The Intruder (Slow Updates)

Chapter 7: Labor Pains

There's nothing worse than hearing your mother scream bloody murder all of a sudden.

I was standing next to her in the kitchen when she jerked, dropped her glass of water, and let out a scream of pain. She was clutching her stomach.

I jumped to attention, my heart dropping to my knees.

As the glass hit the floor, it bounced and rolled away, and the water spread to my feet, wetting them. Except I wasn't sure all of the water that was soaking my feet was from that cup. I made a mental note to not barf.

"Baby." My mother said through gritted teeth.

I nodded after a moment, still in shock and asked "What do I do?"

She was taking labored breaths "Scar. Get Scar."

I took off sprinting faster than I ever had before in my life.

I think I remember him saying he was going out with the boys, so I turned around a corner and started moving towards the forest.

I ran into Julie first. "Julie, mom's water broke..."

Julie dropped the basket of fruit and Uncle Talon caught it before it hit the ground "Go, I'll make sure Scar gets back." He said soothingly. 

She gave him a nervous smile, kissed his cheek, and said "Go back to your mother, I need to get Madge. Get her to a bed, or a couch, or a something. Make sure there's a basin of warm water, and take all of the candles out of the room."

I nodded, running through the checklist as I got back to the house and found mom in the middle of the hall, just a few feet from her room, hunched over in pain. She was gripping at her stomach and the wall and I swear I heard it groaning in pain with her. Thunder sounded outside suddenly, making me jump.

"Mom, come on, let's get you to a bed." I ran up to her and threw her arm over my shoulders. She wimpered as I moved her and it broke my heart. I never wanted to have children, especially if it hurt this much.

When we got into her room, I sat her down on the chest at the end of their bed and started stripping the sheets. She kept trying to take deep, slow breaths.

When I finished I looked around and noticed that there were lit candles in the room and frowned hard. Those couldn't have been there when I came in. I guess I just didn't pay attention when I first came in here. I didn't have too long to ponder my possible hallucinations, so I finished going through the checklist.

I helped her into bed and tried to go to get the water but her hand gripped mine tight enough to make me wince "Please don't go." She whispered in pain.

Her eyes were fevered with it and I suddenly knew what dad was talking about. I was so worried for her, despite all the things that had happened in the past. This was my mother and I wanted her to be safe and healthy.

The room seemed to grow brighter, the flames pulsing, almost as if they were alive. Something crackled in the air as there was more thunder.

"It's a girl." my mother whispered knowingly.

I looked back down at her "What? How do you know?" There was no way she wasn't delirious.

That's when my dad ran in, his eyes glowing with protectiveness.

His gaze shot to me after he'd a had a first glance at mom, and though he cared about me, giving me a questioning look, asking if I was okay, I knew mom was the first priority on his mind.

I almost smiled thinking if Sev would always have me ranked first for him, and then I scolded myself. I talked to him for twenty minutes and suddenly my silly attraction turned me into a giddy, lovestruck teenager.

My mom screamed through gritted teeth again and I knew I didn't imagine it when the candle flames enlarged for a moment and then died back down.

I gasped at the sight "Dad? What's going on?"

Julie burst in and Dad gave her a look.

She nodded and took mom's hand from dad as he came towards me "You don't want to see this." He said quietly leading me out of the room and down the hall where Leo and Sili were sitting at the table, looking anxious and worried, and Alex, well, he was mirroring them at the table as well.

8 year olds don't generally act like that, but Alex did. He was a brooding sort of kid, and a quiet one too, but he never got into too much trouble and was always caring.

"What was going on in there, dad?" I asked him again, in a whisper. I was still in shock.

He pursed his lips "It's past time your mother and you had this conversation, but it was never my place to step in. When she's better, she'll tell you."

"But..." I started.

He shook his head, leaned forward, pecked my cheek "Please, Lucia, just have a little mercy on her." and  then ran back to his mate.

I was about to go back after him and demand answers, but Leo stopped me "Mom needs him more now, Lu. Come have a seat and drink some tea. We're going to be here for a while."

I reluctantly came to sit down in between him and Alex.

They didn't ask what I meant. They didn't ask what dad meant either. They all kept glancing at each other and then back at me worriedly. They saw the wheels turning violently in my mind, grinding me into a slow, burning anger like embers slowly igniting again.

I frowned, trying to keep a straight face knowing if I showed how angry I really was, then I definitely wouldn't get information from the terrible trio "Do you know? Do you know what's going on?" I took my time sweeping my gaze over all three of them, really staring them down.

Sili flinched first and turned away. That was all the proof I needed "You do!" I exclaimed. "What is it?"

Alex bit his lip and brought his knees to his chest. Leo watched me with steady, golden eyes. He looked the most like dad, and acted the most like him too "Calm down, Lu. You heard him. It's not our secret to discuss. Mom will tell you when she's better."

"But you've known!" I appalled. "How can you keep something, that is obviously this big, from me? How can you take her side?"

"Take her side? Lu, she's doing what's right. I agree with her reasoning. The kind of world she wants to bring you into requires a certain state of mind and a willingness to learn, but you've never had either of those."

"Excuse me? All she's ever done is criticize me. I'm never good enough. You all got the easy parent! I got the bitch!" My voice had raised an octave as I had risen out of my seat. All of my pent up anger from the 17 years I'd put up with her was gushing out. I was seeing red.

Leo shot out of his chair, letting it crash to the ground with a loud bang. His hands slammed down onto the table and his eyes glowed with pure rage "That is our mother you're talking about and I won't have it. She's done so much for you, so much, and all you do is bitch and complain like a little brat! You have no right to speak about her like that when you haven't taken it upon yourself to even try to get to know her, to know what she's been through."

I held his eye contact, but his words just pissed me off more "She's the one that won't tell me anything. If you think it's all my fault, then you're no better than her! Go to hell!"

I stalked across the kitchen and exited my home, slamming the door behind me.

If only I could get to the woods.

No one would see me cry there.