Chapter 12

Rose

"Rose," Tate moved over in my direction quickly, I barely noticed the move before he stood next to me.

"Can't you see that I'm in the middle of something?" I had been training again and loving it. It helped me get out the frustration of not being able to do much of anything else. Most of my time was spent at the house, under lock and key, so Term agreed to let me spend some extra time at the base.

"Rose! We've found him!" He started to shake me from the shoulders.

"Where are my parents?" If Marcus was found we could get him out. He could come home.

"They're on their way. Their collecting Mencheres and Spade. Vlad just left the house." He looked me up and down with a pained look on his face, "You need to get ready. We need you."

I could see his dilemma. I was obviously pregnant. I wasn't huge, but I was rounded enough that I needed to make sure that my clothes covered me. My fatigues might not fit so well. I might have to go into a home where the vampire wanted just that from me and to do it unprotect would be saying come and get me fangy boy!

Tate's problem was that he needed me for this, but morally wanted to leave me out. They needed me to listen in on the supernatural in the house and find out where they had Marcus stashed. It was no doubt a large home, vampires had unlimited funds and loved to lavish in it. It comes with the age. The team needed me for this.

I nodded.

"You just go in and listen. We do everything else. Vlad and Mencheres will stand your guard." He looked me in the eyes to make sure I fully understood.

"Yes, let me change and I want maps and satellites' of the property ready when Cat and Bones get here." I had no intention of sitting back and letting them do it all, but I would let Tate think that I did. "When they get here we'll go over everything."

Two tedious hours later we were all bent over my desk. Maps and aerial photos flanked it, "There will be people here, here, here and here." I pointed out the main guard points. There were four. He was covering his ass well.

"Those sods will be easy to kill. It's once we're in, Princess. I'm not worried." I looked up to see Bones watching me with anger and determination clouding his vision.

"If we can get Marcus out, without killing any of them, it would be the best option." Mencheres didn't even bother to look at the map. "It would prevent a war between our people and his."

"I am not looking to prevent a war, Mencheres! I want my son back into safe hands!" Cat glared up at Mencheres from the maps, "Did we forget the whole purpose that he wanted Marcus? He wanted to get to Rose. She's the more vulnerable one out of the two."

"I am not!" I hissed.

"Rose-" Spade cut Cat off before she could slip with anymore of her verbal diarrhea.

"I have to say, Sire, I'm on Crispin's side." He was quiet, but had solid purpose in his words. "His intent had been to get Rose. To change her, against her will and use her as a pawn in his own game. He knew that not only would her power strengthen as Cat's did, but she could conceive. He wanted not only her body, her soul. We all agree from past experiences that no man with such a thought should be left standing. He has had Marcus for 2 years now. We can't condone that. We need to get him out at whatever the cost."

"War it is then." Mencheres gave up his argument. "I will freeze the guards so we can get in unnoticed. You do what you will once we are in. I am here to protect Rosamond, as requested."

"They kidnapped your co-rulers son and you are planning to let them walk." Vlad scoffed. "He was of your line."

I could feel the power and anger flowing around the room it was harsh and bitterly angry. I let my power flow throughout the room reaching out my senses.

I reached for Mencheres' thoughts first and they hit me like a brick.

"War. You've seen a battle that your trying to prevent. Why?" I glared incredulously.

"Rose, you should not even be thinking about entering this home. If Termulous-" I cut him off, my voice more harsh than normal.

"No! You listen to me now! EVERYONE!" The thoughts floating around me were nearly too much to take, they all feared my child's safety, my safety, mixed with the building adrenaline from finding Marcus it was a steady stream of fear, anger and regret. "We are going in to get Marcus. We will do what we need for survival. If my baby was meant to be born in the middle of a war, then so be it. We will be getting my brother back… Tonight! Understood?"

"We? You don't even have a vest." Cat noticed at that moment, "You can't go in without one. It isn't safe."

"They don't fit, I tried." I glanced down at my black tank that tugged at the seems around the swell of my stomach. She was right, without a vest I was fully exposed to the dangers around me. There was nothing that I could do about it though. I had even tried Tates vest and it didn't cover me well.

