Natalia and Her Wolf Ch. 07

"Do you feel that?" I asked.

I felt a throb in my heart the moment we stepped foot in this cabin. It only intensified as we found our way into the dungeon.

"No, but do you smell that Natalia? I mean seriously. The least they could do is clean up the place if they're going to keep people held hostage here. I mean seriously." She said straightening up the beds in the tiny room.

"Umm Marie?"

"I mean they could at least spray Lysol every now and then..."

"Marie..."

"And do not get me started on these damn beds? What has been laying here? A fucking wolf? No offense, but really that is gross."

"MARIE!"

"WHAT NATALIA! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY NATALIA? WE ARE TRAPPED IN AN UNTIDY DUNGEON FOR GOD'S SAKE! WE ARE TRAPPED AND IT SUCKS AND I'M MENTALLY EXHAUSTED AND I AM HUNGRY AND THERE IS A MAN UPSTAIRS THAT WANTS TO MAKE ME HIS BITCH AND IT LOOKS LIKE A FUCKING ANIMAL HAS SHEDDED EVERYWHERE AND... AND WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SMELL?! "

"I know. I am so sorry."

I sat on the floor and put my head in my hands. I almost threw up when I found out that I was sticking to the floor thanks to a sticky substance. This entire situation was draining me to my core. I just wanted to give up.

"Hey, it isn't your fault. You have no reason to be apologizing." She said sitting next to me. "I just get stressed out in dirty rooms. I think I have OCD!"

"But it is."

"No. It is not your fault that all this happened to you. It was in His plan. You're destiny. This was written before you were born. If everything is dipped in gold, then it will never grow. Hey now. Don't cry. We're going to figure this out ok?"

I nodded because I couldn't find the words we so badly needed to hear. Her reassurance was pointless. She was just saying what seemed right. I let her pull my head into her lap and comfort me.

"I promise we can figure this out. We are going to figure this out," she said rubbing my hair. "Does your magic still not work?"

"I don't know. I haven't tried it," I said whispering. "I'm scared it'll hurt the baby."

We heard groaning and I jumped at the noise. The thought of not being alone was unsettling. But what was that feeling I was feeling. Familiarity? I stood up and walked to the bars.

"Who's there?" I yelled uncertainly.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" Marie whisper yelled. "That could be a dangerous teenage girl killing animal or it could be a dangerous teenage girl killing ghost who can walk through walls and kill us. Stupid girl. Sit back down and ask for forgiveness."

I didn't even know what I was doing. My voice had come out of nowhere.

"Who is that?" I asked again.

"Natalia, if I could get off this sticky ass floor without touching it with my bare hands, I swear I would strangle you. If you wake up whatever is over there, our asses are grass," she whispered yelled. "Oh Madre de Dios, salvame. Esta chica es loco en la cabeza," she prayed to herself.

"Natalia?" the voice said.

My heart did 4 flips and I had to back away from the bars.

"That can't be... I... Eric?" I asked holding myself.

Marie gasped loudly and her eyes widened. What kind of games was Ahmad trying to play?

"Can't be..." she said shaking her head in disbelief.

"It Is! Natalia is that really you? Oh God please don't let this be another trick," he said out loud groaning.

"It is me Eric! Oh my God. I... Oh my God," I said over and over.

My heart and mind could not process the facts that my dead mate was a- not dead and b- in a cell in the same room as me. There was no way Eric was still alive. I watched him die. I watched him leave me in this world alone. Or so I thought.

"You're supposed to be dead!" I blurted out.

"Nice one," Marie shot out.

"I thought you were dead Natalia. No one has been able to find you," he said.

He sounded so far away. I truly missed him and wanted nothing more, but to be in his arms right now at this moment, but that could wait. It would have to wait. Suddenly, I felt movement inside my stomach and a very hard kick to the ribs. I winced and grabbed my body, the blow being too much to handle, while steadying myself on the wall with 1 hand.

"What's wrong?" Marie asked quietly.

"This child is going on punishment as soon as it comes out. For at least a month," I whispered.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Not my baby. Maybe it wouldn't be so excited had it known it was about to meet daddy."

"Are you guys ok? Natalia, why are you whispering?" Eric asked anxiously.

"What are we going to do?" Marie asked him ignoring his previous question.

Before she could answer the door swung open and bright lights radiated the entire room.

