#Chapter 207 – Denial
Ella
When I wake I’m in my nest, hooked up to about a dozen machines and wracking my brains for some explanation of how I got here. Of course… the moment my memory kicks in, I wish it hadn’t. My wolf howls in my head, but I shut out the tumultuous emotions threatening to consume me. It might not be healthy, but if there’s one thing I’m good at – it’s repressing feelings.
I clench my eyes shut. “It’s not real, it’s not real.” I insist to the empty room, reflexively tracing the outline of my womb. “Are you alright, little one?” I squeak, wondering if my pain is about to multiply by a million.
The baby flutters and sends feelings of sleepy confusion through our bond, and the tightness in my heart eases a bit. He’s okay. I tell my whining wolf, but we both know she’s not just worried for the baby’s sake.
They’re both okay. My wolf assures me, sounding surprisingly confident for all her nervous whimpering. I don’t care what anyone says. We would feel it if he was gone. I would feel it.
But what if he’s too far away? I ask, hating myself for the kernel of doubt currently sitting in my stomach like a boulder.
I would still know. She insists. Trust me, no amount of distance could fool me. Our bond is in tact, just out of reach.
Then why are you so worried, I can feel how feral you are. I remind her, praying she’s right and that this isn’t simply bravado.
Because he’s out there alone somewhere and someone just tried to kill him… they succeeded in killing all his men. She answers, and I can feel the truth in her words.
but I will not rest until that bastard is six feet in the ground. Too late I realized I growled out loud, and a
standing in the doorway, looking at me with the pitying expression of
didn’t call us Your Highness. My wolf remarks dryly, noting the trend that far too many of
resting on my
pressure can skyrocket to very dangerous levels. In your case it triggered false labor and a dizzy spell which thankfully caused you to pass out before your
I have to go back onto bed rest?” I
and when you arrived here we thought that the condition had been mitigated by your wolf waking. But based on the numbers I’m seeing, you’re at risk of the condition
I know if I tell
Dominic.” The doctor tells me sympathetically. “I know it’s hardly a comfort, but his death
nice. I simply nod and glance at the IV. “Do I have
I can’t force you to take anything, but I must encourage you to follow my treatment plan for the sake of your child’s life and your own.
I murmur, feeling fresh tears
you like to tell me what worries you about the
am that he isn’t. The truth is that I’m afraid to go to sleep, because no amount of distance can keep us apart in dreams. My mate can even follow me into my deepest, darkest nightmares… so if I sleep and he isn’t there… it will mean he’s really gone. That possibility is
thankfully not seeming offended by my response. “But I hope you’ll reach out to me if you have any questions
my mate from the last time we lay here together, when Henry and
kissing
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!