CHAPTER TWENTY SIX-THE NOTE

“I want someone with her at all times.” Thorin briefed the guard the Order sent as he finished his coffee in the kitchen. “I don’t want her to feel smothered, just keep her company. If you notice anything unusual call the Order immediately.”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Parker.”

Ben kissed Imara’s head and pulled the covers up under her chin. “I love you, baby. I’ll see you later.” 

As he came down the stairs, Thorin was waiting for him by the front door. After he closed the door behind him, Thorin asked, “How’s she feeling today?”

“Still sleeping.” 

As Ben and Thorin walked across the park to the Order house, Ben saw Haldir waiting out on the sidewalk. 

“You boys ready?” 

Imara sat out in the courtyard and closed her eyes then took a deep breath through her nose. The smell of jasmine invaded her senses and she caught the faint note of a newborn Eliza inside the fragrance. As memories of her sweet baby came flooding back, Imara slapped her hand against her mouth and quietly sobbed against it. She knew she was being closely watched and she didn’t want to set off any alarms.

After she composed herself again, Imara wiped her tears away and fanned her face. She pushed herself up from the bench and walked to the guard as she fidgeted with the charm on her necklace. “Umm, I think I’d like to go to my room now.”

The guard sat in a chair outside Imara’s bedroom door and flipped through the pages of a magazine while Imara slowly crept across her room. She sat down at the desk and looked down at the piece of paper sitting in front of her. She blew out through her mouth as she thought about all the things she was feeling, then she wrote down the words. When she was finished, she folded the paper in half then tucked it into the belt on her robe.

Imara looked out across the park and remembered how it used to look when she was a little girl. Everything was so strange and scary now. “Alright, then.”

Imara stood and walked to the dresser then opened the top drawer. As she took the vile from the paper bag, she looked back to the door. Imara pulled the stopper from the vile then quickly drank back the liquid. She licked her lips then wiped them off. She knew Ben would kiss her and she didn’t want him to taste it.

Pulling the covers down, Imara began to laugh. She crawled into bed then straightened her robe and hair. She made sure the note was visible, then she put her hand on her belly. “He won’t get us this time. We’re safe sweet pea. I love you. I love you, Ben. I’ll love you forever, sweetheart.” 

As Imara’s breathing began to slow, a smile curled up on her lips. “Ben, is that you? No, it can’t be.” As her eyes fluttered closed, she said, “Alright. Are you sure?”

While Ben watched Thorin and Jasper spar with their swords, he heard Imara whisper “I love you, Ben,” then a sharp pain tore through the scar over his heart. He fell to his knees as he clutched his chest and struggled to breath.

Thorin ran to his side, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Ben pressed his forehead in Thorin’s chest as he panted for air. “Jesus, I don’t know. It’s my heart.”

Suddenly, Haldir crashed through the door then grabbed them both by their shirts and misted them to the sidewalk outside the house. Haldir frantically ran up the stairs. Thorin asked, “What is it?”

Haldir’s shaking hands fumbled with the door so he started beating on it. “She took something, Thorin. I saw her drink something from a vile.”

As the words left his mouth, the trance like state from the farmhouse fell over Ben. His heart pounded in his ears as he saw Aster open the door then Thorin and Haldir run through. Ben followed behind them slowly like he was walking in quicksand. He heard muffled sounds around him as he cleared the staircase and turned the corner to the hall. He saw Thorin drop to his knees in the hallway outside the door. Tears fell from Ben’s eyes as he walked past Thorin and saw Haldir shaking Imara’s lifeless body against the bed.

As the world around him slowly came back to him he screamed, “No!” He leaped to Haldir and threw him to the floor. “Don’t you fucking touch her!” Ben turned away from the truth and gnashed his teeth as he snarled at Haldir. 

Thorin slowly approached the room then looked around. He saw the vile sitting on the dresser and his breath hitched as he realized what she’d done. He leaned over and took Haldir’s hand to help him up, then he walked to the dresser and picked up the vile. Thorin turned back to Haldir and Ben then smelled the vile and pinched his eyes closed as he looked away. “Belladonna.”

Haldir leaned over with his hands on his knees as he panted to catch his breath. “Goddamn it. I’m so sorry. She kept her back to me, I couldn’t see it until she’d already set the bottle back down. I’m so fucking sorry.” This wasn’t the first time one of Haldir’s visions had gone badly. It was a skill he’d picked up over time, but it wasn’t perfect and usually not particularly helpful.

Ben looked down at Imara’s purple fingers then closed his eyes tight. “Un-un, no!”

