Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 307

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 wearingherself thin over their arrival. She had been adamant that I see the village midwife, however. Dadoffered 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 aboutthe conversations he'd had with Dad, but based on how Troy tended to be on the quiet side andused a filter I didn’t know he had whenever he spoke around my family, this made me think that hewas walking on eggshells around Dad

And so I found myself in the small, snow-covered clinic in the center of the village. Troy was pacingback and forth in the snug exam room, tapping his lip with his finger as he stopped to examine thepictures on the walls. He was nervous, especially when the nurse wheeled in an ultrasound machineand 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 replaceing a comfortable position. I wasfeeling swollen and exceedingly grouchy, but I was very much looking forward to what would be myfirst ultrasound.

Cleo hadn't had access to an ultrasound machine. She had relied on the supplies Una had given toher 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 andclosing the door behind him. “Your mom wanted me to come so I could tell her about it when I gothome,” 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 contractionshad 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 didnt feel normal to me. It hurt.Troy was still pacing, not even glancing up at Dad when he entered the room. “Troy!” I hissed, andhe stopped pacing and moved to my side, touching my arm as he leaned down to me. “What iswrong 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 histongue. He

straightened up, turning his head to the door and noticed Dad standing against the wall. Troy nearlyjumped 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 fewminutes. You didn’t notice me come in?"

“No I-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 skepticalglaze.

“I remember the first time I saw Rowan on one of these,” Dad said, tilting his head toward themachine. “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 yourmom had to come in three different times to get a better image of your heart. You were a handfulbefore you were even born.”

I frowned, glaring at him as I settled back against the pillow, sighing deeply. There had been blooddrawn before the imaging appointment, and whatever they were doing with the sample was takingforever. 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!"

“I'm sorry,” he huffed, and I heard him sit down in one of the plastic chairs against the far wall!

He stood abruptly as the nurse and midwife came in, the chair screeching as he nearly knocked it onits side. I should have rolled my eyes, but something stopped me. Troy was very, veryuncomfortable, almost like he could sense something

I almost asked him what was wrong, if there was something wrong with me or the babies, but Ididn't have time. I was being instructed to lift up my sweater, and then the midwife pressed thedoppler down on my belly, the gel warm and comforting against my stretched and itchy skin.

"You said you were having twins? Confirmed by another midwife, correct?” the midwife said as sheran the doppler over my belly. I nodded, explaining what Cleo had said and done in regard to mypregnancy

A minute passed, then another. I was beginning to feel uneasy.

"Okay, here's the first heartbeat

A rhythmic thumping filled the air, embracing us. I glanced over at Troy, who was standing next toDad, both of them standing with their arms crossed as they watched the screen. Troy wasn't evenblinking.

"And... baby number two, right here,”

Another round of rhythmic beating, and then the midwife

paused, peering at the screen with a skeptical expression on her face. She moved the doppleraround, then motioned for me to turn onto my side.

The room was filled with a third heartbeat, softer, less rhythmic. It must have been my own.“Three...” the midwife said, but her expression faded in an instant as she looked at the screen.“Three what?" I asked, my voice a little shaky.

She looked down at me, her eyes creasing as he gave me a knowing smile. “Triplets.”

Troy swayed, his face draining of color. Dad caught him, holding him upright until Troy could catchhis breath.

“W-what?” I stammered, the tiny space left in my body for my stomach tightening into a knot. 157“You're having triplets, and soon!” The midwife's voice betrayed the look on her face, however.Something in her tone made me tighten with anxiety.

“What's wrong?” Dad asked.

Troy had composed himself, but was still pale, his eyes trying to make sense of the picture of thescreen.

It was the tiniest heart I had ever seen, fluttering faintly in grayscale. I watched it as if in a trance,counting the beats in my mind, and then I noticed it.

The rhythm was off, skipping every once in a while.

“We're not equipped for this kind of delivery here, Alpha,” the midwife said hastily, pointing to thescreen. “This baby... its heart. It's hard to tell, but there's an abnormality, right here—"

I zoned out, the midwife's words fading to a faint murmur as watched the screen. My hands wentprotectively around my belly, and then I felt the warmth of Troy's hand on mine. I looked up at him,a silent barrage of questions passing between us. How?

“Was it the coffee?” I asked, my voice a strained cry of despair.

The midwife 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 even knew you were pregnant.Plus, multiples complicate things. There's a lot

going on in the beginning, you know. Lots of cells trying to replace their place all at once. This baby'sheart... just didn't form correctly.”

"What can we do?" Troy's voice boomed in the small space, taking command.

I took a deep, pained breath as he spoke, thankful he could be there to ask the questions I didn'thave the capacity to ask myself.

“Deliver as soon as possible. Tomorrow, if you can get her to Mirage. Their hospital is larger, theyhave the tools to operate on a child this size-"

“Operate?” Dad stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around my other hand.

“There's a hole in the baby’s heart. It won't close itself, from

what I can tell. It'll need surgery immediately after birth if the baby is going to survive. The othertwo are healthy, but small. That's normal for triplets. It's a miracle, in my opinion, that you made itthis far, Princess Maeve.”

I fought to form my mouth into a smile, but it was impossible.

“Is the hospital in Mirage even intact?” Troy asked Dad, his words full of panic.

"Y-yes. It is. We'll go now.” Dad replied, squeezing my hand

“No,” I cried, looking up at Dad and Troy, tears falling down my cheeks. “I can’t leave Mom!”

