Mia had been getting more lessons from Simone when the emergency happened. “There’s a fire!” Simone yelled at Ezili and Xeik. “HAZEL IS PREGNANT! She’ll lose the babies!” There was panic in Ezili’s voice, and Simone couldn’t let someone else lose something so precious to her. Ezili was already through the portal and pulling water from everything she could to put out the fire.

Simone stood by helpless as she tried to help Lewis and in turn Lucas with whatever they needed. She could make fire but she couldn’t stop it and this fire… It seemed off and wrong.

Hazel was carried out by Rex and there came a Bryony running full force, “One of the oracles had a vision about Hazel.” She could see her daughter limp in Rex’s arms. “XEIK, please look at her.” They settled her in the grass and Hazel’s breathing was rough from too much smoke. She had gotten stuck thanks to whoever had started the fire.

Ezili stood with Lucas, “What about the babies?”

Xeik looked her over, and cursed under his breath. He had just barely arrived before already determining he couldn’t do anything here. “We need to go to Elysia. Rex…” He threw his arm up and forced a portal open with the Divine Sands. “Pick her up carefully and put her on the exam table. Simone, Lewis, get everyone else to safety.” He looked up. “Bryony. Can you get Toya?” He looked back to the fire as Rex took Hazel through the portal. “Something…isn’t right.”

At that, he jumped through the portal. At once, he threw Rex out and started to look over Hazel.

Rex paced back and forth. He was soon joined by Lewis and Simone. They had left Lucas and Ezili at home to watch the rest of the kids. Time seemed to pass slowly, and hours slipped by in agonizing silence. Mia slipped into the room at some point, and under Xeik’s instructions, let no one else in.

Finally, he exited the room. There was a solemn look in his eyes. “Hazel is safe.”

There was a collective sigh of relief. Yet still, Xeik looked as though he were about to break terrible news.

“She’s pregnant,” he said. “She…was pregnant with six.”

Rex went from excited, to confusion. “She’s pregnant! But…wait…what are you….six?”

“Lycantrhopes can have litters. Since she’s a progenitor, it’s…complicated on the reasoning why, but she’s compatible with it. But…” Even Mia, behind him, was tearing up. It was hard to say. “One of them…didn’t make it. I couldn’t save them. The others are…they’re fine and healthy, from what I can tell.”

Simone and Lewis got Lucas and Ezili home, “What about their babies.” Ezili was an empath and it showed with how much concern she had for her brother.

“How did you know?” Simone tilted her head.

“The Talon twins told me but I don’t know how they knew.”

–

Back in Elysia, Simone and Lewis joined Rex and hugged him as they waited.

There was a sad look in Simone’s eyes, “She’s so early in her pregnancy… I’m surprised not a lot more got lost… I suppose she is lucky.” She hugged Rex to her just in case he wanted to be comforted.

“It gets a lot worse,” Toya stepped in and folded her arms. “I got the fire out. It was most definitely magic and set on purpose. Does Hazel have any enemies that would outright hurt her like this? They didn’t know she was pregnant because it doesn’t sound like either of you knew… so it can’t be because of that. Who would hurt Hazel like this?”

There was a fury in Lewis’ eyes when he heard the news that it was set on purpose. “Oh, I know exactly who.” A wave of cold washed over the fury, and suddenly he was calm again. Simone knew, though, what was happening. What would happen. “She was warned…” He fell silent, and it was obvious that his concern for the moment was not that, but Rex and Hazel. “Is she awake?”

Xeik nodded. “I managed to get her awake as I was leaving. I…haven’t told her the news yet.” He grimaced. “Rex…you’ll need to be in the room as well. For comfort. Lewis…Simone…it’s up to you two and Rex on whether or not you can be present.” He closed his eyes. “Thanks, Toya. I’m sorry for summoning you like this. It’s appreciated.”

Rex was still in shock. He wasn’t sure how to comprehend it all. He was a father, and already he had lost a child. He gritted his teeth, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. But no….right now, Hazel needed him to be strong. At least until she could hear the news. He needed to be there for her…

“Mom….Dad…do whatever you want.” He looked to Xeik, and nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I’m ready, Xeik.” The two walked into the room.

Hazel was laying in bed exhausted. After everything, she just felt so tired, and for some reason, she felt very sad. Even Jack who was on her hip was growling extensively but she couldn’t stop him right now. She just pet his head.

Simone got another blanket and put it on Hazel tucking it in around her waist and she brushed back her hair. She knew who did this to Hazel. There was only one girl who would do this out of jealousy because her relationship with Rex was going so well.

“Hazel,” Xeik got her attention and the woman looked up at him. Her eyes were already so sad, she knew something was out of place. “Hazel, you are pregnant.”

“Did I lose them?” Maybe that was why she was so sad.

“…” The guess was good and Xeik frowned heavily. “Not all of them not. You had six and now there’s five. I’m so sorry Hazel.”

“I didn’t even know. I couldn’t protect them what if I could have protected them more,” Hazel started to cry as soon as she got her worst fear confirmed. She hadn’t felt good for a long time and Angela was looking at her amused. She hadn’t wanted it confirmed until it had been safe but… To have lost a child already. She hadn’t even been sure.

Simone hugged her tightly and looked up at Rex. “You should stay with her Rex. Lewis and I have something we need to do,” her voice was soft as she kissed Hazel’s forehead. “You listen to me… This isn’t your fault. You barely even had a clue you were carrying. The fault rests solely on the one who hurt you. You are going to be such a beautiful pregnant woman. Do you understand me? We’ll take care of you on the island. Xeik will make sure the five make it the whole pregnancy and we’ll all welcome them together. All of us. All twelve Terrowin kids, Lewis, you, Xeik, Mia, and myself.” She kissed Hazel's forehead again. "You are already such a good mother."

