Olivia POV
I stare at the doctor in silence, wondering if maybe he has the wrong file in hand, or maybe this is all some joke my mate, Alpha Herold, has put my doctor up to. I came in today for a check-up, a few common cold symptoms, but not this. I read his blank, cold expression, something dangerously serious about the diagnosis.
“Can—Can you say that again?” I plead, assuming that I misheard his original verdict.
“Six months, if you’re lucky,” he says, flipping through his clipboard of papers. “This pregnancy has accelerated your hepatocirrhosis, which will likely only leave you with less than half a year of life expectancy.”
“I’m going to die in six months?” I repeat, trying to find the part that I may have missed.
“If this goes untreated or the pregnancy is attempted to be carried to term, then yes.”
“If I’m lucky?”
He glances back down at his packet, nodding generously. “Yeah, if you’re lucky.”
I haven’t been feeling well for the last few weeks, maybe even months, but I hadn’t had the slightest clue that I was pregnant—or dying. I would be concerned over my health if there wasn’t a child in the equation. I would long for nothing more than to provide my Alpha mate a child but at the expense of what? My life?
What if we both die before I can go into labor?
“We can assume that terminating this child would be the best option to expand your life expectancy, but even then, the results are bleak.” He clicks his tongue, sure of his words.
I feel the tears well in my eyes, falling recklessly down my cheeks. “What if I keep the pregnancy? Then what? What will be the treatment then?”
He stares through me, like I’ve tied a noose around my neck willingly. “Well, your immune system would shut down first, then your body would slowly deteriorate and you would have little chance of recovery, if any chance at all. Whatever health you do maintain will be segregated for the child and you would likely die trying to keep it alive.”
“I want to keep this baby,” I say, shaking my head quickly. “It would be our only child together—I have to keep it. Please. For my mate, I have to.”
The doctor seems skeptical, setting down his clipboard and leaning back against his countertop. “I suggest you speak with your husband about this matter first, before you make any rash decisions. But as it stands with your current health, if we were to terminate the pregnancy, your chances of full recovery would still be dim with your ailing liver. Perhaps, when you talk to your husband, you tell him the options are strictly this: either you live, or you and the baby both die in six months.”
I walk home alone in a grim silence. I should tell Herold the minute I see him about what the doctor told me, about the options and the way I want to go about things, but when I walk into our home, I see him and his favorite gamma sitting on the couch together.
Alicia is curled up beside my mate, her feet kicked up on our couch while my mate holds an arm over her shoulders. For a moment, I think I’m walking into a normal, loving couple’s home, but the reality is it’s my home, the home I was intending to share with my Alpha mate. He is far too preoccupied with Alicia, though. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence.
It’s hard to ignore the fact that I had given half of my perfectly healthy liver to Alicia years ago, and that’s what has me in the failing state that I’m in now. I keep the dismay to myself though, shutting the door into our home behind me as I make a trip to the bathroom, my stomach starting to cramp wildly.
“Olivia, why don’t you come watch a movie with us?” Alicia asks, purposefully snuggling closer to Herold as she does so in her pristine, high-pitched voice she uses when she wants to make a dig at me.
It works, and I wave off her false attempt to be nice to me.
I hear her cough a cry, catching the attention of my mate who does what he does best and soothes the gamma, as though I slammed a door in her face or something. I can’t help but listen to her weep in his arms as she blame herself for my attitude towards her, as though she hasn’t earned it.
“It’s okay, Alicia. I’ll teach her a lesson in manners. No one disrespects you like that and—” Herold has a temper that overboils quick and not even I can seem to calm him down on his bad days.
Something about Alicia, though. She settles him in no time. “No, no,” she coos. “Stay here, with me. Please. She isn’t going to be an issue much longer, right?”
I shut the bathroom door slowly, hearing my mate hum his reply, “Right.”
I am far too busy needing to throw up to make sense of their exchange.
If seeing them together wasn’t enough to make me sick, the news the doctor told me makes me even more ill. I lean over the toilet, clearing my stomach as the fire shoots up my throat and forces me to heave for every breath.
Dizzy, I step back, wiping the sweat off my forehead and then wiping my mouth, noticing a splotch of blood lacing my gums, trailing across the back of my hand. I look away, knowing that what the doctor said is true. I don’t have much time left. I can taste the blood in my throat, in my broken system.
