The Beta’s Regret

"No, no, no!" I screamed and woke up with a start.

I sat up, my breaths heavy as my chest rose and fell, unsteadily. Tears slipped from my eyes as despair crept deeper into me. I grabbed my chest as if to ease the pain I felt, but it was of no use.

What kind of ease could I possibly feel when I just watched my mate get killed?

It couldn't have been real. Could it?

I immediately remembered the words Beauty said to me while in the other realm. She warned that while Eros was most dangerous in his evil Beast form, he was also most vulnerable, and could be killed easily.

I prayed desperately that it wasn't true as I swiped my hand over my face and cleaned the tears on it. A shiver rocked me as I became aware of my environment.

I looked down at my legs and noticed the duvet that covered me on the bed. Sweat trickled down my neck from the heat in the room, and from the fear growing in my heart.

What I just experienced looked too real. But Eros couldn't be dead. I would know, right?

The Arena, the Rogues. Pison, is all a bad dream. It had to be.

I winced as a slight pain stung my head, and I softly placed my palm on it. "Where am I?" I asked, my voice was croaky.

I looked around the room. It was empty.

Panic gripped me.

My baby.

remembered before the trance was Beauty holding my baby boy in her arms. My little miracle. I needed to

the bedcovers away from me and hurried out of the

to the door, the more I heard loud growls. There was also clashing of swords.

I ran out.

sunlight. I squinted as I saw

for the other to make a move. For a long moment, each one predicted the other's steps. With a loud cry, one of them struck. He swung

was then I noticed the state some of the people

of them' arms was cut off,

widened

tent, but mine

a refugee camp, somewhere people who'd escaped from a

at them to see that they had noticed me. As soon

throats stopped, and

step forward,

of respect from the people, but refused to think

ton

pace. Few distance from the crowd, I saw two women seated on a fallen tree stump Their backs were

swaddled in thick clothes in her arms, while another leaned into the child, smiling

within me, wagging