"Dios mio, this place is truly gross," Marie said under her breath.

It was true. Now that we could actually see the room for what it was, I was seriously considering throwing up. I let my hand drop from the wall and wiped it on my leg. Ahmad stepped in the room and gave us a polite smile.

"I see you guys have gotten reacquainted. Now, I am going to let you guys go home now," he said clapping. "There is no use for you to be here. I literally have no use for you guys, but there is one condition."

"What?" I asked taking the bait.

"The girl stays. I've grown quite fond of her," he said with his eyes roaming Marie's body.

"No!" Marie and I said at the same time.

"You did all this just to try to claim me? You could have courted me, hell I am a sucker for food and romance. But kidnap me and make my friend suffer? Why did you do all this?" she asked.

"Of course not woman. I did this for payment from the Vampire King. Now I am giving your friend a chance to leave with her long lost mate and you are being ungrateful. I could easily kill everybody in this room," he replied smugly.

He pointed his finger at me.

"I'll stay," Marie said jumping in front of me.

"No you will not!" I said pushing her out the way.

"Figure it out," he said walking out the room and cutting off the source of light yet again.

I turned to Marie and could only hope she could see the pleading in my eyes.

"You're not staying," I told her.

"Nobody is staying. Help is on the way," Eric said quietly. "I could have left the moment I arrived Katari did something to me to knock me unconscious. We've been communicating the whole time I've been woke."

"Didn't he think about the fact that you would talk to them through your mind?" I asked.

Ahmad seemed too smart to leave any loose ends. He was the type to dot all his I's and cross all of his T's. It only made sense that he would assume.

"He must've thought Katari handled it when she brought me down here," he replied.

"Katari is dead Eric. I mean dead dead," I said filling him in.

"So when can we expect this help to get here? I'm not exactly rushing them or anything but being here is making me sick to my stomach!" Marie complained.

"It shouldn't be long now. They're moving in now. Now that I know why he kidnapped you guys I can go visit the vampire king and see what business he wanted with you," Eric explained.

"I'm going," Marie exclaimed.

"Me too. I'm not going to sit around and wait to be kidnapped again," I agreed.

"Neither of you are going and that is final," Eric said.

As soon as he finished his sentence we heard a loud boom. I jumped at the sound. Everything went eerily quiet.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Help," Eric replied nonchalantly.

We sat waiting for 15 minutes. Every minute that went by was a minute closer to seeing Eric for the first time in what seemed like forever. Suddenly light brightened the entire room and I stopped breathing. Was it Ahmad? Or was it the pack?

"Alpha?" Greg asked.

"Over here," Eric replied.

"Threat has been eliminated Alpha. There won't be another word from Ahmad... ever. Everybody that was a threat has been taken care of and I already called a crew to come clean up," he explained.

"Any casualties on our part?" he asked.

"Nobody from our pack died but everybody that was with Ahmad has been eliminated. Alpha, that pathetic excuse for a Warlock was no match for us. According to Anissa, the man only knew level 3 magic. His only weapon was Katari. Speaking of, we discovered her body not too far from the entrance. We need to know what to do with the traitor," he said bitterly.

"Anissa is here? As for Katari, we'll speak on her later. I want Natalia and Marie transported to the house. I don't even want them seeing the upstairs. I'll have to hold on our reunion until I get home so I can oversee the cleanup." Eric instructed.

"Natalia?" Greg asked. "She's alive?"

"Yes Natalia. Do I have a say in this? I really don't want to be whisked away like I am a damsel in distress or something," I said defiantly.

"Same old Madam Alpha," Greg laughed.

"Natalia, just go home and I'll see you there. Ok?" Eric bargained with me.

"Yes of course. Just be safe," I said giving in.

Some things never change but my attitude and how I talked to Eric would definitely change and would definitely be different. I had a lot of making up to do and this time I would make things so much better.

"Let's get this show on the road," Eric ordered.

"Step back," I heard an unfamiliar voice say.

There was a loud boom and the man walked over to our cell and ordered us to step back as well. There was an explosion and the wall holding the door crumbled to our feet.

"Really? You could have done that," Marie whispered as we stepped over the rubble of the fallen wall.

"Alright, let's go!" Greg insisted.

He turned around and locked eyes with Marie. I could see the hesitation for a moment. They looked like they knew each other.

"Who's this?" He asked.

"Marie, my friend and my sister," I replied.

