The Luna and her Quadruplet Pups by Jane Above Story

Jane

The last few days have passed in a dizzying haze. I’ve slept through much of our journey, and though Ethan has remained by my side in my waking hours, I do have to wonder what he, Eric and Linda have been planning while I- rest. Today we’ve finally reached a midway port to resupply for the rest of the trip, and when Ethan wakes me with the news that I can finally get off this boat, I can’t move fast enough.

When I emerge from his luxury cabin and feel the blaze of the unforgiving tropical sun for the first time, I can only think of my babies. Would the traffickers give them sunscreen? Would they have enough water? The worry consumes me so quickly and powerfully my knees go weak.

It’s almost too tempting to return to the drug induced haze I’ve floated in the past few days, but I know that isn’t right.

It’s a selfish inclination, to save myself having to feel these things, when my pups don’t have any such luxury.

I tell Ethan as much as he helps me off the boat. I don’t want any more medications when we board again.

Ethan.”

His strong arms are around me, guiding me forward down the gangway. “Sweetheart you’ll be sick as a dog without them.”

Then let me be sick” I state simply, “I shouldn’t get to avoid suffering when everyone else around me is stuck with their pain… when the pups didn’t have that privilege.”

“Jane” Ethan sighs, dragging his hand through his hair.

You dying of dehydration isn’t going to save anyone any suffering- especially not the pups.”

“It doesn’t feel right.” l insist. “I want…”

“You want what? To hurt?” Ethan guesses, hitting the nail square on the head.

“Yes,” I confess, my throat thick with emotion. “I want to hurt, because I know they’re hurting too. I want to hurt… because l deserve it.”

about my drastic mood swings. I think he understands that my grief is sending me spiraling from one extreme to the next. The fact is I can’t even come to terms with the abrupt shifts myself. One moment l’m begging him to take away my pain by making love to me, and the next l’m wishing for nothing more than

for our bodies to be pressed together this way, but his solid strength

murmurs. “You don’t deserve

“You’ve trusted me this far, Jane. So please trust me now. I wouldn’t lie to you – not

he hasn’t givén me any reasons to doubt him. Though I was incredibly disgruntled at the time, l’m grateful that Ethan didn’t give into me the other

and it makes it easier to believe him now. The more time that passes, the more I see how badly I misjudged Ethan. Still, I have a hard time accepting that he’s telling me these things because they’re true, rather than because he

my tongue, leaning into him as we continue off the ship. “So what happens

NightFang allies, but Aimon is bound to have a few spies running around. So you, Linda and I need to find disguises, and Eric is going to sail on a different ship to avoid

churning in my belly, and belatedly I recall that it can take some time to regain one’s land legs”. “How long will we stop?” l inquire, wondering whether it’s better to give myself time to recover, when I have to get back on a damned ship and start the wretched illness over again, or if I should try to get the entire journey out of

Ethan announces, seeming to read my mind. “The sooner we reach the Southern

might have been easier for her to accept his refusal if he hadn’t claimed her during their long lovemaking sessions on the ship, but it seems that once

the dock on our left. As if they’d been reading my mind,

loudly, “Did you claim me just so you could make this decision

insisted. “I claimed you because I love

enough to introduce me to your family!” Linda argues

family are lunatics!” Eric shouts, I’m not introducing you, because I don’t

just going to leave me behind so someone else can murder me!” Linda bites

one is going to murder you, as long as you stay with

one your family wants dead more than anyone – he’s the reason this is all happening, how am I

as I am to continue eavesdropping on their argument, l’m more concerned with the impact my friend’s words might have on Ethan. Looking up at him, I can see the tension gripping his features. His jaw twitches

He grumbles. “That’s why I

shut as I feel my stomach rise in my throat. “Not only because of the pups, but because

Ethan arches a brow, petting my sides

stomach is giving me an excuse to change the subject. “Goddess, I think l’m going to be sick again.”I lunge for the nearest trash receptacle, and Ethan holds my