Rising From The Ashes (Book 2 Of The Blood Moon Saga)

"I have called and he will come.

I am the Banshee and he my one. he will come to save me from the evil ones,

I have called and he will come."

"the hound of hell is the only way. He will come, burn, destroy and defeat,

I'm his Banshee who he will soon meet.

When he comes they better run,

Because I have called and he will come.

our souls intertwined as we become one.

Together The queen will rise and with her, her king,

the Banshee and her hellhound will live as one"

The video ends but I just stand there in complete shock

"What does this mean?"

Drake asks, I look at him to answer

"It means she's the Banshee and he is her hellhound.

---------------------

Drake just blinks at me, like he had no idea what to say yet I could feel the anxiety through our bond.

I step forward taking his hand

"It's ok, it's going to be fine"

"Yeah we will figure it out man, we have an entire library full of books, we will find something in them"

Ben tells him, I nod in agreement

"Yeah. We will find this boy and he will help us save her. I can feel it in my gut"

I add, his eyes snap back to me as he takes a steady breath

"Your right, we will figure it out"

He chokes, pulling me into his arms and placing a kiss on my head before he sniffs my hair, his body relaxing against me as I hold him.

"So what next?"

Fiona asks drake, we all look to him but it's Ben that clears his throat

"We need to teach Baylee control? I don't know all that much about banshees, honestly I didn't know they even existed but I have read about them before"

He tells us, drake nods

"Go on?"

"Well that's all I know really, when she learns control she can then learn to direct her powers. I'll look more up today and get back to you though"

"Yeah do that, thanks Ben"

Drake sighs, pulling me down onto the chair. Just then a warrior knocks the door, drake waves him in

"Alpha we followed the scent to the river where we lost it. We have men going up and down either side trying to locate it again but other than that there isn't much evidence left behind"

Drake sighs nodding his head

"Thanks drew, tell the men to close down the playgrounds and spread the word that nobody goes into the woods on their own and all kids need to be supervised outside"

He nods his head

"Yes alpha, right away"

He says, turning and leaving as drake stretches his arms out, sending a link to the entire pack saying basically the same thing.

We finish the morning with paperwork and chores but just as baby Keagen starts to kick drake drops his pen and groans.

"Done and dusted, damn I hate paperwork"

He snaps stretching out. I nod in agreement as I yawn, putting my feet up on the table infront of me, they hurt like hell, carrying around a baby was hard bloody work and my body was feeling the effects of it.

"Why don't we take a break and bring Baylee for ice cream? Fill her in on the news?"

I grin, dropping my feet.

"Now that sounds like fun"

He stands up, helping me off the chair and out of the room.

The adoption papers had officially arrived but we had been so busy we hadn't told her yet.

"Let's go find her"

He tells me, leading us to the playroom. As we enter Baylee grins. Jumping off the floor and sprinting into drakes arms, he throws her in the air making me squeak and turn around closing my eyes.

"Chicken! she's fine!"

Layla taunts laughing at me as I try to stop my heart from racing, I growl at her

"It's not bloody funny, what if she fell"

She rolls her eyes at me

"Drake won't drop her and if he did it wouldn't really hurt anyway"

I roll my eyes at her shaking my head as I look back to a beaming drake as he talks to his little princess.

"And then lorcan drew me a picture and called me his girlfriend but I had to let him down easy because I already have a mate"

Drakes eyes widen, panic flooding through the bond as he looks to me.

"Is that so? And how did lorcan take the news?"

I ask her, drake pouts at the fact his little girl has already been claimed and we can do sweet fuck all about it.

"He was devastated obviously"

She sighs rolling her eyes then she looks at me seriously

"Wouldn't you be? I'm the whole package"

I snort, laughing as drake grins, the building panic extinguished as baylee grins at us both

"I love her so freaking much"

Layla laughs shaking her head in amazement.

"Come let's get going"

Drake tells us, carrying Baylee out towards the car.

As we sit down with our ice cream, Baylee immediately digs in.

"So guess what's happening in a few days Baylee?"

I ask her smirking at her ice cream beard

"What?"

She asks me

"Your birthday"

Her beautiful little purple eyes twinkle in excitement then widen with her face as it splits into a huge grin

"Really!"

