The Alpha’s Rejected And Broken Mate
Chapter 86

Darius POV

She looked so pale, sleeping there, machines hooked up to her wrist where the IV was. Her long blonde hair was disheveled and cascaded down her shoulders, all over the pillow, and her blue eyes closed with dark circles beneath them. She was almost ethereal she was that pale and she looked so innocent and vulnerable where she slept. She lay there in a hospital gown, her clothes drenched in blood. Her blood. The hospital had taken them off of her when she was dragged to the hospital by her mother. I tried not to frown and instead look like the kind loving husband that I was meant to be.

My mother was ashen, sitting beside my wife, holding tightly to her hand, tears trickling from her eyes. "I can't believe it" she whispered thickly "I just can't..." she broke down and cried into her hands.

I hurried to her side. "Mother please," I said tiredly "there will be other chances, in the future, I'm sure of it."

"But poor Sophie," she said sobbing "do you think she knows?"

I thought back to that night. It had only been a few hours but I remembered clearly, the stricken look on my wife's face as I kicked out at her, intentionally aiming for the stomach as we argued about my cheating. Something told me that Sophie was aware of the consequences of my actions. For a moment I spared a thought for the baby I had lost and then I shrugged it off. I wanted a baby, but not Sophie's. I was tired of pretending to be the perfect loving husband in the public's eye. Tired of trying at a marriage I had never wanted in the first place. Tired of pretending that I could be faithful. Was it really my fault if girls from the pack threw themselves at me? Was I supposed to say no? They were far more interesting than my wife and were more willing to do certain things that Sophie tended to dislike in the bedroom. Not to mention I didn't have to give a damn about them afterward, it was merely wham, bam, thank you, ma'am. They had no interest in a relationship and that's what made them perfect. If only Sophie had left well enough alone, then this would never have happened.

"Mother, perhaps you need to take a break," I said, fighting the urge to roll my eyes.

My mother, the Luna was grieving the loss of her grandchild and I was used to her almost always maintaining her poise, not looking as broken as she did right now. She was grating on my nerves. I wondered where the hell father was because he would have been able to distract her. He was probably taking care of important pack business. It rankled because you would think something like this would take priority over work.

"Oh, I can't just leave her" my mother protested weakly, glancing over at the doorway, where a pale-looking Clarissa was now standing.

"Clarissa," my mother said tightly, getting up from the chair beside the bed and rushing towards her friend, hugging her profusely. "I'm so so sorry" she breathed.

I saw Clarissa glancing at me and sucked in a breath. Did she know? Had Sophie said something to her when her mother found her? It was hard to tell, there was nothing but a pleasant expression on her face, even though there were tears in the corner of her eyes as she glanced at her daughter. "Marian," Clarissa said quietly "any news?"

My mother sadly shook her head. "The doctors say she should wake up any minute now, but we're still waiting" she exhaled "just like before you went for your drink," she said with a sigh. Clarissa was silent.

I sat down beside the bed and cradled my wife's limp and lifeless hand in my own, pretending to be the loving husband in front of my mother and hers. I took deep shallow breaths, pretending to be confused as to how this could have happened. "I don't get it, she must have fainted and fallen down somehow," I said thickly "she shouldn't have been in the forest" I added grimly.

"It's just lucky that Clarissa found her," my mother said evenly with a shake of her head "who knows what would have happened if she didn't."

I had visions of Sophie dying without anyone replaceing her, but I wisely said nothing. Instead, I squeezed Sophie's hand and tried to look heartbroken. Clarissa sat down in the other armchair, on the opposite side of Sophie, stroking her hair and pulling it back from her face.

"She's going to be so upset when she wakes up," she told my mother softly "she was so looking forward to having this baby. She talked about it a lot and what she wanted to do to the nursery. She would have made a fantastic mother."

My mother nodded. "She would have been a great mother" she readily agreed.

"There is still time," I told them both steadily "after all it's not like she's going anywhere. She'll be a mother when the time is right" I said with a strangled voice, tears pricking my eyes. Damn, I was a good actor.

The doctor came in an attractive female with auburn curly hair and big dark eyes. Her name tag read Dr. Jones and I gave her an appreciative smile as she began to read over Sophie's clipboard and take her vitals. "Still no sign of waking, I see," Dr. Jones said sighing. "She is going to wake up though, isn't she?" asked Clarissa anxiously, wringing her hands. "I mean she's not in a coma or anything?"

The doctor shook her head and gave Clarissa a reassuring smile. "No she's not in a coma, she's merely sleeping off the anesthetic we gave her when we treated her miscarriage. It might still take a while but she will wake up" she assured her. Clarissa looked highly relieved, as did my mother.

