The twins

[Elara's POV]

I left Ethan's house at night, carrying both pain and the courage to hide it from the world. It was hard for me to conceal my feelings, but I tried not to show them. It didn't matter if I cried, shouted, or screamed—Ethan could never see how much he had affected me. Sometimes it hurt so much that I wanted to take my own life. But I knew better; I knew what would happen. After coming home, I had the feeling that he went to meet Natalia.

My heart ached even at the thought of my mate going to see my cousin. How could he do this to me? My love was so pure and sweet; why couldn't he be like that towards me? He must have loved her a lot when they were dating. Natalia's beautiful face filled my mind, and my anger grew again. Gazing at the divorce document before me, I saw that the alimony was seven hundred million dollars. This amount was not trivial. I mean, he really wanted me to leave, didn't he?

I hurled the folder onto the mattress. I didn’t need his money. Nothing could ease the hurt of being rejected by my partner—the man to whom I had pledged everything. I climbed out of bed, pushed the crumpled blankets back, and fixed my gaze on the image of my own beauty. My face, though not compared to Natalia's, was still striking. She looked more beautiful than me, while I appeared plain, yet somehow I was the prettier one. My pale skin and black curls were perfect and elegant, and my plum lips and doe eyes were prominent features on my face.

I was tall and beautiful. I knew it. People always said so. But what hurt me the most was knowing that Ethan thought otherwise. And now that he was going to marry someone else, I couldn't stand the thought of seeing him with another woman. It was killing me to realize that he wouldn’t love me like he used to. A few years back, all men wanted me. Each male student in college and university desired a relationship with Elara.

I came from a respected pack, roughly the same size as this one, but with a far different reputation. My reputation in my studies and as the daughter of the Alpha of the Bullock Pack only heightened it. I didn’t even need my status to win hearts. I simply was the best. I had always been able to get whatever I wanted because I was born with great luck. The Gravefur Pack was renowned for their strength and control, while my father’s pack, the Bullock Pack, was known for its social standing and influence.

Nobody dared to go against them. I looked down at the divorce documents I was holding and placed my hand on my stomach to help me relax. Anxiety was bad for the unborn child. I wasn’t going to sit here and cry. I would let him know I was alright. Determined, I clenched my fists around those terrible papers and headed downstairs to get dressed for the day. A long walk would help me forget my troubles. I knew my way back to the city. There was no need to take the tram. As I stepped outside, the morning sun shone brightly into my dark brown eyes. I closed my eyes and basked under the warmth. It made me feel less stressed.

When I opened my eyes again, I started walking. The brisk morning breeze blew my black curly hair around my neck, but I ignored the cold. Today would be a good day, I sighed and told myself. The streets were almost empty. It felt good to be away from Ethan and his friends. In fact, it felt wonderful. I hadn’t felt this way lately. After a 15-minute walk, I arrived home and met my father. It helped somewhat, but now that I was alone again, I felt lonely. I shook off that thought. I was just overreacting.

But I still found my legs carrying me faster. The longer I was away from him, the worse my mood would become. I hugged him tightly and greeted him, but I never expected that the first question he would ask me would be about Ethan.

"When you came last night, where is Ethan?" he asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Did he drop you here?"

I blinked twice before answering him. "He was busy with some work, so he dropped me here last night," I gulped as I lied. "It was late, so I didn’t want to disturb you." I quickly turned around and walked to the kitchen. I couldn’t tell him where Ethan was for a few reasons. "You look pale. Are you okay?" he asked as I made myself some cereal, not really feeling like eating.

Before I could answer, my cell phone rang. It was Smith, a close friend and gynecologist.

"Hello?" I responded, moving out of the kitchen to give myself some silence from the table.

"I apologize for troubling you so early, Elara. After reviewing your reports again, I would like you to return for a few more inspections."

"Smith... is everything alright?" I trembled as I asked.

"Don't worry, Elara. Just come visit me right away."

I hung up, instructing Daniel to get the car ready as I hastily rushed out, panic gripping my gut.

Once in the car, I asked him to take me to the hospital.

He complied but gave me a questioning look. "Is everything okay?"

