Chapter 244

Almara’s Pov

I’ve never seen Cathy look more confident and proud than she does at this moment. She stands tall, cuts strewn across her body, but they only add to her tough exterior. She’s covered in her enemy’s blood and she has a thrilling look in her eyes.

“Have you seen Arthur?” I ask cutting to the chase. Cathy nods back towards tall white cabinet doors. I turn back to look at my mother who nods in confirmation. I rush over to the door and throw it open.

At first, I see nothing but an empty closet with broken shelves void of food, then I look down and see Arthur huddled around Grace and Robbie. He stands when he sees me and wraps me into his arms and I let myself completely fall against him, unable to stop the rush of tears.

“I was so worried about you,” Arthur says.

“Me? You know it takes a lot more than some blood loss to keep me down,” I tell him in between sniffles. I hear a laugh escape him in short breaths and I realize it’s been far too long since I’ve heard his beautiful laughter.

“Mommy,” Grace says wrapping her little arms around my legs.

“Baby girl,” I pick her up and Arthur takes Robbie back in his arms. That’s when I realized that Grace is no longer a baby.

“Did you see how I attacked the familiar?” She says with a big toothy smile. As she asks this, a rush of memory comes flooding back. For a second, all my senses are immersed in this flashback.

Grace attacked the bear familiar, I set Robbie down, I launched myself at the familiar, and then getting swiped across the chest and thrown to the ground. Seeing my daughter on this crazy beast drew something instinctual out of me.

“I did,” I eventually answer her. “It made mommy go crazy,” I say and burrow my head into her little shoulders and snuggle her in close.

“But did it also make you proud?” Grace asked.

“We’ll talk about that another time,” Arthur says giving her a stern look. “Almara, you stay here with the kids. Now that our family is together I need to go out there and fight.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. I want nothing more than for us to walk off now and go home, but as Alpha Arthur can’t do that, and as Luna I can’t ask him to.

I nod because I know if I talk now, I’ll cry. Arthur turns to my mother, “Thank you.” He says. My mother bows her head out of respect, but I know she’s thinking that no thanks is necessary. It’s what you do for your children.

“I’ll stay in the kitchen here and fight off anyone that comes in,” Cathy says and Arthur approves.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Arthur says and gives Grace and Robbie a kiss on the top of their head. He then locks eyes with me and I kiss him, deeply like I’ve never kissed those full lips before.

“Eww,” Grace says, causing us to laugh and pull ourselves apart.

“Let’s go find your husband,” Arthur says to my mother.

“Let’s,” my mother agrees.

They take off and Cathy locks us in the pantry. Once were cozy inside, I breast feed Robbie and Grace lies down, resting her head on my lap.

“I missed you,” Grace says. I fight back tears.

“I bet you that your father and I missed you even more,” I tell her. Grace smiles at that and looks up at me with her innocent big brown eyes and a pang of guilt gnaws at me. She’s so young and has already experienced so much.

“Grace, how were you able to avoid being influenced by the familiar’s spells?” I ask her and stroke her hair. Grace furrows her brows.

“I don’t know, it was just kind of easy. I didn’t want to listen to them, so I didn’t.” Grace says and I laugh. Could it really be that easy? I wonder. I know Grace is fiercely strong-willed and independent, she is Bess’s granddaughter after all, but could this resistance really be the product of willpower alone?

We stay silent, soaking in one another's presence for some time before the peace inevitably gets ruined. Grace sits up tall and stiffens. Robbie fusses, picking up on the unpleasant change in our demeanors.

I shoosh him and gently bounce him in my arms. However, it does little to soothe him when the pantry door flies open. Robbie wails and Grace pushes her little body into mine. I scatter to my feet and brace myself to fight.

“There you are!” I hear a voice shout and only then place the voice as belonging to Delfino’s.

“Sorry, I tried to keep him away but he said he said it’s urgent,” Cathy says doubling over a marble counter top trying to catch her breath.

“What is it? Is Arthur okay?” I ask and this time it’s Delfino who’s delayed in his response. I trace his gaze and see he has his eyes fixated on Robbie. I pull Robbie in closer and Deflino’s eyes flicker back to mine.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him,” he says flatly. “What is this?” He asks using his eyes to point back at Robbie.

“My son,” I tell him as though putting a possession on Robbie will stop Delfino from trying anything. I know we’re under a contract, but Delfino is still a blood-sucking monster, and by the look on his face it’s clear that much hasn’t changed.

“He isn’t safe here. His blood is too pure,” Delfino says, his own eyes beginning to look hungry.

“And where do you expect me to take him?” I ask and Delfino waves me off.

“Very well, truly none of us our safe here. We have to leave,” He says the panic growing more apparent in his voice.

“Mommy, I’m scared,” Grace says.

“You should be,” Delfino narrows his eyes down at her and I step in front of her.

“What is going on?” I demand and plant my feet firmly on the gorund. I’m not going anywhere with Delfino, not while he has that look about him when he looks at my son. This pantry as been the safest place we’ve been.

“The war is coming to a close. The familiars are retreating,” Delfino reports.

“Well, that’s great,” I say still not understanding why we have to go. Cathy steps forward, wanting to hear what’s going on.

“Yes, on one hand. On the other, their way of leaving is posing a threat to the stability of the building,”

“What does that mean? I ask, but my question gets drowned out by an unworldly sound emitting from no direction in particular. Rather the sound of something like a whip cracking engulfs all around us. It’s like the earth itself is splitting open.

Followed by the deep thunder is a powerful rattling. The entire kitchen begins to shake, pots and pans ailing from the ceiling, and debris from the ceiling comes down in dusty clumps.

“Give me the children. I can get them out of here faster,” Delfino says. I become immobile with fear. I know Delfino is right, though I’d never admit it. He is the fastest vampire. I could beat him in strength, but speed is on his side.

Something outside of the kitchen crashes and it becomes clear that the castle is going to crumble and if we don’t get out soon, we’re all going to be crushed.

“Now!” Delfino hisses and I pass him Robbie and shove Grace into his outstretched arms. He gathers my children and without so much as a second to spare, he flashes away.

Cathy and I look at each other and know we have to get out of here. Now.