“You don’t have a choice, Maeve. Dad was stone-cold serious, and I felt my heart begin to shatter.Mom was very sick, growing weaker by the day. What if she wasn't here when I came back?Suddenly, a wave of pure, boiling hot anger swept over me, the tears in my eyes blurring my vision.If I'd had my powers, if Mom had her powers...

“Is the baby going to die?” I said hotly, my anger flowing over. So much death had touched me inthe last several months, so much heartbreak and turmoil. Our children were the silver lining to all ofthe grief Troy and I had been through.

And now we were going to lose one-one we hadn't even known was there, one we hadn't even hada chance to love.

The midwife touched my leg as she looked down at me, her eyes filled with pity. I looked away fromher before I snapped.

“Do you want to know what you're having?” she said softly.

I looked up at Troy. We already knew, based on what Una had told us. But she had been wrongabout the twins. She had also been wrong about bringing the moonstones together. I had failed.

I could tell he was thinking the same thing as he looked down at me, the same anger and confusionI felt behind his own eyes. But, he nodded at the midwife, and she started moving the doppler overmy belly once again.

“Three boys,” she said softly.

Dad squeezed my hand again, but his hand was trembling. I sucked in my breath, closing my eyesagainst the tears. I shut down, blocking out whatever the midwife had said to me and to Troy andDad.

Why? I thought, willing the Moon Goddess to respond. What have I done to deserve this pain?

"Of course, I'm going.” Mom adjusted her weight on the kitchen stool, crossing her arms over herchest as she looked up at Dad.

Her anger at being told she was staying behind in Winter Forest while Dad escorted me and Troy toMirage to have the babies had given her a boost of righteous energy, her cheeks coloring and eyesshining with new life.

"You are too weak-" Dad bit out, but Mom held her hand up to stop him from continuing.

Gemma's eyes went wide as she bounced George in her lap.

“I am going. That's final,” she said with conviction, tilting her chin in the air, “This is our daughter,Ethan. Our grandchildren.”

“No!” Dad was just as angry and upset as the rest of us, the desperation evident in his voice as heleaned across the kitchen island, his gaze locked on Mom's face.

"Um, maybe she should go, Ethan? What if... what if she can use the moonstones to, uh, help thebaby?” Gemma’s voice was timid as she spoke, glancing over at me.

I perked up, having not even considered the moonstones. I had failed in bringing them together,and my blood powers were obviously weak to the point of being nearly useless, but I had broughtTroy back to life. Gemma had brought Mom back to life with a drop of Mom's blood. And it seemedI had unknowingly done the same for Gemma in Mirage.

“She's right,” I said quickly, ignoring Dad's steely gaze. “If something were to happen to the one ofthe babies during the delivery,”

"Maeve, wait,” Troy, took my hand in his, looking into my eyes. “This is... he's not dead, okay?There's a problem with his heart. You brought me back with the moonstone, but my wounds stillneeded to heal on their own. The problem with his heart... I don't think this is something any of ushave the power to fix. He needs a special surgeon, like the midwife said.”

“It's not fair!" I screeched, clenching my hands into fists. I got up, wobbling as I tried to squeeze pastTroy and Gemma.

Rowan was standing in the kitchen near the sink, and I set my

eyes on him. I was mad. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit something. Rowan seemed like a greattarget.

"Maeve, no.” Dad had read my mind it seemed. He didn't stop me as I moved toward the hallwayaway from the group.

Rowan turned his head as I passed him, watching me, lest he needed to defend himself. But his facewas soft and sympathetic. When I reached the threshold of the kitchen, he followed me out, pullingme to the side of the hallway out of earshot of the rest of the family who were congregating in thekitchen.

“When do you leave?”

“I don't know. Dad said soon. It could be minutes or hours.” II was exhausted. I ran my hands overmy face, my skin raw and stained from tears.

“I think we should go talk to Hanna,” he said, taking me by the shoulders and turning me towardsthe foyer.

“Why?"

“I don't know. I just have a feeling she can help us.”

“She told me she doesn't have powers anymore, Rowan. What could she possibly do?”

Rowan licked his lips, trying to gather his thoughts. “I think her lack of powers has more to do withnot wanting them, Maeve. She's fighting against them. But we need her now.”

Troy walked over to us, nodding at Rowan in greeting. “Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're going to go talk to Hanna. I don't really know what else to do to help.”

"Okay, yeah. I think that's wise. Maeve, can I talk to you before you go?” Troy took my hand, and Inodded.

“I'll be outside,” Rowan said, turning to walk away from us.

Troy pulled me into the empty living room, entwining his fingers in mine.

"Maeve, I know this isn't the time to even be thinking about this but..." he tapered off, taking a deepbreath. “We need to marry. Today.”

“Today?” I said with an air of marked confusion. “Why?”

“Because if... we're already a united front. I get that. We're partners. Mates. But I want to facewhatever comes next as your husband. If something were to happen to you..."

“I understand,” I whispered, unable to hide my grief any longer. “Talk to my dad. There's a priestessin town but... Mom can marry us. She knows the ceremony.”

Troy nodded, weighed down by a significant sadness.

This is not how I'd imagined my wedding. This was not how I imagined I'd become a mother.

Once again, I felt bound to a path where I had little choice.

I turned to the foyer where Rowan was waiting just outside, and I went to him.