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

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, very

instructed to lift up

another midwife, correct?” the midwife said as she ran the doppler over my belly.

passed, then another. I

here’s the first

the air, embracing us. I glanced over at Troy, who was standing next to Dad, both of them standing with their arms crossed as they watched the screen.

baby number two,

round of rhythmic beating, and

screen with a skeptical expression on her face. She moved the doppler around, then motioned for me to

third heartbeat, softer, less rhythmic. It must have been my own.

the midwife said, but her expression faded in an instant

I asked, my voice

down at me, her eyes creasing as

caught him, holding him upright until

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

and soon!” The midwife’s voice betrayed the look on her face, however. Something in her tone made

“What’s wrong?” Dad asked.

pale, his eyes trying to make sense of the picture of

fluttering faintly in grayscale. I watched it as if in a trance, counting the beats in my mind, and then

was off, skipping every once in

equipped for this kind of delivery here, Alpha,” the midwife said hastily, pointing to the screen. “This baby… its heart. It’s hard to

the midwife’s words fading to a faint murmur as watched the screen. My hands went protectively around my belly, and then I felt the warmth of Troy’s hand on mine. I

my voice a

this starts to form very early on, likely before you even

in the beginning, you know. Lots of cells trying to find

Troy’s voice boomed

pained breath as he spoke, thankful he could be there to ask the questions I didn’t

if you can get her to Mirage. Their hospital is larger, they have the tools to operate on a child

stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around my other

a hole in the baby’s heart.

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,

my mouth into a smile, but it was

Mirage even intact?” Troy asked Dad, his words

We’ll go now.” Dad replied, squeezing

up at Dad and Troy, tears falling down my cheeks. “I can’t leave

serious, and I felt my heart begin to shatter. Mom was very sick, growing weaker

swept over me, the tears in my eyes blurring my

I said hotly, my anger flowing over. So much death had touched me in the last several months, so much heartbreak and turmoil. Our children were the silver lining to all of the grief Troy and I had

hadn’t even known was there, one we hadn’t even

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

what you’re having?” she

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

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

boys,” she said

I sucked in my breath, closing my eyes against the tears. I shut down, blocking out

the Moon Goddess to respond. What have I done to deserve this

***

her weight on the kitchen stool, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked up at

to have the babies had given her a boost of righteous energy, her cheeks coloring and eyes shining