Chapter 175 CHAPTER 175

Chapter 175 CHAPTER 175
Alexa’s POV

I winced in pain, taking deep breaths as I squeezed my thighs together and tried to make my way into the house. Another contraction rolled through me, sharp enough to steal the air from my lungs. I gripped the wall for support, waiting for the worst of it to pass before forcing myself forward.

I was having a baby, one born under an eclipse.

The thought barely had time to register before another wave of pain hit. I pushed myself up with all my might and groaned, my fingers curling against the wall as I struggled to stay on my feet. My senses felt strangely heightened. Every sound seemed louder than it should have been. The distant creak of the wooden floor, the rustle of leaves outside, even the faint movement of someone behind one of the inn's doors seemed to be a step away.

I didn't know how I managed to do it, but somehow, I reached the front of Nola's door.

I lifted my trembling hand and tapped against it. The effort alone left me breathless. When another contraction seized my stomach, I cried out, trying to form words, but nothing coherent came out.

Thankfully, Nola was not a deep sleeper. Perhaps she had even been awake, because the door opened almost immediately.

She gasped when she saw me.

Her eyes widened as she took in my pale face, the sweat dampening my hair, and the way I was leaning heavily against the doorframe.

"You're in labor," she said, already reaching for me.

I could only nod.

She slipped an arm around my waist and helped me into the room. My legs felt weak, and I had to lean against her more heavily than I wanted to. She guided me toward the bed and quickly cleared a space for me to lie down.

"Easy. Breathe," she instructed.

I lowered myself onto the bed, clutching the sheets as another contraction built. My breathing became uneven, and I dug my fingers into the fabric until my knuckles went pale.

She moved with surprising calm. She gathered what she could find, preparing a clean spot for the delivery while keeping one eye on me. She seemed nervous, but she didn't let it show.

Then she picked up her phone and called Sahel.

"You need to come now," she said urgently. "She's already in labor."

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing. Somewhere deep inside me, my wolf stirred restlessly. It wasn't the usual instinctive response to danger. As if it knew that something important was about to happen.

Sahel arrived in less than thirty minutes. By then, the pain had become almost unbearable and I was drenched in sweat.

"Don't we have to go to the hospital?" I cried out in pain as I saw Sahel getting ready to deliver the baby.

"No," she replied calmly. "I handle most of the births here at Eclipse. You don't need to go to a hospital. But if you insist, I can drive you to one."

I hesitated. I wanted to trust these women. They were the only two people I had known since I woke up in this park. Even though Nola had betrayed my trust, I didn't know anyone else I could turn to. At that moment, I had no better option.

So I agreed.

Sahel helped me through the birth process, talking me through each contraction while Nola stayed close by. I tried to follow their instructions, but the pain was overwhelming. Every time another contraction came, my entire body tensed. I gripped the ground beneath me, my nails scraping against the hard surface as I fought to stay focused.

Soon, I was lying on the ground, sweating and screaming as I pushed with everything I had. My hair clung to my face, and my chest rose and fell rapidly between contractions. My wolf was restless inside me, pacing beneath my skin as though it could sense something I couldn't.

Then I remembered the shaman's warning.

If I didn't do something about Lucy—and allowed her to become more and more powerful—she could eventually take my child. My eyes squeezed shut as another contraction tore through me.

My child was going to be a moonsborn too.

That realization filled me with a different kind of fear. I could endure the pain. I could endure the uncertainty. But the thought of Lucy getting her hands on my baby was something I couldn't accept.

The shaman had warned me for a reason. I had to do something. I couldn't wait until after the birth. I couldn't assume that Lucy would simply leave my child alone.

As another scream escaped my throat, I pushed harder, my hands tightening against the ground.

"I can't let her have my baby," I whispered between ragged breaths.

Sahel looked at me. "What did you say?"

I shook my head, unable to explain.

There would be time for answers later. Right now, I had to survive the birth. And then I had to find a way to protect my child from Lucy.

His sharp cry announcing his birth pierced through the quiet night. For a moment, everything seemed to stop.

Sahel carefully placed him on my chest, and I breathed out in relief, my entire body going limp beneath the weight of exhaustion. I stared down at the tiny bundle in my arms, hardly able to believe that he was finally here.

A sudden feeling of motherly protection engulfed me. It was so fierce that it frightened me. I knew, without a doubt, that I would do anything to protect my baby, even if it meant sealing his wolf.

I ran my finger gently through the soft hair on his head. It was silver-colored, just like mine. Even in the dim light, it shimmered faintly against his tiny head.

His face was perfect. I traced the curve of his cheek with the back of my finger, afraid that even the slightest touch might hurt him. He shifted in my arms, letting out a small, irritated cry before settling against me again.

I smiled weakly. Then I looked at his face more carefully. Something about him felt familiar. My smile slowly faded.

There was a similarity between his features and the face of the guest I had attacked only a few hours ago. I couldn't immediately place what it was. Perhaps it was the shape of his eyes, the line of his nose, or something in the structure of his face. Whatever it was, I couldn't ignore it.

My mind immediately returned to the stranger lying unconscious in the guest room. He had known me. That alone had been strange enough. But now, looking at my newborn son, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a connection between them.

Perhaps the man I had attacked wasn't just some random guest who happened to cross my path. Perhaps he had come to Eclipse looking for me. I tightened my hold around my baby, my eye remaining fixed on his tiny face.

I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake by attacking him before finding out who he really was. And if he was connected to my child somehow, I needed to know the truth.

That night, as I lay on my bed trying to force myself to sleep, I made up my mind. I was going to take Alpha Rodrick's offer.

Anything that could make Lucy weaker and make me stronger was worth considering. If gaining more power was what it took to protect my pup, then I was willing to do whatever was necessary. That was the plan I would stick to.

I pulled the blanket closer around myself and closed my eyes, trying to quiet the thoughts racing through my head. My body was exhausted from the birth, but my mind refused to settle. Every time I drifted toward sleep, another worry surfaced.

Eventually, exhaustion won. As I drifted off, I had a dream.

I found myself somewhere I didn't recognize. The place felt strangely peaceful, yet there was something unsettling about it, as though I had been there before but couldn't remember when.

A man was holding my hand. His grip was warm and reassuring. I could hear his voice, soft and steady, as he spoke to me while I trembled with tears.

I couldn't make out everything he was saying, but his presence calmed me. I was terrified. In the dream, I had just discovered that I was a moonsborn.

I looked down at myself, shaking as tears streamed down my face. I remember feeling confused and frightened, as though the revelation had changed everything I thought I knew about myself.

The man tightened his grip around my hand.

"It's going to be okay," he reassured me.

His voice carried a familiarity that made my chest ache.

I looked up at him. He turned toward me. And the moment I saw his face, my breath caught. It was Matthias.