"Yep really, would you like to have a party?"

Drake asks her, she screws up her nose shaking her head

"No way, I don't have any friends accept for lorcan and he's still a baby"

My stomach drops, she was right, the kids in the pack thought her weird and usually they stayed away from her unless it was to tease her about something.

"Well what would you like to do then?"

I wonder, she grins grabbing both our arms at the same time. Her mind opens up and spreads out into our consciousness as a small vision appears in our heads.

Baylee is giggling with Drake in the snow as they throw snowballs at my face. She pulls back looking between us.

"That looks like a great idea! I'll see what I can do"

Drake winks at her, she giggles clapping her little hands

"So if that's what you want to do, what would you like as a gift?"

I ask her, taking a spoonful of ice cream. It tasted Devine, baby Keagen agrees with me as she starts to kick and flip in my belly.

"An indoor playground"

She says matter of factly, making me snort

"What! And why would you need that?"

"Because daddy is dramatic and he's always telling sarah I'm not allowed at the park and it's stupid"

She says throwing him a dirty look, his jaw drops

"You little shit, I am not being dramatic it's for your own safety"

She rolls her eyes

"Oh please, you're being dramatic. Anyway that's what I want"

"We might have a big house but it's not big enough to fit an entire park inside"

Drake tells her chuckling at her attitude, she takes a big breath like we were really irritating her.

"I seen it on YouTube, and they had a smaller house daddy. Put your thinking cap on! And just so you know they even had a house attached to it with electric and running water"

Drake throws his head back laughing and shaking his head

"You don't ask for much do you"

He chuckles, she smirks at him

"Well I am your little princess after all"

I giggle at her, shaking my head and grabbing my bag

"Well we have an early present we wanted to give you now"

I hand her the envelope and hold my breath as she pulls the certificate out. As her eyes scan over the peace of paper her little heart starts drumming in her chest. Her eyes light up, all her emotions hitting her at once.

I chew my lip nervously, looking to drake who's eyes are trained on her face. Nerves bubbling up inside him as he gauges her reaction.

"Your my real mummy and daddy now? Like for forever?"

She asks looking between us, I smile nodding my head

"Yeah, what do you think about that"

Her chin starts to wobble as she nods her head, grasping the page to her chest

"I really really love it"

She starts to sob, my heart dropping. I didn't expect her reaction, happiness radiates from her as I pull her into my arms.

She climbs on my knee and she just hugs me, crying her little heart out. Drakes arms surround us, kissing our head as my own emotions hit me.

"I love you both so much"

Drake tells us, kissing us both on the head

"I love you to daddy, I love you mummy"

She cries out happily. We just sit there, enjoying the moment in each other's arms.

----

Days pass in a blur, tonight we would be leaving for Baylees birthday trip to Aspen, she was so excited to go play in the snow and I had to admit her excitement was contagious.

She lets Dutch out to the bathroom before taking a seat at the table to eat breakfast. As Evelyn hands her her bowl her head snaps towards the door.

"What's up?"

I ask her, handing her a spoon. She takes it shrugging

"I don't know, I feel weird"

She tells me frowning at her food.

"Maybe your just over hungry, eat up and hopefully you will feel better after"

I tell her, she nods not saying anything, she takes a bite of food, chewing it slowly and swallowing. She squints as she lifts another spoonful but she gasps dropping it.

She grabs her chest, her heart starts to race as she jumps of the seat

"No no no no no"

She cries, flying out the door like a bat out of hell, I look to reggie, both of us confused as we get up and follow her.

As we get outside, drake stops training as he watches her sprint for the forest,

"Wait Baylee don't go in there"

He shouts as we follow. We had been getting a lot of animal attacks over the last week.

"Shit it's Dutch"

Layla cries pushing forward to sniff the air, then I hear her scream and my heart shatters. This isn't a banshee scream this is a scream of pain and anxiety.

I round the corner and stop, gasping as we end up in a scene you could only imagine would happen in the movies.

Dutch wasn't even outside that long, I don't know how they had time to do it. Baylee screams, falling to her knees into a puddle of blood as she comes face to face with her best friend, ripped to tiny tiny pieces and thrown around the forest in chunks, her head lay by Baylees knees as she sobs.

