The Rise of the Fallen Queen

Chapter 66

CHAPTER 66 (WARNING MENTIONS ASSULT ON A MINOR)

Cub Creek...

With everyone leaving the day after tomorrow, final preparations were being made. Salim and Dayton fought over who would go to war and who would stay behind to look after the pack. If the battle was lost then then remaining alpha would lead the rest of the pack, minus the women, children, and infirmed, to war. Both alphas could not go and Salim finally won the coin toss. Dayton worried for his brothers but didn't express his fear that out of his father's four sons he may be the only one left. Jonathan and Salim sensed his worry and held the youngest brother close. None of the three spoke a word but together accepted that whatever happened was beyond their control.

Jessie was helping Asya and Abram make some special deflective shields that could be used to redirect magic back to the witch that fired it. Reilly came in with some Sprite weapons. Some were so ancient that they were used in the first war. Landon followed behind his best friend. Jessie fought against looking up when she smelled her mate's scent. Her wolf, whimpered in her mind. Landon had gone to stay with the Sprites for a while. The Sprite queen was very emphatic that the genie was no longer welcomed anywhere in her kingdom. Reilly asked Abram about the shields and some of the other weapons that he had created.

"You should go talk to him." Asya whispered. "He's leaving with us and you may never gain closure."

Jessie swallowed. The thought of Landon not coming back felt bitter. Even though she knew that he would probably leave with that genie bitch, some part of her would be alright knowing that he was still alive. She didn't want him to die but felt justified in wishing that he would suffer.

She stood abruptly and left the room. Going out to her favorite spot in the garden she took a deep breath to steady herself. She felt like a 1,000-pound whale. Pregnancy was something she loved and hated. With her other children, Landon always made her feel beautiful and loved. All that changed and now she hated herself for how dependent she had become on her mate.

All the teasing, bullying, dieting, and starving herself until she passed out, taught Jessie to become strong in her sense of self. Every morning, she would force herself to look in the mirror and whisper, "I love you." Little by little, her voice became louder and louder until she woke up one morning and said to her reflection, "I love you and I accept you."

It was hard for her to let Landon in. Even though he had never bullied her. He had simply ignored her plight. In the end, she decided that is what hurt the most. The taunts and jeers of her bullies would never be as boisterous as the silence of those who stood by and said nothing.

She was never delusional enough to believe that if Landon hadn't discovered that she was his mate that he would have ever given her a second look. Landon was thoroughly repentant and had stopped the bullying not only for her but for others at their school and in their pack. He became concerned with the welfare of others who were considered weak and had personally stopped one boy from jumping the schools clock town. Their meeting had definitely changed the pack's Gamma for the best but he had cheated and Jessie could not allow herself to fall back into despair. She was a mother now and they needed her to be strong. She would not fail them or herself.

"Whatcha doing out here?" a voice spoke to her left making Jessie jump.

"Ms. Nadine! Whew, you startled me."

"Well, you were glaring at that hyacinth pretty hard. I'm not sure what that poor plant did but I swear its withering under you gaze."

Jessie gave a half smile at Nadine's teasing. As the woman sat on a brick wall nearby.