Choose Your Brother's Widow, Alpha: I Take the King

ATHALIAH

“Our pup is dying and you're there helping your sister-in-law give birth!”

My voice cracked as I said these words, my phone shaking so hard against my ear that I almost dropped it. The machines around me beeped so loudly, I knew something was terribly wrong. The mere thought of that made me panic even more. Blood soaked through my hospital dress, as an excruciating pain hit me.

I gritted my teeth, gripping onto the bloody sheets. With the last bit of strength in me, I spoke again.

“I need your blood, Damian…to save our baby. Come now, please.”

Just a few minutes ago, Wren, my best friend, the pack's healer had informed me that I was on the verge of losing my pregnancy and only the alpha blood of my mate could save it.

What I got was silence. From the other end of the line, I could hear unmistaken voices of nurses urging someone to push.

“Stop this, Athaliah. I know you want my attention but this is not the time!” Damian said, his voice flat.

Pain tore into me, I shut my eyes. For one terrifying moment, I couldn't feel my pup move anymore. Panic surged through me, my hands shook miserable, I gritted my teeth, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Everly is in labour,” Damian's voice sounded over the phone.

“Right now, she's more important than whatever you have going on there….clearly tantrums.”

My vision blurred, I couldn't tell whether it was from the shame or the blood loss. Desperation found its way into me, I pressed my hand flat against my stomach as if that could hold the small life fluttering inside me.

“I'm not lying to you. I'm in the hospital, I'm having a miscarriage, Damian. Only your alpha blood can save our pup….” A contraction of pain stole the rest of my sentence. I gasped, panting heavily.

“When did you even get pregnant?” Damian’s suspicious voice rang over the phone. “You never said anything.”

That one question landed heavily on me.

Truth was, I had told him. Three weeks earlier, in our bedroom, I'd taken his hand and pressed it against my stomach. I still remembered the way his face had softened for barely three seconds before his phone rang. Everly, his late brother's mate, needed him, and he left without another word.

“I told you,” I whispered.

I opened my mouth to explain how it had all played out, wanting to do anything to save my baby's life.

“I placed your hand on….”

I had barely let those words out, when noise erupted from the phone, even startling me. Loud celebratory noise and cheering. There was even someone shouting for towels and others screaming congratulations. Then I heard it, the first cries of newborns.

“Athaliah, they're here!” Damian announced. The excitement in his voice couldn't be missed. It was nothing close to the flat tone he had been using on me the entire time.

“Everly just gave birth. The twins are here. They're so beautiful,” he announced.

“Let me hold them,” I could hear him telling someone in the background.

“But our pup….” The line went dead trapping the words in my mouth.

I stared down at my phone like I'd never seen it before. He really hung up on me when I desperately needed him. Tears welled up my eyes.

To think my mate had chosen to stay with the same woman who had put me in this situation made my heart shatter. Hours ago, Everly and I had fallen down the stairs after an argument. I hit my stomach hard and started bleeding, while her water broke almost immediately.

When Damian arrived, he rushed straight to Everly and carried her away without even checking whether I could stand. I was left there until the pack guards found me and brought me to the hospital.

I didn't even get time to process my emotions, when the machines connected to my body began beeping loudly.

Wren stood above me with a grave expression on her face. That expression told me everything I needed to know. She had been monitoring the almost non-existent pulse of my fetus while I spoke to Damian.

She reached for my hand, her fingers trembling.

“I'm so sorry, Athaliah. The heartbeat is gone.”

At her words, something cold washed over me. All I could hear was the cries of the newborns. The noise of the entire pack celebrating while I lay in a hospital bed soaked in my own blood being told I'd lost my pup. Something that could have totally been avoided.

I didn't sob or scream. My heart had gone completely silent. I lay still, clutching my stomach like my baby was still breathing, tears sliding sideways into my ears, my heart tearing into miserable pieces.

My pup was innocent. He didn’t deserve to die like this. I clutched my stomach even harder, tears soaking my pillow. The noise of the pack's celebration was the last thing I heard before blacking out.

When my eyes fluttered open, it was dead at night. I'd been completely cleaned up. It became even clearer that my baby was gone. Numbness filled my heart, I couldn't even cry anymore. I checked myself out of the pack hospital against Wren's words.

I boarded a cab back to the Alpha house. When I arrived at the familiar grand door. One hand resting on my waist, the other gripping onto the railings for support. No one paid attention to me. It didn't even seem like they noticed I was gone.

I dragged my weak body in, what welcomed me was the noise of celebration. Flowers, gifts and all sorts of accessories were almost on every corner.

I walked past all of it and found my way to my room. I walked in, settled on the bed, clutching my stomach.

“I failed to protect you, I'm sorry….” The words had barely left my mouth when Damian burst into the room, grinning from ear to ear.

“Athaliah. You should come see Everly's pups. They're perfect,” he grinned even more, smiling widely.

“The doctor said they're both in perfect health. They look so much like their father…” he went on and on but I wasn't paying attention. I just couldn’t stomach the fact that he not only chose another woman but still came to tell me about her babies like he’d completely forgotten about my distressed call. It seems he didn’t even notice I’d been gone all day.

His next words unleashed every emotion I'd been trying to suppress.

“Everly needs you right now,” he said. I stared at him incredulously.

“You know she just gave birth and had just recently lost her mate. She has no one. You're the Luna. I'll need you to step up for her and take care of the twins.”

I glared at him, anger flaring hot on my chest.

“You….” The door opened, cutting me off.

“Athaliah, we need to talk.” Corrine, Damian's mum, walked into the room.

“Everly is suffering from soul-mate deprivation disorder and post-partum depression on top of that. Her condition is severe. The healers said her mate's nearest blood relative’s Alpha scent and blood are the only things capable of stabilizing her and keeping the twins safe….”

As she spoke, I stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

“You are the Luna of this pack so you understand what responsibility looks like. Everly has just given this pack two heirs…” she paused, a proud smiling forming on her lips. “So, I'm sure you will have no problem with the new arrangement. You’ll have to play your part as the Luna, make sure to care for her and her pups.” She paused, glanced at Damian then back at me.

“Going forward, Damian will be spending more time with them.”

“So you mean I'm expected to share my mate with her now?”