He put his hand on mine and squeezed it. “You had no way of knowing.” He mind linked some people, and soon his Beta and top leadership was entering. “We’ve determined that the attack on our Luna was actually meant for Alpha Ella, here. The main suspects are the Minnesota packs.”
“Well, that’s good then,” Beta Mike said. “The group that was killed was probably all they sent.”
“Yeah, it’s a different situation than a border pack going after her,” replied the Lead Tracker, Julian.
“Take the Pack off lockdown,” the Alpha said. “Keep the trackers out trying to find the missing wolf, at least for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, I’ve got a phone call to make.” The men left, and I sat back, figuring this would be interesting. He went back to his desk and opened his planner, locating the number he wanted. I wished I still had my wolf hearing so I could hear both sides; he saw my face and put it on speakerphone as it dialed.
“This is Tanner.” I cringed when I heard his voice.
“Alpha, this is Alpha Doug Johnson. Care to explain?”
“Explain what, Doug?”
He laughed. “Cut the bullshit, Scott. Some of your men attacked a truck today. That truck had my mate and my daughter in it, and I’m in no mood for denials since my mate was hurt.”
There was a pause on the line. “That wasn’t me, Doug.”
“So none of the nine dead wolves are yours, huh? Must be just rogues or something.” He was about to strangle him through the phone.
“Nope, no idea.”
“All right, well I’ll tell you what is happening then. We will be skinning the fur off them within the hour, then we’re going to burn them with our garbage. If anyone has the balls to own up to sending them, they can call me and make alternative arrangements before they become a wall hanging in my pack house.” He cut the phone off and sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “You’re not to go anywhere off our land, Ella. It’s too dangerous, and Remi will have my balls if anything happens to you.”
“I understand, Alpha.” Grounded. “Anything else?”
“No, get some rest. We’ll talk again tomorrow after we’ve had a chance to think.”
I went to the kitchen and got some food, then took a pain pill and napped most of the afternoon. By the next morning, I was completely miserable- both my arm and my thumb were throbbing in pain. I got up and made my way to the bathroom, flinging the door open as the nausea hit. I barely made the toilet before I was throwing up.
The same thing happened the following morning, so when I was getting my dressing changed I asked Doc about it. He wrote down some notes and checked my temperature, it was normal. “How long ago was your last period, Ella?”
I thought about it. “Around the beginning of October, I don’t really keep track of it.” He got up and grabbed something out of a drawer as the realization hit me like the Ice Bucket Challenge. I looked down at the small package he handed me, and he pointed to the small bathroom across the hall.
Sitting on the toilet, I opened up the test kit and nervously read the directions. One line negative, two lines pregnant. I carefully peed on it and set it on the sink, then watched the clock as it counted down the time. I looked down.
Two lines.
Holy fuck. It couldn’t be.
I opened up the door, holding the test in my bad hand. The look on my face told Doc everything, and he pulled me back in and set me down on the exam table again. “How? How is this possible, I didn’t go through heat?”
He put his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. “I had a hunch, so I checked your medical records again. That man, he penetrated you vaginally, correct?”
“Yes, but I killed him before he could, um, complete it. He couldn’t have gotten me pregnant, right?”
Doc shook his head. “I’m afraid that is not the case. I don’t know how heat would happen without your wolf, and human cycles are different. Seminal fluid, like what is called pre-cum, contains some number of sperm. It isn’t as much as in ejaculation, but it only takes one to do the job. Plus, sperm can survive for days before impregnating the egg.” I was starting to cry. “And I double checked, they were so focused on fixing your thumb they didn’t give you the morning after pill; it would have interfered with the surgery.” “So David could be the father.”
“I’m afraid that is the case, Ella. I’m sorry.”
“Doc, he’s not the only one I’ve been sexually active with. On the way here I spent a night with a human friend, we had sex several times that night. I wasn’t thinking, we didn’t use protection. Can you tell who the father is?”
“I don’t know, but as long as you are here let’s check you out.” He left to get an ultrasound machine while I changed into a gown and removed my panties. He brought it in and connected a uterine probe, then he pulled out the stirrups on the exam table and put my legs up. It felt weird as the lubricated probe went in, but I was too busy watching the screen. He moved it around a little until there was a small black spot on the screen with a white bean inside. “There’s your baby,” he said. He punched a button and printed out a picture, handing it to me as I cried. He took some measurements and gave me the estimate of the fetal age. “I’m sorry, Ella, but these measurements aren’t completely accurate for date of conception. I can’t tell you which man is the father.”
“When will you be able to tell?”
“When the fetus in in the third trimester, we can do an amniocentesis and extract DNA for testing. You would have to have DNA from at least one male to determine which is the father.”
My jaw fell. “So I won’t know if this is the rapist’s wolf baby or the human’s normal baby for months.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, Ella. Whatever you decide, I will make sure you get the help you need.”
I closed my eyes. ‘Whatever I decide.’ Right. I put my hand over my belly as he cleaned the lube off and put my gown back down. For the second time this year, my life was turned upside down.
“Doc, you can’t say anything about this.”
“I won’t say anything unless the Alpha orders me. Even I can’t resist an Alpha command.” He helped me to my feet. “I know they love you, Ella. Don’t go through this alone.”
“Thanks, Doc.” I changed then walked out of the office and went back to my room to pack.
It was time to leave.