Drake catches up with us gasping, I hadn't moved an inch, unable to in shock.

"How is she going to get over this?"

Layla whimpers, Dutch was an amazing dog, she followed her around all day everyday, slept beside her in bed, played with her, protected her.

My own emotions hit me, tears spilling down my cheeks as I watch her little body shake in pain, her little heart ripping to pieces.

Drake goes to her side, lifting her little body and cradling her against him. His face was like stone as he turns to the shocked guards

"Get him, find the bastard and string him up! He will pay for this"

He barks at them, the tone of his voice kicking me from my shock as I rush to him, taking Baylee into my arms. Drake leads us back towards the house, stopping at the training field

"Practice is CANCELLED! I want Everyone in the forest looking for this bastard! NOW!!"

They immediately start running in all directions as Drake's angry aura smashes into them. I almost felt sorry for them but my own anger was beginning to brew inside me.

"Has she not been through enough!"

I ask layla. She whimpers, agreeing with me as I take off back towards the house, kissing Baylees little head.

"I'm so sorry baby, I'm so so sorry"

She doesn't answer, she just cries, her little heart broken, she clings to me, her tiny body covered in blood.

I walk straight through the kitchen and up to our apartment to wash the blood off her, Sarah sobs as the news reaches her, I can't even look in her direction or I'd end up sobbing too.

"Why didn't I see it"

She cries to me as I place her on the bathroom counter. Turning on the shower I turn back to her

"Because he's not a human"

"But either are we"

She whispers, I push her bloody hair from her face

"I know baby, but maybe it works differently? Come we need to wash this off"

I help her shower and redress, pulling on her bottoms and she climbs onto my knee, her tears hadn't stopped the entire time. She was constantly crying, sometimes harder than other times.

I climb into bed with her, turning on the tv and I hold her. It takes a while before she finally falls asleep, exhausted.

Drake walks in sighing at the sight of her, he climbs in the other side, his eyes glassy as he looks at her.

"Anything?"

I ask, he shakes his head

"Not a peep."

He tells me sadly, closing his eyes. We would be leaving in just a few short hours but I know she needed the sleep.

"How are we going to get her through this?"

He whispers, layla whimpers as I shrug

"I honestly have no idea, but we will do it together"

He smiles at me nodding his head, cuddling in and holding us both in his arms.

---------

a week later...

It had been a week of tears, nightmares and very little sleep. Baylee was still devastated, her heart was broken. But today was her birthday and we did try to make the most of it.

A snowball slams into my face, the freezing cold ice shocking me from my ignorance as it drips of my jaw and down my chest. I gasp in shock, hearing both her and drakes giggles from my side. I hadn't expected it.

"You little shitheads"

I snap shivering as a cold lump of ice runs down my chest as I glare at them. Baylee, thinking this was the funniest thing she's ever seen, howls in laughter.

I look to the ground, thinking about leaning down and grabbing a snowball for myself

"Dont do it, if we go down we ain't getting back up again"

layla snaps with a snort, she was probably right, my belly was seriously in the way and I wasn't even close to being at full term yet. Instead I glare at drake who's watching to see what I decide.

"I can't even fight back it's not fair, I'm telling mum on you"

I snap childishly making him laugh harder, I wink at Baylee as she grabs another, lifting it and flinging it at drakes neck.

It smashes into him, falling down the back of his shirt and making him gasp and jump around

"Arghhhh you little turd"

He roars, jumping around to try and stop it running down his neck. Baylee giggles making a run for it as he starts to chase her. Running behind me for protection I snort

"Don't come running to me you little fart, take your punishment like a man"

"I'm no man! I don't lay down and take no punishment, I am an independent Empowered woman, I rise above the punishment"

She scolds me as drake takes of towards her, with that she squeals taking off down and around the house as he chases her. I take the moment while I can, rushing to the car and I start rolling snowballs to have them ready.

"Arghhhhh nooo daddy noooo"

She squeals as drake laughs emerging from the other side with her hanging upside down in the air, her arms crossed over her chest as she glares at drake.

"This isn't fair! I'm too little to lift you like a rag doll! It's completely ridiculous daddy your cheating"

He smirks nodding his head as he walks to the pile of snow he had pushed from the path earlier.

