Chapter 28

Rhys

I had noticed Elara's movement getting slower. I inched closer to her, but when I asked if she was fine, and no response came, it had forced me to grab onto her shoulders so I could look at her face. Nothing could have prepared me for the moment where the life seemed to leave her eyes and she went lax in my arms.

It felt like my world shattered into a million pieces the moment Elara collapsed. My heart hammered against my ribs as I scooped her into my arms and rushed her toward the house, the urgency in my movements mirroring the terror in my soul.

Kai and Rowan followed along, their faces also as pale as the moon and their eyes blown wide with shock as they opened doors and shouted out instructions, clearing the way to our shared room. I laid Elara carefully on the bed, stripping her off her jeans and shirt so she could breathe better. I accepted the dress that Rowan passed to me, adjusting her so I could slip it onto her frame.

Kai was outside the door, and I could hear the urgency in his voice as he summoned Anyah. My eyes looked over Elara's unmoving form. It was a complete contrast to the bubbly girl from less than twenty minutes before. Her face was now so pale, and her breathing felt so labored and strained that I had to move my finger underneath her nose to confirm she was still breathing fine.

"What could have happened?" Rowan asked and I turned to see a frown painting his face as he held onto Elara's palm, rubbing it softly to try to get the warmth back into it. I simply shrugged at his words, swiping the hair that fell across her forehead.

The door to the room opened again and Kai appeared. "Anyah is on her way. She says to keep her warm and comfortable until she arrives." I pulled the quilt higher up her body.

We continued to watch over her in silence, the weight of the situation hanging heavy as a rock over our heads. I could still feel the adrenaline and terror running through my veins and the suffocating silence that filled the room worsened my anxiety. I couldn't help but think of all the things that could have gone wrong and the horrifying images that kept replaying in my head were pushing me toward the edge.

Things were finally starting to settle. We had been doing so well together that it was getting harder to even think about what life was before her. A warm hope for the future had ignited within me and had continued to bloom.

My night terrors had almost completely disappeared since my confession to Kai and Rowan and my life was starting to feel more normal than it had ever been.

A knock came on the door and Kai moved off the bed to usher Anyah in. The healer immediately had a look of worry on her face the moment her eyes landed on Elara's body and my worry immediately skyrocketed.

"I came as soon as I could," she announced as she pulled her bag open to pull out a few items, but the moment she got close enough to touch Elara, a surge of possessiveness went through me. It was almost enough to send me into a fury, but I fought hard to keep control.

Kai seemed to be having a much more difficult time controlling himself, and he launched at Anyah, his eyes glowing amber as a growl tore out of his throat. Rowan and I had to jump into action and pull him away before he could hurt the older woman.

"What the fuck man? You almost hurt Anyah!" Rowan scolded, and as I looked at him, I could see that his eyes also had hints of amber, which meant his wolf was also fighting for control.

My mind began whirling with assumptions. In the last couple of days, I couldn't explicitly remember any other person aside from Rowan and Kai coming close to Elara but the intensity of their reactions and mine now made me question everything. Were we just reactive to Anyah coming too close? Or would we be reactive to everybody else too?

"This confirms it, but I'm just going to make some checks for my own satisfaction," Anyah said and we all turned to look at her, but when she remained still, just looking at us with a hopeful expression, it made me realize that she was waiting for our permission so we didn't jump her again.

"Yes, of course," I responded and as she returned to checking Elara, I had to fight to hold back my wolf from taking over and tearing her away from our mate. I could tell that it was the same for Kai and Rowan, because they even seemed to back off a little bit.

Anyah's examination was meticulous, her face was a mask of concentration as she observed Elara. A tense silence enveloped the room, and it almost felt as though my heart were in my stomach as I waited for the healer to be done. And when she finally spoke, her voice carried a weight of revelation that shook me to my core.

"Your mate is pregnant," she announced, her words hanging in the air.

A cold dread seeped into my veins. The news should have made me happy and deep down it did, but the manner in which Anyah revealed it was enough to quell any sort of excitement from forming. It was almost like she knew something we didn't; something dangerous. My eyes sought Kai's and Rowan's. Their expressions mirrored my turmoil.