"She will have Mencheres at her front and I at her back. No one will touch one hair on that child's head, Cat." Vlad nodded.

Cat's eyes grew wide, "Term doesn't know about this does he, Rose? He didn't even know that you were doing the trainings. He thought you had a desk job here."

"He doesn't need to know until it's over. We have enforcements from the team. With all our powers it's just a backup." All of the thoughts of further worry swam around me. "Now, how are we going to hide all of the energy?"

We admired Mencheres once again, as the four front guards floated 20 feet in the air above us and we were able to slide through with ease. It was too much ease to make me feel comfortable though. He had cloaked our powers so that no one could identify them so easily.

"Johan isn't here. They're preparing for his arrival home." I whispered to Bones ahead. Who was standing underneath a window to the sitting room.

He turned and nodded, "All the easier, princess. Have you heard from Marcus yet?"

I filtered through the mental ramblings of the vampires inside and found the fear and anger that made up my brother's thoughts. He was their guinea pig. They had him strapped to a bed with iv's in his arms. He had no idea what for. Only I could guess. We had Mencheres's blood running through us as our father did being his co-ruler. The blood was powerful. They were tapping him dry.

"There are about 7 vamps and 2 ghouls in the house. Most of them travel with him. I can sense Marcus. He's there. I just don't know where." I tried to tretch to find out where. He didn't even know.

"We need to make a move, Crispin." Spade grabbed my arm and started to tug me toward Bones.

"How?"

"I know." I looked to the men at my sides, then upon my mother's eyes. She seemed cool and calm on the outside, but she knew what could happen. Her mental ramblings weren't helping me. "I'll go up and knock on the door."

"You twee-" Bones started to snap.

"With Vlad, Mencheres and the element of surprise I don't need to worry. You guys can flank behind us." I shook my head at everyone's visual images of a quick death as soon as that door opened. "I need to find out where he is! Then someone can go after him and they can keep me safe. We need to do this now, while he isn't here!"

I moved swiftly to the door. Everyone was flanked behind me. Looking into all of their thoughts I didn't need to view their faces, I knew that the adrenalin was building heavily and everyone was green-eyed. I knocked on the door.

Adrenaline and power ran through the door as the Vampire slowly opened it. He looked from me to everyone flanked behind me. Taking in all of our faces he knew why we were here.

"It's true." He thought, "She really exists."

"Honey, it is true." Responding to his mental ramblings, my eyes shown green in his mind. "Where is my brother?"

"How did you get passed the guards?" He reached behind him to grab some form of weapon as Bones squeezed in at my side to hold him. He was quick, but Bones was quicker.

"Don't bother with that, Mate. Why don't you just tell me where my son is?"

He knew who we were and why we were there. As he took it all in suddenly his thoughts swam through a kitchen, up some stairs and down a hallway. He didn't know which door, but he assumed it was one of the industrial ones at the end.

Glancing past him I looked into house, it was huge, of course. This was going to take a few minutes.

"Bones, through the kitchen, take the steps that lead to a long hallway. Bring your toys, Tate it's industrial." My words were rushed. We needed to get out as quick as possible. Bones wavered a second then moved taking Spade and Tate with him.

"You are making a big mistake miss, coming in here with all of your friends won't stop Johan from getting what he wants. It will provoke him even more. He likes the fight." I could see his thoughts wavering to get help or to take us on his own.

The fighting began, with the man that had answered the door and moved fast from that point as more people came out from different directions. Mencheres stood in front of me and pushed people aside with his mental force field around us. While Vlad started to flame my mother began to fight the oncoming herd. She was amazingly beautiful as she fought. Like a warrior. I knew that I never looked that good in a throw down.

I closed my eyes and listened to all of the thoughts swimming around me. Everyone was trying to get to me, they wanted to keep me there, until their Master arrived. They wanted him to see me in this state. He would be there in minutes with backup. Backup? He knew?

"Vlad! He knows we're here!"

"What?"

"He knows. He knew we were coming. He has back up! Bones needs to hurry!"

