*** BOOK 3 ***

MINE TO CLAIM

This is Dominic Creighton's Story. Can you all guess who his mate is???

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PROLOGUE

Loud horns blare outside of the castle, alerting me that someone's attacked our home. Shuffling out of the bed, I cover my bump and march out of our bedroom in search of my mate.

The moment I step out into the brightly lit hallway, I spot people scurrying off, running in different directions, either trying to help themselves or to help their Alpha to secure the pack grounds.

"Luna Eva!" someone yells from behind me. I quickly turn around and watch Raoul make his way to me. He's panting a bit; I realize when he comes closer.

"What's happening?" I ask, caressing my belly, trying to calm myself. Raoul shakes his head a bit and then pulls me by my elbow towards the main hall of our home. I still don't understand why he's acting so weird but knowing that he's taking me to Lucian, I follow him briskly.

"You are in danger. A rogue has attacked our castle, especially your personal quarters. You have to run," he says while we march down the stairs in search of my mate. I try to link him but his mind is blocked. His aura has diminished from here, indicating that he's not here.

Almost on instinct, the royal mark on the inside of my forearm starts tingling. Rubbing my hand, I focus on my son's essence, trying to make out if Lucian's with him. I close my eyes and rest against the wall, trying to focus on the thin thread of my son, to find his location. Catching on to the thread, I squeeze my eyes when one of the twins' kicks inside my belly. Holding onto my abdomen with one hand, I clutch my head as I reach closer to tracking my son's trail.

Finally, confirming that he's with his father, I open my eyes and quickly start making my way towards the underground cavern made by my father-by-mating. I don't know where he is at this moment.

"Raoul, where's Adrian?" I ask, motioning him to follow behind me.

"He's out there, trying to hold off the rogues. He told Alpha Lucian to run away."

"My mate won't run away. It's wasted advice," I reply, shaking my head. Raoul doesn't reply, agreeing with me and then we silently walk towards the cavern. I keep caressing my belly as the kicking becomes more frenzied, making it difficult to walk. Stumbling once on the underground stairs, I once again close my eyes to focus on my son's aura. It's bright. He's here.

"Lucian," I whisper through the pain of being kicked in the stomach by my unborn children. Unable to take a step ahead, I take Raoul's hand when he offers it and let him pull me a few more steps so that we reach the opening inside the cavern.

"Eva!"

Lucian's voice echoes off in the cavern and I whip my head in his direction. I only breathe a sigh of relief when I see our son in his arms, appearing more confused than scared.

I wince when I feel another kick which makes Lucian run towards me. Placing our son on his feet, my mate makes his way to me and lifts me in his arms, providing a few minutes of respite by his touch. He sits down on the last step of the staircase and motions for Raoul to look after our son.

"We have to send him away, Luc."

Lucian looks at me when I utter those words, his eyes reluctant yet agreeing with me. If we keep our son here and the rogues make it inside the castle, the chances of our son's survival are very thin. I can't let that happen.

"You will have to go too," he whispers to me and tears spring up in my eyes when I think of what he's implying. I have to leave this place because if that rogue gets his hands on me, he won't let our babies survive and I'd rather die giving birth to them instead of dying with them inside my body.

"Okay. I've called Nora for me," I whisper.

"Good. Take him with you," he says and I shake my head. I can't risk him getting caught with me. "No, Luc. He cannot come with me. He needs to go with a wolf. Send him to Mystic Shadow with Raoul. He needs wolf guidance for his life, not a witch's presence," I explain while Lucian nods in agreement.

"Okay. I don't agree but okay," he whispers planting his lips on my head. Placing me beside him, he turns to look at our son who's being kept busy by Raoul.

"Anton, son. Come here." Our son immediately makes his way to us and I pick him up in my lap. My protruding belly makes it difficult but it doesn't stop me from embracing my son. This might be the last time I see him.

The thought sends a thick wave of pain through my heart and I hold him closer to my chest, taking in his scent and kissing his head, embedding him in my soul. Lucian pulls us all together and I get a feeling that this might be our last family hug. Our last meeting.

