Chapter 28
Author's note: My Feral Lady is now available on amazon! I did the same as I did with Fur and Fangs! Just a change in character names. It has 39 chapters. You can go pick it up to read those chapters early, but in the meantime, I will be posting one or two chapters a week. The book is really just for those who have enjoyed and want to support what I have been doing here. I have put a lot of energy and love into this story, and getting a couple of extra bucks through publishing the book means a lot, and helps ensure that I can continue writing like this! Link is on my tumblr : hopefulbadgerjunara of course.
Just one more thing to worry about
"Omega! Omega? Is omega the answer we are looking for here?" Freya sighed. "Yeah, I didn't expect it to be that easy, but ya could have given me a break!" She screamed at the nothing that surrounded her. "Figures." Freya rolled her eyes, wiping her bleeding leg clean like it could actually do anything to prevent her from getting an infection back in the real world. "Well, this is something at least." She shrugged, finding a comfortable place to sit and settle in for what she figured would be a much longer conversation than what it actually ended up being. She was careful to grab the cleanest bar rag she could find. Keeping it all clean could at a minimum provide some psychological benefit, or that is what she told herself at least.
"Ok, so what about Cat? What she has to say about all this?" Freya grabbed a second cloth to bite on as she began marking herself up in sloppy pained strokes. "Fuck! What are they doing back there, throwing salt in it the second I cut?" She whined to herself at the pain."
It wasn't long before she could feel the reply, the news hitting her hard, but bitterness soothed the blow significantly. The omega had sent her there to get trapped after all, so sympathy was in rather short supply. "Ok then, what about omega…"
Once more the answer came quick and with an inordinate amount of pain for the cuts that shouldn't have been so painful given the shallow depth. "Don't know, find out? Really? That's it. Thanks sis, what a thorough help!" She huffed and rolled her eyes, irritated that she would have to ask such an obvious question, but that didn't change that she had absolutely zero better options. "Ok then, got any fucking ideas." She shortened it when it came to carving the letters into her flesh, it suddenly didn't feel quite as necessary to curse at her sister when she had to feel searing pain to do it.
"Ok ok, come on, come on." Freya threw the extra rag back into her mouth and in between her teeth to bite, pull, and scream into it. It was childish to make such a fuss over it, she knew, but with no one to judge and no reason not to indulge in anything that could make her time in this realm more bearable. She would let it slide for now. "Damnit." The necromancer complained, a reply only realistically taking an extra thirty seconds, but feeling like hours had passed.
"Mom? What about mom!" Freya grumbled impatient as she watched the letters appear on her leg. "Mom's… Mom's library!" There was something overly satisfying about guessing it right in only a couple letters. "Mom's library?" She questioned no one again as she attempted to work out her thoughts allowed. "I mean, maybe there's a version of it here? God, I mean, if there is info on wolves… mom would be the one to have it after what she had to do to her sister. But…" She paused. "Got it!" Freya cheered before carving her response and beginning with attempts to navigate towards wherever it may be that the nether's remnants of that library remained.
"Is she telling us to rock on? That looks like she is telling us to rock on?" Sam's head twisted in confusion to such a degree that it cracked loud enough to send shivers down both of the other women's spine. For a half-second Alex even thought that Sam had just gone and snapped her own neck in half.
"You know what this means?" Alex's pitch approached dog whistle as she attempted to understand.
Kriss giggled and cracked a comforting smile.
"You actually know what this means?" Alex checked.
"I mean, I'm pretty sure it means rock on. It's a crude drawing, but that is totally a hand giving devil horns."
"No Sam." Alex swatted Sam's arm with the force of a pat. "It isn't a hand. It's gotta be something with some secret necromancer meaning or something."
"No, no. It's certainly a hand and devil horns." Kriss smiled serenely.
"Wait really? I was joking."
"Geez, sorry, I guess you were right babe." Alex shrugged dumbfounded.
"Yeah. It's a sign our mom taught us to use. Devil horns with the thumb in for if we are safe, thumb out for if we are scared or in danger. At first, it was just a thing for my anxiety as a kid, but when we got older and she told us about all the supernatural stuff, it got kinda co-opted to that as well."
"Aww. That's adorable." Alex cooed. "Well, the first bit, not the bit about her feeling like your life may be threatened. But still."
Sam leaned over and kissed her mate, appreciative of the happiness on her face.
"Yeah. I got easily overloaded when I was young. It helped a lot. Freya knew seeing it would calm me down. That's why she said that instead of something simpler like just a k or something." Kriss explained.
"So what now?" Sam pondered aloud.
"Now we take a breath and trust her. I think her husband deserves a heads up on her condition. I know he was stressed and just trying to keep their daughter occupied and away from all the mess down here. I want him to know that things are getting better. That we have a plan at least."
"Please do. He deserves to know that she is safer." Sam asserted, understanding Freya's husband and the fear he must be feeling.
Alex nodded politely in agreement.
