Ronan’s POV
I awoke sometime before the devil’s hour. I knew I had been dreaming about when I was younger but the more I tried to remember the details of the dream, the more they eluded me.
Hunger gnawed painfully at my stomach and I remembered that I had gone to bed with an empty stomach.
I walked into my kitchen to prepare a quick meal. I settled on pasta and a simple sauce but first I poured myself some cereal and milk into a bowl and ate greedily.
It was then that the details of the dream hit me and I realized that it wasn’t really a dream but a memory that I had managed to bury in my unconscious mind.
It was immediately after my mom had delivered my sister. My father, Ryder and I were pacing anxiously in the hospital building. Not far away from the room where the Luna was in labour, trying to bring another pup into the world.
We heard the wails of a baby just before the pack doctor came out of that room and we all hurried to meet him halfway.
“How are they?” My father had asked. I could hear the anxiety in his voice.
One would think that he would have gotten used to his wife going into labour since that wasn’t her first nor second time.
I didn’t like the look on the doctor’s face. I turned to look at my brother and he took my hand. I could see from his expression that he also thought that something was terribly wrong.
“Your baby girl is healthy. Congratulations,” the doctor said.
“What about my mate?” My father asked impatiently.
“She’s in a terrible condition and trust me, we’re doing all we can to save her,” he replied.
Ryder let go of my hand to grab onto our father who was livid and just a few seconds from lunging at the doctor.
“Dad, it’s not his fault. Mother needs our support at this moment. We have to control our emotions,” he reasoned.
My father took a deep breath and apologized to the doctor.
“It’s okay. Your reaction is understandable.”
“She’s insisting on seeing the three of you and I don’t know why because she can barely speak. She needs to save whatever strength she has left,” the doctor said to us.
“Then what are we waiting for? Take us to her,” my father had ordered.
The doctor sighed and led us into the room where my mother was moaning in agony. There was a lot of blood and I ended up puking into the sink.
My father was beside her in an instant and covered her hand with his.
“We’re right here, darling,” he said and placed a kiss on her sweaty forehead.
I tried to ignore the overpowering smell of blood and moved closer to her.
Ryder had already joined my dad. One of his hands was on her face.
She tried to smile when I came closer but it looked more like a grimace.
“There’s something you all need to know,” she said. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
My father smoothened her hair back. “You do not have to say anything baby, just save your strength and push through this.”
She shook her head. “It’s too late. I’m going to die. Just listen to me. Please.”
I saw the tears drop from her eyes and I knew that I was crying also.
“I wasn’t faithful to you. The baby girl isn’t yours. But I’m begging you to please care for her like your own. I just had to tell you this. I’m sorry.”
I gasped.
My father fell silent for a moment. “Who is he?” He asked.
She shook her head.
“Just tell me,” he roared.
“Father!” Ryder exclaimed.
Just then, my mother let out a soul-piercing scream and the medical team tried to double their efforts.
I watched in horror and felt a part of me die as the heart monitor flatlined.
I stared at my mother’s body and I heard someone scream in agony. I think it was me.
My father stumbled out of the room and Ryder pulled me out and tried to get me to sit.
After some time, a nurse brought the baby to us and I remember shrinking away and crying, “Get that thing away from me.”
Ryder took the baby from her and suggested that we go back to the palace.
My father was nowhere to be found when we got home.
The baby kept on wailing and I remember screaming for it to stop.
Mary, the head chef, hurriedly took her from Ryder and left the room where we were.
My father didn’t return until the next day and Mary made the mistake of presenting the baby to him.
He had yelled at her and ordered that the baby be removed from the palace.
Mary had just stood rooted to the spot with the baby in her arms until Ryder had gently nudged her.
He fell to his knees immediately after she left the room and pleaded with my father to let the baby stay.
My father had threatened to also kick him out of the palace if he said anything about her again.
Ryder had asked for my help to convince our father and I had flatly refused.
“She killed mom, Ryder. She’s not one of us. I swear, even if Father changes his mind, I’m going to throw her into the river and watch her drown.”
A few hours later, one of my mom’s sisters came to take the baby.
I came back to the present and I was not really surprised to see that tears were streaming down my face into my soggy cereal. I was trembling with grief.
With a scream, I flung the bowl of cereal and it hit the wall and broke into many pieces.
Ryder never wanted our sister to leave the palace. It was just my father and I.
He was reluctant to bring her back because of a threat I had made. A threat I had even forgotten I made.