The Grateful Rejection
Chapter 30

Nora's POV

I was surrounded by dark, "Hello?" I called out walking aimlessly, "Hello?? Is anybody here?" I asked.My heart beat picked up it's pace when I heard a voice groaning in pain, "Who is there?" I asked as Icautiously approached to the source of the sound.

"Nora? Nora, help! Help me Nora!" Dad Earl's voice called out. I started running towards dad, "Dad!!What happened?" I cried, dad was tied to a tree all bloodied. I could clearly see him but the faster Iran the further he went.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT NORA! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED US!!" He yelled making me stop in mytracks, "Wh-what are you talking about?" I gasp in horror when I looked closely.

Everyone was dead, they all were hanging from the tree branches with a rope wrapped around theirneck. Papa Amell, mom, Arora, Ariana, Andrew, Jacob, Stephan, Oliver, Clark, Gina, my little Lilly andAdrian and Sebastian.

Their place blue faces and bloodied body showed the struggle they had, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!YOU KILLED THEM ALL!" he shouted crying at me.

"I-I didn't do anything dad!! I DIDN'T KILL THEM!" I shouted collapsing on the ground.

"YOU MURDERER!! YOU KILLED THEM, YOU KILLED YOUR OWN FAMILY!! YOU'RE A FUCKING HEX,YOU DESTROY EVERYONE!" He yelled as his head blasted open. A shrilling scream automatically leftmy mouth.

"Hey! Hey Nora! You okay baby?" Sebastian's voice called out, my eyes shot open and Sebastian'sworried face came to my view, "You're okay. You're okay. You're okay. You're okay" I cried feelinghis warm skin under my fingertips and kissed his lips.

"Yes I am fine love. It was just a dream, I am alright!" He said and hugged me, rocking me in hisarms, "It's okay babe, it was all just a dream" he said softly.

For weeks I have been having such nightmares. For weeks I have been seeing my family die invarious ways. Paranoia is not enough to determine my mental state. This is not right, something iswrong very wrong. From the time I got to know about this woman, I feel like my fear has taken a bigtoll on me.

Sebastian started humming a song to me and before I know it, I was deep asleep.

The next morning I woke up to mom's famous cinnamon rolls, after getting freshened up I headeddownstairs, "Morning sweetie” mom greeted me and passed a cup of tea, "Morning mom, where iseveryone?" I asked groggily.

"Well your brothers are with their mates. Ariana is with Edmund and Arora is.. somehwere. Your dadwent to the council, he was called there and your Erastis has gone to his pack.” She let out a breathmaking me chuckle, "So it's just you and me?" I asked. Mom put down her spatula, "You say like it'sa bad thing." She teasingly accused, "Now who will think about this old woman? Your old mumma isall alone now" she exasperated.

"Far from being alone mumma. You'd drag us by our ears anytime of the year" I said going aroundthe table and side hugging her. She awed and hugged me back, "Of course, even when your kidsare all grown up with their mates, I'd drag you by your ears" she said, "Now before getting toomushy, how are you feeling this morning? Any pains or anything?" She added. I pulled out thecinnamon roll from the tray and put it on the plate, "Not that much, just the baby moving aroundand his kicks here and there.” I shrug not making eye contact, her question reminded me of mydream last night.

I sat down on the sofa with my huge belly and placed the plate on top of my belly, "Okay then, it'sall good! The due date is very near so whenever you feel any kind of pain you tell me" she saidsitting down beside me.

After Justin's funeral, my behavior had changed drastically, I was always looking over my shoulder.Sebastian thought it would be better if I stay at my mom's untill the baby is born.

So here I am at Mom's house.

"So you excited for The Blood Hunt?" She asks looking at the TV, "That's like a month away" I sayand start chewing on the roll.

"But still! Are you excited?" She asks with a smile. A crocked smile pasted on my face, “Yes i am. But Iam more interested in what he has in mind for me. I was thinking of hunting him a rhinoceros” Ismirked thinking about it.

Mom looked at me flabbergast, "Rhino? Wow.. he has a big competition to compete against. Hetold me he was going to hunt you a bear” she snickered and I joined her, "You better not tell him,Maa" I warned to which she put her hands in surrender, "My mouth's sealed" she zipped her lipsmaking me chuckle.

