Beatha (completed book 7 of the blood moon saga)

16

"But Lucas is not you and I'm not you. We might always have each other but neither of us will have you."

"Ssssh baby don't cry please baby, I can't stand to see you like this"

I cry harder. I can't help it. I break and crumble in his arms. He starts to tremble so I look up and realise he's crying too. I pull him into a hug and straddle him, he wraps his arms around me tightly and he sobs into my shoulder.

I'm not sure how long we sat there but I could smell the food whafting from the kitchen. I pull away and he smiles and kisses me softly.

"We should go eat"

My eyes feel like sandpaper, all this crying has left me dehydrated with a thumping headache.

"Yeah we should. I heard about the rumours"

He says while he studies my face. I growl at the thought pushing up and of him slightly, pissed at just the thought.

"Yeah if I find that bitch I'm going to kill her"

He pushes hair behind my ear.

"Did Luca tell you what she did"

I nod looking down at my hands, he rubs my cheek with his thumb.

"I'm going to make an announcement to the pack and also tell them if she steps onto our land that I want her taken into custody and thrown in the cellar, I just want you to know before I make the announcement, go eat I'll join you soon"

He kisses me then rolls off the day bed and he disappears down the hall. I walk in and I'm surprised to see Arden cooking. I smile sitting down as I watch him walk around the kitchen so freely, he looks so domesticated it's quite unusual.

He pulls out meat and starts to add spices and breadcrumbs and eggs, I watch him with eye eyebrow in the air

"Since when do you cook?"

"Evelyn had been teaching me, I like it"

I feel a link open up throughout the pack.

Arthur
I would like to make everyone aware that I know and have heard about the rumours circulating and I'm not happy about it. I find it disrespectful to your Luna and to me and alpha Luca. If you don't trust and respect me enough to believe the truth then I do expect you to believe the doctor who has been treating me since I was a child. I expect you all to stop spreading these rumours immediately and I want everyone to be prepared. If Amber crosses our border I want her arrested and brought to the cellar. She will not go unpunished for what she has done resulting in extra stress for me and my mates.

The link cuts as Luca comes into the front door. I blink back the tears and tell him what Arthur had just told the pack.

"I have people out looking for her to, when they find her I'll kill her myself"

He says pulling me into a hug.

"Thank you"

I whisper and rest my head on his chest. I pull him to the couch and sit beside Fay watching some random movie. I close my eyes and relax in Lucas arms, I feel for the bond with Arthur but he's quiet, or maybe he's blocking me out.

A sickly feeling settles in my stomach, I don't know what's wrong but something is. My heart starts to beat in my chest painfully. I can't seem to catch my breath so I sit up. Luca rubs my back

"What is it?"

I try to catch my breath and answer but suddenly my head feels dizzy and my eyelids grow tired. My heart slows down but each thump is harder than the last.

"I don't no-o"

I whisper as I fight my body, I urge myself to stay awake but all I hear is my pulse in my ears deafening me.
-----

Lucas POV

Everything was fine, Aspen had spent most of the morning crying with Arthur on the deck. I had to go home and fix some stuff and I needed to let Amber's parents know that this time she would die after the pain she's caused aspen.

I don't care what they say about me but watching her hurt like that is unbearable. But now they know and one day I will find her and I will kill her.

I lay on the sofa with aspen on my knee, Fay and Arden had arrived and I genuinely enjoyed their company. They were kind and funny but most of all they adored aspen and honestly I couldn't dislike anyone that loves aspen the way they do and she loves them too.

But suddenly her heart started racing in her chest and she grabbed her heart. I instantly thought she was having another heart attack but I found it weird that I couldn't feel it.

She stands up panting and suddenly her heartbeat went from running a race to barely beating

"What is it?"

I ask, sliding on the floor in front of her. both Arden and Fay watched us worried and I could see her eyes start to roll back in her head.

"I don't no-o"

I looked at them panicking, unsure of what to do.

"Ring Gran!"

I shout to Arden, he jumps forward and pulls his phone out. Aspen is getting heavy in my arms. I kiss her and hold her face

"Fight it baby whatever it is fight it for me please"

I kiss her soft lips again. She is the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me. She's beautiful, she's strong, she's not afraid to fight or get dirty, she loves engines and cars. She is perfect in every single way.

I never thought it possible to love another the way I loved my mate but I do. I can hardly even remember what she was like not now that I have her.

I continue to kiss her face. She just looks into my eyes and I can see how heavy they are. I can feel through the bond that she's fighting but I'm not sure what it was she was fighting. Why couldn't I feel it?