Thorin came to stand in front of Ben and he wrapped his arms around his neck. Ben’s body shivered as Thorin hugged him tightly. “She’s gone, Ben.”

Ben sucked back a breath and choked out, “Un-un!”

Thorin pushed himself away then looked in Ben’s eyes. “Don’t you shut this out again, goddamn it. Don’t you dare forget her again. Look at her, Ben.”

Ben’s trembling body wouldn’t let him look. He slowly reached down and touched her cold fingers as tears streamed down his face and his lips quivered. “No! Baby, what did you do!” Ben threw his arms back around Thorin and sobbed into his shoulder.

As Thorin and Jasper made the arrangements downstairs, Ben sat with Imara and held her hand. “I suppose I’ll be seeing you again soon, baby. To tell you the truth, I just can’t wait to find you and fall in love with you all over again. I’m sorry for the things I said to you and for pushing you away. Please forgive me, I won’t do it again, I swear. I want you to know that loving you and Eliza was the best gift I ever had. I love you baby, always.” Ben leaned over and kissed Imara’s lips one last time and then put his hand on her belly and closed his eyes. “I love you, sweet pea.”

Ben went to the parlor where Haldir, Jasper and Thorin were waiting then threw the note on the coffee table. Thorin hesitated for a minute before he finally picked it up and opened it.

I’m afraid. I’m sorry. I love you.

Thorin licked his tears off his lips then looked out the window. 

“He’ll be coming for you soon Ben,” Haldir said. “That fucking coward will show up the minute he senses you’re alone.”

Ben nodded his head then blew out through his mouth. “ I know. It’s alright, I’m ready. When I come back, we’ll pick up again. Maybe that motherfucker will die in the meantime.”

“Ben, listen to me,” said Thorin as he looked back from the window and leaned over in his chair. “We lost too much time this time because the two of you wouldn’t remember, tell yourself, right now,” Thorin said as he tapped his fingers against the table, “that you’ll remember.”

Ben looked Thorin in the eye.“ I won’t forget Thorin. Please find me quickly. Please. I need to see Imara. I need to tell her I’m sorry.”

“I will Ben, I swear. Wherever you end up, you come back here. You go to the Order.” Thorin scratched his head as he quickly tried to think. He knew there wouldn’t be much time. “It was 50 years to the day; I expect it will be again. Maybe a year or two off because she...I’ll make sure to let them know you’ll be coming, and I’ll have people watching out for you if you can’t remember.”

Ben looked around the room and curled his lips under as he nodded. “Yeah. I...I think I’m going to go out for a run. My wolf, he’s ready to go now.”

Thorin pushed his lips together as his eyes teared over. “Don’t show him any fear, Ben. Don’t do it. Look him in the eye and tell him to go to hell.”

As Ben walked to the foyer, he slipped his shirt over his head, then folded it and put it on the hall table. As he unfastened his belt, he smiled. “I’ll be there soon, baby.” When he pulled off his pants, he kicked off his shoes and underwear, then put them in a pile on the floor. “I love you, Imara.” Ben closed his eyes and his face pulled up into a pained scowl as his bones and muscles snapped and his body contorted. 

As the black wolf shook out its fur, it howled out low. “Owoooo.”

Haldir walked out into the foyer, then opened the door and said, “I’ll see you in the next life, Ben.”

The wolf ran out the door then ran full measure down the street as it dodged the cars and trucks that drove by. Ben followed the scent of water until he came to the riverside then he sat down at the water’s edge. The sun was beginning to set behind the trees, so Ben shifted back and let his witch eyes take in the splendor of the sunset one last time.

As the night came Ben heard a rush of wind behind him and he smiled. “So nice of you to dress for the occasion, Ben,” Selvin said as he looked over the naked man.

Ben chuckled as he stood up to face him. “You know what, you can go straight to hell. Let’s just get this shit over with, kind of anxious to see my girl again, you know.”

“Pity,” Selvin said. “She cheated me out of my rights. I will have to make her pay for that next time.” 

Ben pulled his lips to the side and nodded. “So, how are we going to do this? Knife in the heart again?”

Sounding disappointed, Selvin said, “I was expecting more from you Ben. The mighty son of an Alpha. Pathetic. You’re really taking the fun out of this for me. You must make it more interesting for the next time.”

“Don’t worry Selvin. Next time, I’m going to fucking kill you.” He held up his hands in front of him as he recalled his conversation with Shaw. “I’m going to crush your fucking head in these two hands right here.”

Selvin’s arrogant smirk disappeared as he removed his dagger from his jacket. Ben held his arms up in the air and looked in Selvin’s eyes. “Next time, asshole.”