The Beast's Possession

**Kala pov**

Something was wrong. My skin felt like it was crawling, trying to peel off my muscles and there was this weird, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

As if the feeling wasn't bad enough, I wasn't the only one who felt it. Claudia had stopped dead in her tracks, frozen, her face void of color. "What's wrong?" I whispered the question, looking around the house as if a demon was about to appear out of nowhere and burn us both alive. Claudia placed a finger over her lips and held her breath, listening to something I couldn't catch. After a few seconds, her eyes widened in something I could describe only as pure horror. "No," she whispered as tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Panic surged through me, my heart nearly stopped in my chest and my hands shook as I tried to reach out for the terrified woman. "Claudia, what's going on? Are you okay?" I whispered, fearing something I didn't know. Her teary eyes met mine as an emotion flashed in them and disappeared. "Do you have any idea why Beta Zion chose this house as the one to raise his family in?" She asked, panic and determination penetrating her words.

A little taken aback, I shook my head. Zion had claimed he liked the view around this house and the fact that it was a little more secluded than others. My mate had made a point that privacy was his main worry, so I never questioned if there was more to his choice than the few things he mentioned.

"He chose this house because while he always believed in our Alpha and his ability to fight the darkness, Beta Zion knew the risk was always there. Under this building, there are endless underground tunnels that can be used in case you have to escape," she sounded calm and panicked at the same time.

"What does it have to do with me now?" I asked, a little lost to the point she was trying to make.

"Everything," Claudia hissed and grabbed my upper arms with such strength, I knew they would bruise, "it has to do everything with you, Kala. You must use those tunnels and leave. I will lie for you, I promise I will, but you must escape before he gets here. You don't have much time. Grab a snack and get out."

With each word that left her, more panic filled me. "Before who gets here?"

"Alpha Bane," Claudia hissed. "Not the Alpha himself, but the monster. He left the main building, and one of my girls heard the monster scream he's heading here to get rid of Beta's baby. If you have any true love in your heart for our Beta, you will leave and protect his child. You will save the baby."

There it was, the explanation for the dead and the sinking feeling. Those had to be my protective instincts finally kicking in, warning me about the impending danger.

"Show me the tunnels and if you have any idea about the direction, can you please tell me how I can get the closest to the black magic forest? I can hide with the witches. They might hate me, but they will never hurt a pregnant woman. They can protect the baby for the time being," I pleaded.

As much as I hated the thought of leaving Zion at the monster's mercy, I knew I had no choice. If my mate was here, he would send me to the tunnels and give his life for his child. This baby was the only ray of hope for better days we still had. And besides, I also knew that I took the risk and remained where I stood, Zion would never forgive me if anything happened to our child. Especially, if he found out that I had been warned and still chose to take the risk. Just knowing that I had a chance to save the baby and ignored it would kill him.

"Follow me," Claudia muttered. "If he isn't rushing, we have about ten minutes to get down here and for me to return. I will tell him you went for a walk into the woods or something. That will win you some time," she explained the plan as she led me towards the basement door.

Perhaps I didn't know about those tunnels because I had never stepped my foot into the basement? Every time Zion opened that door, I was overwhelmed by the stench of mold and refused to get close. Basements had always reminded me of wet and yucky places like caves, so I never bothered to explore.

Honestly, I wasn't wrong about my assumptions because as Claudia led me down the stairs, I nearly emptied my stomach. The stench was so overwhelming, if it weren't for the danger, I would have ran back upstairs and pretended I never entered the place. I could taste the stench at the back of my throat.

Once we finally reached the end of the stairs, Claudia gripped my hand and pulled me towards the darkest of the corners. She forced something in my hands and then reached down to open a hidden door that led into the tunnels. "Turn on the flashlight, Beta Zion always charges them to ensure they're ready for use. The bag I gave you - it has a couple of flashlights just in case, a map for the tunnels and I think some dry snacks along with a bottle of water. Those should last you for a couple of hours. Get down there and head straight ahead until the first turn, then check the map and follow the directions. The journey to the forest shouldn't take you longer than a couple of hours." Claudia said.

I was about to thank her but before I could, she glanced over her shoulder, let out a shaky breath and then returned her attention to me. Her arms wrapped around me in a firm yet gentle hug that was as warm as a true mother's embrace. "Stay safe, Kala. Keep the baby safe and don't return until Beta Zion comes for you. Can you promise me that?"

"Yes," I whispered, forcing down the sudden sadness that hit me like a wall of bricks.

Claudia held me for a few seconds and then quickly stepped away to wipe tears off her cheeks. The hug ended too soon, so abruptly, I instantly missed it. "Keep your promise. You must go now, don't waste the little time you have." "Thank you." There was so much I wanted to say but couldn't, so following her instructions, I turned on the flashlight and jumped down into the tunnel.

The place was as scary as one would imagine a tunnel to be, but once Claudia closed the heavy metal door, it became at least a hundred times worse. I couldn't focus on the fear that would only hold me back, so I took a calming breath and started right ahead. For our baby, for Zion.