"Mmmhmmm I think your right, let me put you down shall I?"

"Yes you bloody well shou.... No no no don't you dare daddy! Arghhhhh"

She squeals as he dumps her head first into the mountain of snow laughing his ass off. I grab my snowballs and I start pelting him with them, getting him right in the mouth as he pauses from laughing, coughing the snow from his mouth.

Baylee pulls herself from the snow, glaring at drake as I continue to pelt him, he starts to walk towards me so I hit him harder

"I'm pregnant! You can't drop me"

I warn as I hit him repeatedly, he pauses slightly looking to my belly then back at me. He zeros his eyes in at me.

"Fine, but I call it quits? Let's make snow angels like we had planned and get inside infront of the fire. My arse is getting cold"

He snaps, I drop the last of the snow and smile

"Fine but yall will need to help me get back up"

Baylee was still glaring at drake then she looks to me

"I don't trust him mummy"

I chuckle at her little sour face, he smirks at her

"Come on, you deserved it"

She sticks her little nose in the air, annoyed

"Mmhmm well I'm still telling nana on you"

She sticks out her tongue at him

"Or worse granddad, he will kick your ass"

I giggle as drake zeros his eyes in at her

"Your such a telltit, both of you are"

He snaps taking my hand as we go to the fresh snow to the side.

"Oh your only worried because you know it's wrong to pelt snowballs at a pregnant woman who can't defend herself"

I tell him, he snorts rolling his eyes

"Oh please, you figured it out, look at me I'm like a drowned rat"

"You! You!!!"

Baylee scolds

"Look at what you did to me you old fart!"

I giggle as I look at her, she was like frosty the snowman, frozen snow stuck all over her clothes.

"Ready?"

Drake asks me, I nod as he slowly drops me to the ground to make snow angels, Baylee drops to my side and drake drops to her other side. He clicks the camera clicker and it starts taking photos of us, when we are done he helps me back up, taking one family photo of the 3 of us before we head inside to the warm fire.

As Baylee swings the door open she goes marching straight over to nana

"Nana we have an issue! Your SON did this to me! What are you going to do about it!"

She snaps pointing at drake, layla starts to laugh

"He's in for it now"

She stutters as mum gives him the look, the scary one she only ever gives him. He takes a step back pulling me in front of him.

"Don't use me, you hit me with them too"

Dad gasp getting of the sofa

"You did not hit a heavily pregnant woman!"

Drake curses under his breath

"Drake I don't give 2 hoots that your alpha I'll kick your sorry arse myself if you don't apologise to both of my girls now"

I smirk at him, winking. He zeros his eyes in at me

"What! Seriously they soaked me!"

"Don't care if they froze your ass into a solid brick of ice they are our girls and you have been warned now apologies before i smack you"

He puffs out a lump of air

"This is ridiculous! Your all biased because you like them more than me! I'm not saying sorry"

Baylee gasps shaking her head slowly like that was the most despicable thing she's ever heard in her life making me cover my mouth.

I waddle over towards the fire, dad clearing a space for me at the side and gently helping me onto my seat.

"Damn dads are the best"

layla yawns as mum grabs the spatula and points it at drake, he squeaks jumping of the counter and taking off

"No no no I'm sorry I'm sorry"

He calls, his eyes wide like a scared little child, Baylee grins triumphantly as she kicks off her boots and coat.

"Good, now sit down the pizza will be here soon"

He licks his lips, pulling his boats and coat of himself then he comes to help me with mine. Baylee hops up beside us smirking at drake.

"What squawks like a chicken, runs like a chicken but doesn't have feathers like a chicken?"

She asks him, he purges his lips shrugging

"Not sure what?"

"My daddy the big scary rooster"

She tells him howling in laughter, flapping her arms like a chicken, I nearly fall off the sofa in shock as dad stutters and laughs.

Drake's entire jaw drops in shock as we laugh at him. layla nearly had an aneurysm. She thought it was so funny. Eventually drake breaks laughing a little

"Your really not that funny"

He tells her, watching her hold her belly as she giggles

"Oh she really is"

Dad says laughing, he grabs Baylee, yanking her onto his knee and he starts tickling her. She squeals excitedly jumping around and landing beside me on the sofa taking a breath like she just ran a marathon.

