Chapter 318: For My Unborn Pups

Chapter 318: For My Unborn Pups
Maeve's POV

I was pregnant? With twins??

How was this possible? I had been taking birth control pills religiously. But considering the chaos of the past few weeks, I might have missed a few doses.

I looked down at my naked body; they still hadn't given me anything to cover myself. I felt more vulnerable and exposed than ever before.

I ran my hand gently over my stomach, frowning in confusion. I couldn't feel any changes, but if it was early enough, there probably wouldn't be any noticeable signs yet.

I had planned to finish school before having children; I wanted to graduate at the very least. I still had several years to go. Would I be able to raise these pups while completing my education?

I had no choice now; these pups were coming into the world regardless, and I would do everything in my power to keep them safe.

I leaned against the cold concrete wall, hugging my knees to my chest to cover my breasts and other private parts. The last thing I needed was those disgusting rogue guards leering at me.

"Our mate will come for us..." Katie whispered weakly. I knew she was exhausted; though the wolfsbane seemed to be enchanted to keep my wolf conscious while making us extremely weak, it was still draining her energy.

"I know..." I responded, "he'll come save us."

As I was still trying to process this news, I heard footsteps in the hallway. I looked up to see Phoebe and Dr. Hartwell standing outside my cell, watching me like I was some specimen in a lab.

"Pregnant?" Phoebe said irritably, shaking her head. "How did we miss this crucial information?"

"You didn't allow me to conduct a full examination immediately," Dr. Hartwell replied.

"I meant before that. How could this not be in our intelligence?" Phoebe snapped.

"I believe she herself was unaware," Dr. Hartwell glanced at Phoebe. "I suspect this news came as a shock to her as well."

"How many weeks along is she?" Phoebe asked.

"About two weeks," Dr. Hartwell said.

My cheeks burned. Two weeks pregnant? Instinctively, I caressed my stomach again, my trembling fingers finding the place where my pups would grow.

With this new knowledge, Katie became even more protective. She would protect our pups at all costs, just as my mother had once protected me.

Phoebe turned to Dr. Hartwell. "Will this affect our plans? Can she still be used to create the vessel?"

Dr. Hartwell nodded slightly. "Yes, she's still useful. But we must keep her in good condition."

"Then use all your abilities to keep her healthy. We need to wait until the blood moon rises tomorrow night to use her, so I want her in peak condition by then."

"Understood," Dr. Hartwell said before glancing at me, and I thought I saw a flicker of regret in her eyes.

I held back pregnancy questions with Phoebe present. Nearby guards carried Xavier's followers' distinctive rogue scent, making me sick. Of course they'd allied with Phoebe - they'd always wanted to eliminate my kind, and now had their chance.

After what felt like an eternity, the guards opened the door, grabbing my limbs. I struggled desperately, but the chains binding my hands and feet burned my skin, making me scream in agony and go limp in their grip.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"To my medical room. I want to do another examination to make sure your pups are doing well," Dr. Hartwell replied.

Concerned for my unborn pups, I remained quiet as the rogues roughly transported me. While being carried through the warehouse, I memorized everything - guard positions, doorways, stairwells, and high windows showing glimpses of trees.

The place smelled of decay and had strange machinery, possibly an old slaughterhouse.

Dr. Hartwell entered a code at an elevator. We took the creaky elevator to the second floor, which surprisingly resembled a normal doctor's office reception area, though without windows.

We then entered what I recognized as the clinic where I'd first learned about my pregnancy.

"Get out," Dr. Hartwell told the rogues. "I need to examine her, and that requires privacy. I don't need you watching over me."

They brought me to the examination table with the restraints, and I found myself struggling again, not wanting to be chained to this table. But the silver chains burned my skin again, making me hiss in pain.

The guards looked at each other, rolled their eyes, and left the room.

After they left, I felt like I could finally breathe. While I didn't trust Dr. Hartwell, I preferred her to those rogues. At least she wasn't rough with me, and maybe she could answer some of my questions.

Dr. Hartwell walked to a workstation across the room, arranging some equipment, then returned to my examination table.

"I'm going to use this ultrasound device to check on your twins," she explained, applying cold gel to my lower abdomen.

"How could you tell I was carrying twins just from a blood test?" I asked.

"I don't just have healing abilities; I can also see auras," she explained. "You have three separate auras, which is extremely rare."

"Those are my pups' auras?" I looked up at her.

Dr. Hartwell nodded. "One is yours, and the other two belong to your pups."

She pointed to the screen, and I saw two tiny specks. They were barely formed yet, but to me, they meant everything. My heart began to pound fiercely in my chest.

"They look good," she said, staring at the monitor. "As long as we keep you healthy. Unfortunately, they won't have a chance to continue growing."

Hearing this, my heart shattered, and Katie whimpered in anguish.

Dr. Hartwell shut off the monitor too quickly; I didn't have enough time to truly absorb that those were my pups. 

During the examination, she took more blood samples, gave me more injections, and thoroughly examined me. When it was complete, she called the rogues back in and had them return me to my cell.

They practically threw me back into the cell, and I landed hard on the solid ground. I immediately covered my stomach to protect my unborn pups.

I spent what seemed like endless time in the dark cell, trying to think of ways to escape. I needed to find a way to contact Cyrus through our bond. I needed him to bring reinforcements to save us.

I heard people approaching, and I crawled back to the darkest corner of my cell.

"Are you sure she can't escape?" I heard a familiar male voice from nearby.

"Yes, I'm sure," Phoebe answered. "By this time tomorrow, your daughter will be the most powerful Callisto werewolf in history, and this girl will be dead."

"Whatever the cost, free my daughter from her terrible fate," the man said.

I held my breath, waiting for this man to come closer and step into the light.

When he did, my entire heart sank into my stomach, and I had to suppress a scream as I recognized Alpha Joshua's face.