Chapter 86 The Truth About the Baby
LISA'S POV
The nurse cleared her throat and we all turned to look at her.
“But something unexpected showed up in the result.”
The nurse's words hung in the air like a death sentence and my heart stopped beating for three full seconds. Something unexpected about my baby. I felt Ryan's hand tighten around mine and saw Daniel move closer to the bed. Emma sat up on her cot with fear written across her face. Adrian stepped away from the door like he was ready to fight whatever threat was coming.
"What do you mean by unexpected?" My voice came out steadier than I felt. "Is my baby okay? Is something wrong?"
The nurse looked at her tablet and then at me with a look I could not read. Professional but cautious like she was choosing her words carefully. "Your baby is healthy. The heartbeat is strong and all the vital signs are normal but the tests show genetic markers we have never encountered in a werewolf pregnancy before. Your baby has both silver wolf DNA from you and beta wolf DNA from the father. But there is something else mixed in that we cannot identify."
Ryan leaned forward and his human face showed confusion. "What does that mean? What kind of something else?"
"We don’t know yet." The nurse set the tablet down on the bedside table. "It could be a mutation from the stress of the pregnancy. It could be something environmental from your exposure to whatever Viktor was using in that ritual. Or it could be something entirely new. We have sent samples to the Council's medical research division. They want to monitor your pregnancy closely, with your permission of course."
I felt cold all over despite the warm hospital room. Viktor's ritual. The mixture of my blood and Ryan's wolf essence and that ancient silver wolf essence Adrian had brought. It had failed but what if some of it had still affected my baby somehow? What if my child were going to be born with something wrong because of what Viktor had done to us?
"I need to see the results myself." Daniel's voice was firm and commanding. "I want a full breakdown of what you found and what it means. Not medical jargon but real explanations."
The nurse nodded and pulled up files on her tablet. She showed us charts and graphs that meant nothing to me but Daniel studied them carefully. His face grew more serious the longer he looked. When he finally handed the tablet back his expression was unreadable.
"Lisa needs rest." Daniel looked at the nurse directly. "No more tests today. No more stress. She just woke up after three days unconscious. Whatever this is can wait until tomorrow."
The nurse agreed and left the room quietly. The door closed behind her and suddenly the silence was suffocating. Emma was crying again and Adrian looked like he wanted to say something but did not know what. Ryan sat frozen in his chair with his hand still holding mine but his grip had gone loose.
"Tell me the truth." I looked at Daniel and refused to let him avoid my eyes. "What did you see in those results? What are they not telling me?"
Daniel sat on the edge of my hospital bed and took both my hands in his. "The genetic markers show your baby has traits from three different wolf bloodlines. Yours, Ryan's, and something old. Really old. Like an ancient silver wolf bloodline old. The kind that has not existed in documented history for hundreds of years."
My breath caught in my throat. "The essence Adrian brought to Viktor. It got into my baby somehow."
"It looks that way." Daniel squeezed my hands gently. "But Lisa, this might not be a bad thing. The ancient silver wolves were supposed to be the most powerful of our kind. Stronger, faster, more resilient. If your baby inherited even a fraction of that it could mean she is going to be extraordinary."
"Or it could mean she is going to be a target," Adrian spoke from the door and his voice was firm. "Every pack in the region is going to want to control a child with that kind of power. The Council is going to want to study her. Rogues are going to see her as a weapon. Lisa, your baby is not even born yet and she already has enemies."
Ryan finally spoke and his voice was rough with emotion. "Then we will protect her. All of us. We must make sure nobody gets close enough to hurt her or use her."
"You are human now." Emma's words were not meant to be cruel but they landed hard anyway. "How are you going to protect anyone without your wolf?"
Ryan flinched like she slapped him. "I will find a way. I did not give up my wolf just to abandon Lisa and our baby when things get complicated."
I looked at Ryan and really saw him for the first time since waking up. He looked exhausted and there were dark circles under his eyes. His hands shook slightly when he was not holding onto something. Being human was harder on him than he was admitting and I could see it wearing him down already.
"Everyone please out." My tone was gentle but firm. "I need time alone to process all of this. Please."
Daniel started to protest but I shook my head. "I am serious. I need space to think without everyone watching me and waiting for me to make decisions. Two weeks. The doctor said I need two weeks of rest. I want to spend that time alone."
Ryan looked like I had stabbed him in the chest. "Lisa, I don’t think that is a good idea. You should not be alone right now."
"I have been surrounded by people making choices for me since I was seventeen years old." I pulled my hands away from Daniel's grip. "My father sold my brother. My mate rejected me. Viktor tortured my family. The Council used me as bait. I need two weeks where nobody is telling me what to do or what to feel. I need to figure out who I am when I am not reacting to everyone else's chaos."
Emma stood up from the cot and wiped her eyes. "I understand. I will give you space. But Lisa, I am so sorry. For everything. Nathan died because I trusted Viktor and I will never forgive myself for that."
"Nathan died because Viktor was a monster." I looked at Emma and tried to mean it. "Not because of you but I need time before we can talk about forgiveness. I need time before I can look at you without seeing Nathan's face."
Emma nodded and left the room quickly with tears streaming down her face. Adrian followed her out and closed the door gently behind them. Daniel kissed my forehead and whispered that he would be right outside if I needed him. Then he was gone too.
Ryan was the last one standing there and he looked lost in a way I had never seen before. "Are you asking me to leave too?"
"Yes." The word hurt coming out but I said it anyway. "I need to be alone, Ryan. I need to figure out how I feel about everything that happened. About you sacrificing your wolf. About this baby. About us. I cannot do that with you watching me."
Ryan stood slowly and walked to the door. He paused with his hand on the handle and looked back at me one last time. "I love you, Lisa. That has not changed just because I am human now. When you are ready to talk I will be waiting."
Then he was gone and I was finally alone in the hospital room. I let myself cry for the first time since waking up. Really cry. For Nathan who died protecting me. For Ryan who gave up everything and for my baby who was going to be born into a world that would never let her be normal.
My phone buzzed on the bedside table and I almost ignored it. But something made me pick it up. It was an unknown number. I opened the message and my blood turned to ice.
There was a photo of Ryan leaving the hospital and getting into a car with a beautiful woman I did not recognize. She had dark hair and a perfect smile and her hand was on Ryan's arm like they knew each other well. The message underneath made my stomach turn.
"Your human ex-mate did not waste time moving on. Thought you should know. Someone who cares."