Chapter 370

Third Person POV

Lila stood in the middle of her room, her eyes fixed on the once brilliant Moon Gem that lay on her dresser. It dimmed and pulsed weakly, almost like it was angry. The skin at the base of her throat was red and blistered from when it burned her only moments ago. She hadn’t bothered to wear the gem since she attempted to activate it using her blood. It should have worked… it should have been activated.

It was her birthright after all.

It was said that her magic was stored inside this gem from the moment she was born because her magic was too powerful for her infant body, so the witches took it and put it inside this gem until she was old enough. According to one of the witches, close to the family, in order to activate it, her blood is required. However, it didn’t work. It only seemed to anger the moon gem.

Since she burned it in that small ritual she had in the woods with Daisy, it’s been too hot for her to put the gem back around her neck. Today, it seemed as though it had finally cooled enough where she could put it back on, but she was wrong. The second it touched her neck, it scorched her hotter than it’s ever been. The chain lay broken on the ground from when she ripped it off.

“Put it back on,” a voice said from the balcony doorway. Lila turned to see Daisy leaning against the doorframe.

Her eyes were red from the tears she had previously cried, and her cheeks were flushed from climbing up the side of the manor to reach Lila’s bedroom balcony. This wasn’t the first time Daisy had come to see her this way; she wasn’t allowed to just walk in through the front door, and she did what she could to avoid Noah.

Lila couldn’t blame her for that, though; her brother was an asshole and had no business doing what he did to Daisy.

Lila’s laughter was bitter, cracked.

“You think I didn’t try? The damned thing burned me.”

Lila turned so Daisy could see the burn mark on her chest from the gem.

Daisy stepped forward, her eyes narrowed.

“How is that possible?” She whispered.

“It’s rejecting me,” Lila said, tears filling her eyes. “I have no idea what it means. It was supposed to be my birthright… my blood.”

Daisy continued to stare at the burn mark on Lila’s chest before her eyes turned towards the gem on the dresser.

“Maybe it isn’t your blood it needs,” she said, her voice sounding almost distant. “Perhaps it was never yours to begin with.”

“Then if it’s not mine… who’s is it??”

Before Daisy could reply, movement caught her attention, and her eyes turned towards the door to Lila’s room, her words getting caught in her throat. Lila turned as well, only to see Esme sitting in her wheelchair at the door.

“Grandma?” Lila asked, her voice coming out as a hoarse whisper.

Though her grandmother said nothing per usual, her eyes, void of emotions, were penetrating, and there was no mistaking that she was looking directly at Lila.

……

Gavin’s POV

“Why hasn’t she woken up yet? It’s been an hour, and she’s completely passed out,” I said as I paced the bedroom. Judy was lying on the bed where I had left her, tucked beneath the covers.

Eliza was by her bedside, rechecking her heart rate and ensuring that the baby was okay, and Taylor was trying to get me to calm the fuck down, but without any luck.

“She’s exhausted,” Eliza explained, turning to look at me. “We all are. Just give her some time to rest.”

“She was in pain, Eliza,” I said through my teeth, not wanting to raise my voice and cause issues with Taylor, but at this moment, I was starting to care less about upsetting anyone. “You didn’t see her, okay? She was in pain. She screamed, held her head, and then passed out.”

“She’s not currently showing any signs of discomfort. Just extreme exhaustion. The pain medicine I gave her helped ease that pain, it seems,” Eliza said, putting away her equipment. “As far as I can tell, both she and the baby are okay. There’s nothing more for us to do but let her rest and maybe get some rest ourselves.”

I shake my head, my wolf growing even more restless with each passing moment.

“Something is wrong,” I murmured. “Something is wrong.”

“I’ll come check on you later,” Eliza said, joining Taylor at the doorway. “If there are any changes, come get me right away.”

I don’t say anything as they leave; I stare down at my mate, who remains motionless on the bed, her eyes closed. To anyone else, she looked like she was only sleeping. But I knew there was more to it. She was in pain, and just before she passed out, she murmured something that sounded like “blood call to blood.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I knew it was something serious. I sat down on the bed beside her, and, against my better judgment, I pulled her into my arms. I just needed to ensure that she was right here and that she was safe.

