185 Complications

Lennox’s POV

I headed into the servant quarters, and a maid quickly led me to a room. Anita was curled up, clutching her stomach, and crying out in pain. A healer, a middle-aged woman, was already with her, but the situation didn't seem to be improving.

“What’s happening?” I asked, my voice sharp as I stepped forward.

The healer bowed respectfully. “I think she’s having a complication, Alpha. This is beyond my medical expertise,” she said, her voice laced with deep concern.

I frowned, turning to Anita. She was clearly in agony, her body twisting, her face streaked with tears. Louis entered, his gaze scanning the room. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” I muttered. “Get the car ready. We’re taking her to the pack hospital.” Without waiting for a reply, I lifted Anita carefully into my arms. I didn't want to carry her, but letting her walk would waste too much time.

She whimpered, her fingers clinging to my shirt. In the hallway, we ran into Levi, who looked alarmed. “What is happening?” he asked, clearly confused.

“I have no idea. We’re going to the pack hospital,” I said.

“I’m coming,” Levi said, joining us.

Outside, the car waited. Louis was behind the wheel. I helped a sobbing Anita into the back seat, then got in beside her. Levi sat in the front. Louis started the car and drove away.

The drive was anything but quiet. Anita sobbed uncontrollably, curled in a corner, clutching her stomach. I glanced at her, trying to hide my feelings. No matter how much we hated her, no matter what she had done, we couldn't ignore those babies—if they were ours. Yes, we hated her. Yes, we might not want those babies. But they existed, and that was a fact we couldn't change. And deep down, I knew my brothers felt the same worry I did. Levi kept clenching and unclenching his fists in the front seat. Louis’s jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on the road as if racing against death.

We didn’t speak, but we didn’t need to. We were all thinking the same thing: What if something happens to those babies? What if they really are ours?

“We’re here,” Louis said tensely as we reached the pack hospital gates. Two nurses rushed toward us.

I quickly opened the door and lifted Anita into my arms again. She was still crying, but her voice was hoarse, her strength waning. “Attend to her… she is pregnant!” I barked, pushing past the doors as the nurses guided us inside.

The smell of antiseptic hit me, and I grimaced. I’ve always hated hospitals. A doctor ran over. “Bring her in here!”

They led us into a small emergency room, and I gently laid her on the bed. Levi and Louis stood close by. We watched as the staff—including two gynecologists and two healers—worked quickly.

As the doctor checked her vitals, hooking her up to machines, the healers performed incantations.

For several tense minutes, we watched them tend to Anita. Her dress was lifted, and I saw a faint baby bump. It was small because of her flat stomach, but visible now that her dress was up. I exchanged worried glances with my brothers, but we remained silent. We stood silently as the doctors and healers worked. Machines beeped, soft voices murmured, and the air felt suffocating.

“She’s losing strength,” one of the doctors said. One of the nurses wiped Anita’s forehead. She was barely conscious, mumbling in pain. Her fingers twitched, as if she were desperately trying to hold on.

One of the doctors stepped forward. “She’s having complications related to a previous miscarriage,” he explained. “There’s internal stress on her womb. One of the babies might not survive.”

My heart sank. Louis’s jaw clenched. Levi said nothing, but I saw him lean forward, as if wanting to help but unsure how.

“We’ve stabilized her for now,” the doctor added, “but we’ll need to monitor her closely. Her hormone levels are erratic. It’s an imbalance we don’t normally see this far along.”

One of the healers approached us. “Alphas, are you the fathers of these pups?” she asked, curiously.

None of us answered. Our silence spoke volumes.

“You are not mates,” she said gently. “This woman… she’s not your fated one.”

“She bears no true mating mark,” the other healer added. “Only a concubine mark. Chosen. Not destined.”

“Her body is struggling,” the healer in front of us said. “Her womb is trying to carry life not created through a bond. That’s why it’s failing.”

Levi frowned. “What does that mean for the babies?”

The healer sighed. “It means the pregnancy will always be risky. Her body wasn’t made to carry your kind of children—not without a mate bond to strengthen the connection.”

Louis looked away, his jaw tight.

“She can survive this,” the healer continued, “but there’s no guarantee the babies will. Not unless something changes. The womb is weak, the unborn’s energy is unstable and too strong for her.”

I rubbed my jaw, feeling a heavy weight in my chest. I didn’t want any of this. But here it was.

“She is still in danger?” I asked.

“Yes,” the healer replied. “And so are the babies. All we can do is try to hold the pregnancy together as long as possible.” She bowed and returned to Anita.

I looked at Anita again. Her face was pale, lips dry, hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. She was a shadow of the proud, demanding woman I knew, seemingly on the brink of death. And even though I hated her… I couldn’t bring myself to feel nothing.

“We will do an ultrasound,” the doctor said, “to check the pups’ health. If stable, we continue. But if we find severe complications…” He paused, inhaling deeply. “We will have to terminate the pregnancy to save her life.”