Celestial Bodies: Of Runts and Lycans

Chapter 46: Dark and Cold

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Zay's POV

"And how is baby doing?" My hands rest on either side of Lesa's protruding stomach, pressing every here and there.

"Minus the fact that he always wants to kick my bladder after midnight, I think he's doing good." Lesa sighs, leaning back into the exam chair.

"Movement is good. His way of telling you hi and that he's almost ready to meet you. Unfortunately, he doesn't understand time yet nor does he realize it's your bladder he's kicking." She chuckles.

I pull back, walking to the ultrasound machine. "Are you ready to see him?" She nods, an eager smile on her face. I apply the gel and plug in the wand, moving it to her stomach. I turn it until baby shows properly on the monitor. She gasps. "He's so big!"

I chuckle. "Yup. And he's going to continue to grow until he's ready." I snap a shot of the current placement to print for Lesa. I clean off the gel, taking a seat in front of the girl I've known my entire life. Lesa is only a year younger than me but I've always seen her as a little sister. "Are you feeling ready?"

She shakes her head. "Not at all, nope!"

"It takes a village, Lesa. And you've got a damn good one here, if I do say so myself."

"I know. It's just, with everything going on, I feel kind of alone? Chris aside," she pauses, hand moving to her stomach as a sadness passes in her gaze, "Xavier and the guys are completely in their own world. Understandably so. And Celeste. . ."

"I know." My voice wavers and I look away. Celeste has been missing for almost a week now and we've got no leads. Every day I watch Xavier spiral further and further from who he really is. Every bit of joy has been torn from him, though I know he tries to put on the occasional smile for his sister.

"It's just. . Her and I were getting to be decently close. We were supposed to go to that cute little baby shop. The one in the human town? This weekend. And now. . ."

"I know," I repeat, clearing my throat that suddenly feels clogged. My hand finds Lesa's. "They'll find her."

"And if they don't?" Her green eyes are full of anxiety, more than that of a soon to be first time mother.

"Let's not think about that." She nods but still wipes a tear away. "I want to see you back here in no more than two weeks but if anything comes up, I'm just a link away." She smiles, pushing herself off the chair and readjusting her shirt that's fighting against her large stomach. I give her a hug, wishing her well and sending her on her way.

I really don't want to think about what will happen if they can't find Celeste. Xavier has been one of my closest friends for as long as I remember. I know him well. And in the time Celeste has been here, I've seen him fall more in love than I've ever seen him fall with anything or anyone. He can't be without her now.

And Jared. . . My big brother. . . Katherine isn't doing well. He doesn't want to admit it but every day she gets worse and worse. If anything happens to her, he'd be gone too. And if she doesn't get better, he would never take over as Alpha. And I can't imagine Jacob or Josh to take over either. The Paramount Pack could crumble from the death of love in its leadership. This pack has stood for longer than most large packs of our history, over five generations of Vedette's have maintained control. That's almost as old as the werewolf council themselves.