"So what does the princess want to watch for her birthday?"

Drake asks her, she purges her lips

"Lilo and stitchhhh"

Her face falls as I pout, she snuggles into me as she's reminded of her little companion.

"Do you want to watch something different?"

I ask her, she shakes her head

"No, it reminds me of her"

My emotions hit me, my chin wobbling as I look to the roof. Dutch was her best friend, it really felt like she had lost part of herself the moment she lost her. Drake squeezes my shoulders before letting go and affectionately patting Baylees head.

--

"Mummy"

"Mmmhmmm"

I mumble opening my eyes, Baylee lay between me and drake wiping her little eyes, it was pitch black outside as I try to sit up

"We need to go, we need to go now"

She tells me more awake, she shakes drake. He grumbles opening his eyes

"I had a vision we need to go now"

She climbs down the bottom of the bed as I try sit up

"Go where?"

"He needs our help, we need to go now. He needs me mummy"

She calls as she hands me my nightgown, taking my slippers and helping to put them on my feet. Drake jumps up

"Who Baylee?"

"Just please come, we have to go now"

I shrug my shoulders, when Baylee had a vision nothing from it ever changed. It was always exact so if we needed to be there, it meant good or bad it had to play out.

Drake huffs climbing from bed and he grabs his sneakers as Baylee pulls on her slippers after helping me with mine.

"Is it far?"

I ask her, it was stone cold outside and we would all need warmer clothes if we had to walk a bit.

"No not far"

I nod, taking drakes hand as he pulls me off the bed, we quietly make our way through the house, the babies were still sleeping and mum and dad were in the room next door to them so I knew they would be fine without us for a moment.

As we step outside I shiver, the cold icy air hits me, almost making my teeth chatter, the temperature comparison to inside way worse than I expected

Drake lifts baylee and he takes my hand

"Where to?"

He asks, she points to the forest, he frowns taking a step towards it, but then he stops.

"Are you sure? There are bears out there you know?"

"I know but they are no match against my daddy"

She tells him proudly, he snorts walking on

"I thought I'm a rooster?"

She giggles

"No but you act like one when your scared of nana"

"Hey nana is scary, you just don't know that because she's always on your side"

This somehow makes her grin even bigger

"You won't be so cocky when mummy tells you off for being mean to your only brother"

He adds, she snorts rolling her eyes

"He won't be my only brother silly"

She giggles, his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as he looks to my belly. She shakes her head

"Nope I'm not telling you what Keagen is, I'm just saying when your finally done having babies I will have way more than one brother"

As she finishes I freeze, the smell of blood hitting my senses. A very tired layla pushes forward, our body coming to life as drake pauses too

"Baylee why do I smell blood"

"It's a baby, he's all alone. His pack was killed by a bear"

I look at Drake who's entire body goes stiff.

"Excuse me?"

"Come on the bear is gone, we need to get to him. He's cold and alone, he will come back and kill him if we don't hurry"

Drake puffs out a breath of air

"We can't take a real wild wolf pup home Baylee are you mad?"

"No I'm not, I'm his alpha, he's connected to me. He is mine"

She scolds him like it's obvious, it definitely wasn't obvious but she seemed to think it was.

Drake cautiously takes a step towards the smell, pulling me with him, as we break through the trees we come to a cave, pieces of dead wolf lay in all directions, the snow was red with blood and lay in the middle of it all was a tiny whining wolf pup.

Baylee whimpers, pulling away from drake. He sets her down watching the area, as soon as her feet touch the ground the pup runs to her, whining like it was terrified and cold.

"It's ok aspen, I'm here now, you won't be alone ever again"

He whimpers some more, licking her cheek as she hugs him. I just stand there in shock, surrounded by a dead wild Wolfpack watching my little girl comfort one.

"Baylee can we go back home now?"

Drake asks, he was nervous to be here, a bear had just slaughtered the entire pack, I can't see him staying away for long.

"Yes, come aspen, come home"

And with that she turns on her heels and heads back towards the house, I mouth 'wtf' to drake who was to nervous to be shocked