The Blood Hunt is a ritual in the lycan kingdom, it's kind of like marriage in human world but notexactly. During the early times, Erastis didn't use to mark each other or mate with each other assoon as they met, the way it happens now. They had a ritual to ensure their Erastis that they will bea provider for them even in the worst scenario. Both there lycans or any other supernatural who wasmated to a lycan had to perform this under the Blood Moon (red moon). They were required tohunt down any prey their Erastis wishes of, usually the lycans hunt big bears, wolves or lion andtigers. If the Erastis refuses the hunt, they need to hunt more and more untill the Erastis is satisfied.Elders used to believe that if one can satisfy a lycans hunger then he/she can satisfy their Erastis inevery way possible. And that is why this ritual is called the Blood Hunt.

"I am gonna shower now" I say and go to my room.

As I stepped in the shower, I looked down at my huge belly, I felt the baby's kick making me jerk,"Calm down there, love" I say rubbing the area, "You are a little naughty today" I cooed feeling hishead under my palms. My lycan purred in awe of our son. Yes we are having a son, we didn't whatto know the gender but Arora felt him when he was a month old and started shopping for boysclothes, didn't took an Einstein to figure that out.

After I got dressed up I checked my phone, there were two messages, one from Arora and the otherfrom Sebastian. I opened Seb's message, he was apologizing for not being there in the morning,Henry and Arora finally talked after months and that too led to a fight. My heart started hammeringas I opened Arora's text, she asked me to meet her by the lakeside near mom's. I replied to both ofthem and headed to meet Arora.

I walked towards the lake where I saw Arora sitting on the bench. I quietly sat next to her withoutsaying anything, her face was red and puffy with tear strains.

"You were right" her hoarse voice whispered. I looked at her confused, "About what?" I asked, shelooked at me with tears filled eyes, "He didn't cheat on me." She finally said and sobbed, "I saw it, Isaw it from his memory.” She covered her face with her hands, "I blamed him for so long fornothing. I punished him for nothing. All that.. was all because of my insecure ass. If only I wouldhave listened to him. All of this... None of these would have happened. It's all my fault that I painedhim so much. I drove him to the edge..” she howled crying.

I wrapped my arms around her shoulder and let her cry, to take out all the anger and frustration atonce.

"He kept on telling me that he didn't do anything but I had to pin him down. I even took his lycanfor hours. I have bought so much pain in his life. That's all because I didn't listen” she kept on going,my ears peaked when I heard fast footsteps approaching our way. My lycans relaxed when shesmelled Henry.

" didn't trust him Nora. What kind of Erastis I am if I can't trust the man who chose to love andprotect me for the rest of our lives? I am such a bad person. I am disgusted, Nora. How could I havedone this? Who could I have not belived in him? I made him go insane. He was begging on hisknees just for me to look at his memory but I turned a blind eye to him. Nora, he had startedhurting himself, he drowned himself in work and drugs. He used to cut himself. All that because ofme... All because of me Nora. I don't deserve him Nora. He is too good for me, I don't deserve aman like him in my life. I am like bad sin to him" she wailed.

"You are anything but a sin in my life, love. We both made mistakes. You didn't trust me because Inever gave you a reason to trust me. Whatever happened was just as my fault as was yours.” Henrysaid coming from behind.

Arora looked back at Henry in shock, "I am sorry love. For not being enough to make you trust me"his face showed the pain he was in. She got up and walked to him, "That's bulls. You did everythingfor me but I was too naive and insecure to see it. You deserve better, Henry" she bit her lips.

I felt a big kick in my stomach making me hiss in pain and before I know it there was water runningdown my legs, "Hate to break this but I think my water broke" I said standing up. The two froze for asecond when a gruesome pain hit me, "FUNCTION FASTER, DOFUS!" I growled at them, "Take her toour mom's, I'll call Sebastian” Arora ordered and he nodded. He gripped her face and kissed herdeeply, "I love you" he said and ran towards me, picking me up in his arms. I hissed in pain, "Okay,Nora take a deep breath. We'll be there soon" he said making me snap at him, "Don't tell me whatto do” I growled. He looked frightened, "I am not getting Arora pregnant anytime soon. You'rescary” he said and ran towards our house.