“Let’s go wrap this up. I want to take them home as soon as Xeik is ready to release her,” there was a murderous look in her eyes. “Rex are you going to be okay if we leave for a little bit?”

Rex nodded at his mother. He had a vague idea of where they were going, but he had no idea what they were going to do. But he didn’t care right now. All he could do was focus on Hazel, and that was all he was required to do.

“Good,” Lewis replied, giving Rex a quick, half hug. He gave one to Hazel as well, petting her hair for a moment. “We’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. Just you watch…” He smiled. There was something sincere about it, as though he were making a promise to the gods themselves, one that he could never break.

They left the temple, and immediately opened a portal to Sularia. They barely needed to speak a word to each other, and soon they were at the house of one other than Natayl.

Lewis scoffed, “This is it? For all her bluster, this is barely worth it…” He glared upwards. “Her room is the farthest on the left. Let’s go pay a visit, shall we?” He and Simone cleared the wall with ease, slipping into the room. Lewis took the door, leaning against it, his eyes piercing the darkness, while Simone stood at the edge of the girl’s bed.

Natayl was sleeping peacefully, covered in her pink satin sheets. The bed was of the highest quality, made with white oak, and large enough to fit a king. Then there was Natayl herself. Blissfully at the center, unaware of the night she was about to have. She seemed to be having a good dream.

She smelled of smoke, and there were traces of powerful magic about her.

To say that Simone was pissed was an understatement. She had lost her ability to have biological children with Lewis for the final time. She had gotten excited over the children Hazel carried and was instantly in love with them from the moment she heard. This she-bitch caused Hazel to lose one. One of her very much loved grandchildren. Instead of calling Natayl’s name, she took the bed and with all the force she had, even drawing strength from Lewis, she threw it into the wall.

Natayl started to scream and her father came into the room. Simone was quick with her dagger as she slammed the father into the wall putting the dagger through his right shoulder, “You’ll fucking watch. Your bitch has fucked with the wrong family for the last FUCKING time.”

Simone took Natayl by the hair as she tried to escape, “Hazel is fine by the way. You wicked little bitch.”

“Then you can let me go right?”

“NO,” Simone slammed her into the wall, the ceiling, the floor. There were bones cracking. “She was fucking pregnant you stupid bitch. She lost one of the babies. One of my precious grandchildren.”

“Go–” Simone was quick to choke her so she couldn’t get it out.

“Good? I’ll show you good. I’ll show you all good.” She began to roast the girl alive and dropped her half dead. “Anything you have to add to this, my love?”

“Please, whatever Natayl d–”

“She is your spawn. Your incompetence as a parent did this. For everything that Rex was, Hazel made him better but your slut of a daughter tried to ruin that. I will offer no forgiveness to you, to your family, to this fucking house. There will be no more threats to those precious babies. Not when I am done with you.”

Lewis merely watched as Simone wrecked the room, and Natayl. When the father tried to step in, Lewis merely moved to the side, and let Simone deal with it. As the father struggled with the dagger in his shoulder, the ex-assassin merely glared at him; a threat that if he moved, there would be worse consequences. And so Natayl’s father watched as his daughter was burned alive, a look of pure horror on his face.

He had to have known what she did. What she was planning to do. And if he didn’t, well…

“You had your chance,” Lewis said as he finally had his chance to speak. “You were warned. You were told to stay away. You had every chance to back away…”

Natayl’s father got brave, and yanked the dagger out of his arm, trying to strike Lewis with it. Even with one arm. Lewis was still a force to be reckoned with. Without hesitation, Lewis dropped the man to the floor, and put his heel to the father’s throat. “There was a letter. Addressed specifically to you. Do you remember?”

The father’s eyes widened. “That…….that was you!?” he choked out.

“Tonight will be one to remember,” Lewis said with a cruel smile. “Though…I doubt you and your precious daughter will be doing much talking…”

By the morning, the house was quartered off. A mysterious fire had erupted in the middle of the night, burning the house down. There was little information to go off of, but it seemed as though the family that lived there did not make it out alive.

Simone sat at the dining room table for breakfast, “You have to eat more.” She was directing it at both Mia and at Hazel. “You need to eat for six and you need to eat to make sure you get loads of babies in you!” There was no way Simone was taking no for an answer. She looked tired like she had been up half the night and there was a smear from what looked like ash on her skin.

Mia huffed and looked at the food. “It’s good for women trying to get pregnant. It will increase your fertility. AND YOU!” She looked at Xeik. “Drink that green stuff there! It will up your potency! If I can’t get pregnant all of you are.”

Simone was on a rampage with this pregnancy stuff and Mia and Hazel both started to eat. Looking at Ezili and Lucas she made a face, “And don’t you even think about getting pregnant until after you get out of the academy. If you get pregnant I’m making you get married. THAT IS A THREAT NOT A GIFT.” She pointed at Ezili who nodded.

Looking at Lewis now she patted his head. The babies were all watching their mother and Janus held out his arms. “Okay, okay.” She picked him up and Janus started to scream at the girls too. “That’s right you tell them. They need to be pregnant and fat and give you lots of playmates.”

Her eyes went to Rex, "AND YOU, no more bending her over in the bathroom. YOU CAN'T BE SO ROUGH WITH HER. She has five little babies in her! Let Xeik give her the clear every day!"

"Every day seems a bit much," Hazel squeaked out.

"EVERY DAY!"