Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 87: Something’s Wrong with One of the Babies

Maeve

Three days had passed since the Lycennian refugees came to the village. Mom had been wearing herself thin over their arrival. She had been adamant that I see the village midwife, however. Dad offered to come if he could get away from keeping an eye on the refugees, which surprised me.

Thad barely had a chance to talk to Troy since our arrival in Winter Forest, let alone ask him about the conversations he’d had with Dad, but based on how Troy tended to be on the quiet side and used a filter I didn’t know he had whenever he spoke around my family, this made me think that he was walking on eggshells around Dad.

And so I found myself in the small, snow-covered clinic in the center of the village. Troy was pacing back and forth in the snug exam room, tapping his lip with his finger as he stopped to examine the pictures on the walls. He was nervous, especially when the nurse wheeled in an ultrasound machine and plugged it into the wall.

“It’s pretty old. Takes a minute to wake up,” the nurse said,

smiling at me.

I was laying on my side on the exam table, having given up on finding a comfortable position. I was feeling swollen and exceedingly grouchy, but I was very much looking forward to what would be my first ultrasound.

Cleo hadn’t had access to an ultrasound machine. She had relied on the supplies Una had given to her before we continued our journey through the Southern Pass and her skills as a midwife.

The nurse left the room again, and Dad caught the door before it closed, walking into the room and closing the door behind him. “Your mom wanted me to come so I could tell her about it when I got home,” he said, a little breathless.

“Did you run all this way?” I asked, laughing softly at his ruffled appearance.

He reached up to shake the snow from his hair and nodded. “Did I miss it? She’ll be so upset”

“No, it hasn’t started yet.” I smiled through the intense contraction I was having. The contractions had become longer and more intense over the past week, but they were still irregular. Apparently, according to the nurse and midwife, I was fine. It was normal. But it didn’t feel normal to me. It hurt.

Troy was still pacing, not even glancing up at Dad when he entered the room. “Troy!” I hissed, and he stopped pacing and moved to my side, touching my arm as he leaned down to me. “What is wrong with you? All I can hear is your shoes squeaking on the tile!”

“On,” he said, straightening up. “Sorry. I’m just nervous.”

“Why?”

He shrugged, shaking his head as though the words he wanted to say were stuck on the tip of his tongue. He

straightened up, turning his head to the door and noticed Dad standing against the wall. Troy nearly jumped out of his skin, his hand flying over his heart.

“Goddess,” he stammered. “How long have you been here, Alpha Ethan?”

Dad gave him a quizzical glance, then chuckled silently, crossing his arms over his chest. “A few minutes. You didn’t notice me come in?”

“No l-i’m losing my mind, I think. Troy was pale and acting strange.

I felt a wave of unease wash over me as he glanced over at the ultrasound machine with a skeptical glaze.

“I remember the first time I saw Rowan on one of these,” Dad said, tilting his head toward the machine. “I’ll never forget it. It was incredible. He was only a tiny dot, though.”

“Do you remember seeing me on an ultrasound?” I asked

sweetly, smiling at him.

He nodded, his gaze dream-like and far away. “Of course, I do. You wouldn’t stop moving, and your mom had to come in three different times to get a better image of your heart. You were a handful before you were even born.”

I frowned, glaring at him as I settled back against the pillow, sighing deeply. There had been blood drawn before the imaging appointment, and whatever they were doing with the sample was taking forever. I closed my eyes, lingering on the edge of sleep.

Troy had started pacing again, his shoes squeaking on the waxed tile floor. “Troy! Stop it!”

down in one

came in, the chair screeching as he nearly knocked it on its side. I should have rolled my eyes, but something stopped me. Troy was very,

but I didn’t have time. I was being instructed to lift up my sweater, and then the midwife pressed the doppler down on my belly, the gel warm and

the doppler over my belly. I nodded, explaining what Cleo had

minute passed, then another. I was beginning to

the first

Troy, who was standing next to Dad, both of them standing with their

number two,

rhythmic beating, and then

a skeptical expression on her face. She moved the doppler around, then

softer, less rhythmic. It must have been my

but her expression faded in an instant as she looked at the

asked, my voice

eyes creasing as he

his face draining of color. Dad caught him, holding him upright until Troy could catch his

stammered, the tiny space left in my body for my stomach tightening into a knot.

look on her face, however. Something in her tone made me tighten with

“What’s wrong?” Dad asked.

had composed himself, but was still pale, his eyes trying

heart I had ever seen, fluttering faintly in grayscale. I watched it

skipping

hastily, pointing to

my belly, and then I felt the

asked, my voice a strained

looked at me with a surprised look on her face, then she smiled sympatheticallylli No… something like this starts to form very early on, likely before you

to find their place all at once. This baby’s heart… just didn’t

we do?” Troy’s voice boomed in the small

be there to ask

her to Mirage. Their hospital is larger,

and wrapped his fingers around

hole in the baby’s heart.

I can tell. It’ll need surgery immediately after birth if the baby is going to survive. The other two are healthy, but small. That’s normal for triplets. It’s a miracle, in my opinion, that you made

into a smile, but

intact?” Troy asked

We’ll go now.” Dad replied,

at Dad and Troy, tears falling down my

my heart begin to shatter. Mom was very

anger swept over me, the tears in my eyes blurring my vision.

last several months, so much heartbreak and turmoil. Our children were the silver lining to all of the grief Troy and I had been

to lose one-one we hadn’t even known was there, one we hadn’t even had a chance

touched my leg as she looked down at me, her eyes filled with pity. I looked away from

want to know what

Troy. We already knew, based on what Una had told us. But she had been wrong

the same thing as he looked down at me, the same anger and confusion I felt behind his own eyes. But,

boys,” she

hand again, but his hand was trembling. I sucked in my breath, closing my eyes against the tears. I shut down, blocking out whatever the midwife

willing the Moon Goddess to respond.

***

adjusted her weight on the kitchen stool, crossing her arms over her chest as she

staying behind in Winter Forest while Dad escorted me and Troy to Mirage to have the babies had given her a boost of righteous energy, her cheeks coloring