The Hunter's Fated Child (Book 2 in the Hunter series.)

CHAPTER 4: TALKS BEGIN.

HOLLY

We pulled into the citadel, and the car came to a stop. I had a knot in my stomach. Ally came barrelling out of the front door and gave us all huge hugs. When it was my turn, I got my hug, but then she dropped to her knees and hugged my stomach too. “Hello baby. I’m your auntie Ally, and I can’t wait to meet you.” She gushed. At least someone was as happy about this baby as I was, I thought. Council Member Stark exited the door and greeted us. He was more solemn. “It’s good to see you. Although I hadn’t expected it to be so soon.” He said. We followed him inside, and he took us upstairs. Stopping outside of the guest rooms, he told us that we would be brought down soon. The board was eager to get started on the discussions.

Jake let us into the room, and I headed for the bathroom. It had been a long drive, and my bladder was about to burst. Once I was done, I began to open the door, but froze with it open a crack. I could hear Jake talking to someone. I couldn’t hear them, so I guessed that he was on the phone. It was his words that had made me freeze. “How long do we have before termination is no longer an option?” he asked. I couldn’t believe that he was even considering that. I would never let it happen. At that moment I was glad that I had set up that house. Honestly, during the car ride, I had begun to question myself. I Thinking that I was being silly. Jake loved me, and he would love our baby. Now, I stood there listening to him, making plans to end my pregnancy without even talking to me about it, I found myself doubting my mate.

Jake hung up the phone, and I emerged from the bathroom. “Who was on the phone?” I asked innocently. I wanted to give him the chance to come clean. “It was the pack doctor from Dawn Sky. The results of your latest blood tests came back. Everything is normal.” He said, looking at the ground. “Was that all she said?” I asked. He sighed and slumped down onto the edge of the bed. “No. I asked her about terminating the pregnancy if it came to it. I’m not saying that it will or that I want that, but I’m trying to be realistic. The Council could order us to.” He said sadly. I sat down next to him and reached for his hand, relieved that he wasn’t plotting something behind my back. “Jake, I don’t give a s**t if the Council orders me to end this pregnancy. I will not do that. This is our baby, not the Council’s. They don’t get to decide his fate.” I told him. He looked at me, shock on his face. “Holly, you can’t really be suggesting that we go against the Council.” He said. I looked at him defiantly “Only if they try to make me terminate.” I told him.

Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. I took a deep breath, this was it, this meeting would decide the rest of my life. We followed the Council Member who had come to fetch us downstairs. He led us silently to a door and opened it, gesturing for us to enter. The Council board members were sat at a long table, and our mothers and Ally were sat in chairs against the wall. We joined them, sitting in the empty chairs placed alongside them. Council Member Parker stood and thanked us for coming. “We understand that this must be a difficult time for you. Hopefully, by the end of your visit, a decision will have been reached.” He said. I just sat there thinking that he was right. By the time that I left the citadel, I would have decided whether I would be raising this child alone or as a part of Dawn Sky.

The talks went on for hours. They began with Council Leader Parker telling us about some of the instances of turned werewolves having children that he had discovered. “There was a young woman who was impregnated by a werewolf who had turned her and held her captive. She died horrifically during childbirth, and the child was a werewolf, but she could never access her wolf or shift. There is another instance of an Alpha impregnating a turned wolf. She had the baby in secret, and though she was fine, the baby was born deformed and did not survive. There are others, but I feel that these two are warning enough.”

Council Member Stark told them that he felt that the baby was a blessing, and the doctor’s journal should be considered proof that there was nothing to fear. He said that it was possible that those instances mentioned happened because the turned wolves were not with their true mate or hadn’t been marked. The Doctor’s journal explained that. Council Member Kennedy was concerned for my safety. He felt that having been turned rather than born, it might be more than my body could handle to carry and birth a werewolf baby. I assured him that Carrie was confident that we would be absolutely fine. I had her strength to get me through any rough patches.

Council Member Stanton was more interested in whether it would even be a werewolf baby. I was born human after all. He was concerned that the child could be merely human and yet would be heir to the Dawn Sky pack. He seemed genuinely disgusted by the idea. They argued back and forth with every council member getting involved to voice their own opinion. Council Leader Parker eventually asked me to speak. He wanted to know why I was so sure that having the child was the right thing to do. “This is my child, I will love him whatever he is, human or werewolf. I am his mother, and it is my duty to protect him from any threat, even before he is born.” I said firmly. Council Member Parker furrowed his brow and looked at me. “That was not the question that I asked Luna Cooper. How can you be so sure that this child should be born. Plus, given that you are still so early into your pregnancy, why are you so sure that it is a boy?” he asked. His voice was stern.

Shit!! I shouldn’t have said he. I wasn’t sure what to do next. I tried to say that I just had a feeling that it was a boy. He felt right. I don’t think that he was buying it. “There is something that you are not telling us. I fit is something that could help us to make a decision, then you must share it." he said. I gulped and began to fidget. "Very well, Council Member Stark, if you wouldn’t mind getting to the truth for us.” He said. I looked over at Council Member Stark in a panic. He looked unhappy but nodded and closed his eyes. I could feel the truth rising up inside me, It was the strangest sensation. I tried so hard to hold it in, but it burst out of me. The truth about the prophecy, Elder Harris’s warning, even my visit from the Goddess. It all flooded out. When I had finished talking, the room was silent. Jake suddenly broke into a huge grin. “You are both going to be ok. Better than ok.” He said, his voice full of joy. I smiled up at him. “Yes we are. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner. It’s just with Elder Ha...” I began, but he cut me off. “No apologies necessary. You did what was best for our child.” He told me. I threw my arms around him and felt such relief.

The door creaked open, and Elder Harris walked slowly in. I hadn’t even realised that Council Leader Parker had summoned him. Jake instantly stood up and offered Elder Harris his seat. It was accepted gratefully. Elder Harris gave me a kind smile and placed a wrinkled hand on my stomach with a chuckle. “He is a strong one.” He said happily. Council Leader Parker asked him about the prophecy, and Elder Harris confirmed it. “The prophecy states that a turned wolf, who was raised as a great fighter, will give birth to a son. He will be a great warrior, a hero. He will be the first werewolf king that we have had in centuries.” He said proudly. Council Leader Parker demanded to know why he hadn’t told them any of this sooner. “The prophecy comes with a warning that I should entrust only the child’s mother with this information. A warning that I fully intended to heed. However you have left me no choice. Listen well, this child is to be born. He is to be protected. He will bring peace to us all.” He said. I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. I was so thankful that he had spoken up for us. Right now, in this moment, he was my hero.