Chapter 241

Almara’s Pov

Arthur wraps his arms around me as I cradle our son. He’s stopped quieting and lays against my chest. I can’t take my eyes off of him.

He’s a little red, but mostly dark. His skin is a rich olive color closer to Arthurs than mine, his hair is dark and full. He’s so small.

“What should we call him?” Arthur whispers into my ear.

“Perfect,” Is all I can manage to say. Arthur gives a throaty laugh and rests his head against mine, casting a loving glance down at his son.

“While I do agree that he is, I don’t think that’s a good name.” I don’t seriously want that to be his name, but I don’t know what else to call him. With all that’s been going on, I haven’t had the luxury of such leisurely thoughts.

“What about Robert? Robbie for short,” Arthur says and I’m able to peel my eyes off my sun and give Arthur a curious glance. He just shrugs.

“He did sacrifice his life for his niece, he was my beta, and” Arthur blows out a puff of air, “my half-brother,”

My heart softens a bit when I think of Robert in that light. “Robbie,” I say testing the name on my lips. “Okay,” I agree.

The door continues to rattle, it seems more aggressive this time like more and more are trying to break in. Maybe everyone’s beginning to notice the awkward dents on te door and the way it doesn’t it properly on the hinges and they want to get away from the rain and see where else they can fight.

“We probably can’t stay in here,” Arthur says his eyes widening with a fire behind them as more bodies ram up against the door. “Are you okay to move?”

“I am,” I say confidently already sitting myself up right. I don’t want to stay in this storage closet with Robbie if there’s somewhere safer we can take him. Not to mention, we still have our firstborn to rescue.

“I’m going to open the door, you stay behind me,” Arthur instructs as he begins to quickly move the crates out of the way. The scratching on the floor startles Robbie and he begins to cry. I pull him closer to me just at the door caves in slightly more.

I stand off to the side, holding Robbie firmly against my bare chest, protected under my shirt and with my arms wrapped tightly around him. Arthur takes a fighting stance and swings the door open.

Just as he does so a body is hurled inside and only stops when it crashes into the far wall. Arthur slams the door shut and jumps out in front of me. We both wait patiently as whoever hit the wall gets their bearings.

I notice it’s a woman. Wait a minute, something begins to spark in my brain. I know this woman. It’s not necessarily the physical appearance which is that of a familiar, but the energy it’s giving off.

The familiar spins on its webbed feet and I can see it’s not necessarily an animal, but something more like a gremlin figure. A devious smile spreads across its face and now I’m certain that this familiar knows us too, but how?

Robbie stays silent, none of us move. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite celebrity couple,” the familiar says and without warning morphs into a werewolf. I gasp when I see who’s standing before me.

“Oh good, it’s you,” Arthur bares his teeth. “I’ve been thinking about this moment for quite some time now,” Maurice, or whatever her real name is, lifts half her lips into a crooked smile.

“Wanted to thank me for my wonderful counseling sessions?” She lifts her nose to the air and my blood turns to ice. “Actually,” she says putting her hand on her chin pretending to be thoughtful, “I suppose I should thank you, for all the information you provided.”

She locks eyes with us and something dark settles in her gaze. I can suddenly see through the fake elderly exterior, she’s agile like water and her muscles are toned, the appearance of sagging skin and graying hair is all but a trick of the eye, a mere costume she’s wearing.

“To think you two are supposedly the top Alpha couple,” she throws her head back and cackles. “Please, spare me. Of course, your daughter is the only impressive thing about you dogs,” I move to step forward, my mother instincts coming out, but Arthur puts his arm up.

“What’s that smell?” Maurice says and dramatically sniffs the air. Her eyes land squarely on the small lump beneath my shirt, she licks her lips and her eyes sparkle with a bloodthirst delight. “You have another one?”

I turn sideways, using my body as a shield to cover Robbie. “I’ll give you the girl back for the baby,” She steps closer, and without warning Arthur leaps at her, pinning her against the far end of the wall and holding her up by the neck.

“Before I kill you, we’re going to have a chat,” Arthur spits at her. Robbie squirms under my shirt and fusses a bit. I bounce him and don’t dare take my eyes off of Maurice who seems to be enjoying his small movements beneath my fabric.

Arthur jerks his arm and demands her attention. “How did you bug our house?” Arthur growls. Maurice looks annoyed and shapeshifts into a snake.

She slithers out from under his grip and before she can reach me, Arthur stomps his foot on her back. She looks at me as she answers. “It’s quite easy when you shapeshift, and it’s not like you ever suspected anyone was following you around.” She hisses. “Not at the park, not at your school, not at that pathetic housewarming party you threw,”

She turns into the wolf again throwing Arthur off his balance. She comes near me and I move behind the metal crate which I only is only a short-term solution, but it’s all that I need, Arthur already as his paws on the back of her head and throws her to the ground.

She might be able to shapeshift, but Arthur has her beat in brute strength and paternity instinct. All the raucous causes Robbie to cry.

“Why bug us?” Arthur asks keeping her pinned to the ground. Her head is facing away from me, so I take the opportunity to remove Robbie from my shirt and bring him up to the curve of my neck and shoosh him.

“I had to see what I was working with,” Maurice say.

“Then why the therapy at all?” Arthur asks like he’s caught her in a lie, but Maurice laughs like that’s the stupidest question she’s ever heard.

“I didn’t bug your house to watch you two, I did it to watch your daughter. She was always the mission,” Maurice says.

“Where is she now?” Arthur lashes out, but Maurice just laughs and laughs. Pretty soon, it becomes evident that we won’t be getting a response, so Arthur cuts off her laughter wrapping his paws around her neck.

Though he can’t see what’s going on, Robbie wails and I try to calm him. The door to the storage closet bounces against the hinges as others try to break in, probably drawn to Robbie’s cry. Maurice herself kicks her legs out and it’s not just because of the lack of oxygen.

I think she tries to shapeshift as her body seems to grow and shrink in size but ultimately resorts back to its wolf shape. I guess the lack of oxygen doesn’t give her enough brain power to change her physicality.

Arthur fixates his unblinking stare on her, hatred seeping from every pore in his body. He grips tighter and tighter until Maurice’s legs stop kicking. Even then he doesn’t stop.

“I think she’s dead, Arthur,” I say when what feels like forever as passed and he still hasn’t let up. The door is about to break off and I know we can’t stay in here.

“Just making sure,” Arthur says when he releases her neck, Maurice’s head falls back at an awkward angle, her eyes open and unseeing. Arthur stretches out his white knuckles. “Waste of a life,” Arthur murmurs as he kicks her body while stepping over her to us.