T H E   F E A S T   3/3

Alpha Talia's POV

I glanced intermittently at Hugo who was now sound asleep on the bed. Frieda and I hovered over him contemplating what had prompted him to lose so much energy. The mate bond would have undoubtedly alerted me if his life was in danger since we are now eternally linked. My stomach churned as I worried if this was still the curse's influence. I stroked his hair tenderly. Although he appeared pale, I could feel his energy soar from within.

"Could it be wolfsbane?" I inquired as I turned to Frieda. As I considered the prospect of a wolf pack forming an alliance with a witch coven to harm him, Hugo being offered something tainted with wolfsbane occurred to me.

"That's not possible. I cast a spell at the entrance that would detect any form of sorcery. We were prepared in case anyone retaliated" Frieda responded.

"I refuse to believe this still has something to do with the hybrid transformation. It shouldn't take this long. Shouldn't I feel it too, if we're mates?" I stated.

"Could Hugo's body be rejecting the hybrid transformation?" Frieda reluctantly asked. Frieda's remark prompted me to feel anxious. But it didn't matter since my love for him wouldn't lessen even if he rejected his hybrid transformation and reverted back to a regular Alpha. I cast a distressed glance his way before kneeling down beside the bed.

"Even if you turn back in to a beta, I will still love you unconditionally Hugo. I just want you to be safe, that's all" A tear sprang to my eyes as I mumbled and caressed his cheek. The door creaked open, and Rhea stepped inside, treating herself to a plate of ribs and devouring them nonchalantly.

"Rhea, read the room" Frieda muttered under her breath whilst giving her a stern stare.

"Alpha Hugo will be fine. It's just the medicine I gave him" Rhea muttered as she gobbled a sizable portion of the ribs. Our bewildered expressions remained fixated on her. My mind returned to the moment Rhea handed him a drink just before we left the bedroom to attend the feast.

"What medicine?" Frieda asked before I could. Rhea cast a quick glance in my direction before turning to Frieda. She appeared equally puzzled as we both were.

"For nausea. Once the meds fully kicks in, it'll knock you right out. He just needs to sleep it off. Luna, you know what I'm talking about right?" Rhea asked as she turned to look at me. I peered at her, dumbfounded, as if I had forgotten an entire conversation Rhea supposedly had with me.

"No, I have no idea what you're talking about" I replied.

"Hold on - wait a minute. Am I only one who knows?" Rhea took a couple steps back. She exhibited both confusion and relief. Frieda approached her and gently grabbed the plate from her grasp. I climbed to my feet and turned my attention solely towards Rhea.

"Knows what? Rhea, if you know something, you better start talking" Frieda inquired. Rhea glanced across at Hugo, who was still fast asleep, and we exchanged eyes. She exhaled loudly and walked over to the bed.

"Remember the books you gave me, Luna? How much of it did you actually read?" Rhea questioned crossing her arms.

I reflected on the amount of time Frieda and I had spent reading my mother's books. We were so centered on the curse that we only read material relating to it. While I was skeptical about the books' contents, I got a strange hunch that Rhea knew something in those books that I didn't. Rhea inferred my response from the expression on my face right away. She breathed in deeply as she stood on the opposite side of the bed from Hugo.

"I didn't know it initially but when I ran into Alpha Hugo today, I saw him weakly drop to his knees and he had his hand placed on his chest. I realized it had nothing to do with the hybrid transition right away. He was just feeling weak and nauseated. I then connected the dots. When he told me not to say anything, I just assumed you both were keeping it a secret until the feast was over . . "her voice trailed off.

"Keeping what a secret, Rhea? Is he sick? Just tell me what's wrong with him. Is he going to be okay?" At this point, my voice sounded more like a plea. I became nervous and overwhelmed by how long Rhea was stretching this out.

"True-blood hybrids are a unique species, Luna. Back in the days, Draverri witches didn't appreciate the hostility true blood's faced so they casted a special charm that protected future hybrids during the procreation period. While the female hybrid bears pups, all symptoms of the pregnancy till the third trimester is beared by her mate. Except for child birth, of course. What Alpha Hugo is going through right now are the symptoms of the first trimester. Nausea, Fatigue and Heartburn. And that's the beauty of Hybrid equality" Rhea muttered with a huge grin on her face.

The room became deafeningly quiet. My mouth sprang open in a cry upon realization. I descended down at my belly, utterly oblivious to the fact that I was bearing pups.

"Tal, you're pregnant! Oh Tal, I'm so happy for you guys!" Frieda rushed over and gave me a cozy embrace. As I laid my palm on my belly, shock was plainly visible on my face. I began to comprehend the significance of the spell as Rhea's words filtered in to my mind.

"How did I miss this? How did I not know?" I kept rubbing my belly whilst mumbling. We just spent the entire night among werewolves, and none of them were aware of it. I can't even hear a heartbeat to confirm Rhea's statement.

"Well, in order to hide hybrid pregnancies from potential threats, they also spelled it in a way that the hybrid pups would learn to conceal their heartbeats. The only way you to hear them is by placing your hand on the belly and unlocking it yourself. But throughout the pregnancy, they will remain concealed and masked in your belly until you're ready to give birth" Rhea explained.

My maternal instincts kicked in, and I instantly closed my eyes and willed the seal to be broken in order to hear a heartbeat. My selective earring quickly picked up on not just one, but two pups. Two strong heartbeats. I cradle my belly in gratitude for a gift I wasn't even aware I had received as tears streamed down my face.

"Two. There's two of them" As I hit the ground, I wept. These were tears of joy. There were tears of pure happiness. I questioned my competence to be a mother for a very long time. All I knew was that I didn't want to be anything like my mother. Someone who condemned me just for defying them. For a very long time, I longed of the day when I would have my own pups and be able to love them without any conditions. I would accept them as they are. I would cherish them every single day.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I truly thought you both knew" Rhea whimpered as she wiped away her tears.

