The Usurper's Throne

45

Elijah and I were laughing as we walked. Flying always filled me with indescribable joy. We stopped outside the old alpha's house. Roger always held his meetings there. I stopped at the door. This wasn't my war. I didn't need to know.

"Be safe," Elijah said, pulling open the door. I smiled.

"You, too."

"Naomi!" a voice exclaimed.

Elijah and I whirled to the voice and froze.

Berry.

Berry was here.

"Berry?!" I exclaimed. Overwhelming dread mixed with relief washed over me. I was so glad she was safe. But she had lost Seth. And it was all my fault.

Berry came running up, tears streaking down her face.

"Naomi, I am so sorry," she threw her arms around me and shoved her face into my shoulder. It took me a few seconds before I hugged her back.

"Berry, you have nothing to be sorry about." A horrible guilt flooded me, rising from my toes to my ears. A horrible thought flashed through my mind. What if she didn't know about Seth? What if they left him behind and still thought he was safe? What if I had to tell them that I was the reason he was dead? "I...I am so sorry about Seth."

Tears flooded down my face as we held onto each other for dear life. How dare I laugh with Elijah knowing that I was the reason for their child's death? "What?' she asked, pulling back and looking at me. I couldn't meet her eyes.

"I...Seth..." I finally said.

"Who is Seth?" she asked, confused. I realized Eric was behind her, sporting a new scar across his forehead. He shook his head at the name.

Did they wipe her memory? "Your son," I whispered.

Her hand went to her stomach. I stared in shock. She gave me a small smile. "Josie is fine. We had a check-up a few days ago. She's growing normally."

I stared. A wave of confusion, shock, and relief crashed over me. "But...but...you gave birth a few weeks ago. To a boy. Seth...and...and he's dead," I muttered like a crazy person.

Berry's eyes widened. "Naomi, what are you taking about? I'm only halfway through my pregnancy."

Was this a dream? Was I alive?

Finally, I felt Elijah hands shaking my shoulders. "It was a fake," Elijah said. I blinked, forcing myself to meet his eyes. "I...didn't know, but that makes sense. Damien projected a false vision of their child."

"But...but I saw you giving birth the night before the fight," I said, talking around Elijah to Berry.

She looked down then. "Eric and I escaped earlier that week. Naomi, I am so sorry. Eric tried to find you that morning, but you were gone. We checked everywhere. We had to run. I am so sorry," she said.

I shook my head, trying to reconcile what I saw a few weeks ago with what I was seeing now. Berry was very clearly pregnant now.

"You...haven't had your kid yet?"

She shook her head.

Elijah shook me again as I froze. "Naomi. Look at me." I did as he asked. "Damien is a master manipulator. He must have given you a false vision of the baby's birth. The illusion in the road was nothing more. An illusion.

"I didn't kill anyone?" I asked softly. Elijah pulled me into a hug, and I broke down again in relief. Seth wasn't dead. Seth wasn't even real. I finally pulled back, tears still flowing. "I guess...your labor was like ten minutes," I joked. "I guess that doesn't really make much sense. I felt so bad. I hadn't seen you in a while and I thought I was being a horrible friend." Elijah let me go as my tears slowed down.