"Her blood pressure is good and so is her pulse," Dr. Jones said, scribbling away on the clipboard. "Heartbeat is strong. She did lose a fair bit of blood with the miscarriage and we did have to give her a transfusion" she informed us "in order for her to heal quicker." She pulled back the blanket and began to feel the stomach "Stomach is soft and not hard which is a good sign" she said quietly "and all in all she appears to be in perfect health. I expect her to make a full recovery." "What do we tell her?" asked Luna Marian, my mother sounding lost "when she asks about her baby?"

The doctor stiffened slightly. "The truth," she said with a grim expression on her beautiful face "if it's any help we do have a counselor she can speak to about what happened. I want to organize some counseling sessions for her after she's discharged as well. You can never be too careful and it might do some good for her to talk about the trauma she experienced."

Clarissa nodded tightly and my mother gave an exclamation and began to sob even harder. Clarissa put an arm around her. "Marian," she said quietly "how about we go and get a cuppa together. Give Darius some time alone with his wife. He can let us know when she wakes" she whispered.

I was more than happy for them both to leave. I was on tenterhooks trying to pretend that I was upset with everything. The doctor quietly left as my mother and Clarissa began to gather their stuff, leaning on each other and walking through the doorway. "You'll let us know" my mother confirmed, asking over her shoulder.

"I will let you know the instant she awakens" I repeated, "go and get something to drink. Bring me back something" I requested "some coffee please."

Mother smiled and then left, still clutching at Clarissa who looked like she was about to topple over. Relieved, I let out a huge sigh and then leaned back in the chair, rubbing my tired eyes and putting my head in my hands. Christ, I was exhausted and all I wanted was some decent sleep. I scowled down at my wife, willing her to awaken so that I could go back home and fall into my bed and fall fast asleep.

Her eyelids fluttered and I moved closer, grabbing hold of her hand. The machines began to go off, beeping incessantly and Dr. Jones came rushing back in, her curly hair all mussed, a concerned look on her face. She began to check the IV and then the machines, slowly all of them fading into silence, to my great relief. She gingerly pulled the IV out. "It's finished" she explained "which is why this machine was making so much noise. She still has a cannula in, in case we need to give her anything else."

She began to recheck vitals, humming lightly under her breath. "My guess is she'll be awake soon" she beamed and then darted back out the door.

Sophie's hand began to move in my own, tentatively and I grasped it tightly, watching wide-eyed as her eyes began to flutter again, and then her blue eyes opened completely as she let out a gasp, bolting upright in the bed. I yanked my hand back hurriedly as she placed a hand on her chest and stared around the room completely disorientated. "Where am I?" she asked me murmuring under her breath.

Surely she should know by the white sterile walls and ceiling, not to mention the type of bed she was in and the machines, that she was in a hospital? Maybe she hit her head back in the forest.

"You're in the hospital," I said calmly, leaning back in my chair and observing her. She seemed confused and bewildered, staring around at the walls and then glancing over at me. Her hand shot to her stomach. She began to panic. "The baby" she groaned "the baby.

..

"Is gone" I said with a sneer "for good Sophie."

Her mouth opened and closed with a gape, Sophie completely speechless for once. I knew it wouldn't be long until she remembered what happened. "You" she gasped "Darius you bastard" she choked out.

She remembered then. I smiled at her wickedly, "maybe I am but you know something?" I purred, getting up and peering down the hallway to replace it deserted. My hand shot out, grasping her around the neck, enjoying the feeling of being in control while she was powerless, scrabbling uselessly and scratching wildly "you're not going to say a word about what happened Sophie. In fact, you're going to pretend that we're the loving, boring couple we've always been, aren't you" I threatened, whispering in her ear as she shuddered.

For a moment I thought that she would refuse, and be defiant and I let go of her, ready to break a limb if I had to but she glanced away from me. "I won't say anything" she whispered, tears trailing down her cheeks. She looked defeated like I had broken her spirit. "Good, because I intend to have Amber eventually" I continued to whisper "and there is nothing you can do about it. Not if you want to live, that is" I exhaled, hearing footsteps coming down the corridor. Judging by the sound of the heels clacking on the floor and the fact that there was two sets approaching, I surmised that it was my mother and Sophie's coming back from the hospital cafeteria.

"Remember, not a word" I hissed, as my mother came walking in first, handing me a cup of coffee and smiling widely at Sophie. Her own mother sat beside her on the opposite side and grabbed her hand, crying openly.

"I'm so glad to see you're awake" Clarissa cried "what happened to you?" she asked.

I held my breath, glowering at Sophie who bit her lip and looked at her mother sheepishly. "I wanted to go for a walk and clear my head" she admitted "so I went into the forest alone. I must have tripped or slipped on something and fallen. I was calling out for Darius because I panicked and forgot to mind-link him."

Her mother sighed. Sophie began to cry as my mother put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I lost the baby" she wept "I lost my baby mother."

I put on a woebegone expression and patted Sophie's arm. "We lost our child, but thank goodness you are safe and alive," I told her between gritted teeth.

She looked at me with such hatred that I sucked in a breath and almost recoiled. "I wish I was dead," she said to me honestly.