Forbidden Innocence (Book #3)

Chapter 15

Lilac's P.O.V

When I woke up the next morning, Landon was gone. His scent was gone too. So we're all of his belongings that were in our shared room.

It was as if he was wiped from the face of the earth. The first thing I did was just think over how crazy this is, but as I stand in front of the mirror now, I realize that this is going to be hard.

No Landon. No mate. No relief. No sex. No random talks about life with him. Now breathing in his scent. No warm bubble baths with him. No laughing babies on our hips while we steal kisses from each other.

I'm going to go crazy.

A knock at the door brings me out of my ocean of sadness. I turn to the door. "Come in."

Ophelia pokes her head into the head into the room and I find myself fingering the pendant that rests between the valley of my breasts.

"No moping. We're going somewhere," She beams before holding up a blindfold. "You're going to be blindfolded though."

••

Ophelia's hands are warm as they guide me to wherever the hell we're going. She hits my arms, though, every time I try to readjust the blindfold that's itching my face.

"Ok! Now stand still and now I want you to tell me what you feel," She instructs.

I go to confirm that I understand but something slams into my side, knocking the out of me and sending me to my knees. "Holy sh-! What the hell!" I yell out in pain.

Ophelia laughs. "We have to get your pain tolerance up, and you also have to sense where an attack is coming from when you sense of sight is lost. I promise you it will come in handy," She mutters.

She moves away from me. "Where am I standing?"

I push myself into my feet. "Behind me," I answer.

"Did you use sound or did you sense my body heat? Feel my life essence near you?" She asks.

What the hell?

I wheeze out a laugh of pain. "Sound. Sensing body heat and life essences isn't exactly my forte," I snap.

She sighs. "I know this training is hard, Lilac, but you have to get used to this. You won't always have time to play with your children, and if its necessary, you will fight beside Landon at times. You have to be prepared!" She scolds.

Training is hard. Now I don't have Landon to soothe me at night when I feel like I just might break?

"Where's the stick, Lilac? Sense it," Ophelia orders.

Sense it. How am I supposed to sense wood?

I rub my pant leg. "I don't know. In front of my face?" I guess.

With a growl, she knocks my feet from under me with the stick. "You can't guess! If Landon is kidnapped, you can not guess your way through the plans! Love is strength, but if you become crippled and weak whenever you're apart, you will fail."

••

I returned to the castle with bruises, dried blood in various places of my body, a cut lip, and a limp.

Pain radiated throughout my body, but I forced my tears back. All I want is too see my baby.

Erik is already outside when I limp up to him.

He looks at me and cringes. "You look horrible. What do you want?" He asks bluntly.

"My babies—I want to see them," I answer.

A guard beside him steps forward. "I'll shall take you."

Soon, I'm sitting in a rocking chair with the babies, taking my time one by one to feed them and kiss their chubby little cheeks.

"Mommy missed you while she was gone. Have you seen Daddy today?" I ask.

Leo smiles, showing his mouth of disarrayed teeth while Lucy doses off in my arms. Luka's head is resting on my leg while he plays with a toy that's got his tiny little mind's attention.

I play will them for about an hour before leaving with the guard. He stays by my side as I make myself something to eat and then walk to my room.

"Why are you guarding me?" I asks in annoyance, "is it because they think I will run off to my mate?"

He nods without saying a word.

The guard stands outside my room as I go inside and eat before stripping and taking a quick shower.

With the blood gone and a little of the stiffness out of my bones, I feel better, but not well enough to be my usual happy self.

I pick up my phone and scroll through my contacts until I land on Zelia's name.

Then, Hunter's words ring through my head. "Just... stay away from Zelia right now, she's kinda pissed off."

Clicking out of my contacts, I flop on my back and stare at the ceiling. "Do something, Lilac. Put your mind to something," I beg myself. "Your wedding, you friendship with Zelia. Anything," I beg again.

I'm crazy; I'm talking to myself!

Maybe I am going crazy. The world seems bland without Landon.

Then again, the world did get a little crazier after I mated with my father and got pregnant.

These past two years have been quite crazy, and it's amazing how Landon and I try to keep it normal so it appears our children will have a normal childhood.

But they won't. They'll have an alpha for a father and a luna for a mother. They're the product of incest, and if they ever find out, I'm afraid they'll disown Landon and me.

Am I ready for a fourth child? Is it too soon?

Considering it has been eight months since Lucy's birth, it is a little soon, but Landon and I are happy with the way our children are spaced out.

The twins are starting to understand more intellectually, and Lucy is beginning to understand more physically.

I'm please with the progress my children have made in such pressuring times after an attack such as Lydia's.

Landon was put to the test then. The twins were held hostage while Lucy and I were subject to Lydia's sadistic hand.

Sitting up abruptly, I realize my mind is wondering to horrible thought, scary thoughts. I have to put my mind to something.

I pull on some exercise clothes and tennis shoes before making my way to the dojo.

Inside, a punching bag, weights, different types of weapons, various workout machines, and a few dummies.

Punching at the moment, especially on a dummy, causes me immense pain, and Ophelia has told me there's now other way but to work up my pain tolerance.

Maybe a little pain in my hands will take away from the pain in my heart and mind.