Methis Delis POV
I heard him well enough, but I could only groan as another pain shot up through my back.
I felt a shock run through me. Pain? How could that be? I had been careful to take the pills that Beta gave me every day to prevent the pain.
"It's... painful." I groaned deliriously.
Beta looked at me with surprise and concern. He said, “Methis, how did this happen? Did you forget to take the pills?”
I shook my head and said, “No, Beta. I took them every day. I swear.”
The doctor frowned and said, “That’s strange. The pills are very effective. There must be some other reason for this.”
He took out a device and scanned my belly. He said, “Well, as you know. This is not a normal pregnancy. This is a special pregnancy.”
"Because of the surrogacy?"
"Because of the bloodline Methis." The doctor said, giving me a funny look. I understood, I was supposed to know this already, understand it. I was the one carrying the child, wasn't I?
He showed me the screen of the device and pointed at a spot that glowed brighter than the rest.
He said, “Do you see this? This is the mark of the alpha’s bloodline. It means that your child is not only his offspring, but also his heir.”
He looked at me with awe and said, “Methis, do you realize what this means? You have conceived the alpha’s heir with his bloodline mark. This is very rare and very precious.”
He continued, “This also means that your child will inherit some of the alpha’s abilities and traits. He or she will be very powerful and very special.”
He smiled and said, “You are very lucky, Methis. You have done something that no other woman has done before.”
I felt numb as I listened to him. Lucky? Was I really lucky? Or was I cursed?
* * *
That night, the alpha appeared again after nearly a month of absence.
I felt a bit estranged from him as he walked into the room where I stayed.
He looked at me with his cold eyes and said in his deep voice, “Methis.”
I bowed my head and said, “Alpha.”
I approached him and served him as I always did. I understood that I was just a tool to him, and I should know my place. There was no need to overthink it, there was no need to give myself false hopes of expectations, it was the contract I signed, and I had to honor it. It was, what it was.
But somewhere, deep inside me, I felt a sudden rush of panic. I had known Jamal wasn't for me, and he didn't care very much about me, but it had still hurt when I felt abandoned and alone...
What then was going to happen when I gave birth? When the baby was forced away from my hands and thrust into the hands of a stranger while I was pushed away and my child was sent away to live with wolves?
Would I be able to handle it? The emotional devastation? "Well," I thought, trying to push it away from my head, "I guess we will find out sooner than later." I muttered.
He took me in his arms and kissed me hard. He moved his hand over my belly and said, “You’re pregnant.”
It was not a question, but a statement. He knew.
He said, “You’re pregnant with my heir. You don’t need to serve me anymore.”
I raised an eyebrow, even in my weak, tired state, I could tell he was only saying this to make me feel better, and to forget about the month he spent outside, basically abandoning me. But I was in no mood to argue, I just nodded, "You look happy."
"I am," His tone was surprisingly gentle, as if he cared. "This is what I have wanted for a long time, in fact," he turned to look at me, his eyes boring deep into mine, "This is ALL I have wanted in a long time."
"So I can go home then? When you get your child no?"
He scoffed, “You can stay here and rest. I will take care of you and our child.”
He kissed my belly and said, “You have done well, Methis. You have given me what I wanted.”
I shrugged, "That's what I am here for, isn't it? That's what the contract is all about."
"Regardless," he said, shrugging, "It makes me very happy."
I offered him a weak smile, "You are welcome."
He looked at me with a faint smile and said, “Thank you, Methis. Thank you for giving me an heir.”
He kissed me again and said, “You’re mine, Methis. And so is our child.”
He held me close and whispered in my ear, “I will never let you go.”
I felt a mix of emotions as I heard him. Fear, confusion, hope, and something else.
Something that felt like care, affection.
Like he actually cared.
Jamal Kunis POV
I was ecstatic when I heard the news of Methis’s pregnancy. I had just left the meeting with the wolf clan elders, where we had discussed our plans to escape from the dragon clan’s tyranny.
I had been busy with wolf clan affairs for the past month, trying desperately to avoid her and I missed her terribly. I wanted to see her, touch her, hold her. But she had asked me for some distance, and I had reluctantly agreed. She said she needed some time to adjust to this world, to this life. She said she was grateful for everything I had done for her, but she was still confused and scared.
I hated that she felt that way. I hated that I couldn’t make her feel safe and loved. I hated that she didn’t love me back.
As a 33-year-old Lycan King, I believed I could control my emotions, but this human girl always seemed to easily provoke them. She made me feel things I had never felt before, things that were both wonderful and painful.
She made me feel alive.