The Beast's Possession

**Kala

pov**

The tunnels were wet, smelled of mold and there was some weird, sticky substance dripping from the round ceiling. Avoiding it proved to be impossible. I hadn't walked for more than two hours when I needed to take a moment to breathe and I already felt like there was a whole layer of mold inside my lungs.

After I found a relatively dry spot to sit down, I groaned and leaned my head against the cold wall, ignoring the slimy texture covering it.

My hand slid to my belly, instinctively shielding the baby from the darkness surrounding me. "It's fine, little one, we'll be okay. Daddy will be okay too, trust me. Your daddy is a powerful man, he has gone through hell and back, and for us, he will do much more. By the time you arrive, I'm sure he will be there to hold and protect you."

Closing my eyes, I tried to will myself to believe in the words that left me. What else was I supposed to do? Truth be told, I didn't believe in myself anymore. I believed Zion, his ability to fight and come out victorious, but my abilities - not so much.

I was breaking, silently, but still breaking. I was afraid of what tomorrow might bring, the next news and surprises fate had in store for us.

All I wanted was to be happy, if only for once. And with Zion, I was.. Only fate decided to take him from me far too soon as I wasn't sure if I could withstand the storm that we called life.

I sat for God knew how long until a loud bang in the distance scared me so much, I jumped. The sound came from the distance I came from, which meant that someone was following me.

Fear gripped me nearly instantly. So damn hard that I could barely get back to my feet and take one, shaky step as I tried to see through the darkness. The only one who might follow me was Bane the bastard.

Again, as my hand hovered over my belly, I realized I had to leave, to find an exit closest to me and flee wherever I could. If it was him and he caught me here, I wouldn't leave the tunnel - ever.

Despite being shaky on my legs, I shut off the flashlight and held a hand onto the slimy wall as I tip-toed away from the sound. Sure, I was basically rubbing a trail of my scent on the wall as I went, but being silent seemed more important than anything right now.

I struggled to keep my breathing even as the sound neared me. I wasn't sure why it was so loud, maybe the limited space made it worse, but at this point, my heart beat so fast in my chest - the sound pounded in my ears, nearly silencing the loud bangs behind me.

"Come on, Kala, get a grip, you need to find an exit," I whisper-hissed under my breath, foolishly hoping the sound of my own voice would give me the rush to get out.

I wanted to protect our baby with all my might, every motherly instinct within me shouted, screamed and scratched at my mind, yet my body kept giving in.

Never in my life had I felt this terrified, this alone and desperate.

All I could focus on was how much I needed Zion. How much I missed the sense of safety his presence always gave me, the warmth of his embrace and the calmness behind every word he spoke.

"You can't rely on others and you know that," I scolded myself. "Zion is in no position to save you now, you need to focus on saving him after you save yourself. Make him proud, woman!"

I had no idea where those words came from, but all of them made so much sense. I was right, I had to make him proud, I had to prove that I was strong enough and worthy to be his mate, not someone who was dependent on him.

My legs started moving faster, the sound of my feet hitting the few puddles in my way still echoing against the walls that were closing in on me, but the loud bangs in the distance sounded further away, not getting closer.

I couldn't breathe in relief just yet. If Bane was following me, he might have taken the wrong turn, but soon, he might catch up with me. I had to get out before he got too close.

"Hold on tight, my baby, soon we'll find safety, I'll protect you with my life if needed. Today is not the day we lose our battle, not before we get your father to safety," the words were forced through my teeth, but that only gave me a sense of determination I couldn't ignore.

Rounding a corner, I slapped a hand over my mouth and quickly took a step back. That wasn't something I wanted to see at all. There, not too far, stood three women in heavy-looking cloaks hiding their faces, one of them gripping a knife that slit a man's throat. What the hell was going on?

Realization hit me sooner than I was ready. Behind me, there was someone raging, breaking something, following me as I tried to escape and right in front were women who most likely performed some sick ritual. I couldn't believe I was stuck between two equally awful scenarios.

What was I supposed to do now? Where could I go?

"Hey, did you hear that?" A woman hissed, her voice growing louder as I listened to her footsteps, nearing me. "I swear I heard steps getting closer. We can't get caught being here. Didn't you promise this was a safe place? Damn it, didn't you fucking promise?"

Fear definitely radiated off me as I nearly glued myself to the slimy wall, closed my eyes and bit my tongue, waiting for the disaster to strike.

"You're hearing shit, there's nothing. The noises are still far away, we can get away before whoever is roaming the tunnels gets here. Come on, stop being a nosey bitch and get your shit before we get caught red-handed. We can't be here, better leave before it's too late," another woman spoke.

"Shush, moron," the first one hissed, now even closer to me. "I can feel a presence. Someone's there, watching us, we can't leave witnesses."

This was it. I was dead before I got to see another glimpse of daylight - something I had taken for granted my entire life and now wished I could see just once more.

"Getting closer, Petra, the sound is getting closer. Quick, grab your shit and let's leave or we'll get the hell out of here without you."

Reluctantly, the woman stepped away, her footsteps fading into distance. At least I thought so.. Until my eyes flew open when a sharp piece of metal was pressed against my neck and a tongue slid over the side of my face.