Chapter 206 – 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.
we don’t know who’s responsible. I growl fiercely. This is Damon’s doing. I don’t know how he managed it, but I will not rest until that bastard is six
you’re up.” The palace doctor is standing in the doorway, looking at me with the pitying expression of someone who wants to be sensitive
he didn’t call us Your Highness. My wolf remarks dryly, noting the trend that far too many of the Vanarans and refugees have
hands still resting on my belly.
caused you to pass out before your heart or child could be harmed.” He explains. “We’ve got you hooked up to an IV to get some fluids into your system, and it also allows us to administer
to go back onto bed rest?” I
under far too much stress. I know the doctors in Moon Valley diagnosed you with preeclampsia, 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 returning. We need to get
done.” I answer sullenly. “We’re at war… and my mate…” I know if I tell
was very sorry to hear about Alpha Dominic.” The doctor tells me sympathetically. “I know it’s hardly a comfort,
to thank him, even though I know he’s trying to be nice.
Ella. 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. Eclampsia kills mothers and babies… even these days with
murmur, feeling fresh
me what worries you
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 just too
not seeming offended by my response. “But I hope you’ll reach out to me if you have
we lay here together, when Henry and Cora enter the room. They both have
I profess, kissing her hair. “I’m
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!