Chapter 6 - One time was all it took.

Ava

The only thing that kept my mind off the fact that I would never see Daniel again was the fact that I really wanted to become the world champion and I trained harder than I ever had before. It still felt like my routine was missing something and I really wanted to add something really incredible, but everything that was really incredible was also very dangerous and banned.

When I was finally able to think only about my goal, I saw him up in the stands in the arena. Daniel was sitting there watching me practice. I had only a month left before the championships and I had been plagued by a stomach bug for nearly a month. I was training harder and longer than I ever had before and believed I was feeling tired because of that.

I made my way up the stairs and our eyes met, sending shivers up the back of my spine. The last time we were together, I thought it was the last time and I gave him all of me. I can still remember the feel of his lips on my skin, and the warmth of his body against mine.

“Hi.” I smiled, sitting down beside him.

“You look incredible out there.” He smiled.

“Thanks. What are you doing here?” It suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable. As though he was trying to keep his distance for some reason.

Daniel

The arrangements for my mating ceremony were well underway and in a week’s time it would all be over. I couldn’t go through with the ceremony without seeing Ava one last time. As she came closer, I could hear it faintly, but it was only when she sat down beside me that the shock of the truth struck me right in the heart. Ava was pregnant with my pup. I could hear its heartbeat inside her beautiful small body.

“I had a couple of loose ends to tie up. You look pale. How are you feeling? Should you be training so hard right before the big event?” I frowned, wondering if she knew. I couldn’t imagine Ava getting onto the ice and doing those dangerous moves if she knew.

“I’m okay. I’ve been a little sick lately, but I’m doing fine.” She looked away, and I couldn’t tell if she was lying to me or if she really didn’t know.

“Ava …” I touched her hand, and it sent sparks up my arm as her eyes met mine and she sighed deeply.

“It’s just a stomach bug that I can’t shake.” She looked away, and I noticed that she had lost some weight.

“Are you eating properly?” I frowned. Werewolf pups needed more sustenance than normal babies do and if she had been sick, the pup could be in danger.

“Eating is not the problem. It’s keeping the food down that I’ve been struggling with. Anyway, let’s not talk about it. I’m sure it’s only because I’m stressed about the competition.” I noted the dark circles under her eyes and stood up.

“Come on. I’m taking you to the doctor.” I frowned. She looked at me and smiled but shook her head.

“I’m fine, Daniel. Really. I don’t need to see a doctor.” She stood up, and we made our way down the stairs and around the ice to the other side where the change rooms were.

“I’m not taking no for an answer, Ava. Go and change. I’m taking you to the doctor.” I fought the urge to growl at her. She was being stubborn, and I needed to know if the pup was okay.

“Okay, fine, but I doubt we will find someone who can see me this afternoon. You are in a small town, remember. We only have one general practitioner and the hospital.” She smiled, and I nodded, deciding to take her straight to the hospital and not to waste any more time. We met in the foyer and I drove her straight to the hospital, where we had to wait an hour to see someone.

I couldn’t tell her that I knew she was pregnant, but it seemed that the doctor already suspected as much and within half an hour we had the results.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a stomach bug, miss Talbott. You are pregnant. Congratulations. We can do a scan to see how far along you are and just to check that everything is okay with the baby.” The doctor started moving around Ava while her eyes glared at me. Neither of us said a word and I suspected she knew that I could tell the moment I saw her. I had to think of something to tell her. She couldn’t know what I was. Not yet.

My mind worked overtime as I tried to figure out how I was going to tell Harper and my dad, but most importantly, how I would get Ava to come home with me. She couldn’t have this pup in a normal hospital.

Ava

My dream to become the world champion had just been crushed. I couldn’t skate while I was pregnant. If I had known, I wouldn’t even have gotten onto the ice the past month! The doctor switched on the scan and showed us the little blob, but I didn’t register much.

All I could think about was that my dreams were shattered thanks to a one-night stand with a man who wasn’t supposed to have returned. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t even have known how to reach him to tell him he had a child. If Daniel didn’t come back to tie up the loose ends … I never took his number. We were never meant to see each other again.

The doctor handed me a copy of the scan and I changed while the two men waited for me in the doctor’s office. He handed me a script to help with the nausea as well as some prenatal vitamins and sent us on our way. My body was moving on autopilot as Daniel opened the car door for me.

“Ava?” His voice filtered through my hectic thoughts once he sat beside me in the car. I gaped at him for a moment.

“I can’t have this baby.” The words were out before the tears started to fall, and he pulled me into his arms. If I had our child, I would never reach my dream. It felt as if my life was over. I had made one small mistake. One, and my dream was washed down the drain. Daniel drove me home, and we sat in the living room while he told my grandmother.