another wave of pain ripples through me bringing me to my hands and knees. My scream echoing and dying in the storm raging outside.