The Lycan Kingpin's Captive: A Baby For The Beast

There’s warmth everywhere and I’m floating on a cloud of bliss. Sunlight touches my skin and it feels like it’s penetrating every inch of my skin, filling me up with nothing but contentment.

I haven’t felt this happy since Niko told me he loves me, and the memory alone brings a smile to my face. Closing my eyes, I allow myself to drift some more, knowing that this happiness won’t leave me wherever I end up.

Then I feel a shift in the air, and a crack of lightning splits the sky. That warmth is now replaced by a chill, and my blue skies are now tainted with black clouds.

“Mira, wake up!” I hear a voice calling me, It sounds like a whisper, then it swells. “Mira, wake up! There’s danger! An enemy is close!”

My eyes shoot open and I sit up in bed too quickly; a dizzy spell threatens to pull me under again and I blink the hazy feeling away. I take a few breaths, placing a hand on my heart to steady myself.

What had woken me up? Oh, it was a voice, wasn’t it? Wait…was it Star’s voice? Danger…an enemy.

An unknown yet familiar scent hits me and I whip my head to the left quickly. As I spy the empty bassinet, I know what Star meant by that warning….and I scream.

Ares, my baby! Someone has taken my baby! Where is Niko? Why isn’t he here?! Without thinking, my hands go to my hair and I start to pull - the pain pales in comparison to what I am feeling right now.

The door to the bedroom bangs open and Niko rushes in with Maxim at his side. He looks at me with wide, fearful eyes while scanning the room for a threat.

I leap out of bed and rush to him. “He’s gone, Niko! Ares is gone!” tumbles out of my mouth; that familiar fear constricts my heart so much I struggle to catch my breath. Niko pulls me close and everything falls away.

My heart is thudding painfully in my chest while flashes of memory appear in my mind's eye. Ares’ birth, feeding him, touching his tiny little hands, and kissing them. A heart-wrenching sob splits my heart in two as the realization hits me.

Someone took my baby.

I hear voices but I don’t put two and two together, not until Niko lets go of me and he walks towards the empty bassinet beside our bed. The anxiety coming from him knocks the wind out of me and I watch as he takes something out of it.

A spiked dog collar, only the spikes are on the inside.

Maxim asks him a question and he nods, then he turns around and I see nothing left of the powerful Alpha as he swallows deeply. His hands are trembling as he holds up the collar, then he drops it and takes a step backward.

I crumble to the floor, sobbing. The emptiness in my chest grows when I look at that bassinet and know my baby isn’t in there.

murmur, rocking back and forth. “You left and he was taken, you left me…”

he tries to stop himself from shifting. “Panzer, Armata - get the Pente ready to go,” he orders before turning

grabs the collar and Panzer catches it. “Give this to Descry, tell him

I finally understand what is being discussed. I turn to Niko and see the anger in his eyes, but I stalk over to him

but he doesn’t even look at me. “Niko! Did Lilah take

turns to me with eyes the color of bloody rubies, but as soon as Maxim and Panzer walk out of our bedroom, that coldness leaves his

shriek, shaking my head. “My baby is gone, Niko, and

just a determined crimson glare. “I can’t do this right now, Mia. The longer I stand here, the further she gets; so let go of

ran to keep up with him. “I’m coming

growls, walking me back to

not knowing what’s going on, I refuse to

even existed. That contentment was now replaced with fear and anxiety gnawing and coiling in my stomach… I didn’t even get to spend a full hour

face, his eyes back to the deep green I love so much. “This is my fault, Mia. I trusted Lilah without knowing…” he swallows deeply and shame fills his eyes. “She’s connected

way beneath my feet and my heart stills. “Y-your mother? How…” my eyes grow wide when I remember the collar he took from the bassinet. “Was it…was

him,” I fall to the floor at his words and he wraps his arms around me. “I need

onto him as he caresses my hair. “I don’t understand…and Lilah… I knew there was something off about her but I

when I should have known better. But I’ll

to be there, Niko. Please take

as if I’ve touched a live wire. “Did you hear that?” I whisper, scrambling to my feet and

on his face tells me he didn’t hear it. “What are you

around the room like a mad woman and my eyes fall

grows distant by the second. “She jumped from here with Ares in her arms and…now he’s

toward him and his eyes are wide. “Can you sense

mother persona for an angry she-wolf out for blood. “I can, so you have to let me come with you.

they shimmer to crimson. “Five minutes, in my office,” he says, then claims my mouth in a fierce kiss before walking

but I think the nerve of what Lilah did is erasing more of it. She made me

bring it to his abusers.

and I know I’ll never be able to think with a clear head. When I walked out of the shower and saw her with Ares,