The Alpha’s Rejected And Broken Mate
Chapter 69

Rowan POV

I stared in shock at Amber, who was now passed out peacefully on the hospital bed, her chest moving up and down in rhythm to her soft snores. She had glowed like frigging glowed from her palm, and then somehow magically healed herself. I'd never heard of anything like it. It was a miracle and the doctor was quite concerned, finishing up the ultrasound.

"It's a miracle" the doctor informed me, "she was starting to miscarry but it's stopped now, as has the bleeding."

"Is the baby alright?" I demanded, feeling possessive of my mate and protective as well. My wolf Daemon was angry, urging me to guard our mate, who had almost lost the child she had carried.

Would have lost the child if she'd been unable to heal herself.

"The baby is fine, healthy as a horse. Their heart is beating at a normal pace and everything is going along nicely. We'll keep her monitored for now, to ensure nothing happens to the baby, but I would say the scare has passed now. What do you think she ingested to cause a miscarriage?"

It had to be the damn tea. It was the only thing I could think of. I summoned Laurence, who came quickly, still stunned at how rapidly Amber had gotten ill.

"Who made the tea?" I demanded hotly.

"I think the omega did" Laurence answered nervously.

"Find her and bring her to me" I ordered, my eyes on my mate. "She has a lot to answer for."

The doctor excused herself and left me alone, to sit by Amber's side and just watch her.

She looked so peaceful, so serene, lying there and sleeping. It was the most peaceful I had seen her in days and I wanted to make sure she wasn't disturbed, the doctors and nurses creeping in quietly to allow her to sleep. Part of the reason was that I wasn't sure how angry she would be if she woke up and saw me there. I had no right, considering everything I had done to her. But my wolf was frightened for her. After all, someone had purposely targeted her if she had ingested poison. But as far as I knew, Amber had no enemies, at least none that I knew of. Except for Stacey, who so happened to come waltzing into the door.

"Stacey" I hissed,, what are you doing here?"

Her face fell and she bit her lip, looking at me nervously. "I thought I would come and see Amber" she whispered, gesturing to the girl on the bed, looking quite concerned "I heard about what happened. Is she alright?"

I frowned, wondering whether Stacey was being genuine or not. I mind-linked Laurence.

Laurence, where was Stacey when this was all happening?

I've already checked and confirmed that. She was outside the entire time, with one of our most trusted guards. He's alibied her, I'm afraid, so it's not her if that's what you're thinking.

Who else could it possibly be?

I don't know. I'm sending the omega to you, she'll be there in a few minutes, but she swears up and down it wasn't her and I'm inclined to believe her.

Thanks, Laurence, keep investigating for me.

"Amber is going to be fine," I told Stacey shortly. "the doctors managed to catch what was wrong. There's nothing to worry about."

She gave a relieved sigh, putting her hand on her chest. "Thank goodness for that" she gasped, "and the baby? Is the baby going to be alright?" she asked.

I nodded and watched as her face lit up. She looked genuinely pleased to hear that, I thought to myself absently. She was clutching flowers which she placed on the little table next to Amber and sat down opposite me. She fidgeted with her hands and then gazed up at me, as I looked over toward Amber with a small smile on my face.

"Rowan," Stacey said tentatively, "have you come to a decision yet? About what you want to do?"

I shook my head. "No and now's hardly the time to discuss it, yet Stacey and Amber could have died today."

"I know" she burst out frustratedly, "and did it occur to you that maybe she's being targeted because she's your mate? People think she's going to be Luna. You've put her in danger, do you realize that? She's not cut out to be in the spotlight like this. She deserves better than that."

I stared at Stacey, hearing the passion in her voice, smelling the perfume that she liked to wear that reminded me of roses and honeysuckle. I inhaled deeply, feeling like I was in a trance as she moved closer to me, putting her hand on my arm.

"Look," Stacey said softly and honestly, "I made a mistake sleeping with Gordon and god help me, I've been punished for my transgression. Are you going to punish me forever for that? I'm going to be the mother of our child, Rowan. Don't you think you could cut me some slack?"

I couldn't answer, all I could do was stare at her helplessly. What was going on with me? Why was my heart beginning to thud wildly in my chest each time Stacey touched me or said my name?

She blinked her big green eyes at me. "Rowan, I've apologized continually for my actions. It's time we discussed the future and what it holds for both of us."

"Stacey, I don't know what the future holds" I managed to utter, glancing once more over at a still-sleeping Amber, "but I'll do right by the child, that I do swear to you. They will remain the heir and become Alpha of the pack if they are mine."

She smiled and lightly trailed her finger up my arm. "But you're going to need a wife," she said slowly, "one that knows how to act and to rule as Luna. Someone who is organized and able to make you stronger as an individual while helping to make the pack stronger."

She got up and leaned over me, showing off her cleavage. Involuntarily, my eyes darted to it, as her perfume wafted up my nostrils. She reached forward and smoothed my hair back from my face as I closed my eyes. She licked her lips and bent down further, beginning to press her mouth against mine, when we were suddenly interrupted by a tentative knock on the hospital room door. The auburn-haired omega who had served the tea stood there, fairly quaking in her boots, her body trembling, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

From the looks of it, Laurence had already put the poor girl through the wringer. Stacey reluctantly pulled back from me and glared at the omega. "What do you want?" she spat out.