"AUNT AURELIA! NORA IS IN LABOUR!" He shouted as soon as entred the house. Mom camerunning from th backdoor looking frantic, "SHE IS IN WHAT NOW??!" She started freaking out,"Mom!! Deep breaths!" I said incredulously. She took a few deep breaths and nodded her, "Take herupstairs, second room to your left" she said. Henry was about to take me up when Sebastianbursted in with his eyes glowing neon blue, "Give her to me" he growled at Henry.

"You fuckers are scary” henry snorted and put me on Sebastian's arms. I was twisting in pain toregister what happened. All I know is I was lying on a soft surface and the pain increased everyminute, "WASN'T THE PAIN SUPPOSE TO END AFTER A FEW SECONDS?? WHY THE HELL IS ITINCREASING" I cried out to mom.

"You're a lycan sweetheart, giving birth to a strong specie. You'll feel more pain than normal womanin labour" she said making me shout, "FUCCCCKKKK! SEBASTIAN YOU BASTARD! YOU FUCKINGKNOCKED ME UP!" I cried. I felt his hand on mine, "I am so sorry love. I promise not to impregnateyou for a century!” He plead running his hands down my head. I looked at him sobbing, "It hurts,Sebastian" I whimpered as I felt another jolt of pain surge through me.

I was in excruciating pain for hours, I was finally relieved when mom said I am 9 cms dilated. "Okay,love now I need to push” Sebastian said as I clutched his hand with all my mighty and pushed. I wasblacking out in between pushes but the excitement of meeting my baby made me push harder,"The baby is crowning!! Nora a few more hard pushes!!" Mom shouted from between my legs."Come on love, just a few more pushes and you'll meet your son” Sebastian encouraged. I noddedlooking at him from my hazy sight. I pushed a couple of more times, "AAAAAAAHHHHHH" I shoutin the last push and slumped on the bed.

Third person's POV

Aurelia had her first grandchild in her hand, she tried to contain a sob and hurried to wrap the babyin a blankets and cut the umbilical cord with Ariana’s help. All this while Nora was slumped on thebed with Sebastian praising her. The rest of the family and their pack was anxiously waiting in theliving room. Nora's scream had frightened both her father and they were about to charge Sebastianbut her brother's contained them

As the first cry of the baby was heard in the house all the tension had evaporated.

"It's a healthy baby boy" Aurelia awed after cleaning him up and handed the baby to his mother.Nora cried as she held her baby. How much she had longed for the day she'll hold her baby and theday finally came, "You are so beautiful" she whispered. Fiona was watching over her baby brothersitting just beside her mother, "He is beautiful mom" she said looking at Nora.

Sebastian sat beside Nora who was busy admiring her son, "Thank you love. Thank you so much forall the things you brought with you" he said kissing her forehead. Nora smiled at Sebastian with aloving look on her face, "I love you" she whispered and kissed his lips.

Oliver smiled recording the three of them.

The baby started wailing loudly, Nora's instinct kicked in as she wrapped her baby in her arms andstarted feeding the baby. The cooing noises he made, made Nora's heart melt. Sebastian shred a lotof tears looking at him first son and the love of his life.

As the baby opened his eyes Nora gasped in surprise, he had one grey eye and other brown eye,"He'll steal a lot of hearts" Sebastian cooed looking at his handsome baby. Nora chuckled caressinghis chubby cheeks, the baby giggled and clutched her hands. Nora's heart expanded with pure loveand admiration for the baby, "Have you thought of a name?" Nora asked Sebastian who was makingfaces to make the baby laugh. Nora bit her lips, "Has papa Sebastian thought of a name?" She askedSebastian who smirked, "Yes, papa did. Hunter Fian Hounds" he looked at Nora who had a hugesmile on her face, "Hunter Fian Hounds it is then!" She kissed her baby who was yawning.2Everyone came in and awed the baby. After rthe baby woke up from his nap he had wrapped hisentire family in his little chubby fingers. Nora now had everything she had ever wanted and wishedfor.

~~~a month later~~~

~~0n the night of BloodMoon Hunt~~

"I FUCKING HATE YOU, NORA!" Arora cried looking Nora in hatred. Everyone was disgusted if nothated her.

"Get out of our sight before I kill you!" Ariana growled at the vile woman who was drenched inblood.3

"It's not my fault" Nora whispered in defeat.