I am broken except for one positive thing I can look forward to.
I hold a hand to my stomach, feeling for the baby I know is in there now. “It’s okay if I throw up. It’s not so bad. Even if I die, at least your father can have you to love. And don’t you worry, he will love—”
There’s a harsh knock on the door, and I clean up the remaining mess of my sickness before pulling the door open. Herold stands in the doorway expectantly, a stack of papers in his hands, outstretched for me to take. His eyes are downcast, and he hardly seems to notice I’m here if it weren’t for the packet he holds out for me to take.
My eyes are still damp and my body is sweaty profusely, cramps in my stomach making me dizzy while I try to settle my nerves as I take the papers, ignoring them at first so I can finally clear this secret from my mind. I have waited our whole marriage for news this good to share with him.
“Herold,” I breathe, smiling for the first time today. “I have to tell you something. I went to the doctor today and he told me I’m—”
He looks discant, as though my words don’t touch him. “I want a divorce, Olivia.”
My world shatters for a moment.
In the next, I glance at the stack of papers I hold, feeling the world crash down around me and my mate, and our unborn pup, all at once.
Dissolution of Marriage Agreement.
Olivia’s POVWaking up next to my mate was something that brought a smile to my face every day. I roll over and move closer to his slumbering form. I inhale his scent and think about everything that has happened to us.A year has passed and Gabriel and I have had no issues with our marriage. He even surprised me by saying that next spring we would renew our vows. He wanted to mate with me completely, as he did with Rebecca.I do not hear her wolf anymore, but I know she is still with me. The last time I shifted, I went to the forest and rank from the river bank. When I looked at my reflection, I could see the colors of gold and purple staring back at me.Since Alicia’s death, Mara has opened up more with me and Celine. We have become great friends despite the distant between us. She is studying to be a botanist so she can identify different plants and flowers dangerous to the packs.Celine and Mara have started helping me to plan the wedding. M
Third Person POVEugene had agreed to end the war. The death of Herold was his way of making sure the pack would prosper. While both Gabriel and Fernadez wanted him to answer for the death of the Alpha, they both agreed that the nation was in mourning and the treaty was more important.Later, Gabriel mentioned to Olivia that due to the fact that Eugene was both a werewolf and a vampire, he would be strong enough to take everyone out in the room. They did not want to there to be any more bloodshed.Olivia could not believe what she was hearing. Gabriel kissed her hair as his mind linked with her.You ended the war, my love. You are a treasure with the men that marvel at your feet.But Olivia shook her head.I caused all this turmoil. I should not have—-Do not finish that statement ever. Gabriel pushed into her mind, cutting her off.Each of the participates of the meeting signed the treaty. They agreed there would be no war. Euge
Olivia’s POVGabriel and I were sitting in the foyer when the news came to us.“Good evening Alpha and Luna…I come with tragic news,” the attendant came to us.After hearing about Herold’s death, nothing could console me. I could not stop crying no matter who tried to comfort me. Celine had been in and out of the palace since she found out about Herold’s death.“I know that your history with the Alpha was shaking, but at least you and he had closure before…” Celine said as she saw Gabriel enter the room with Reese.I had told Reese after he was released from the hospital that he was welcomed to stay with Gabriel and I. When he refused and asked why I cared so much; I told him the truth. Reese sat down next to me and pulled me into an embrace.“Everything will be alright Olivia. I promise we will find out who did this to Alpha Herold.” Gabriel said as he grabbed my hand.“Can I have a minute alone?” I asked as I kissed Reese on the forehea
Third Person POV“Maverick, I do have one request,” Eugene said as Maverick got out of his seat.“And what is that, my discip—” Without a second thought, Eugene slammed the dagger into Maverick’s heart.“I need you to hand over your throne to me,” Eugene said as his eyes bleed black.Maverick pushed himself off of the blade and away from Eugene. But it was too late. the scent was in the air. Maverick fell to his knees, coughing out blood.“Do you like it? While I was researching Alicia’s little drug to weaken wolves and slowly kill them. I notice that the ingredient she was using could also kill vampires quickly. Because you have no protector like werewolves. Once it enters your bloodstream, it evaporates, and the death is within moments.”Eugene pushed Maverick’s body away from the desk. Maverick weakly slid into Eugene’s mind. His tongue had fallen to the floor with the blood.Why? I gave you purpose.Eugene looked at the so to be co