I watched as Cat belted a male with a throwing star. Her aim was unparalleled. No one could be that good of an aim. Vlad ran up to her, twirling her around.

"You heard the girl! He knows we're here! Go and get your street urchin! Fly!" As he ordered Cat ran.

Two more came out of the drawing room, Vlad set flame to one while Mencheres tossed the other back, literally into the wall.

"Call now, Rose. He is coming." Mencheres spoke.

"They aren't back yet!"

"Call, you fool child!" Vlad shouted while bluntly elbowing a ghoul in the face.

"I can't leave him behind again." I listened for Marcus. He was with Bones now and getting healed before they came down. I pressed the button on speed dial. That would have the rest of the team here with a copter in minutes.

"Mencheres!" As Cat yelled from the kitchen entry the doors behind us burst open and I heard minor thoughts until they were cut off by the piercing scream. My scream. I suddenly felt a razor-sharp pain from my right arm that shot down to my ribcage.

An unfamiliar voice yelled, "I said no weapons, Damnit!"

I was unexpectedly airborne with 5 other vampires around me. Mencheres held me tightly while all of the other vampires encircled us. I was still screaming from the pain. I could barely hear what was being said around me.

"What the bloody hell was that, Crispin?" Spade asked.

"Silver in liquid form." Cat was the one to answer.

"From the base's arsenal?" Bones turned on her.

"We need to heal her." Mencheres shifted me in his arms.

Everything went black.

When I came to again the first thing that I noted was the heavy thumping of the copter's wings. I was safe. I was heading back to the base.

"Never again, Rose." A heavenly voice came to me.

"Marcus?"

"It's me. Damn chick, you've gone wonky! Whaty the hell were you thinking?"

"Stop quoting him." I glared at Bones, who was actually the firt one I saw when I opened my eyes. The second was Marcus in the corner getting bagged blood and iv's pumped into him. He was even drinking it strait from the bag.

"Let's get out of the trouble zone fist, then you can complain about Bones." Cat rolled her eyes and continued on.

"We're still in the radius?" I shot up as no pain radiated at all. I had been healed. That's probably why Bones was leaning over me.

"Relax, Princess. We only have another minute."

I looked down at my arm and side. It was fully healed, but blood saturated my clothes. My stomach suddenly felt queasy.

"That hurt hell." The adrenaline and blood had caught up to me just as fast as it had all happened. I vomited the blood I had been given to heal.

"My blood worked alright, but it made her sick."

"You think?" I heaved again.

"Rose, how could you be so stupid?" Marc moved to sit next to me, pulling his iv with him. His large brown eyes watched me as his forehead creased. "Your pregnant."

"Had. To. Save. You." I heaved. Vomiting.

My phone started to vibrate and in the midst of everything around me I pulled it out and chanced a look. Term. It was Term and I couldn't pick up. He would be able to hear the copter in the background. I pressed the silence button to send him to voicemail.

After he left a message I looked at my phone again.

"He's called 17 times in the past 30 minutes. How could I miss that?"

"You were out cold." Cat shrugged.

"He knows." I mumbled. There was no way that I was going to listen to all those messages he had left me.

"You think so?" Bone's cocked a brow at me.

"Lye down and rest, Sis. You need it."

I decided to go home on my own. Knowing Term would be livid. There was no way that my actions had gone unnoticed when I hadn't come home at 5pm he lost it, it was now 3 am.

When I walked in to the house seven sets of angry eyes watched me. Term was standing in the entry. The deadly stare he gave me was truly that. He was NOT happy. His hands were balled into fists at his sides and his body rolled in tremors. He looked as though he would have killed me if I wasn't pregnant.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He yelled.

"I helped get my brother out, everything is fine." I kicked off my shoes and dropped my purse on the floor.

"You went in there and pulled him out!" He advanced toward me with a predatory look in his eyes. "YOU!"

"I had Vlad and Mencheres protecting me. I didn't fight!" I couldn't bring myself to meet his deadly glower.

"Do you have any idea what you put me through?" His voice became cold steel.

"Term, it's my job."