"Oh shit!!!, Luca it's Arthur, he's dying"

I look at Fay and she holds aspen as I jump over the sofa and race down the hall with Arden. We enter our bedroom and I can smell blood. The door to the bathroom was locked. I didn't even try to knock, I just ran into it, breaking the lock.

As I burst through the door I'm shocked at the sight beside me. Arthur was fully clothed in the bathtub full of water, a knife in his hand and the water stained red from slashes up his arm, he was passed out and under the water his heart was still beating barely.

"Get your gran here NOW!!"

I rush to him and pull him from the tub and lay him flat on the ground. I slap his face to wake him up but it doesn't work so I start cpr.

How could he do this to us? How could he steal the last few weeks that we have, how could he put her life in danger like this.

I pound on his chest repeatedly, silent angry tears run down my face as I work on him. I don't care if I'm selfish but I'm pissed at him. I need him to wake up, I need him to let us have these last few weeks we at least deserve that. He still has weeks left and he can still walk and talk and go to the bathroom on his own so why die early. Why die like that and almost kill aspen at the same time.

I need him to wake up so I can kick his ass! Aspen falls beside me on the floor as she holds her chest and cries. He is almost blue but there is water in his lungs. Aspen can feel it as she takes each breath, that it's bubbling up and silently drowning them both.

Seeing her face, seeing how hurt, broken and sad she is pushes me further. I need him to wake up for her so I push his chest harder, determined to wake him up.

-----
Aspens POV

Suddenly I could breathe just a little easier and most of the pain disappeared. I fought the urge to sleep but the more my surroundings came into view the more confused I got.

Fay was in front of me crying. I wanted to reach out to her to comfort her. Go kick the ass of the person that made her cry.

But as my ears stopped blaring with my heartbeat I could focus better.

"What's wrong"

I say through clenched teeth as I grip my chest in pain. She sobs into her hands

"It's Arthur he-"

I didn't even let her finish. I jumped up and ran to the room. Fear and adrenaline pumps through me like blood as I run to the room and into the bathroom.

I stop in shock when I see the blood, blood everywhere, the bath water was bright red, the floor was covered in blood and Arthur lay on the floor his white T-shirt stained red and his sweats were soaking wet. His heart was beating just the same as mine but there was something in his lungs.

His complexion was grey and he looked dead. He was lifeless as Luca pumped on his chest. Sweet ran over his worried face. Tears streamed down his face as he mumbled something.

I can't believe he tried to leave us. Why would he do such a thing? Why would he do that to me? I thought he loved me. If he loved me this wouldn't happen. He wouldn't do this.

My heart breaks and shatters into a million pieces, my lungs burn probably full of water. I heave trying to get whatever it is out but it doesn't budge.

I fall to my knees and watch as Luca pumps on his chest. I can't bare to look at him, the pain on his face, the pain in his heart as we lose our mate and possibly our lives. If I die because of Arthur then Luca will die because of me and I hate that. I hate that I'm so exposed that I could kill my fated and I hate Arthur for doing this

I hate that he wanted to leave us

I hate that he wanted to hurt us

I hate that he gave up and stole the only time we have left in the world with him and I can't believe my eyes.

The colour in his face turns from grey to blue and I sob watching him die. I clutch my own heart and lungs. Then suddenly I feel it. I feel something move up my chest and I fall forward and I vomit up what looks like bloody water from the bath as Arthur's head falls to the side and he brings his own water from his lungs up.

I sigh finally able to breathe again, Luca catches me as I nearly fall on top of Arthur and I cry my soul out. Arthur's eyes open and he watches us as we cry our hearts out. We were so close to losing him and that scared the shit out of me. Luca was so close to dying because of his stupid mistake.

We lay there in each other's arms crying our hearts out. Beatha howled in my head. He had broken her heart, shattered it.

He reaches for me from the floor and I growl pushing his arm away. Anger rising up inside me. His face shows hurt from my rejection but how could he not see what he just tried to do was the worst kind of rejection possible.

"How could you! How fucking could you do that to us! I thought you fucking loved us you bastard how could you!"

He starts to cry and reaches for me again

"I'm sorry, please don't leave me"

He cries at me and I growl and stand to my feet.

"Me leave you! You just tried to fucking kill yourself! You just tried to steal 2 weeks of your life from us! Me leave you! You almost killed me arthur, if Luca didn't save you all 3 of us would have died! You would have killed us all because you couldn't be bothered so fuck you arthur fuck you!!"