"Well, yes. I'm just going out to see Smith for brunch." It wasn’t a lie. Smith and I had been together in college before he went to medical school. He was also an Alpha of the Night Bloom Pack. His soft blonde locks were parted to the side. With his greenish-blue eyes and slim body, Smith was very attractive, especially with his chiseled features and tall athletic figure. When he returned after completing his medical studies, he came to propose to me, but I was already engaged to my mate, Ethan.

He received his first rejection from me but never blamed me for it. He always thought he was late with his proposal. After that, he never mated again, and here I was, pregnant with my mate’s child.

Soon after, we arrived at the hospital, and I thanked Daniel, instructing him to wait for me. The gusty weather lashed at me, so I was glad to enter the hospital and feel the warmth.

The woman at the front desk said, "Do you have another appointment, Mrs. Ethan?" Since I had visited the hospital twice in a row, rumors would spread like wildfire.

"Oh no," I replied.

"She has come to see me," Smith said, relieved, as he stood there with his arms crossed in his white coat. My heart pounded. Why did this feel so real and tangible? Smith was the best doctor I had ever seen, but my anxiety wouldn’t leave. His dark eyes were fixed on mine, but he didn’t seem to care. Then again, Smith could make people do just about anything with his presence. I wanted to say something, anything, but I just couldn’t speak. All the words escaped me, trapped somewhere deep inside.

He led me to the bed in his office and asked to perform a short examination of my stomach as I lay down. There wasn’t a screen across from us, so I couldn’t see the scan for myself. But his frown deepened, so I wasn’t going to bother him while he measured and looked at the screen. It was finally over when he wiped the cold gel off my stomach and said, "Tell me, Smith, what is it?" as I got to my feet.

It was too early to feel relieved, but he started, "I think you shouldn’t be too concerned because there’s nothing wrong with the pregnancy itself, but…" He paused for a while. "Come, take a seat."

I complied. He sat behind his desk and sighed. He tilted his head and sighed, "But?" as he opened a file on his desk.

"However, you're not in good health. I’m shocked. You have an unusual family history and seem to be in good health. However, from reading your reports, I see that you are quite weak, which may hinder the development of the babies." I scowled as he set down the paperwork.

My pupils widened.

"The babies?"

"Yes, Elara, you are expecting twins, and that makes me even more concerned about this pregnancy and your health."

Twins. If the divorce hadn’t affected me, I might have been happier, but the doctor clearly didn’t feel the same way about me. He was concerned. "Will I lose them?" I asked with trepidation.

"I would say you need to rest as much as possible until you are past your first trimester because the chances of miscarrying are very high." Maybe it was best to keep this pregnancy news under wraps for the time being. If the pack members learned that an Alpha heir was on the way, I was sure they would want to come see me.

I nodded in understanding, grabbed the file, and leafed through it. Even though I wasn’t a doctor, I had studied medicine and business in college. "How is it possible for my levels to be so low?" I inquired.

He shook his head. "It’s beyond me, but I will give you some multivitamins, and we will keep an eye on you."

"Many thanks, Smith. May I ask you a strange question? Does an unborn child suffer from rejection?" I asked silently.

He gave me a sardonic glance, and I raised my chin, hoping he wouldn’t see right through me.

He pondered for a moment while sitting back, then stared me in the eye with a calculating expression. I could tell how he felt based on his facial expressions, and

 I could also see how confused he was by my statement. "No, Elara, this will not harm the baby, but it is certain to harm the mother, and if the mother is already fragile, like yourself, she might never be able to bear a baby again."

The corners of my lips twitched up at that comment. I smiled to hide my fear. "What if my condition improves?" My voice sounded slightly desperate.

He shook his head again. A shiver ran down my spine. I hadn’t noticed it earlier, but it must have been cold outside. I should have left sooner. "That will depend on the situation, and you know that. We need to know exactly what your current situation is. For the most part, you should feel better, but there will still be problems," he explained.

I sighed and shook my head in understanding. "Thank you for telling me, Smith."

After bidding Smith farewell, I didn’t go home. I was too bothered and restless to think clearly. After what he had said, I wasn’t sure what to do. I had been pondering what to do for the past hour. I excused Daniel and decided to walk home, regardless of the weather. My mind was still in chaos, and a memory from long ago made my heart ache. I was walking through the park. The breeze caressed my face as I let the fresh air fill my lungs, but the pain inside my heart kept growing.