"Shh, my love. Do not panic. I'll not let anything happen to him," he promises and I nod, trusting my mate about our son's future. We sit like that for a few seconds and then I finally make up my mind to clear my son's memories. It will help him start a new life where he doesn't remember about his parents and the impending doom. I just hope that when the time is right, Nora will be able to give him back his memories by erasing my mark in his brain. She'll be the only one to do it if I don't survive in today's battle.

With a heavy heart, I wield the magic to cover my son's memories, making it so he doesn't remember any of us.

"Raoul, take him. He's Fenris from now on. Anton died in today's battle at the hands of the rogue. Take him to Zach and tell him to protect my son with his life," orders Lucian as he places our unconscious son in his arms.

But before Raoul can leave, I quickly take his hand in mine. I paralyze his body for a minute and then take hold of his head. Then, I use all my energy to remove his memory about my pregnancy. All the traces of my pregnancy, Lucian's protective behaviour about my conception and this last meeting. I alter it all together to make it look real but just remove the one thing from his memories, that is, my pregnancy.

If tomorrow my daughters survive without me then I want them to live without fear. Not in constant fear of this rogue. I know that today will be our downfall and I do not want my children to lose their chance at life because of their grandfather's arrogance.

This is not the time to blame, I know but it leaves a bitter taste in my throat when I think of how this war could've been avoided. It's late now; too late.

Deleting Raoul's memories of my conception, I give him a burst of energy so he can reach Mystic Shadow without being attacked by anyone. Placing a cloak of invisibility on my unconscious son, I kiss his head once and then turn away, unable to watch Raoul take away my son.

"They're gone."

I nod at Lucian's words and sigh in relief. That's when my body trembles and my legs feel weak. My lower body contracts in pain and then I feel warm liquid trickle down my thighs.

"Lucian," I whisper-scream, cursing at this bad luck. They are early by a month. "They are coming now."

"Shit. The Goddess is not supporting us tonight," he curses as he pulls me towards the secluded chamber. "Eva. We'll have to do this alone. I'm with you, all the way. Don't be scared please," he whispers but I can feel his own panic. Clutching onto his hand, I breathe through the wave of contraction and observe that they are quite frequent.

"They are coming now!"

"Yes, let me look," he says and then makes me lie down on the somewhat flat rock. I ignore the jabs of small indents in the rock as they pierce my back. The pain in my belly is more than those small nips. Lucian pushes my dress back and removes my underwear. I dig in my nails into the rocks beside me as blinding pain makes me scream in breathlessness.

Black spots dance in the line of my vision and I gasp, taking breaths after breaths as Lucian guides me to push. He's not a healer but at this moment, he's my only hope. I know he won't let anything happen to our babies.

"I can see the head, Eva. Push now!"

I am crying now at the intensity of the pain and the lack of comfort while delivering a baby. When I gave birth to Fenris, I was in a big room with fluffy cushions around me, my mate by my side. Two midwives were inside the room with me and two on standby because he was the first hybrid baby being born and we didn't know anything about it.

Somehow that time feels like a pleasurable experience. But now, I can hear the rogue's growls from above us. It means that they are in the castle now. This realization scares me and I try to push these babies out with more gusto. I have to get them out of my body. This way I can run away with them.

I collapse back on the rock when I hear the first cry of my baby. A healthy set of lungs. That's good.

"Eva! We have a girl here," Lucian exclaims with a thick voice and I cry my happy tears, even when the other one is pushing to come out. I watch as Lucian unbuttons his shirt to wrap our daughter in it. I didn't imagine that I would be giving birth in a cavern, on a rock with no towels or clothes around us to cover our babies.

"Give her to me," I whisper and lift my hand up, wincing as another wave of contraction hits me.

Lucian tears the sleeves of his shirt and wipes off the baby as much as he can before wrapping her up in the remainder of his clothes. Placing the baby on my chest, I wrap her up with one hand while the other digs into the mud and I let out another scream before pushing the second baby out of my body. This one doesn't scream or cry and for a moment, I panic.