"Oh cool, just didn't recognize her," he said walking out the room.

Well I guess men will be men. He shuffled us into a side hallway and out a side door. We didn't even go upstairs to get out. I didn't get to see even a glance of Eric and I was somewhat bummed out. Marie tuned to me with a serious look on her face as soon as Greg put us in the truck and sent us on our way.

"Who was that?" She asked.

"That was Eric's second in command, Greg. He is a real goofball," I said noting the looking her eyes.

She nodded and starred out the window at him as the truck drove away. The look she had in her eyes was one of confusion. I didn't have time to think about it much, because as soon as the truck found the path, I fell asleep.

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"Wake up Tal," Marie said pushing me.

"Where are we?" I asked yawning.

"I have no idea."

I looked out the window and smiled at the familiar site. I was home. Not home in New York or home at Sam's house, but home where I belonged.

"We're home," I said smiling.

The whole pack waited outside as we pulled up. I slid out the car and was instantly pulled into a million hugs. Marie stood to the side with a comfortable smile on her face. The pack had a way of making you feel like family even if you didn't know them. As soon as they realized she was there, she was pulled into her own line of hugs and kisses. They say wolves are passionate creatures.

"Ok guys, enough. Let them breathe. They probably want to go bathe and sleep. Let them be," a woman said while making her way through the crowd. "Come on guys."

The pack said their goodbyes and we followed the woman up the familiar path to the room Eric and I shared. I couldn't help but be happy to be back there. It brought back so many memories. Once we were inside, the woman spoke again.

"I'm Anissa, Eric's sister," she said shaking my hand. "I already know everything about you Natalia. You make my brother very happy."

"Wow, I feel horrible. I didn't even know he had a sister. I am the worst mate ever," I replied sullenly.

"Eric doesn't talk about our family that much. He was sort of the black sheep," She explained smiling a sad smile. "There is much to learn my sister in law but for now I must leave you to go handle business. Please get reacquainted with this room and I will send clothes up for the both of you."

She walked out the room and left us to our own. I felt a tickle and then a muscle spasm and I gasped out loud.

"What?" Marie asked panicked. "What's wrong?"

"The baby," I said starring at my stomach.

I lifted my shirt and sure enough we could see the little kicks the baby was doing. I was in shock.

"He's so strong," I blurted out.

"He?" She asked.

"Yep, I feel like it's a boy. He's going to be a fighter like his dad. Look at those kicks. It looks like something is trying to bust out of me," I said in amazement.

Marie placed her hand on my stomach and laughed.

"Oh yes, he wants out. Do you want out big boy? Do you want out the mean lady's tummy?" she cooed.

He kicked harder and I could tell he would love Marie as much as I did.

"I take that as a yes. I'm going to take a shower. Whoa, I stink," she said walking in the bathroom.

I lowered my shirt and suddenly the door swung open and Eric walked in.

"Natalia," he said looking at me lovingly.

"Eric," I replied.

He was still as beautiful as I remembered him even as he looked disheveled. He still held an air of authority and a major place in my heart. He walked to me and wrapped his arms around me as tight as possible and just held me there kissing all over my face and neck. I felt my cheeks wet with tears.

"Eric my love, I have missed you more than you could ever fathom," I cried.

"Never could you imagine the pain my heart has been in since I lost you. I lost my way when I lost you. I felt like a failure. I couldn't live without you and I was considering ending it all just to be with you again. Since I couldn't have you on this planet, in this lifetime, I would have you in heaven or wherever we go when we die. I was a broken man without you," he admitted.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, God forbid I ever leave you again. I'll kill anybody who threatens to separate us," I promised.

"I love you Natalia," he into my neck.

My grumbling stomach interrupted the mood as Eric threw his head back in laughter.

"The baby is hungry," I whispered unsurely.

He stepped back and looked me over. I lifted my shirt for him to see and a smile broke out over his face. I wouldn't admit it but I was worried about how he would react to us becoming parents so early.

"I thought I felt something in that dungeon but I wrote it off since there were so many other people there. You mean to tell me I am going to be a dad? To that little baby?" he asked disbelieving.

I nodded.

"I am so happy!" He said picking me up and spinning me around.

"Actually, we have to talk..." I said.

I didn't want to get his hopes up since there was a chance he would lose us both again, but I feared I had already done so.

"What's wrong?" he asked lowering me.