Olivia’s POVWhen I arrived at the palace, I found Gabriel was still gone. The guards had alerted me that Gabriel would not be back till the morning due to business. They had also informed me that Gabriel left numbers for an interior designer to fix my office up.I went to the office and notice that everything was still out of place and destroyed. I shut the door behind me, determined to deal with it another time. I went to my room and tried to mind- link with Eugene.I want to hear his voice some recognition that he was still in the Capitol. However, I found he had tuned me out as I did the others. When I looked over at my nightstand, I saw a single white lily with a note attached to the stem. When I picked up the card, I fell to the ground, crying.The note was in Eugene’s hand writing stating;“You will make a beautiful Queen Luna, Olivia.”I shed tears for the friendship that I lost because of my selfish actions. I scream ‘til my v
Olivia’s POVI was fortunate that no one saw me leaving the hotel with Herold, even more so that Gabriel was not at home when I arrived. The guars were nowhere to be seen, so going to my room and cleansing myself of Herold’s scent was easy enough.When Gabriel came back to the palace, I was expecting an argument or a fight, but he kissed my forehead and said we had been apart for too long. I wanted to agree with him but in spending the night with Herold; I realized I was losing myself to them every step of the way. I could not regret the situation because Herold would not let me neither would my conscious.I had gotten closure with Herold, but I did not get to end it. As I pushed my hands through my hair and closed my eyes, I heard something drop on my desk with a loud thud. I opened my eyes to see a paper with an image of me leaning into Herold.The headlines were spinning a story that was actually true this time: “Luna Queen Spending Night of Passion
Olivia’s POVI would be lying if I said that what Gabriel had told me was weighing heavily on my heart and mind. Even though he never gave into temptations of being with another woman, he did not fully commit to his marriage with Rebecca. But he was fully committed to my happiness and being with me.It unnerved me. So much so that I did not see the man bump into me. I thought I would fall to the ground, but strong hands caught me at my waist. Aa I pushed back the curls out of my face to see the man that had aided me, I saw eyes of sadness and frail.“Herold?”I saw his Adam’s apple bob while he contemplated answering me.“It is good to see to my Queen,” he said nonchalantly.”I tried to keep my composure in the situation, knowing that anyone could see us and get the wrong idea.“I am glad that you are doing alright.” I smiled. I requested we sit at a restaurant and talk for a while. Gabriel would be in another state discussing polic
Olivia’s POVHerold knew that I only desired to make money for the charities, so it came as a shock to me that in the coming days his lawyer contacted me stating that the Alpha was transferring all of his assets over in my name. Or at least the name I was publicly going as.“All you have to do is a agree to the transfer and I will wire everything to your account after the call.”I thought about all the businesses that Herold conducted over the years and how fortunate he had been. How he never once spent a dime on me except when I asked for help with Reese’s treatments. I sighed into the speaker of the phone that sat on my desk.“I will agree to Alpha Herold’s transferring of compensation for two conditions. One, there is enough left to keep his pack thriving. And two, I will agree if he never shows himself in my presence again.”There was a brief pause before the lawyer came back to.“I will make sure he is aware and when he agrees, th
Olivia’s POVI don’t know how long I had been unconscious, but when I came to the zooming lights that passed overhead gave me indication that I had been in this area before. I saw several houses I had passed during times that Reese and I walked together. I even recognized a restaurant or two that I would go to when I was picking Herold up some food.How many meals had I cooked for Harold here, only to have them turn at my face?Herold?Then it sunk in; the events of a few hours ago flashed in my mind. Herold had kidnapped me. He was the one that messaged me for attention before I left the hospital. He cornered me by the car, but I was unsure how he knocked me out. As I made an attempt to unlock the door, I noticed I was having trouble holding up my wrist.I glanced down at my hands to see that not only were they handcuffed, but someone also handcuffed them to the steering wheel. At least he gave me the courtesy and left my legs and feet unbound. Part