"Is she okay?" I ask, trying to get up but my body doesn't comply. I am dizzy and weak as I feel the blood pouring out of my body. My head is swimming with the blood loss but the only thought in my mind is that the second baby is not crying.

"Wait a minute," Lucian says and then wraps her up in his undershirt. Lucian tears a good portion of my long gown which is not soiled in mud and helps wrap both of the girls, trying to keep them as warm as possible.

"She's not crying. But she's awake. She's very alert of her surroundings," he whispers in shock as he brings the other baby forward. Placing both of the babies in my arms, Lucian helps me raise myself a bit, my back resting against his chest as he sits behind me. His hands slide under mine, supporting the girls as my body is still trembling in pain.

Taking a few deep breaths, I have a good look at my babies. One has blue eyes and dark hair, like Lucian and Fenris. She has a pixie-like face; like mine but her eyes and hair are like her father. She's a wolf. I know it in my heart. She will have a few witch qualities too but her wolf will be the stronger part of her essence. Just like Fenris.

"We'll name her Sascha," I whisper, holding our elder daughter so Lucian can look at her. Lucian nods behind me, landing a kiss on my head and then lifting my arm which is holding Sascha to land a kiss on her head too.

Settling Sascha in the curve of my arm, I focus on my second daughter now. She's quiet, this one. She has silver eyes like me but what catches my attention is her head. When I first peeked at her, I thought she didn't have any hair. But taking a look at her closely, I spot that she does have hair; white hair. She has white hair. She's a witch. She's a complete witch like me because I have white blonde hair and silver eyes.

"Lucian, she's a witch!" Wonder seeps into my voice and from Lucian's shocked gasp, I know that he's wonderstruck too.

"Name her, Eva," his voice thick with emotion and I nod.

"We'll name her Nikita."

The moment I address her by that name, she looks at me. She looks at me with knowledge in her eyes and it's that moment when I know that this little baby will remember everything that's happening here today. She's a witch through and through.

All witches have a photographic memory. But there are some witches who remember everything. From the moment they come into this world, till the moment they die; they can remember everything. No witch can erase her memories and no witch can overpower her in a dual.

She's a pure soul, my daughter. Both my daughters are meant to bring peace to this world. Wherever they go, they'll make heads turn in wonder and envy. People will know that they are otherworldly. That they are meant to bring peace to their loved ones.

"Nikita will be a witch and Sascha will be a wolf, Lucian."

"Yes, my love. Thank you," he presses another kiss against my sweaty temples and I sink into his arms, gathering strength for our survival from his arms.

"Take all the energy you need, dorogaya," he whispers while squeezing me. I nod and close my eyes, letting his energy flow into my body and help boost me for a few hours at least. The moment of temporary peace is destroyed when a huge roar is heard right above us.

Lucian freezes behind me and then squeezes my arms before slipping out from behind me.

"Can you walk?" he asks and I nod, settling the babies in my arms and willing my sore body to comply. If I want to save my babies, I have to ignore my pain. Using some of my healing powers, I try to dull the pain as much as possible.

"Lucian-"

"Listen to me, Eva. You'll have to run. Take them and run away. Go to the human settlements. Try to contact Nora," he instructs while pulling me towards the opening of the cavern. He supports me a bit as I cross out of the rocky exit. Turning back, I wait for him but he shakes his head. The look in his eyes tells me that this is the last time I'll see him. My own eyes well up and I take a step closer to him. He closes his eyes once, his nostrils flaring.

When he opens them, they have turned black showing his distress, his wolf close. He pulls me closer with the babies squished between us and kisses me, hard. I kiss him back while my eyes overflow with tears. I want to hold him desperately but I can't because I am holding the twins. He understands it probably because he holds onto me tighter, squeezing me, embedding the feel of his touch in our minds. He pours all his love in our kiss and in my mind through our mate-link, making me whimper when he pulls back.

"Go, my love. Go. I'll try to keep the rogues from reaching you but you'll have to run fast."

