Ex-Alpha's Regret: Siren's Comeback novel Chapter 33

POV: Seraphina

The journey was a blur of bumpy roads and the constant, grinding pain in my abdomen. We drove for hours, leaving Blackwood territory far behind, the landscape changing from lush, manicured forests to the rugged, untamed wilderness of the neutral lands. The clinic was exactly as Martha had described: a small, discreet stone cottage nestled in a secluded valley, indistinguishable from the other homesteads around it.

The doctor was a she-wolf named Elara. She was old, her face a roadmap of deep wrinkles and her silver hair braided down her back, but her eyes were sharp, missing nothing. She took one look at my pale, sweat-drenched face and the servant's uniform I wore and simply said, "In here, child. Let's see what's ailing you."

Her examination was gentle but thorough. Her gnarled, knowing hands palpated my abdomen, her expression growing more grave with each passing moment. She listened to my heart, checked my pulse, and then looked me straight in the eye, her gaze filled with a weary, ancient wisdom.

"I have two things to tell you," she said, her voice soft but firm, leaving no room for illusion. "The first is that you are with child. About six weeks, I'd say."

The words hit me with the force of a physical blow. Pregnant. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and the small, sterile room seemed to tilt on its axis. A baby. A tiny, impossible life growing inside of me. The world outside, the pain, the escape, Damian, Sylvie—it all faded away, replaced by a singular, overwhelming thought. A baby.

And then, a last, foolish flicker of hope ignited in the ashes of my heart. Nico. My firstborn. Maybe this was the key. Maybe the idea of a sibling, a tiny wolf pup to protect and play with, could break through the poison Sylvie had fed him. If he knew, would he want to come with me? Could I save both my children?

I had to try. I had to know. It was my last hope for him.

"I have to go back," I whispered, my voice trembling with a new, desperate urgency.