"Well, you know how I thought I was human and you thought I was human? I'm not Eric! I'm a shifter! And on top of that I'm a witch! And I didn't know and my mom isn't my real mom but my real mom is a witch and she sacrificed herself to save me and my dad and my dad is a shifter but he didn't know and they weren't supposed to be together so when they had me they had to die but my mom didn't want us to die so she stripped my powers and erased my dad's memory and I saw a doctor and he told me that I have an internal struggle and that my witch powers can't exist with my shifting powers and that the baby won't survive and we might both die if I don't get rid of him now but I would rather die than lose this baby and I'm scared cause I know I might not survive but I don't care as long as the baby survives and my magic is out of sorts and I am so hungry," I said rambling in one breath.

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down. It is ok. We'll get a second doctor's opinion and see what is going with you and the baby. Don't worry and stress yourself out my love. There is no way I'm losing you again or the baby. We will figure it out because we are in this together," he said rubbing my stomach.

"You know just what to say," I said laying my head on his shoulder.

There was knock on the door and an omega brought in fresh clothes for Marie and I. The shirt was certainly smaller than the one I had been wearing and soon everybody would know the secret I had been hiding. I ran into the bathroom and laid out the clothes for Marie before stepping back into the room.

"I'm serious my heart. It's going to be ok. We'll figure something out. I can have the pack doctor run some tests on you tomorrow to see how everything with the baby is. Even if things turn out bad, we've gotten through worst right?" Eric asked.

"Right, it's just that my luck hasn't been exactly good. I don't want to hear any more bad news. I don't want to lose this baby. This baby has been the only thing keeping me sane for the past couple of months with you being allegedly dead. Speaking of, I saw you die!" I exclaimed.

"You saw the powers of a powerful line of wolves dear, but that is to be spoken about later. I see you've met my sister Anissa."

"I have. Why didn't you tell me you had a sister? It was kind of embarrassing not knowing my mate had a sister!"

"We don't know a lot about each other, but we didn't exactly have a lot of time to talk. With you hating me then getting kidnapped," he chuckled. "Now you're pregnant and since we can't complete the mating process, we need to get married."

"Huh?"

"A marriage. I don't want my son or daughter being born into this world without my being connected to its mother in some way. So let's get married."

"NO!"

"What? What do you mean? Why not Natalia?"

"That isn't how you propose to someone. It sounds like a task," I said turning away.

"Fine Natalia, I apologize. I'll make it up to you with a better proposal. But you will be my wife. I can guarantee you that. Now would you like some food?"

"Yes, I'll be down after I shower."

Eric left and was making demands before the door even closed. Marie exited the bathroom with a steam of smoke following her like a ghost.

"I'll tell you one thing, I could marry that shower," she said dreamily.

"You're really nosy my dear friend," I commented.

"You should marry him, he loves you."

"But he didn't do it the right way. I know I sound so immature, but I mean I had my life all planned out. Now I'm not complaining because I am certainly more blessed then most people, but could I at least get a proper proposal. I just want him to do it right, that is all I ever wanted. To be courted, proposed to, married then kids. So is it so horrible that I want to do something right?" I whined.

"The man just asked to spend the rest of his life with you while you look like you've just been beat down by life and smell like death. Could that be any more romantic? You look and smell horrible yet he still saw the beauty in you," she lectured me while shaking her head.

"You're right, I'm a jerk."

"A fat jerk," she agreed.

"I will send you straight to hell Marie."

"I can't believe that Ahmad dude was only a level 3."

"Me either, I thought he was super powerful. Stopping time and whatnot. But the man on the phone was saying something about settling before he hung up. I guess it should've clicked when he couldn't even smell what I was."

"Too bad he's dead. He was kind of cute in the whole I'm-a-crazy-warlock-set-out-to-kill-anybody-who-thinks-I'm-not-powerful type way."

"Really?"

"I mean if he would've approached me like a regular guy and not some crazed stalker I would have accepted. And if he wasn't like... demented in the head ya'know?"

"No."

"Well you did get pregnant by a werewolf darling,"

"Speaking of pregnant. Ever since I've got around Eric, it's like all these pregnancy symptoms kicked in full force. I'm craving specific foods, my boobs hurt, I think my feet are swollen and really I'm between raping him and punching him. I'm starving but I need to shower. Oh the struggle. I want food but I want a shower even more," I breathed sadly.