He runs his fingers down my cheeks and then cups my face once before kissing my head. Turning his back to me, he walks back into the cavern and I am forced to run out of the wolf territory.

Stumbling on my bleeding feet, I reach the nearest human settlement, Autumn Valley, in the dead of the night. I turn back and look into the forest, knowing that I am being followed. Somewhere during the day, a few rogues got a whiff of my blood and since then have been following me. I've hidden our scent but that's the only power that I can use in this weak state. Due to excessive blood loss, I can't link to Nora.

The rogues don't know that I have two newborns, the Prince's daughters, with me and I have to keep it that way. I cannot let them get their hands on my daughters.

Using some of the energy, I have put the twins to sleep but they won't be sleeping for long. I have to leave one of them here, hoping that they won't find her.

Knowing that the humans living in this town only have dark hair, I quickly make my decision. These people are orthodox. They won't accept a baby with white hair and silver eyes. They'll sacrifice my baby for their religious shit. But they will not harm Sascha. She has dark hair; she will be safe.

Quickly making my decision, I run into the nearest home and enter the dark secluded lawn like area. The gate is open so I don't have to use any more of my powers. Ignoring the throbbing in my body, I start making my way into the house but when I do enter, I see only benches and tables.

What is this place?

Hoping that I can see the latest memory of this place, I place my hand on the wall and close my eyes. Sagging in tiredness, I clutch my twins in one arm and put the other on the wall and immediately the face of an old woman comes into my mind.

She's cleaning the benches and the tables.

Okay, so this is some kind of a diner. She's the owner, maybe. Thinking that this is a safe place for my Sascha, I quickly cast a spell on my baby. I rest my head against her forehead and peek into her mind, hoping that her wolf is alert enough.

Sascha is a newborn but her wolf might be a little alert. Fenris's was, too, which makes my belief a little stronger.

As if the wolf feels me peeking into Sascha's mind, she comes forward, trying to nuzzle into me. I send in my aura, showing the wolf that I am not here to harm them. I put a safety spell on my baby with her wolf watching so that she'll remember me.

Portraying my magic in the form of feelings and images, I request the wolf to stay hidden in my baby's mind. She's to come out only if there's a wolf around her. If not then she's never to show her identity, not even to her human side.

The wolf whimpers a bit, and a few tears escape from my eyes for causing this pain to her wolf. I plead to her. The wolf understanding her mother's dilemma agrees and releases a low whine, nuzzling me once and then resting in Sascha's mind.

Kissing my daughter's head once, I check if all the spells put on her strong to withhold at least by the time I can send for someone to get her back. Then, I leave my baby on the table, hoping that she lives a long and healthy life.

Clutching onto Nikita tighter, I literally run out of the diner otherwise, I might end up taking Sascha with me. I know I have to do it for her safety, but leaving my baby there in the hands of someone unknown, hoping that she will be safe from her own species; I give in to the urge and sob.

Weeping silently, I run through the town and away from the rogues, and think of a place where I can hide Nikita.

Because of her otherworldly appearance, she won't be safe in the human world. That leaves me with only one thought. I have to keep her with the supernaturals. But which one?

I can give her to Nora but she doesn't know that I was pregnant. We hid it to keep them safe from the witch as well as the werewolf world.

There's someone plotting against us. I knew it then and I know that today's attack on us was instigated by a witch. I know she is not alone, there's a wolf behind it too but there is definitely a witch helping him in this war.

I am so engrossed in my thoughts that I do not realize how close the rogues have reached me. I can hear their growls and the sniffing sound they make when trying to locate someone. Knowing that they are trying to sniff me out, I bind the cloaking spell stronger and slip into an alley.

Resting my back against the building's wall, I take in deep breaths to think of some way to protect us but nothing comes to my mind. Not knowing what else to do, I close my eyes and rest my head against the wall.

"Eva!"

"Lucian, what is it?"

I stand up straight on my feet, the moment Lucian's voice echoes in my head. Grabbing onto his life thread, I search for some clue. Is he well? Is he injured? But all I can come up with is that he's alive.