"Since Elara's arrival, I have been reading old tomes, trying to gather as much information as I can surrounding the prophecy of the mark that she bears and I was hoping to find some clarity or answers before I brought my findings to you three. But it seems that might not be necessary anymore," Anyah continued, her voice growing more grave.

"This child that she carries is unlike any other. It is destined for greatness, yes, but burdened by powers that we cannot fathom. The prophecy speaks of these powers as extraordinary and the role that they will play in the world is beyond our imagination. I still don't know what that means, and I believe that we still have years and years to figure it out. What we must know now is that this pregnancy will be fraught with challenges." Anyah paused, looking at Elara for a second before turning her attention back to us again.

"I'm a healer and my patient's well-being is my first priority. I do not know or understand these powers that this prophecy speaks about, but what I know is that a being that is described as being so powerful might break its host. We must be vigilant and prepared. You'll have to bring her to the clinic as soon as possible. I need to do an ultrasound so I can check on the child and make sure that everything is developing normally. I need to ensure that I keep a close eye on things. Congratulations Alphas, this is great news," Anyah finally finished and although Kai and Rowan responded, I couldn't find the words to do so.

"Should we be worried about her fainting?" Rowan asked, and Anyah shook her head.

"Everything seems fine. She's probably exhausted. She's only sleeping now and should be awake pretty soon."

Her words replayed over and over in my mind and the weight of the news threatened to crush me. Yet, intertwined with the fear was a surge of protectiveness, a primal instinct to shield her, to ensure her safety and the safety of the child growing within her.

I was going to be a father.

The thought of it was so surreal that it almost felt like the rest of the world had faded away, and it was just me, Kai, Rowan, and Elara left. Of all the joys I thought I would have in life, this was one that I never considered myself worthy of. I couldn't believe that the Goddess would bless me with such a gift that the amount of gratitude in my heart could not be described.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Kai standing behind me. His eyes held the same vulnerability that I felt, and I accepted the hug that he offered me, a tear dropping from my eyes at the weight of the situation settled between us. When we broke from the hug, we moved to settle around the bed, a silent understanding passing between us.

A fierce possessiveness ignited within me. Elara was mine and our child was mine. The thought of losing either of them was unbearable, and it ignited a new purpose within me, a determination to protect them at all costs.

"We've always been a unit, bound by a common goal. But I think now more than ever, we share something that brings us even closer together. I think we can all agree that this is the greatest gift that the Goddess could give us," Kai began, breaking me out of the reverie that I was stuck in.

"I know that I can't be the only one that Anyah's words have shaken, but I think that it should fuel us into action and the mating ceremony sounds like a great first step. It would unite us, strengthen our bond, and solidify Elara's position as Luna. The announcement of her pregnancy would follow afterward, solidifying our union. We needed to show strength, unity, and purpose now more than ever. Not just for ourselves, but for our mate and unborn child to feel our strength and the safety that we offer."

Time was of the essence, and I knew that we had to make these decisions with the utmost urgency. The weight of responsibility was immense, but I was confident that we would bear it without an unwavering resolve, and I couldn't have wished for better companions.

After a while, Elara finally stirred. Her eyes were filled with confusion as she blinked them into focus, and we immediately surrounded her.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse. It caused me to move off the bed to grab a bottle of water from the fridge in the corner. I twisted the lid off before offering it to her, watching as she took big gulps until half the bottle was almost empty.

She looked at us with various emotions dancing within her eyes and I moved closer to her, clearing my throat and taking her dainty hands within mine.

"How are you feeling love?" I asked first and she sighed.

"Nauseous and tired. I don't remember how I got up here," she responded, looking between Kai, Rowan, and myself with a questioning look in her eyes.

"That's because we brought you here. You fainted during your training, and we had to call Anyah," I said, and I saw panic paint her features.

"Hey, hey it's okay. You're all right," Kai immediately tried to assure her.

"I fainted. That's not okay. Did Anyah say something was wrong with me?"

"Calm down, love," Rowan said, and Elara's panicked eyes landed on my face.

"You're pregnant, baby," I revealed and Elara immediately looked like she was about to pass out again.