I held up a hand and glared at Stacey. "She's here to answer a few questions. Stacey, I need you to leave so that I can have some privacy please."

Stacey did not look pleased, her mouth opening and shutting for a few moments. I was a little surprised at her lack of arguing though when she shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, then I'll leave, but Rowan think about what I said. You will need a wife and I want to be that person" she added, before straightening herself and stomping through the door and past the startled omega.

The omega was young, a teenager, and I motioned her in, asking her to sit down. She did so but looked at me apprehensively.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Deidre" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Well, Deidre, I need to know what you put in the tea."

She nodded and sat up straight, looking resolved. "I swear, all I put in it was peppermint, nothing more. I had heard rumors that your mate was pregnant and thought it would help. I have no idea how anything else got put in there."

"Did you have eyes on it at all times?"

She frowned thinking about it. "I made the tea up," she said slowly, "but I turned my back for a minute when I thought someone called my name. Turns out no one did, but that's the only time I didn't have eyes on it. I never, ever, once considered somebody would have poisoned it", she's sobbing now.

I sigh. Anybody could have poisoned the tea while she had her back turned. There was no way to tell for sure, even if I had a list of those present in the kitchen.

"It's not your fault," I said lowly, "you were trying to do something nice and it's appreciated. Please stop stressing. But if there's anything else you can think of, no matter how small it might be, please come and get me. I don't care what time of day or night it is, if it might be a clue, I want you to tell me. Do you hear me?"

She nodded. Her face was streaked with tears. I hastily handed her the tissue box. She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose, before wiping the tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Alpha Rowan, I really am very sorry," she said shyly.

I merely grunted and motioned for her to leave. She got the hint and stood up, baring her neck in submission and then turning and walking away, looking much happier to be leaving rather than staying.

"We both know that it was Stacey" came a gravelly hoarse voice and my eyes shot over to where Amber was, to see that she was struggling to sit up. I rushed over to help but she batted my hands away. "Stacey was under guard the whole time," I told her apologetically.

"I don't care" she was stubborn. "I know it was her."

I sighed. Of course, Amber would blame Stacey. After all the two of them were constantly at each other, why would she think differently?

"How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," she said honestly, glowering at me, "but I guess that's what happens when you accidentally drink poison."

Ouch. I deserved that. "We're opening an investigation and we will get to the bottom of what happened", I promised her, as a doctor and nurse came in.

"You're awake" the doctor breathed, looking relieved and beginning to dust off her stethoscope.

"Yep," Amber said drily, her hair disheveled and her body coated in sweat. "I feel terrible" she added.

The doctor grimaced at that and began to check Amber's vitals as I stood there and watched, my arms folded.

"The baby," Amber said suddenly, sounding panicked, "is my baby alright?"

"Your baby is fine" the doctor reassured her. "I can show you if you would like", she added.

"Please" pleaded Amber, "I would like to see for myself."

The doctor wheeled the ultrasound machine over. "Alright, lie back down and pull your gown up for me please."

I looked away as Amber pulled up the gown that a nurse had placed her in earlier, exposing her stomach.

"The gel will be cold" warned the doctor, before she placed the probe on Amber's stomach, moving it around slightly as Amber winced.

I watched the monitor with interest, seeing a black-and-white image of a small baby on the screen. Amber took one look at it and began to cry, tears of relief.

"There's your baby," the doctor said quietly, "and if you listen you can hear its heartbeat."

Amber and I both listened to the steady thump of the baby's heartbeat. "It's too soon to tell the gender," the doctor said, taking the probe off, "but your baby is developing nicely and nothing is wrong with it. Whatever you did earlier, worked and caused a miracle." Amber nodded, her eyes still shining with tears, a protective hand over her stomach.

"Thank you" she breathed and the doctor smiled, putting the machine away and coming back over. She took hold of Amber's hand.

"Your pulse is steady, which is a good sign" she murmured, as the nurse scribbled away on the clipboard, "and your vitals are good. I'd like you to stay overnight in order to monitor you and ensure that the baby stays fine. Is that okay with you?" "That's fine," Amber told her hastily and the doctor grinned, letting go of her hand and nodding to the nurse, "let us get you something to eat and then you can go back to sleep if you'd like. You do still look a bit tired," she told Amber kindly. Amber watched the two of them leave and then turned to me, her eyes blazing.

"Leave," she told me heatedly, her voice hushed, "now. I don't want you here, Rowan. I was poisoned in your study, by one of your enemies, and you won't believe me when I tell you it's Stacey"

"Amber" I began to protest, but her eyes turned black with hatred and I recoiled from the look on her face, stepping backward and feeling hurt for some indescribable reason.

"Fine, but if you need me, all you have to do is get someone to fetch me," I told her softly.

She just glared.

It was with a heavy heart that I left the room. No matter how much she insisted it was Stacey, I knew that Amber was wrong. Why couldn't she listen to me? After all, Stacey had been under guard the entire time, so how was it possible for her to manage to poison Amber?