"Ok then, holler if we have any progress." Kriss waived as she turned to head into the back and up the stairs.
"Will do." Alex called back.
Sam gave a short pause, waiting until she heard footsteps on the stairs peter out before moving behind Alex and hugging her from behind. "I am not a good person." Her heavy words slipped with a heft from her lips.
"What? Love what are you talking about? You are a wonderful person."
"But I am not a good person." Sam squeezed, one hand falling down to Alex's belly and caressing it.
"Yes, you are!" Alex's tone was almost frustrated. "Now, why on earth are you saying anything to the contrary?" The omega centered herself, soothing her hand down over Sam's.
"Because!" Sam huffed into Alex's neck.
"Because?"
"Because I am happy!"
"Happy?"
"Exactly!" Sam's arms tightened around her omega.
"Now don't get me wrong, I want you to be happy, but… Why are you happy love?"
"Because it wasn't you. You weren't the one who got trapped in there. I am happy it isn't you. That I don't have to worry about what to tell our daughter."
"Oh love." Alex sighed, her hands wrapping around one of Samantha's squeezing it tight.
"I love you." Sam braced herself.
"I love you too, and if the roles were reversed, I would be happy too. I… I am happy. I am happy I am here. That I have my mate holding me close."
Sam snorted out a hefty alpha breath, sniffing up Alex and kissing along her neck gently.
"I never got the chance to take that test last night." Alex shrunk into the embrace.
"I know."
"Everything has been so busy."
"I know."
"I need to know. I… I think that is why my mom did what she did. Trapping Freya there." Alex paused and Sam hummed an acknowledgment. "I think she was afraid that what happened to her would happen to me too. That without my powers there would be no getting back out like she did."
"I have it in my car if you are ready. We remembered to stop on the way home from the zoo, but I forgot to bring it in lieu of making sure Gayle didn't try to escape or attack or something." Sam bit her tongue before she said more or pressured Alex in any one direction.
"You do?" Alex's voice caught in her throat and she clammed up in Sam's embrace.
"I do, if you want. I know it is kinda a… well, a personal thing to do, especially considering it is just pissing on a stick. But I understand if you aren't quite comfortable doing it when we aren't home." Sam Snuggled at the omega gently in an effort to comfort.
"Yeah. You are right, it does feel rather personal; embarrassing?" Alex attempted to put words to her complex and conflicting emotions but felt like she was coming up short with her descriptors. "Never really expected that I would have to do this; to feel this."
"I understand." Sam assured calmly. "It's scary."
Alex nodded and the words just slipped out before she really thought about it much. "How do you know so well?"
Sam snickered lightheartedly. "Well, there is the fact that I've been through it before. But also, I know you pretty well, and I'd like to think I have a decent idea of how you react to certain things."
"God! I! Uugh, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking. Of course, you've been through this. Ruby." Alex sunk her face into her hands to hide the shame of her forgetfulness.
"Yup. But also that was very different in a lot of ways."
"How so?" Alex peaked between her fingers.
"First off, I was pretty much a kid myself at the time, and I wasn't ready in the slightest. Having; keeping Ruby meant losing my home, my family. It meant I wasn't allowed to be a kid for one more day after she arrived."
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok. I found the pack. Raymond for all his misogynistic patriarchal flaws made sure Ruby and I had a home and never missed a meal. Found me a job with one of the other wolves until I was on my feet and could take care of myself. Then, then I found this adorable bartender. She helped me with my daughter, and she made me smile."
Alex giggled and turned around still in Sam's arms. "I think I know how the story goes from there."
"I think you do too. But that wasn't so much the point."
"I got the point." Alex pouted and curled up into Sam, resting her head on the other woman's chest for the comfort and warmth it gave her.
"You are ready. We are ready. There is nothing to be scared about if we do-"
"How can you say that?!" Alex restrained the urge to scream, half by actually containing her voice, and half by intentionally muffling it into Sam's sweater.
"How can I say that?" Sam took a half step back.
"Cat just died trying to protect us. Isn't that what you said? Minutes before that she had sent me away into some other dimension or something to potentially be trapped. We just today found Jess again! But Eve apparently got away? Again? Baby, I love you. I know you are a strong and experienced wolf, that you are an alpha. But the only reason you didn't lose to her last month was because it was on the night of a moon. We aren't ready at all! What about us is ready?" Alex was working herself up more than anything else.
"We have a safe home-"
"No, we don't! Even without an invasion or an assault, we don't have a safe home! There are two feral wolves in my basement by now, and a vampire holding up residence, one who until very recently was hostile!"
"We will find a way to fix the feral wolves."
"What if we don't tho?"
"We will." Sam's confident tone almost only aggravated Alex.
"How do you know that tho!?"
"Because, I know you, I know Lena, and I know me."
Alex's dubious gaze challenged Sam for elaboration.
"You and Lena won't rest till you make sure Kara is ok and safe. And me? I won't rest until our child, or children are completely safe."
