6

6

Jenna's POV

“Hey, Jenna.” Jace tapped my face.

Chris' betrayal and Henry's wickedness were coming to hit me like a ton of bricks. What have I done to get this? I just wanted a baby. It wasn't my fault my husband's sperm count was low. It wasn't my fault we had no other option but to go through an IVF.

Me being healthy didn't matter. Chris' weakness was the biggest problem.

I didn't even have to do the IVF. I was ready to do the IUI where they could just place the sperm directly into my uterus around the time of my ovulation. Chris had a problem with that as well. He didn't want another man's sperm going raw inside me. That's why we went for IVF where they placed the embryo in my womb.

I did that to make him happy, although that hurt me. Chris' incompetence forced me to go through an IVF like I was the one with a problem. But I didn't object. I thought I was doing the right thing.

But now? Now I'm tired as all the pain is plummeting down on me.

"Aaagh!" I screamed slowly as I didn't have the energy.

I felt my fingers being squeezed and heard a voice, "You think your baby will be happy with you if you give up now? You fought for the last nine months, Jenna. Your last trimester was hell but you made it through it too. If you give up now, you won't just be disappointing the baby... But yourself too."

"You don't want to lose the baby and this life after fighting so hard to protect it, do you?" I haven't replied yet.

The Alpha King’s upcoming word made my baby respond with a noticeable movement.

“Please, Jenna, I've been desperately hoping to become a father. I was so happy when I heard a woman is close to giving birth to ‘my baby’! Please, don't deprive me of this happiness. Let me be a father.” He whispered the last part.

My wolf squeaked inside me, responding to the words.

She was getting more affected by this because her mate chose someone else over her, and after the mental breakdown she was forced to push out a strong Alpha's baby. It was taking a toll on her.

'O-our baby is beautiful, Jenna. Y-you'll be so proud to have him.' I couldn't move then either. But what she said next was like a Kickstart for me, 'He looks like he wants to live, Jenna.'

I groaned and grabbed Jace's arm, "Jenna?"

"Hold my hand tight." I whispered as I sucked in a deep breath.

"That's amazing, Jenna. Now push. Push harder. I can see the head." The maiden's words whipped a new encouragement into my body.

I held onto Jace's hand tightly and braced myself. I lifted my feet on my toes and my head away from the ground as I pushed.

"AHHHHH!"

"Yes, Jenna. Push harder. The head is almost out."

I grabbed Jace's hand with both of mine and seethed at him, "I'm going to kill you!"

"Why me?" He gave a surprised look.

"Because you're the reason I'm pregnant!" The maiden coughed to hide a laugh while Oakley hooted behind him.

"That's not exactly how it happened."

"SHUT... UPPPP!" I shouted as I put all my energy into pushing.

My lower body was numb. Then a sudden contraction hit me, making me scream with all my strength as I felt something slip free from my body.

For one strange second, there was an unfamiliar sense of emptiness, followed by the faintest, softest weight between my legs. Then a tiny cry pierced through the air.

My breath caught. My baby was here. I dropped my sweaty head down as everything went silent. Next, the air was rippling with strong and loud cries of my baby.

"It's a beautiful boy with your hair." My teary eyes stilled. In the light of the headlights, I saw a beautiful head full of silver hair resting on Jace's arm.

My emotions took an overdrive as I snorted, "What the actual fúck! I carried him for nine months and he comes out looking like a father who didn't even know he existed until a few days ago!"

Jace looked up slightly then his lips broke into a proud smile, "My son."

"Congratulations, your Majesty." Oakley peeked down his Alpha's shoulder to look at the baby.

Jace's eyes glistened as he made his son hold his finger. Seeing them, my heart stuttered in mixed emotions. The love in his eyes was inevitably genuine. A tear trickled out of his eye and he hugged the baby to his chest.

"He's so small." He whispered.

"Cover him, Alpha." The maiden forwarded a blanket. Jace let her cover the bundle of joy in his arms and then hugged him again.

Suddenly our eyes met. Something passed in his eyes and he walked back towards me. Luckily, the maiden had covered me with a blanket already too. He sat on his knees and deposited the baby on my chest.

"I—" I was startled when the weight came.

"You were amazing, Jenna... And this is your reward. A beautiful baby boy— who, much to your disappointment, looks like his father."

