My Alpha's Mark

167 How

Kacie

Now I don’t know why everyone thinks telling someone to calm down when they aren’t calm is a good idea. It’s actually possibly the worst thing you can do in that scenario. Having them here should have made me feel better. We should have been able to sit here comfortably and talk things out, but the more I looked at them the more I wanted to scream and cry. Nothing was working out and I didn’t want to think about a child. I didn’t want to think about bringing a life into the world right now. Not with the witches here and definitely not while I was at a crossroads with my mates.

They should have been here by my side before. Before I fainted, before they knew I was pregnant, before when they should have been. I didn’t want them by my side because of this, not just because of this. I wanted them to be here because they wanted. Not because I was birthing an heir into the world. Now that I was thinking about it, my mind began to wander. The fight. Jade. The mud monster. My injuries. I flexed my stomach and there was still pain. Had I not healed from the attack? They said I had been out for three days.

“Do we know that I’m actually pregnant? How sure are we?” I asked, ignoring Jake’s pleas about being calm.

“Yes,” Viktor said. “The first round of tests were to see if there was anything wrong with you. I couldn’t wake you. I was worried. After we got the first positive test, I had them run a few more to be sure.”

“Define a few,” I said.

“Six,” Viktor answered.

“Six?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“And they all?” I asked.

“Yes, they all came back positive.”

“Oh,” I whispered.

“It’s happening,” Viktor said.

“I haven’t healed,” I murmured. “Yes,” Viktor said.

“When did you take the last test?” I asked.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the fight against the mud monster. It had punched me over and over again. He had bruised and broken ribs. There was no way I could still be pregnant. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes and blurred my vision. I don’t know why I was crying. I didn’t even know about this pregnancy, I shouldn’t be sad. I shouldn’t be mourning something I’ve never met. I shouldn’t be crying for something that just moments ago, I admitted I didn’t want right now.

“Three days ago,” Viktor said. “Why?” He asked.

“Run them again,” I said.

“Why?” Viktor asked.

“Is something wrong?” Jake asked.

“Yes. I think we’ll get different results this time around,” I said.

I can see the confusion as clear as day on their faces as they try to figure out why the results would change in just three days. I sit up and flinch as pain stabs me in the belly. The pain isn’t as bad as the day it happened but it’s still there. For some reason I’m healing slowly.

“The day I fainted, I had been training with Jade,” I started.

“Jade?” Jake asked. I leveled him with a look that had him closing his mouth and biting on his lip.

“Why were you training with Jade and not Clara?” Viktor asked.

“Clara had too much to drink the night before and was dead to the world. Jade stepped in for her so that I would still get my day of training in.”

“What can Jade do?” Jake asked.

“Jade can control and manipulate earth or dirt,” I said. “I’m not really sure what her gift is but she split the ground under my feet and then created a humanoid.”

“A humanoid?” Viktor asked. “A mud monster.”

“No, I know what a humanoid is. Was it large? Did it have it’s own mind or was she controlling it?” Viktor asked.

“I’m not understanding what Jade’s gift has to do with what we’re talking about,” Jake cut in. Viktor turned to look at him. “Why won’t the tests say you’re pregnant anymore?” Jake asked.

“I fought against the humanoid,” I said. “And I lost.”

“Okay…” Jake trailed off. “I don’t care about what Jade can do. I’m still failing to see why that…” Jake’s eyes widened as Viktor stared at me.

“Did it hurt you?” Viktor asked. His voice dropped an octave and it felt as if everything stopped moving.

“It was training, Vik, of course I got hurt,” I said.

“Your bruises,” Viktor murmured. “And your cracked ribs…” Viktor trailed off.

“What?” Jake asked. “I should have known,” Viktor murmured. “I was worried but I wasn’t sure… I didn’t let myself think that far. I was just focusing on you and your recovery. I was only thinking of you waking up. I was too focused on praying to the Goddess that I didn’t lose you.”

“What, Viktor?!” Jake asked. The panic in his voice was etched into his features as he started to piece everything together. Viktor wasn’t listening anymore, at least, it didn’t look like it. His chin had dipped and his gaze was on the bed sheets. Jake’s hand was on his shoulder. He shook him but Viktor didn’t say anything.

“How can I child live through what I endured during the fight?” I asked as I looked Jake in the eyes.

Jake stops talking. His lips part and his mouth falls open as he repeats my words. The first thing I see in his face is denial, shock, sadness, followed by anger. His nostrils flare and the vein in his temple pulses as he grits his teeth together.

“I was punched in the stomach repeatedly, Jake. I was on the ground. I barely managed to get up. In the end I was able to defeat it but I still lost against Jade. I still lost… and I don’t think that… a battle was the only thing I lost,” I murmured. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I was angry at him but I still loved him. From the way they looked at each other when I woke up, I know that they were happy with the news and had accepted it. I hadn’t even accepted it and I mourned for the child.

“So what you’re saying is… that witch killed our child?” Jake asked.