Chapter 97 Unexpected News
RYAN'S POV
I barely slept and spent the whole night staring at the ceiling worrying about what Dr. Morrison needed to tell us. My mind raced through every terrible possibility I could imagine. Genetic defects from the silver wolf DNA mixing with human genetics. Complications that would put Lisa's life at risk. Something fundamentally wrong with the baby that would require impossible choices. I was useless now in every way that mattered. Human without strength or speed or healing. I could not protect them from danger I could not even sense anymore. The fear sat heavy in my chest like a stone I could not swallow.
My phone rang at six in the morning and I saw my mother's name flash across the screen. I considered ignoring it but guilt won out over common sense and I answered on the third ring.
"Mom."
"Your father's funeral is in three days. You need to be there." Her voice was cold and empty of emotion.
"I will be there."
"Will she?" The venom in the word she made me flinch. "Lisa's name, Mom. And yes, she will be there if she is feeling up to it physically."
"That woman destroyed our family and everything your father built and now you parade her around like some prize you won."
"Mom, stop. Lisa did not destroy anything about our family. Dad's own choices destroyed things. His lies about what he did. His participation in murder and cover ups. His guilt eating him alive. Not Lisa. Never Lisa."
Long silence stretched between us and I could hear her breathing hard on the other end. Then her voice came back bitter and sharp. "You really chose her over your family."
"I chose the family I am building with her over the family that was built on lies and secrets and violence. There is a difference and I hope someday you can see that." I hung up before she could respond and immediately felt awful but also strangely free. Like cutting a rope that had been choking me slowly for years.
Later that morning Ryan and Lisa sat in Dr. Morrison's office again and the familiar chairs felt different somehow. Daniel had insisted on coming and his protective brother mode was fully activated as he stood against the wall with arms crossed.
"So," Dr. Morrison started and pulled up ultrasound images on her computer screen. "Everything is healthy overall. The baby is developing perfectly despite all the high risk factors we discussed yesterday. Strong heartbeat and good growth measurements and no visible abnormalities on the scan. But there is something unusual that showed up on the detailed scan we ran this morning."
She turned the screen toward us and my eyes struggled to make sense of the black and white images. Then I saw it. Two distinct shapes. Two separate heartbeats pulsing on the monitor in different rhythms.
"You are having twins."
Dead silence filled the office like someone had sucked all the air out. Lisa stared at the screen with her lips moving soundlessly like she was trying to form words but nothing would come out. My brain had completely stopped processing information and I just sat there frozen.
Daniel laughed and actually laughed out loud. "Of course she is. Nothing about this family is ever simple or straightforward."
Dr. Morrison continued speaking but her words sounded far away. "Twin pregnancies are extremely rare for werewolves and almost unheard of for silver wolves specifically. The genetics make it even higher risk than we initially discussed. You will need weekly monitoring instead of monthly. Complete bed rest starting at twenty weeks to prevent early labor. And you will likely need a cesarean section delivery because natural birth with twins is too dangerous given your unique physiology."
Lisa found her voice finally and it came out small and shocked. "Two babies. We are having two babies at the same time."
My hand found hers automatically and squeezed tight. "We can do this," I said and tried to sound confident.
But my mind was screaming different words entirely. Two babies when I was human and weak. Two babies to feed and clothe and protect when I could barely protect myself now. How would we afford everything they would need? How would we manage two infants at once? What if something went wrong with both of them during delivery? What if I failed them before they were even born?
"Ryan, breathe," Lisa said and I realized I was hyperventilating slightly. "We will figure it out together. One step at a time."
Dr. Morrison cleared her throat and looked at her notes with careful attention. "There is one more thing I need to mention. The twins are fraternal which means two separate eggs were fertilized. Which means," she paused and chose her words carefully, "there is a small medical possibility they could have different fathers."
I went cold all over. "What?"
"In rare cases when a woman has multiple partners within a short timeframe, fraternal twins can result from different acts of conception. Given the questions around your conception timing and the unusual circumstances, I recommend individual paternity tests for each twin once they are born. Just to be absolutely certain of biological parentage for both children."
Lisa's face went ashen white and she looked like she might be sick. The Nathan question resurfaced like a monster from deep water. Could one twin be mine and one be Nathan's from that night she did not remember clearly? Could we be raising children with different fathers?
Daniel stood up suddenly and his voice was firm. "That is enough medical information for today. We will deal with paternity testing after both babies are born healthy and safe. Right now the only focus is keeping Lisa and both babies alive and well through this pregnancy. Everything else can wait."
He ushered us out of the office and into the hallway before Dr. Morrison could say anything else. Ryan and Lisa stood in shocked silence outside the closed door and neither of us knew what to say.
"Two babies," Lisa whispered again like she could not believe it.
"Two babies," I repeated and pulled her close. "Ours. Both of them will be ours no matter what any test says later. I mean that Lisa. I choose them both right now."