I grunted but quickly pressed my lips together when I saw my son. He was looking at me. He somehow freed his tiny hand and was suckling on his fist.

I groaned because his whole face was like his father's, "This is not fair." I sobbed. "He completely looks like you."

"He's got your eyes." Yeah, I hadn't noticed before but he does have blue eyes like mine.

That fact made my chest slow down. At least, I share something with my child.

My eyes were closed. I was hugging my baby, who was now making weird noises, as the maiden cleaned me from under the blanket. Oakley was helping him whereas the Alpha King took on the job of a cameraman. Happily.

He was taking my pictures with the baby and earlier he said, "You'll thank me later for this, stubborn woman."

I snorted slowly. My energy was completely drained so I couldn't answer back. But I promised myself to get back at him for trying to be cool in front of me. Right now, I was in the moment with my son.

I hugged him like my precious jewel, which he was. He was breathing against my chest and making those silly noises again. I was smiling. I was happy. I was relieved. But then, suddenly a gut-wrenching pain erupted in my belly.

"Aaah!" My scream sent the maiden flinching away and Jace quickly touched my forehead.

"Hey, you okay?"

"M-my belly... It's hurting." I started wriggling.

"What are you doing?" Jace yelled at the maiden. But I don't think it's her.

I've experienced this pain many times in the last three months. Yet somehow, this time it was cruel like someone was drilling a hole in my belly using a drilling gun.

"Jenna," Jace held my hand after he carefully picked our son and handed him to Oakley. "What's wrong, Jenna?"

I couldn't answer because the pain fell over my already-battered body like a mountain as I swooned into oblivion.

***

Alpha King Jace's POV,

A sick feeling curdled in my stomach as I stared at Jenna's pale and calm face. I had brought her to one of the hotels I had in her pack three hours ago. We were in the lavish suite where I stayed for the last few days since I came.

She was on the bed and I was beside her, caressing her forehead. Our son was in a cot on the other side, soundly sleeping.

"Jace," My eyes drifted to the door to see Oakley.

"The lake area has been cleaned and tidied up as you asked. No one will know someone delivered a baby there. As for her husband," His eyes lowered to Jenna. "You were right, he was with his bloody girlfriend in a hotel room."

"I knew it from the way she screamed." I clenched my jaw. "And the other proof is here."

I removed the blanket from her body and lifted her top. Her skin was bruised and red like someone clawed her in sleep. My fingers instinctively caressed her skin.

"Jace, she's married." Oakley's words froze me.

I withdrew my hand and looked at him, "Not after she delivered my baby."

"What do you mean?"

"It means I'm going to claim her." I looked back at her innocent face.

I know I promised myself that I won't take a wife or chosen mate after my destined mate died five years ago. The heartbreak was intense. It left me feeling like I was a corpse. The pain of losing a mate made me so weak, I grew anxious. I decided I won't take another mate ever.

I settled for a mistress. But now as I regarded my son's mother's face, I knew I needed her. Well, not just for the sake of my son's survival— For my own survival too.

'I'm definitely dreaming!' My wolf Denis remarked. 'Because this can only happen in a dream. You… wanting a mate? Impossible.'

I sighed as I covered Jenna back and leaned down on my elbow to caress her forehead.

It's not a dream. It's true. I know it's sudden and unbelievable. But I'm not leaving Jenna after she delivered my baby. What she did out there was brave.

She was tired and done, but she tried again to bring our baby into this world. This shows she's a nice woman and that she'll love our son... And me?

'Nice woman, huh!' My wolf scoffed. 'Last I heard you talking about her, you were saying she looks like a narcissistic bítch.'

That's because I was furious as a father, knowing my child was in the womb of a woman I had chosen to be his mother. Later I did my investigation and realized I was so wrong judging her. Jenna was an amazing woman. She supported Chris with her life and heart, yet what did she get? Betrayal.

The fruitless man had been cheating on her for the last three months. He even forgot she's pregnant. Fortunately, my baby’s powers protected Jenna’s life by absorbing most of the pain she felt whenever her husband cheated on her.

Such a selfless woman deserves a better place.

'And you're better?' My wolf snorted.

I howled back, 'Any doubt?'

'No, but she doesn't like you.'

'Then I'll make her like me because I.... Already like her.'

Tbc…