Claws.

30

CHAPTER 30

EMMA'S POV

The moon shone through the trees as Nelita and I waited, impatient. "Where is that stupid pup?!" I growled. "Why did someone so ignorant have to be so useful?"

Neltia laughed. She was a tall woman, thin, spindly. She had long maroon-purple hair and sleek, cat like eyes that she decorated wildly with bright orange, purple and blue painting and marks. "It will be worth it in the end."

"It better." I spat through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, the pale boy came tumbling out of the bracken, twigs in his hair, panting.

"Where have you been?" I demanded.

He shrugged. "I couldn't get away un-noticed very easily."

Neltia rolled her eyes. "Child don't shrug with so much ease- soon you shall be a father."

He grinned and his grey eyes seemed ignited by the pale light of the moon. "Let's do it."

Neltia smirked with her gold coloured lips. Lifting her hands dramatically, her dark eyes clouded over as she entered a trance. She mumbled some words unknown to all but the Shaman. In her zombie like state, she was immovable- breaking her trance could have fatal and dire consequences.

"It's so weird when they do that..." Asher whispered.

"Shh." I snapped. She was almost done.

Neltia's mumblings soon subsided and her hands fell to her sides. A weary smile creased her features. "We're good."

Together, we strolled into the pack territory with ease. The useless guards on watch were slumped against their posts, sleeping.

I lead the way into the pack house. As we passed a clock, I saw the time; 3:21 in the morning. From there, Asher lead us through the silent house to Aiden and Jemima's room.

There, they lay deep asleep. The moon was completely blocked out by the curtains, which Neltia threw open.

"I'm almost scared to say anything in case they wake..." Asher whispered.

"Fool." I tutted. "They won't wake until Neltia says they can." I glanced at the shaman. "Go ahead, Neltia."

She lifted back the covers to reveal my daughter, and pulled up her pyjama shirt to see her stomach. This girl was so clueless as to what she held in her stomach, growing slowly.

But we weren't so patient.

The shaman began her second charm of the night. Within seconds you could tell the difference- Jemima's baby bump grew and grew until it reached the nine month stage. Neltia stopped and placed a hand on it. "She's grown..."

"She?" Asher whispered with a smile.

Neltia nodded. "Look away pup, you may not like this." She began casting another charm, her enchanting loud and vicious. I watched keenly as the shape of a baby pressed into the skin of Jemima's stomach.

"What-" Asher was shocked at the sight and looked away quickly.

I found myself unable to look away- I didn't want to anyhow- I was seeing history in the making. The first step was being taken after all this time!

The shape kept pressing into Jem's skin until it seemed as if she would burst. My daughter, under Neltia's spell, wasn't feeling a thing... And although that soothed me a little, I couldn't help but be distraught that she wasn't on my side, helping us do this!

Snapping me back to attention, the baby began crying as it seemed to fade through Jemima's stomach and into Neltia's hand. It truly was magic...

Neltia handed me the baby, before collapsing backwards onto the window sill. "Well done, that was powerful magic." I praised her. She smirked and flicked away her hair proudly.

Asher looked down at his daughter and took her into his hands gently. "She's so small."

I rolled my eyes. Idiot wolf.

"We must go." I told them. Finally we have what we need to really begin.

---- ---- ---- ---

Suddenly, everything came crashing down. I didn't understand the words coming out of Julien's mouth. What was he saying?

Beside me, Aiden had his head in his hands. "How?" He croaked, tears in his eyes.

Julien's face was grave. "I don't know. It's as if the baby just vanished."

"Was it a phantom pregnancy or a miscarriage or?" Aiden persisted.

Julien shook his pale head. "It was none of them- the baby was there, I know it was." He gestured madly. "I don't understand what happened..." He said mournfully, sad for his Alpha and Luna.

"It's ok, Julien." Aiden assured him.

"Is it?" I whispered. 'Will, I need you...'

They both looked at me. "I could feel the baby, I know it was there too..."

Julien whispered. "Yes."

There was a knock at the door. William stepped in. He took one look at us all, tears salting our cheeks and clouding ours eyes.

"What happened?"

"The baby has vanished. It wasn't a miscarriage, a phantom pregnancy or anything like that- the baby was there, but it's just gone."

Will hugged me tight. I sniffed his comforting scent.

"There is one other explanation... but it involves powerful shaman magic and a heart of evil..." Julien said.

"What did Emma do?" Will asked, as if knowing she was involved.

"A shaman could have sped up the pregnancy and performed an enchantment so you had the baby in your sleep..." He explained.

"It has to be Emma." William persisted. "She sped up Lilith's birth... Now we know she wanted this baby instead."

"But why didn't she take Lilith if she wanted our baby? What was different with this one? Was it a boy?" I asked. "Was something wrong with it? Or with Lilith?" More tears spilled down my face. "Why did she do this...?"

Julien shrugged helplessly. "I'm so sorry, Luna... I couldn't say."

Aiden held me close as we cried, mourning the loss of our child. "We have to get it back." Aiden sniffed.

"Of course we do." I cried.

"We will. " William assured. "And we'll find out what she's up to... We have to."