Alex was still anxiously panting and shaking slightly with worry.
"Baby, I love you, but you are wrong. I know we have certain challenges, right now especially, but Ruby, and anything that may or may not be growing in there, not only will they be safe. More importantly, they will be loved." Sam moved back in to hug Alex once more. "I promise. It will be alright"
"Ok." Alex relaxed into Sam.
"Uugh, ok what?" Sam worried exactly what Alex meant.
"Go grab the test. I'll chug some water or something."
"You sure?"
"Yes, and I'd rather do it while I still have the courage." Alex pulled Sam closer, ignoring the fact that in order for her mate to go get the test she would have to move.
"Ok love." Sam patted Alex on the shoulder and pried the omega's arms off of her before heading off to the car. Alex did just as she said, grabbing a large glass of water and downing it with what was probably far too much haste. Overly hastened or not, the glass of water did the trick and by the time Sam had returned, she needed to go somewhat desperately.
"Do you want me to go with you? Hold your hand while you do it or something? If I am honest, the one time I've had to do this, I would have killed for someone to be there for me." Sam paused for just long enough to see the hint of a 'you are into that?' look form on her mate's face. "I! Just! I know how scary it can be. You know?"
"When you put it that way, then, yeah. I could really use the hand. But come quick, I need to pee now!" Alex gave a half laugh and smile back to Sam while blushing. She took Sam's hand and ran over to the bar's bathroom.
The alpha acted as politely as she felt she could, gently holding the tips of Alex's fingers. "I won't watch or anything. I'm just here for support."
"It's not like it is anything you haven't seen before." Alex distractedly squeezed at Sam's hand. She fumbled getting her pants down with one hand. It was a much harder task than one would expect. Tedious or no, Alex managed to get her pants down and sit, placing the stick and the box instructed with fleeting hope of avoiding excessive splatter onto her hand. Her head finally tilted down and away from Sam towards herself to work on aim and placing as best she could. Then she saw it, and her heart sank right down out of her chest. For how it felt, her heart might as well have been flushed away down to the sewers.
"Babe? You ok?" Sam worried after hearing a disheartened, almost broken sigh from her mate. She wanted to turn around and look to Alex, but she resisted, not wanting to embarrass her mate any further.
"I…" Alex half whimpered, staring at her panties.
"Love talk to me." Sam felt Alex's hand pull back and her restraint broke; Sam turned back to see the red stain at the center of Alex's panties and even onto her pants. "Oh… love. I'm sorry."
"I…" Alex didn't have words.
"It could just be spotting? That is a thing right?"
"This is more than spotting. This must-have started when I was still passed out."
"Love, I'm sorry. It will be ok."
"Yeah, it's fine." Alex threw the test back in the box and wiped away her tears. "I just need a tampon."
"I, of course." Sam stood awkwardly looking around.
"Please leave. Go get me a tampon." Alex pushed a little harshly.
"Ok." Sam turned away, sensing the chilling shoulder and not wanting to upset Alex any further.
Alex rushed to do her business and futility strived to clean up her panties with an abundance of toilet paper which only served to nearly dissolve in her hands and spread the stain and blood around. "Great." Alex huffed, tossing the messy wad of toilet paper and menstrual blood between her legs into the bowl. She sniffled and went to wipe tears away before they formed, only to realize she had most likely spread it all over her face. "Goddamnit!" She lost the will to keep her head up and allowed it to drop in a near ragdoll esque fashion.
Alex was crying when Sam returned, tampon in hand. "Oh! Baby, baby. It's ok. We- we can try again soon! It's ok." She attempted to comfort, kneeling next to her mate while running one hand over her back.
"It's not that… well, it is, but it isn't only that." Alex sniffled and wiped her face clean as best she could.
"Then what is it my love?" Sam leaned in, kissing at Alex's shoulder.
"This means my mom wasn't just protecting me; what she did to Freya, it was out of spite. She isn't the woman I thought she was."
Sam was speechless. She had absolutely no idea what to say or how to comfort her mate. In her dearth of ideas, she forfeited and just held Alex close.
"It's, it's nothing. Just another thing to accept and move on, just like everything else."
"Love."
"It's fine." Alex did her best to clean herself up both above and below before taking the tampon and inserting it as quickly as she could. Once done, she rushed to her feet and over to the bathroom's sink to clean her hands and face.
"Baby, please, talk. Don't shut me out like that."
"What is there to talk about? It is just another hellish thing to have to deal with on my plate which is already spilling over with others."
"Alex, it can be easier if you are not striving to do it all on your own. So please, please just talk to me."
"Uugh guys? Where'd you go? There's another message!" Kriss could be heard from outside the bathroom.
"Great, just one more thing to worry about." Alex rolled her eyes and shook the water off of her hands before heading back into the fold.
End of Chapter 28
Wanna see chapters early? Maybe even choose my next one-shot? Check out my tumblr:
