Dancing with Shadows ✔

A New Dawn

Dancing with Shadows

Chapter 31

"Declan?" Jonathan murmured, tearing his gaze from the television with a distant, troubled look.

"That name... it sounds familiar. Where have we heard that name before?" Matthew asked, frowning in concentration.

Nick's eyes widened in shock. "Emma, please tell me that psycho isn't who I think it is," he said, his voice trembling as he stepped closer.

"Him? Who?" their mother asked, bewildered.

"Has everyone forgotten already?! He's Emma's ex!" Nick exclaimed. The room fell into stunned silence as everyone turned to stare at Emma, then whipped their heads back to the television, disbelief and dread settling in.

"Emma, is this really him?" her mother asked, her eyes fixed on the screen. Emma could only nod, her mind racing.

"Well, honey... you have interesting taste. He's handsome, but—"

"Honey! Mum!" her father and brothers shouted in unison, appalled.

"But psychotic! Let me finish. Gosh!" her mother huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

As the family's voices rose in argument, Emma barely heard them. Their words became nothing more than background noise. All she could focus on was the horrifying reality that had just unfolded on the television. Declan—her mate, the father of her child—had just killed a man on live television. That monster, that twisted man, that—

"Asshole! Ahhh!" A sharp contraction ripped through her body, so intense that it felt like it shot up her spine and exploded in her head. Stars danced in her vision as she screamed in pain. Instantly, her family rushed to her side, their panic evident.

The pain subsided momentarily before another wave hit, this time shooting down her legs. She gasped for breath, clutching the bed sheet with trembling hands.

"Honey, look at me," her mother whispered urgently, but Emma squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head against the overwhelming agony.

"Hey. Hey. Look at me," her mother repeated, her voice soothing. Emma forced her eyes open and met her mother's concerned gaze.

"How often are you feeling the contractions?" her mother asked, gently brushing a strand of hair from Emma's face.

"What?" Emma was dazed, struggling to comprehend the question.

"How often? Every five minutes? Two minutes?" Her mother waited patiently, though worry was etched into her expression.

"Too often," Emma gasped, her breath hitching as another contraction wracked her body. She gripped the sheets even tighter, her knuckles white.

Her mother's eyes narrowed, then widened as she looked at Matthew. "Call the nurse," she instructed him, her voice calm but firm. Matthew didn't hesitate, moving with a sense of purpose that Emma had never seen before.

As she lay there, her eyes drifted back to the television, then to the ceiling as a sharp pain cut across her lower back and stomach. Suddenly, she felt something wet, a sensation that only added to the whirlwind of fear and confusion enveloping her.

Emma's breath came in ragged gasps as she struggled to make sense of what was happening. "Mum... I think I just urinated," she whispered, trying to swing her legs to the side of the bed. Her water had already broken, so it couldn't be that.

Her mother leaned in closer, concern etched into her features. "Urinated? Honey, I'm going to check, okay?" Emma nodded slightly, her anxiety mounting. When her mother lifted the sheet, a sharp gasp escaped her lips.