Catalina We could see Ms. Cleo dancing around the kitchen with a ladle in her hand when we arrived at her home; we figured that she was making her legendary jambalaya. She was a native of New Orleans in every sense of the word. I could smell Cajun spices wafting through the air, and it made me want to lick my lips. Instantly, she opened the door before I had the chance to even knock on it. She answered with a grin, "Ah, I was expecting you," as she looked at me inquisitively. She first greeted me with a peck on the cheek, and then she put her hand on my stomach. "That baby girl of yours is sprouting up like a weed, child. Please, come in." She greeted us with a warm welcome and led us on a tour of the house. Every room in the house, from the kitchen to the living room, exuded an atmosphere that was warm and inviting. We could feel the love that she and her family had for each other, and we marveled at the decorations that adorned the walls."So, tell me more about your missing frien

Imagine my surprise when my mother called me this morning to set up a lunch date. She stated that she wished to make amends and begin again. So the entire drive to the cafe was nerve-racking as I hoped everything would go well and that she wouldn't change her mind when she saw how pregnant I was. My heart was racing as I approached the cafe. I parked by the curb outside the cafe and took a deep breath. Were we prepared for this? We weren't exactly close before this. I mean, she and my father barely paid attention to me. My brother Roman was the one who looked after me. But here we were, trying to rebuild our relationship from the ground up.I couldn't help but smile when I walked into the cafe and saw my mother. We talked about a lot of things, and she even admitted to making mistakes with me when she was younger. At that point, tears welled up in my eyes because, for the first time in years, my mother was attempting to understand me. Our lunch date turned into an emotional discussion

I navigated my way through the thicket, which led me to a run-down cabin in the middle of the forest. The Ford car was parked in the driveway. I could hear the police sirens off in the distance, so I knew I had to get in there quickly before the witches became alarmed by the noise. I mentally prepared myself, took a few deep breaths, and then slowly inched my way inside, following a hint of Catalina's floral fragrance. It was a warm breeze, which suggested that she was still alive and, hopefully, unharmed. If she was, there was no telling what my panther would do. It was a moment that felt like an eternity; one wrong move, and I could startle the witches and put Catalina's life in danger. It was a risk I was willing to take; she was my mate. The mother of my unborn child. The only thing that mattered now was getting her back and making sure she would be safe from harm. I carefully took another step forward, and then another. Finally, I was in the house. My panther had me covered from

CatalinaI tossed and turned all night. I kept dreaming about going into labor and everything under the sun going wrong. I woke up the next morning with a headache and couldn’t get back to sleep. I was so nervous about going into labor that I couldn’t focus on anything else. I got in the shower and tried to relax as much as possible.What did those witches do to me? Malcolm refused to talk about that day they had kidnapped me. He said that he had been so angry with them for what they did, he couldn’t even think about it. He’d rather leave it in the past. I understood his feelings on the subject, but I wanted answers. I couldn’t stop thinking about what they had done to me. I didn’t know if it was because of their magic or just a weird coincidence but I couldn’t help feeling like they were responsible for my current situation. I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of orange juice. My stomach was still turning from everything that had happened, but I needed to eat somethi

CatalinaMy mind was buzzing and I heard faint voices in the distance. It was dark and unwelcoming where I lay, but every now and then a gust of air filled my lungs. Where was I? Why did my body feel weightless?I felt like I was floating in a sea of black ink. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel things around me. There were other people but we were all trapped in our own little worlds and couldn’t talk to each other. I tried to call out but my voice was weak. It didn’t sound like me at all. The only thing I could do was float around and try to find someone who could help me.I felt a hand grab onto mine and I looked over to see Ella who had passed away months ago. She smiled at me and waved goodbye while she floated away into the darkness. What is this place? I felt myself being pulled down. Like I was sinking into the black ink and it was swallowing me whole. The last thing I remember was screaming as loud as I could, but no one heard me.I woke up in an unfamiliar place. It w