Chapter 139: LEAVING ME ALONE.

Chapter 139: LEAVING ME ALONE.
~Ava’s POV~

I barely slept. My body felt heavy, like something was pressing down on me from the inside. But what truly kept me awake was the echo of Damon’s voice last night. The way he called the healer so fast. The way panic flickered across his eyes before he buried it.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

I sat up slowly, hands on my stomach. “You’re okay… right?” I whispered.

No answer. Just a strange warmth under my palm.

Mira slipped into my room without knocking. “You’re awake.”

“I didn’t sleep,” I said.

She studied me. “You look pale.”

“I feel fine,” I lied.

Her eyes narrowed. “Ava.”

“I said I’m fine.”

She sighed. “The healer needs to run more tests. She wasn’t done yesterday.”

My stomach tightened. “Because of the shadows?”

“Because of everything,” Mira said. “Come on. Damon wants you in the healing quarters.”

“Damon wants, Damon said, Damon ordered…” I muttered. “Where is Damon, anyway?”

“In the training yard,” she replied. “Probably breaking things.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “Maybe because he’s Damon.”

That answer didn’t convince me at all.

We walked in silence through the corridor until we reached the healer’s room. The healer was already waiting with bowls of herbs and glowing stones.

She gestured for me to lie down. “Lady Ava, I need to check your energy again. Yesterday’s readings were… inconsistent.”

“Inconsistent how?” I asked, laying back.

“You shifted between strong and faint. Like your power was fighting something. Or someone.”

My fingers curled tightly around the sheets. “Just do what you have to do.”

The healer placed her hands lightly on my stomach.

A spark of pain shot through me.

I gasped. “Ow…what was that?!”

Mira stepped forward immediately. “Ava?”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, forcing my breathing to steady. “Just do it.”

The healer frowned, eyes glowing faintly as she focused. “Your aura is unstable again.”

“Meaning what?”

She hesitated. “Meaning something inside you is growing too fast.”

My heart stopped. “Inside me?”

Before she could answer, the door opened.

Damon walked in.

No—stormed in.

His eyes locked on me instantly. “Ava. What’s happening?”

The healer bowed. “Nothing alarming yet, Alpha.”

“‘Yet?’” he repeated sharply.

I sat up. “Damon, calm down.”

“No,” he snapped. “I can feel something is happening to you.”

“You’re overreacting.”

“And you’re hiding something.”

I froze.

Mira looked between us slowly. “Should I leave…”

“No,” Damon said.

“Yes,” I said at the same time.

Mira raised a brow. “Well… one of you decide.”

“Stay,” Damon ordered.

“Go,” I insisted.

Mira blinked. “I’m going.”

She slipped out.

Damon stepped closer, his expression unreadable. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong,” I said.

“Ava.”

His voice softened,dangerously.

I looked away. “I don’t know why you keep hovering. I’m not dying.”

“Don’t say that,” he snapped.

I flinched.

He shut his eyes briefly, then sat on the edge of the bed. “Ava… something attacked you yesterday. Something only you could see. Something tied to your power. And now you’re in pain.” His jaw clenched. “I’m not stupid.”

“I never said you were stupid.”

He exhaled harshly. “Then stop lying.”

Silence settled between us.

The healer cleared her throat. “Alpha, I should explain something…”

“No,” Damon cut in. “I will.”

My pulse spiked. “Damon…”

“You need to know the truth.”

“I already know the truth,” I snapped. “The shadows came after me. Livia sent them. What more do you want?”

“That’s not all.”

“I don’t want to hear anything else.”

“You have to.”

I stood. “Stop controlling everything!”

He grabbed my wrist gently. “I’m not controlling you. I’m trying to protect you.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“You don’t have to ask,” he said quietly. “I’ll do it anyway.”

My throat tightened, too full of things I wasn’t ready to face.

Then the healer spoke again. “Lady Ava… do you feel any changes inside you? Any unusual strength? Any bursts of energy?”

Damon went stiff.

My heart pounded. “I…why does that matter?”

“Because it confirms what I sensed,” she replied. “You’re not just unstable. You’re… evolving.”

“Evolving?” I whispered.

Damon looked away, jaw ticking like he already knew.

The healer continued, “Your power has doubled. Maybe tripled since yesterday.”

I froze.

“What?” My voice cracked.

“This isn’t natural,” she said. “Not for a lone wolf. Not even for an Alpha-born.”

I shook my head slowly. “I thought… maybe it was the prophecy.”

“Or,” the healer hesitated, “it may be connected to whatever is growing inside you.”

My entire world went silent.

Damon closed his eyes like he’d been punched.

“What’s… inside me?” I whispered.

The healer opened her mouth, but Damon spoke first.

“Ava, please sit.”

“No,” I said, stepping back. “Tell me.”

“You won’t take it well.”

“Tell me.”

His voice dropped to a whisper.

“You’re pregnant.”

I stared at him.

My body went numb.

“What… what did you say?”

He swallowed hard. “You’re pregnant, Ava.”

My breath stopped.

“I’m… I’m what?”

The healer lowered her head. “I confirmed it yesterday.”

I shook my head violently. “No. No, that’s, no, that’s not possible.”

“Ava…”

“No!” I backed away. “I can’t….I can’t be….”

My hand flew to my stomach. The warmth. The pain. The sudden power.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “No…”

Damon stood. “Ava….”

I shot him a glare. “Don’t touch me.”

His hand froze mid-air.

The healer spoke softly. “Your body is already responding to the child’s energy.”

“Child?” I whispered. “You mean, Kieran’s child?”

Damon looked like he wanted to tear the world apart.

He didn’t answer.

He didn’t have to.

My chest tightened until I couldn’t breathe.

“Kieran…” My voice broke. “He’s in a coma… and I… I…”

Damon stepped closer. “Ava, listen…”

“Don’t.” Tears blurred my vision. “Don’t come near me.”

I turned away, burying my face in my hands.

Everything was spinning. Crashing. Breaking.

Pregnant.

With Kieran’s child.

I didn’t feel joy.

Or excitement.

Only fear.

Panic.
And guilt so heavy it crushed my ribs.

Damon’s voice softened behind me. “It doesn’t change anything. You’re still..”

“It changes everything!”

He flinched.

I wiped my face roughly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“You think this isn’t hurting?!”

He inhaled shakily. “Ava… I was trying to protect you.”

“You don’t get to decide what I can handle!”

Silence slammed between us like a wall.

Finally, Damon whispered, “What do you want to do?”

I pressed my hand to my stomach.

And for the first time…

I felt a faint pulse.

Warm. Soft.

Alive.

My breath caught. “I… I need time.”

Damon nodded slowly, though torment twisted his eyes. “I’ll give you anything you need.”

The healer bowed and stepped out quietly.

I remained facing the wall, tears dripping down silently.

Damon stayed a moment longer.

Then he said softly, “Just tell me you’ll be careful. For your sake.”

I didn’t answer.

I couldn’t.

He exhaled shakily and walked out.

Leaving me alone…

With the truth

With the child

With the prophecy

With the fear

And with a heart that suddenly felt too full and too empty at the same time.