I stomp out of the room and pull my shirt off, I grab a fresh one of Lucas and pull my trousers off and pull on fresh jeans and a jacket then I pull on my converse and leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

Arden and Fay speak at the same time. I look at them and stop

"Come with me, I'm going to find Gran"

They nod and follow me out of the house, I jump into my Audi and they climb in and pull on their seatbelt. My hands shake as I light a smoke and put the window down. Luca runs outside and comes to the driver door and opens it. His face is full of worry.

"Where are you going? Please don't leave me aspen please"

I pull his head into my chest and rub his head

"I'm not leaving you. I'm going to find Gran. I need to break the bond between me and Arthur before he kills us all. Come with me mum and dad can stay here with him"

Everytime I thought of his name it brought a bad taste to my mouth. He pulled back and held my head in his hands.

"I need to stay and make sure he doesn't do it again. Please come back to me please"

"I have no intention of leaving you Luca. I love you"

He kisses me and I moan into his mouth, he pulls back and rests his head on mine

"I love you too, Arden look after her please she is my life"

"And she is my sister, I will make sure she's ok I promise you"

Luca kisses my head then closes the door, he reaches in and grabs the seatbelt. I smile and roll my eyes but put it on. He kisses me again then steps back. I start the car and take off down the dirt road fast.

"Where is Gran?"

I ask Arden

"At home, do you want her to meet us"

I shake my head

"No home sounds good right now"

Arden connects his phone and puts on our road trip playlist, they talk about the pack and everything iv missed.

"So you're telling me that Zander is stepping down as beta because his mate thinks we are all monsters?"

Fay growls from the back, i light another smoke and look at her through the mirror

"I know she's meant to be our sister but she's a bitch, like a total raging bitch and I'm glad she's not going to be beta female because I can't stand her"

Fay screws up her nose when she talks, I find it funny when she's that angry but I shrug.

"She ain't my sister either, I knew she was bad I just didn't realise how bad. So what is the plan? Are they going to live off territory?"

"He said he might even become rogue"

Arden answers me. I growl and screw up my face

"Why in the hell would he do that! Does mum and dad know!"

"Yes they are heartbroken he's basically just going to leave with no plans to return"

I shiver annoyed

"So what are you going to do now?"

I look at him quickly before putting my eyes back on the road and picking up the speed a little.

I have been beta for 7 years and the pack ran so smoothly. Me and my brother worked extremely well together and I'm sad we won't be able to anymore.

"Paul is taking his place, we were planning on making him gamma anyway but now he's going to be beta, he has really stepped up since his birthday and thank the heavens for him because he has helped keep that place going when Zander was so distracted. Dad trained him well"

I smile at the thought of my little shithead brother, he is easily one of my favourite people. And he's so kind and incredibly smart I think it's going to be a good fit for the pack.
----

When we arrive home I can't help but smile at the place, I missed it a lot and I'm happy to be back for a visit.

We jump out and Grandma lilly is waiting for us with Nana Caron. I hope between them both I can break the bond enough so I'm not connected to him by death.

They both throw their arms around me and walk me inside to the kitchen. We sat and had some coffee and I told them everything that happened. By the end I'm crying my eyes out and so are they. They held my hand and honestly I needed it. I needed the love of these women who helped to raise me and make me the person I am today.

"It's an unusual situation to be honest, Lovey. The connection to him should not be this strong, I just fear that you are like your mother and the banshee in you makes you stronger, but also messes with your emotions and pain. even your hand needing stitches is unusual, but your right whatever is happening you need to break the link"

Nana Caron says to me. She seems deep in thought.

"What about his mark? What if we remove the mark from his neck and get him to reject her?"

Grandma lilly suggests to her, nana shook her head

"No, she won't even be able to tolerate him if he rejects her, the only thing I can think of is you getting into both their heads and removing the link between them. They would stay connected and still be mates but his mark would disappear"

I throw my hands at Gran and she jumps back in shock a little

"Do it, do it now please"

Nana laughs and I close my eyes and Gran takes my hand

It's an unusual feeling to have someone get in your head, like someone is walking around your brain and flicking through your deepest darkest thoughts.

I'm not sure how Gran does it, imagine stripping a person bare and revealing everything about them to someone. Letting her in my head like this gives her access to it all and I'm not sure how she does it without throwing it in peoples faces. But she never does and neither does soph or keagen.

After a minute I feel something in my head snap. My eyes fly open and suddenly the colours around me are brighter, more vibrant. I can see more clearly and I feel fresher.

She pulls away and smiles

"How does that feel?"

I look around and I'm shocked to see the way I did before Arthur.

"Amazing, what did you do?"