If I am one of the strongest witches in Recrania, then he's one of the strongest wolves in Recrania. He shows me only that part which he wants to show. I know he's doing it because he doesn't want to scare me but I am worried about him.

I want to believe that we'll live today and then live together as a family and not like this, scattered all over the human and wolf settlements of Recrania. But I know that it is not in our fates today.

"Eva. Fenris has reached Mystic Shadow. Where are you? Nora helped Raoul to transport them."

"I am in Autumn Valley. Rogues are following me. I kept Sascha in a diner where an old lady works. Nikita is with me."

"Okay. Run out of there, my love. They've caught your scent. Run," he literally growls the last word in my mind, commanding me to do so. And that's what I do.

With all my might, I run out of this place. I can't teleport. I am unable to teleport with the lowest of my energy. Excessive blood loss, physical strain and the trauma of knowing that my mate is barely alive is taking a toll on me. This is going to be my downfall today.

Catching up speed, I reach the forest and spot a familiar face. Feeling temporary relief, I let her see me and when she does, she immediately runs up to me, supporting my falling body with her own.

"Eva!"

Beatrix shock filled voice comforts me. She's my friend, my coven member. She'll help me.

"Bea. Help me. There's a rogue attack on our castle. Please," I whisper the last part when I feel all of my energy drain down. Watching Bea's face with hazy eyes, it's very late when I realize that she's not helping me. In fact, she's absorbing all the remaining energy from my body by placing her hands on my neck and waist.

"What are you doing, Bea?" I ask, my breaths laboured now as I try and hold on to my baby tightly.

"I am doing what is right, Evanora. You just ran into my arms. Made it easier for me," she laughs in my face as she then holds me and teleports with me, landing us straight inside the castle and right in front of Kestrel, my once friend.

She's not my friend anymore, not after she tried to steal Fenris from me a few months ago.

NO!

"You! You traitor!" I scream that in her face, holding a sleeping Nikita, trying to shield her from both the witches' view. They didn't know about my pregnancy, no one knew. But now they must have seen her and Kestrel will take her from me. Kill me. Kill her.

"I am not. You are. When you went and mated to Lucian, you committed treason. You are witch, not some werewolf's mate," Kestrel spits out vehemently and I can see her nails, raking on the walls beside her. Beatrix just stands there, watching the scene unfolding in front of her. No doubt she is brainwashed by Kestrel in the name of power.

"It's fate, Kestrel. You can't go against fate!"

"Fate, my foot! You will rot here in this cell when you feel that mate bond die. Then I'll watch you wither and die," she says smugly and I feel all the blood drain out from my face. They are planning to kill Lucian.

She wants me to confirm when my mate dies. She'll know because when the mate-bond breaks due to one of the mate's death, the other one is unable to focus. They lose all the strength and will to live. They become a shell of their former self.

And Kestrel wants to see me like that.

"I see that you had another kid with the wolf mutt," she hisses and I whimper, pulling Nikita to my chest.

"No, you aren't taking her from me. Please," I beg as I weep, not wanting her to hurt my child. Only the thought of Sascha being safe and unnoticed by these people keeps me from going hysterical.

Two of my kids are safe. And I'll protect the last one with all my blood if it comes to that.

"Oh, darling. Keep her till the time you are alive. After your death, I'll be the only hope for her," she coos in my ears, making my skin crawl in disgust. With those words, she leaves me all alone in this darkness with my sleeping child as the only anchor for me.

I know Kestrel has a thing for torture. She was like that since she was a child. Never did I imagine that she would use it on me and my daughter.

I try to link to Lucian but it doesn't work. I can't use any of my powers because this place is magically sealed. It has Lead Silver coated on the walls and the bars, trapping me inside and making me useless without my magic.

I don't know how much time passes by while I sit here, petting my baby who's now awake and looking around us. She's hasn't cried at all. She is alert though.

I am looking into those similar silver eyes when a slash of sizzling pain pierces my chest. I choke on my own saliva and my eyes widen in the knowledge that Lucian has been just delivered a fatal blow. A stab in the chest from which he won't survive.