"No, it's alright. Thank you, Rhea. Thank you for being the bookworm that you are. If not, we would have spent a ridiculous amount of time fretting for no reason" I chuckled.

Frieda prodded Rhea to give us some privacy. As the door closed behind them, I approached Hugo, whose lips were slightly parted, emitting a soft snore. The handcuffs that were still dangling from the bed post caught my attention.

"We'll have to get rid of that since there'll be two pups running around in the Shaw Residence soon" I thought to myself.

Nothing could wipe my smile away as I lay next to him on the bed, waiting for him to be fully rested before breaking the news. Knowing that he was in anguish because of me made my heart ache. He was putting on a strong face although feeling exhausted and nauseous. That feeling wouldn't have been pleasant, but he didn't want me to be concerned.

It took him an hour to eventually open his eyes and turn towards me. All the while, I had been smiling to myself and crying at the same time. The future he had promised before the mating ceremony was just beginning and the wolf I had captured as my hostage two months ago, had no idea what was about to hit him. "What happened?" He inquired, reaching his arms and wrapping them around me.

"Not here" I whispered in his ear with a smirk. His eyes widened upon realization that I was about to teleport him somewhere. A wind gust surged as a long burst of its speed followed by a lull fanned across our faces as our feet embraced the ledge on the cliff. I reasoned that it would be best to announce the good news to him where he would find it most comforting.

We turned around and savored the splendor of the Falcon Valley's scenery. The moon was a beautifully glowing crescent, and the stars pierced the night sky as the trees, like the longings of the earth, swayed to the wind's rhythm. We were unmasked and uncloaked amid the wilderness, free to be ourselves. Hugo moistened his lips with his tongue as he continued to gaze at me and my exposed shoulder. As I rested both of my palms on his face, the mark on my neck began to tingle.

"Tal, what you did tonight despite not being on board with it, means the world to me" He muttered.

"Oh it's nothing compared to what you're doing for me" I chuckled.

He looked confused but he shrugged it off. Before he could express any more words of appreciation, I placed my fingertips on his lips. Through words and actions he's never failed to show me just how much loves me. I could sense it when he touched me, when he looked at me, heck I could feel his love in the air as I inhale it.

I've spent majority of my life searching for my mate purely not to die. But I was unaware that the pure, unconditional love that came along with discovering my true mate would knock me off my feet. When I took him as my hostage, he was merely a beta I was using to stay alive. But now I wanted to live for him, with him, and through him. I knew his heart beats for me and me alone but I wanted to ask him if he had room for two more.

"When you said your vows before our mating ceremony, I didn't have time to prepare for mine. If it's alright with you, can I say them now?" I asked as I watched his gaze. His lips flashed a wide grin.

"I don't know what you could possibly tell me that I don't already know, Alpha Talia" he whispered with a smirk.

"Oh you have no idea" I smirked back. I cleared my throat, extended my hands, and nudged him. I bowed my head and got down on one knee as he put his hands in mine and grimaced. A corny gesture, but a much needed one for my king.

"You came into my life – hold on I have to redo it. You were tossed in to my life by the Kaos Pack. A betrayal that should have turned your soft heart to stone. Even when I appeared as a beast in front of your eyes, you pleaded for your life and yet still wanted to understand me before you escaped. And then you came back to warn this beast before the Shadow Pack barged down the mansion barrier, showing me compassion even without fully knowing the truth. Your heart remained pure pledging your life to me to save me from the curse's fate. You've tolerated me, understood me, accepted me, killed for me and died for me. There are no words to describe the love you have given me. And as such, there are no words to describe the love I have for you. I kneel before you as your mate that will never let you down but still rebel against you. I vow to be annoying but at a pace that you can still tolerate me. I vow to be violent but meet your compassion halfway. But most of all I vow to protect you with my life and love you with all my being now, tomorrow and forevermore." I exhaled deeply and straightened my claws, marking an X on my chest.

He bit his trembling lips in an effort to hold back his tears. From the time of my birth, life had been so unjust to me. But as he entered it, the hurt from my past evaporated into nothing, like if it simply didn't exist. He lowered himself upon the ledge and bowed his head gently in my direction. I could tell he was at a loss for words by the look on his face. But he had no idea that I had more to say. I gave him a small kiss on his forehead and pressed my forehead and nose against his. I allowed the tears to naturally fall down my cheeks as I continued,

"Thank you for getting tossed into my life, Hugo Shaw. Please accept my love as its eternal. And I'll accept yours as it's seeped so far in to my soul that it now runs in my veins. And now, in my belly . . ." I gently placed his palm on my belly, unveiling the concealed heartbeats. As he heard the heartbeats of his two pups, he gasped and broke down in tears.

"When . . how?" Hugo stuttered but the happiness on his face was evident.

"You know how" I stated with a sly grin. Hugo's hand never left my belly, and his smile never left his face as I recapped everything Rhea had told me. His eyes sparkled with so much love, and he was beaming with ecstasy.

"So that's what I've been feeling all this time? Pregnancy symptoms?" he inquired and I nodded.

"For all the times I've complained about you having the power to compel me. I take it back now. We're even, little claws" I smirked.

"I rather it be me than you ten times over. Thank you. . . thank you so much Talia " Hugo embraced me in his arms. In his embrace, I felt a sense of calmness. Our lives were just getting started. A future that he had promised being fulfilled. And a hostage that I captured who just refused to leave.

"Mine . . ." He exhaled.

"Yours" He tightened the hold as I grinned in response.

"Ours" He replied, placing his palm on my belly.