I’m not sure how long we stayed like that. I found myself drifting in and out of sleep as her scent wrapped around me. I kept my hand on my belly, feeling the soft flutter of our baby kicking, just to ensure that he was also okay.

I was sleeping when I felt her sudden movements. I opened my eyes, the room darker than it had been when I fell asleep due to the day coming to an end and night gracing us with its presence.

“Gavin?” Judy whispered, her voice coming out hoarse.

Relief flooded me, and I buried my face in her hair.

“Thank the goddess,” I breathed, peppering kisses along her hairline. “You’re awake.”

“Did I worry you?” She asked, peeking up at me through hazy eyes.

“Yes,” I admitted. “How are you feeling?”

I reluctantly released her so I could take a better look at her face and get her some water.

“I’m okay,” she said, sitting up as she watched me walk through the room. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water before returning to the bedroom a moment later. “Honestly, I’m fine. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

She looked uncertain, though, even as she spoke those words with as much confidence as he could muster. I handed her the glass of water and sat at the edge of the bed as she took small sips. My wolf was still on edge after what had happened. I reached over to her and brushed a strand of damp hair away from her face and behind her ear.

“You are still a bit warm,” I tell her. “I’m going to have Eliza come back to check you over.”

She grabbed my arm before I could make any sudden move.

“Wait,” she said quickly. “Eliza doesn’t need to come here for this. I’m okay, honestly.”

“She was here earlier, after you passed out. She’d want to know that you are awake and take a look for herself,” I informed her.

Her face lost some of its color as she finally took a look around the room before her eyes shifted towards the window.

“How long had he been out for?” She asked, though I could tell from the tone of her voice that she already knew the answer.

“Hours,” I told her. “The entire day pretty much.”

She swallowed, not saying anything for a long while before she let out a breath and looked at me.

I cupped her face, my thumb drawing lazy circles around her cheekbones.

“Judy, tell me what happened,” I say, keeping my voice low. “I know something is going on, and I need to know what it is.”

“Nothing is—” she tried to say, but I cut her off.

“Don’t lie to me,” I said firmly, but gently at the same time. “I’m your mate. You can trust me. Tell me what’s happening to you so I can help you because I cannot stand to see you hurting… It’s destroying me and my wolf. We need to be able to help our mate, so please… give this to me.”

I was aware I was begging, and it was pathetic, but I couldn’t help it when it came to her. Her eyes fluttered shut, a tear slipping down her cheeks. I wiped it away with my thumb and wrapped her in my arms, pulling her flesh against me.

“Talk to me,” I whispered, rocking her back and forth. “Please.”

“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” she finally said, her voice coming out muffled against my chest.

“I’d never think about,” I assured her.

She sniffled and peeked up at me through her dark lashes.

“I had this dream a couple of weeks ago… an older woman, maybe middle-aged, came to me and told me that blood calls to blood. At the time, I didn’t think much about the dream, but then we went to the Blackwell Manor, and I saw her….”

I raised my brows.

“Saw who?”

“Esme Blackwell. It was her… the woman from my dreams. Only much older. She obviously didn’t say anything while we were there. But she kept staring at me. Then, as we were leaving, I heard her speaking in my head… her mouth didn’t move, so I knew it was in my head. She told me once again that blood calls to blood.”

I swallowed. I had no idea what this meant or why the elder Blackwell would be coming to my mate in her sleep, but I had a sense of dread wash over me.

“It could mean anything,” I told her, running my fingers through her hair. “We can figure this out.”

She shook her head slowly.

“I had another dream not long ago that she came to me again and said the same things. Only this time, she was much younger than in the previous dream. She was around my age,” I explained. “Then, right before I passed out earlier, I saw her face in my head, and then her words echoed over and over again. Blood calls to blood. I felt this sharp pain in my temple, and then I passed out completely. When I woke up, I saw her again.”

“You saw her?” I asked. “Just now?”

She nodded, nibbling on her lower lip.

“Then what?”

She stepped towards me and unclasped her necklace, handing it to me. The pendant was in her closed fist. I opened my hand to take it, and when she dropped it into the palm of my hand…” she paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “Gavin, it was the Moon Gem. She handed me the Moon Gem and said that my destiny awaits and that blood calls to blood.”