<b>Chapter </b><b>77 </b>


    E


    Three weeks had passed since that awful morning when I’d overheard Alexander’s conversation with Sophia’s parents. Three weeks of regrets and silence and humiliation.


    Three weeks, and I barely saw him.


    If he was trying to avoid me, then he was doing a damn good job of it. Then again, I supposed he’d had five years of practice before I’d gotten sick, so it wasn’t as though he had to try very hard.


    During those three weeks, we fell back into our old routine. With Liam and the rest of the Alpha Council gone, we didn’t have to worry about faking our rtionship at home. I continued sleeping in Alexander’s room, but he only entered once I was already half–asleep, and was often gone by the time I woke up.


    During the days, he was always busy in his office or off performing pack duties, so it was usually just me and Lilith.


    Nothing had changed, it seemed.


    But something had changed, actually. One very important thing.


    My body was stronger. The dizzy spells had decreased ever since our night of passion together–if one could


    even call it that–and I’d actually managed to keep down three full meals yesterday without feeling


    nauseated.


    Dr. Evelyn noticed the improvement immediately when I arrived for my scheduled checkup.


    “Your color is better<i>,</i><i>” </i>she said, checking my pulse. “And your heartbeat is stronger than it’s been in months.”


    I nodded, trying not to think about what might have caused the improvement. The intimacy Alexander and I had shared that night after my kidnapping had stirred something inside of me, some energy that felt almost


    like my dormant wolf trying to surface. But thinking about that night only reminded me of how thoroughly


    he’d used me.


    “Let’s run some blood work,<i>” </i>Dr. Evelyn continued, drawing several vials from my arm. “I want to see if we can pinpoint what’s helping your condition.”


    Twenty minutester, she returned with results that made my world tilt sideways.


    “E,<i>” </i>she said gently, handing me a stick with two little lines on it, “you’re pregnant.”


    The words didn’t register at first. I just stared at her, then at the pregnancy test, blinking slowly.


    “I’m… what?”


    Chapter <i>77 </i>


    “About four weeks along, from what I can tell. Which would exin the improvement in your condition- intimate contact with your mate can sometimes temporarily strengthen the bond, even without marking.”


    Pregnant. I was carrying Alexander’s child.


    My hand drifted to my stomach, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. There was a baby growing inside of me. A tiny life that was part of me and part of Alexander.


    “E, we need to discuss your options.” Dr. Evelyn’s voice was careful, but there was an undercurrent of panic there. “Your conditionplicates things significantly.”


    I forced myself to focus on her words instead of the swirling chaos in my mind.


    “If you continue the pregnancy without resolving your illness, the strain could kill you both. Your body would be supporting another life when it can barely support your own.<i>” </i>She paused, letting that sink in. “However, there are alternatives. An abortion would be rtively simple at this stage, and it would allow your body to focus entirely on recovery.”


    The word “abortion” felt like a knife in my chest. End the pregnancy. Kill the baby. My hands shook as she gave me a pamphlet on safe abortion methods.


    “On the other hand,” Dr. Evelyn continued, “if Alexander were to mark you now,pleting your mate bond, it would likely cure your condition entirely. The pregnancy could continue safely.”


    pressed my lips together, thinking about that conversation I’d overheard. Alexander had no intention of marking me. He was nning to reject me eventually, probably marry Sophia, and move on with his political career. This baby would just be an inconvenience.


    “How long do I have to decide?” I asked quietly.,


    “A few weeks at most. The longer you wait, the more dangerous it bes for you.”


    I nodded, my mind reeling. A baby. Alexander’s baby.


    The drive home passed by in a blur. I kept touching my stomach, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that there was actually a life growing there. As a Luna, I’d always been expected to produce heirs eventually, but I’d never seriously considered whether I actually wanted children.


    But now, knowing that I was pregnant, the thought of ending it didn’t feel like something I would want.


    When I reached the mansion, I found Lilith in the kitchen preparing dinner. She took one look at my face and immediately set down her wooden spoon.


    “What happened, dear? How was your appointment?”


    I simply handed her the test results, unable to speak. She stared in shock at the two lines, just as I had. Then, when she looked up at me, her eyes were full of tears. “How far along?”


    11:38 Sat, 23 Aug F


    60


    “About a month. Dr. Evelyn says…” I trailed off, not sure how to exin theplicated medical situation.


    “Says what?”


    “Says the baby could kill me if Alexander doesn’t mark me soon. My body can’t handle supporting another life when my wolf is still dormant. Either I need to resolve my illness, or I need to terminate the pregnancy.


    For a long moment, we sat in silence. Finally, I was startled out of a state of shock by the sensation of Lilith squeezing my fingers. I’d been so zoned out that I hadn’t even noticed her grabbing my hand.


    “What do you want to do?” she whispered.


    I let out a shaky breath. “I don’t know. I never thought about having children before, not really. But now that I know I’m carrying Alexander’s baby…” My voice broke slightly. “I can’t bear the thought of ending it.”


    “Then don’t.”


    “But Alexander doesn’t want me. He’s nning to reject me eventually anyway. Why would he change his mind just because of a baby?”


    Lilith’s expression grew thoughtful. “Maybe he would, though. Having an heir is important for an Alpha, especially one running for Alpha King. Even if he doesn’t love you the way you deserve, he might be willing to mark you for the sake of his child.”


    The words stung, but they also made sense. “You think I should tell him?”


    “I think you should find out where he stands. You can’t make this decision in a vacuum, E. You need to know if there’s any chance he might do the right thing.”


    She was right, as usual. So that night, I stayed awake until Alexander came to bed. It was well after midnight when he finally entered. He barely nced at me as he headed for the bathroom.


    “Alexander,” I called out. “Can we talk?”


    He paused in the doorway, his shoulders tensing. “About what?”


    “Just… I have a question.”


    For a moment, I thought he might just walk away, choosing to ignore me again. But then he sighed and turned around. “What did you want to discuss?”


    I took a deep breath, and asked, “I was just wondering… have you ever thought about having children?”


    Something flickered across Alexander’s face. Green eyes shed with something I didn’t have a chance to read before it was quickly smoothed over by that familiar mask of cold indifference.


    “Our contract said we would never have children,” he said curtly before turning and disappearing into the


    11:38 Sat, 23 Aug


    bathroom.


    IF


    B