The Imperial Wolf Series Books 1-3
Chapter 73

Kate POV

Desire is dead. Alexander is dead. Vampires seem to be dropping like flies around here. Isabella is still standing. Thank goodness. I need her here with me to help me sort this out.

Before the fight, Isabella sat with me, she held my hand and talked to me. Her words seemed to soothe my soul. I want her help and Erick's. I think I do, anyway. I think Isabella can help me sort all of this out.

When I saw myself in the mirror earlier, I noticed how different I looked. I realized something is wrong with me and I have to stop it. My mind is going a thousand places and I have no idea how to fix any of this. My focus needs to be on my baby and not on revenge. Isabella seems to know what is happening. She never wanted to hurt me or my child. Something inside wants revenge, but there is something else that wants to end all of this and return to normal. Alexander manipulated me. I think every single person in my life is manipulating me. They all want something from me and my baby. I need someone I can trust. I think that someone is Isabella and I hope Erick too.

When I saw Erick running to help me, I felt him. I felt his love and I wanted his help. The white wolf wants me for something, I can feel it. I can feel the hate and the power. There is so much power coming from the white wolf into me. It hurts me. It is dark. I do not want to go to the darkness. I just want to be normal.

Seeing Erick as I saw him when I first meet him reminded me of our love. It reminded me of how much he fought for me and to be with me. He would never hurt me. Wait! But he did hurt me. Why did he hurt me? I have to talk to Erick.

I get out of the bed. I am in Cassie's room. I walk out of her room and into the living room. Erick is sitting in the living room. He looks distraught. He must trust me again, because he did not change me.

Erick looks up and sees me. He smiles and I smile back at him. He rushes to me. "Kate," he whispers.

"Yes," I answer him. His hand goes to the back of my head, and he pulls me into him. He holds me tightly and cries. The big wolf is crying.

"I am so worried for you, my love," he sobs into my hair. His cries are loud as he holds me so tight.

"I am okay, I think. I do not know. I am hurting and in pain, but I am also confused," I say to him.

"It is okay, we will figure this all out. I am so happy you are okay," Erick says. He continues pulling me close to him. I am afraid he will not let me go.

He lets my head go and looks into my eyes. "Your eyes look normal again," he says as he leans into kiss me.

I can feel his tears touch my face as he kisses me. This big bad wolf crying as he holds me. How could I ever think he was out to hurt me? How could I accuse him of such horrible things?

"I am so sorry, Erick. I am sorry for everything," I say to him.

"None of it matters. All that matters is that you are okay, now," Erick says. His hands move down my body. His touch. How I have missed his touch.

"Where is baby Belle? Can I see her?" I ask him.

Erick nods his head. "Yes, she is coming home to us, to be with us. Isabella had gone to get her for us. She will be back soon," Erick says.

"Is Cassie, okay? I know I hurt her. I remember attacking her. She is my friend and I tried to kill her," I cry.

Cassie has always been there for me, and I went after my friend. I tried to kill her by letting the white wolf attack her. Why did I believe the white wolf?

"We can move past this, it will take time, but we can. We are going to help you move past all of this," Erick says to me. He pulls me into him closer. I lay my head on his chest and I cry hard into him.

"I cannot believe the things I have done. Why are you forgiving me?" I ask him. I grab Erick's chest and sob, letting out so much pain.

"It was all my fault, I caused this. I was so furious with you for leaving that I am acting like an arrogant asshole. I was wrong. I was so wrong, Kate. I should have never taken baby Belle from you," Erick says.

I think back to leaving and why I left. "I thought she was in danger. Alexander told me she was in danger. Oh, my damn! I killed Alexander. I killed my father!" I cry.

Erick and I melt into each other, and he tries to soothe my soul. I do not think he could pull me any closer to him. He is trying to heal my broken heart and take my pain. He cannot take the pain the white wolf left in me. I know the wolf is not gone; she will be back. I have no idea when or why all of this is happening to me, but I know the white wolf is not done with me, yet.

"If it makes you feel any better, we were on our way here to kill him, but you beat us to it. You just left us the mess to clean up," Erick says.

I chuckle. "Yes, that makes me feel better about the situation. I am sorry about the mess," I say.