"Don't talk to me about jobs, Rose! I'm Alpha and you are the only one who doesn't understand that! Paperwork? You told me you were doing paperwork!" He backed me against the wall. I actually felt weak and powerless for the first time in my life. I felt human as I cowered under his stare.

"I am not one of your wolves. I don't answer to you." As soon as the words came out of my mouth one of his hands moved up and gripped the shirt around my stomach so tightly that I could feel his fist pressed against the taught skin. He shook it as he yelled.

"As long as your pregnant with my child you answer to me, Rose! Me! That's my baby! Part of my line!"

"Mine too!" At that comment he put his fist into the wall, next to my head. I started to cry.

"Whoa-whoa, Man! Calm down," Regulous grabbed him and pulled him back calmly.

The other 4 brothers and Courtney stood between the two of us as Term started to pace in the entryway. "That was uncalled for." I didn't deserve that. I was terrified of him at this moment. He could physically hurt me just as much as any vampire could. The worst part was that I loved him and with the physical pain would come the mental.

"Really? Really?" He shouted and tried to get into my face, but was held back. "What's uncalled for, ROSE, is the fact you keep endangering your life and this time you did it while you were carrying my child. Our whole future as a pack!"

"I was never in any danger." I lied. I had changed my clothes, so he wouldn't know.

"You could have been! Then what? Huh? No you! No baby! I would loose it all at once, Rose! My whole family in one shot! Just one!" He held up a single shaking finger as he screamed at me.

"I'm sorry." Reality suddenly hit me. He was right, he could have lost us. Both of us.

"It doesn't matter now, Rose! The damage is done! You don't think of anyone's feelings, especially mine. Tell me why I should think of yours right now?"

"I love you ,Term." I spoke quietly. As the tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Apparently not enough!" He turned his gaze to the floor, his voice quieting. "You have your family back now, you have what you wanted. You obviously don't need our protection anymore. We're leaving. Pack, it was an order!" He walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

"No!" Courney looked around and started to cry. "He can't mean it. What about Rose? The baby?"

"I'll go talk to him. He needs to cool down." Regulus fallowed Term's direction.

Term

Running from the house, I shifted. I had to hold it back in the house around Rose. I could have killed her if I had. I couldn't help the tremors that had run through my body as my anger built. The only thing that kept me calm was the fact that she was afraid. Afraid of me.

The fear was that I felt I was going to hurt her, it resonated in her eyes. Her face burned in my mind as I ran. I had terrified her. She was scared, of me. The man that loved her.

I could feel Reggie shift as I saw his last view of Rose. She had curled herself against the wall as she sunk down to the floor crying. Reggie had been the only one to shift. He was determined stop me.

"You can't do this, Term! She needs you!"

"I gave an order! Where are they?"

"You need to go back to your pregnant fiancé. I know you hurt her and you hate that, but you need to come back for her."

"You are not fallowing my orders!"

"Fuck your orders, Term! I know your hurt, I can feel your anger, but don't take it out on her. Not now! She's having your baby. You need to be there for her!"

"I almost hit her! She was terrified!"

"But you didn't. You were able to control yourself, which is more than I could say if I was in that situation."

"I could have shifted and hurt her. It's time to go! Get the pack and get home!"

"How do you expect we will get home?"

"Run!"

A growl escaped him. "I can't believe your doing this to her! You still love her!"

"Stay out of my head and get the pack! We. Are. Leaving!"

"Bullshit! What about Mom?" I saw the hope in his thoughts, the hope that was shattered when he realized my resolve.

"Mom is not in my pack. She will do as she chooses. Get the pack and head out. NOW!"

He howled and watched as the other 5 came out to the large porch. The pain filled him as he could still hear Rose in the house crying. It was written over their faces, they didn't want to come.

She needed time, we all needed time. "I will come back when the baby is due."

"It doesn't matter, your leaving her now, when she needs you the most." He began to run. "She won't take you back after this."

As everyone shifted I could feel their hurt and rage. Their compassion for her. Their hatred and disgust for me grew heavily as the minutes passed.