Julia's baby, Bk 2 - Oh, Mama.

Chapter 24 - Release from the island.

Julia tried her best to stay focused and strong, over the next few weeks, as she got her strength back. Truth was, she didn't do a very good job, because the shock of her parents and brother dying was just something that didn't go away. And every time she went to sleep, she went straight to Oliver or Levi, and then their grief and guilt for her added to everything else.

Yasmine didn't try and push her. She actually hunted, much to Julia's amazement, and seemed to know exactly what to do with what she had. Only she didn't leave the cave much either- apparently there was still people coming here, searching for Julia, Yasmine thought that they were given permission by Amanda to hurt her again. If she was alive.

So the logical thing would be to leave.

“Why can't we leave?” She finally asked the obvious question, her desire to get back to her girls and her men starting to get as strong as any urge Julia had ever had in her life. It reminded her of the way her body had gone into labor without her mind in on it- just something that started to build, to do things, that hurt. This was starting to build up, this was starting to do things to her that made her feel frantic, and it did hurt. A lot. “Get off the island.”

“Right now? That boat your Pack had, the big one that sailed from America to Australia, it's circling the island.” Yasmine said softly as they sat near the natural water source. “It's slow enough for a boat to slip in but we don't have one- if we swam, they'd probably see us.”

“Except at night.”

“True, but they'll have people on Flinders Island too. It's a small community. I'm trying to think of a way. Oliver knows I'm here. Randy does, if Oliver's lost his mind a bit, so we may not have to wait long. I don't think he'd leave me here. For the moment you need to get strong.”

“I've been doing that.” She stood up even, trying to stretch, as her body grumbled. Julia rubbed it gently, shutting her eyes, the tender spot in her chest starting to go now. Maybe they'd hurt a rib. It would explain a lot. Her boobs had stopped hurting too, which made her sad, she knew that meant that they'd stopped making milk. It was nothing compared to the rest though.

Julia would have swum to Victoria from here, even if it was an hour by plane over the sea, would have done anything. To get away from her parents graves and to get to her family. She shuddered, shutting her eyes, aware that her weakness right now wasn't just physical. It was everything sitting on her shoulders, making her tired, making her want to burst into tears every few minutes, ache, feel suddenly really old.

Yasmine's arms came around her and held her close, as the tears came back, and she shuddered against Yasmine. Let her sit down with her. Julia was only sixteen. It was too young for this, for not having parents, and she'd used to think they'd always be there for her. They'd always have a bedroom for her, and always have a safe place for her to sleep, even if they'd tried to make her independent when she got pregnant.

“How do you stand it? Being away from Beth, if you're her mate?”

“I don't know. Because I have to.” Yasmine seemed to not be as confidant about this as usual, her chin on Julia's shoulder, adding, “But I didn't bury my parents.”

The words made it worse. She remembered it, having to bury them, having to take her mom's clothing because they'd destroyed hers, and she felt so bad about it now. Like she'd left her mom cold and alone in that hole, pregnant, that her mom should have been covered up. All of them. They should have been in shiny coffins right now and protected from the ground.

“I had to bury them.”

“You did. It took a lot of strength to do that.” Yasmine agreed, sitting down, and Julia felt the bed under her again.