I pull away from Erick. He looks down at me and smiles. His smile. I have missed seeing his smile. I have missed everything about him. Is he finally choosing me and baby Belle? Was I wrong? Has he always put us first?

I stare into his eyes. I want to tell him everything I am feeling. I want him to know everything I know about the white wolf and what the white wolf told me.

"I have some things to tell you, Erick," I say to him.

Erick looks behind me. "Isabella is back with our baby," Erick says.

Erick lets me go. I follow him to of the house to see my baby. Isabella is getting out of the truck with baby Belle. She carries her past Erick and straight to me.

"Your daughter, Luna Kate," Isabella says as she hands her to me.

I take my daughter and I look at Erick. "I am no longer the Luna of this pack; I am only an omega. You do not have to address me as anything other than Kate," I say to her.

Baby Belle looks at me and smiles. She is so precious. How I missed you my sweet little baby. I hold her close to me and walk into the house with her. Erick and Isabella follow me but not too close. They give me space to be with my daughter.

I go up the stairs to our bedroom. I lay her in her crib. As I sit her down, she transforms into a wolf before my eyes. "Oh shit!" I exclaim.

Baby Belle leaps out of her crib and back to me. She nuzzles me and lays on my chest. I pull her close. She returns to her human form. I hear Erick coming to check on us.

"I will not bother you, but I wanted to make sure you have everything you need," Erick says.

I am holding my daughter, of course, I have everything I need. I am scared for her. I am afraid for her. She should not be shifting into her wolf form; she is too young for this. "Erick, she shifted into her wolf form," I say.

Erick moves closer to me and sits with me and baby Belle. "She is doing that a lot, but I hope with her mother back with her, it will slow down for her. Maybe you can help her with that," Erick says.

"She is too small to shift. Did I cause this? Will this hurt her?" I ask Erick.

Erick shakes his head and takes my hand. "We will figure it out, we always figure things out. Maybe we can figure this out without a body count," Erick says.

"Yeah, maybe," I say.

Erick and I sit with baby Belle, we are almost like a family again. I know he is scared for me and everything that has happened. I cannot expect him to trust me with our child right away. Hell, I am not sure I trust me.

I am afraid I will hurt someone again. I do not feel the white wolf anymore. I am not stupid, I know the white wolf did not just vanish, she is still around, waiting for me. She will return for me and take me with her to hell.

I look at Erick. He looks so happy but anxious as he sits with me. "I was wrong, Erick," I blurt out at him.

Erick looks at me strangely. "What do you mean you were wrong?" Erick asks me.

"I should have come to you. I should not have run with baby Bell. I should have trusted you and the pack. I do not deserve to be your Luna or your wife. I will give you a divorce if you want one. I will stay here, and we will raise baby Belle together then I will leave and never come back," I cry.

Erick grabs me pulling me to him. "No, you did what you thought was right. I should have trusted your judgment. You are her mother, and I should have known you would not hurt her," Erick says.

Baby Belle is watching us sort out our emotions. I can feel the darkness leaving my body slowly. I am starting to feel like myself slowly as I admit what is bothering me. I cannot hold back.

I turn to Erick. "I have to know about you and Cassie. I need you to tell me if what the white wolf showed me is true. I will not be angry. I just need to know so I know where we stand," I say to him.

Erick puts his arms around me. He kisses the top of my head. "Nothing happened between Cassie and me. I am sorry that you felt it did because it did not. Cassie is like a sister to me, and she is your friend. I would never betray you, Kate. You are everything to me. Can't you see that?" Erick asks me.

I lay my head on his shoulder. "I love you, Erick. I promise you that I do. The wolf showed me images of the two of you together and it broke me. I could not believe that you would do that to me," I cry. "Whatever the white wolf showed you, get it out of your head. You are the only one for me, Kate," Erick says to me.

Baby Belle falls asleep in my arms. "Can you lay her in her crib for me?" I ask Erick.

Erick takes baby Belle from me. He lays her in her crib and covers her up. "I can sleep downstairs tonight. If that is what you want," Erick says to me.

I reach out and touch his hand. "No, I want you here with me," I say to him.

"I think I would like that," Erick says to me.

"Me too, Alpha," I say to him.

"You are still my Luna," Erick says to me. Erick leans down to kiss me. His kiss is electric. I can feel his love pouring through my body healing everything that is broken.