I try with all my energy to link him but it all goes to waste as I heave in breaths, trying to breathe, praying to the Moon Goddess to save my mate.

The pain slowly fades away and leaves behind a dark void, so dark that I go blind for a second.

"NO!"

Screams never sounded so eerie but they are now and they are mine. I scream and cry, sob and weep, trying to call my mate back, to fill in the void, to fix the gaping hole in my mind. He's not there anymore. I don't have an anchor anymore.

"NO!"

This time as the scream echoes around me, I get up, holding Nikita in my arms and walk towards the cell bars. I keep my baby on the floor for the first time since she's born and use all my energy to push open the gates. Being a witch, I was not taught to use my physical strength but having a wolf mate changed my view of such things.

My mate trained me, secretly made me physically strong enough so that I can channelize it to break things. Thinking of the void that Luc left behind; I choke back a sob and focus on the bars. Using that strength, I break open the cell bars and haul Nikita up in my arms.

Running out of the cell, I take in the corridor of this dungeon. Where am I in the dungeon? That's the only thought keeping me coherent enough. I can die later but I have to do this first.

Looking to the left and then at the wolf's head carved into the pillar, I know that this is the turn from where I will reach the sacred chamber of roots. It's the place where the royal family's roots are embedded on the sacred wall.

Whenever a child of royal lineage is born; the name of that child is automatically carved on this wall. They say it's ancient magic that keeps an eye on the royal lineage. I had seen it only once with my mate when he gave me the right to access it with my blood.

Today, I know that I won't be alive tomorrow. And I know that my children will survive. They should have access to this wall, to know their family tree, their legacy.

I do not have Fenris and Sascha to give them this access as it is possible only through blood. So, I do the only thing that is possible at this moment.

I walk up to the wall and make a cut on my hand, letting my blood drip into the wall's pores. Stepping back, I wait for the wall to reveal my family tree, the royal family tree.

The words etched in gold appear on the wall and a sob leaves me when I see, Adrian and Lucian's name turns grey right in front of my eyes. This is the evidence that my mate is no longer alive.

I watch as Sascha and Nikita's name makes its way on the wall, embedded in gold. The most fascinating facet of this wall is that it gives a hint of the unmated royal wolf's mate. I watch in fascination as the initials of my daughters' mates appear beside them.

Besides Sascha's name, there's a line connecting her name to her mate's initial, that is an "A". Besides Nikita's name, I see the initial of her mate as a "D".

I thank the goddess that all three of my children are blessed with their soulmates and then decide to lock this wall with Nikita's blood.

After my death, she'll be the only one who'll be able to access this wall's script. Her blood can be used only with her consent for this magic to work. Knowing that my family's greatest treasure will be safe in Nikita's mind, especially when she'll remember it, I kiss my baby's head and make a cut on her forefinger.

The baby winces but otherwise doesn't react much. I hold her finger over the wall and let her blood flow, watching as the wall goes back to being dark without any inscriptions.

Knowing that I've done right even in the last few minutes of my life, I pray to the Goddess to protect my daughter's will and spirit. To not let her break under the rogues' and witches' torture.

"You can't run, Eva," laughs the witch as she makes her way towards me. I do not show the importance of this wall to her and let the tears flow as the loss of Lucian's soul from my body renders me weak and helpless. Thankfully she doesn't notice anything different about me or the wall and continues to cackle her evil laugh while I feel my heart slowing down, excessive blood loss and the lack of mate bond finally taking over me.

"Your daughter will be my slave and you will just be a memory."

Those are the only words I hear. My baby's face is the only visible thing in front of me before I lose consciousness and give myself to the darkness as life drains out of my body.

~~~~~

Hello readers!!!

Hope you all are doing well.

That was the Prologue of this story. It is a very long one but I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know how you felt reading it. Just a glimpse of what exactly happened on that doomsday.

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The 1st chapter update will be sometime next month as I am yet to begin writing it. I wrote the prologue and couldn't control my excitement so published it. If you find any errors, please comment on them.

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