Imprisoned By Love

Chapter 17

Katniss

I lay on my bed, my week old son a tiny bundle cradled next to my head as I sprawl out comfortably. So many new lives, one by one, have followed my son this spring. Johanna's daughter, Lara, born a few days after him, bringing a sense of peace to the Blue hills as the second high rank she-wolf delivered her cub safely.

I hear a soft noise and lift my head to look at my son, my precious Alexander, whom I've come to call Alexi. He looks just like his father, save my grey eyes set inside those long, blonde lashes. I smile at him and kiss his warm little cheek.

"Oh Alexi, how could I have ever feared being your mother," I whisper. A small fist waves around, coming to brush my cheek. I kiss his little fist and rub his tiny knuckles with my finger. He coos and I breathe in his sweet baby scent. Everything is sweet, and perfect, and calm. I hear a scream and look at my door. It sounded close and I carefully grab up my  son, tucking him tight to my chest. I walk to the door and look out the small peep hole. 

I see nothing but I hear a struggle happening and Johanna rushes at the door with her baby close. I open the door and she ducks in and slams it shut. I look at her and she is breathing heavily. 

"Tom's dead!" She gasps. "There's hunters in the woods." 

"I don't understand," I say. "Was he shifted or?" She shakes her head. 

"No," She says. "Its fucking Lycan hunters. Those assholes you and Peeta chased off a few months ago must have been scouting us and when you confronted them, you confirmed that there were wolves here." I look at her horrified.

"Surely we're safe this deep in the territory?" I say. She shakes her head and points.

"Those black clouds are our fucking houses, Katniss," she says. "They are smoking us out." I walk over and fling open my window, whistling for my bird. Persephone dives in and I tie a slip of paper to her anklet. 

"Order Thirteen," I say. "Get this to the Alpha. Go!" I pick her up and send her up as gracefully as you would a messenger pigeon. The difference is that my bird can fly three times the speed. I turn to Johanna and I hear something banging on the door downstairs. I point to the closet and she walks over with me, ducking into the small hallway where Peeta and I keep our clothing. I pull aside my clothing and pull open the escape hatch and Johanna slips in, me pulling the door shut behind me after I have roughed up the clothing to hide the secret passage. 

"The others will meet us near the willow exit," She says and I nod. I crawl down the old stone stairs and into the underground tunnels. I collapse, gasping, Alexi still tucked into my chest. Johanna too, is panting next to me, our exhausted bodies still recovering from the birth of our children. She looks up at the ceiling, her eyes urgent and panicked.

"I can't run like this," I say. "It hurts too much yet."

"Tell me about it," she says, leaning against the wall. I pull myself up and try to walk forward but she stops me. 

"We have to keep going," I say. "It's only a matter of time before they find us down here." She shakes her head. 

"We can't run now, we sure as hell won't make it down a five mile long tunnel," She says. "Not in these bodies." I look at her and down at my baby. His grey eyes blink at me as I look back up at her. 

"What about Alexi and Lara?" I ask. She gets down on the ground next to me and sets her daughter next to Alexi.

"We need to change them," She says. "We can carry them like any other wolf mother then." I look at the baby in my arms in horror, shaking my head.

"He could die, he's too young to shift," I say. She grabs my hand. 

"He'll die if those monsters destroying your house above us get to him because we couldn't run fast enough," she says. "Alexi carries the blood of an Alpha male. This is the best chance he has." I look at him and kiss his forehead before gently laying him down. Stands up, helping me as I carefully do the same.