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!”

heard him sit down in one of the plastic chairs against the far

nearly knocked it on its side. I should have rolled my eyes, but something stopped me. Troy was very, very

what was wrong, if there was something wrong with me or the babies, 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

you were having twins? Confirmed by another midwife, correct?” the midwife said as she ran the doppler over my belly. I nodded, explaining what Cleo

then another. I was beginning to feel

here’s the

to Dad, both of them standing with

baby number two, right

round of rhythmic beating,

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

with a third heartbeat, softer, less

faded in an instant as

what?” I asked, my voice a

creasing as he

him, holding him upright until

tiny space left in my body for my stomach

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

“What’s wrong?” Dad asked.

but was still pale, his eyes trying to make sense of the picture

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

was off, skipping

kind of delivery here, Alpha,” the midwife said hastily, pointing to the screen. “This baby… its heart.

a faint murmur as watched the screen. My hands went protectively around my belly, and then I felt the warmth of

my voice a strained cry

this starts to form very early on, likely before

on in the beginning, you know. Lots of cells trying to find their place all at once. This baby’s heart…

voice boomed in the small

thankful he could be there to ask the questions I didn’t have the capacity to

Mirage. Their hospital is larger, they have the tools to operate on

and wrapped his fingers

baby’s heart. It won’t

other two are healthy, but small. That’s normal for triplets. It’s a miracle, in my opinion, that

mouth into a smile, but it was

Troy asked Dad, his words

It is. We’ll go now.” Dad

I cried, looking up at Dad and Troy, tears falling down my

my heart begin to shatter. Mom was very sick, growing weaker by the day.

hot anger swept over me, the tears in my eyes blurring

my anger flowing over. So much death had touched me in the last several months, so much heartbreak

now we were going to lose one-one we hadn’t even known was there, one

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

to know what you’re having?” she said

had told us. But she had been wrong about the twins. She had also been wrong about

me, the same anger and confusion I felt behind his own eyes. But, he nodded at the midwife, and she started moving the doppler over my belly

boys,” she said

in my breath, closing my eyes against the tears. I shut down, blocking out whatever the midwife had said to me

Moon Goddess to respond.

***

stool, crossing her arms over her chest as she

to have the babies had given her a