RYAN’S POV
The moment I ripped that shawl away from her neck, my world stopped. The mark I had given Anna weeks ago wasn’t just there, it was glowing, a fiery red, pulsing like it had a heartbeat of its own. Smoke curled faintly off her skin, and for one terrifying second, I thought she was going to burst into flames right there in my arms.
“Anna! Baby, stay with me!” I shouted, clutching her as her head fell limp against my chest, her eyes barely open. Her skin was scorching, hotter than anything I’d ever felt, and my heart was pounding so fast I could hardly breathe.
Panic clawed at me, but I forced myself to move. I scooped her up and bolted out of the restaurant, rushing straight to the valet. My hands shook as I snatched the keys, sliding behind the wheel and speeding off, every second making it feel as if forever until I reached Johnson’s Hospital, the only place I trusted, because Dr. Kellan had been our family doctor for years, and more than that, he was the pack’s doctor.
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The nurses took one look at Anna and hurried her onto a bed, while I barked out orders, my voice shaking, my legs refusing to let me stand still.
Kellan rushed in almost immediately, his coat half–buttoned, his face calm but sharp as always. He checked her pulse, her temperature, her breathing, before calling for an IV and injections. For a few endless minutes, I paced the floor, my fists clenched so tight they hurt, making me feel as if I’d break bones, watching them work on her.
Finally, after medication was administered and her breathing steadied a little, Kellan turned to me, his eyes narrowing.
“You say she’s human?” he asked, his voice low, almost skeptical.
I nodded quickly, my throat dry. “Yeah… she is.”
Kellan frowned, his eyes going back to Anna as she slept soundly on the bed, her face pale, sweat still glistening on her forehead. He lifted the edge of her gown slightly, checked her skin, then pulled the blanket back over her before looking me dead in the eye.
“Her vitals don’t match a human’s. Some of the readings I’m seeing… they’re showing werewolf traits.”
I froze. “What? That’s impossible. She’s… she’s-”
“I know who she is,” Kellan cut in, his tone firm but not unkind. “She’s the adopted daughter of your family. I know the story. I know how she came about. That’s why I’m just as surprised as you are. But Ryan…” He gestured at the monitors, then back at her mark. “This isn’t normal
My stomach twisted, my mind racing, “Do you think… do you think it’s because of the mark I gave her? Is this my fault?” My voice cracked on the last word.
Kellan shook his head slowly. “No. At least, not directly. She’s your mate, I can sense it… but the way I see it… this looks like something she was born with, buried so deep it ever showed. Your mark didn’t create it, Ryan. But it might have sharpened it, triggered something that was always there.”
I gripped the edge of the bed, staring at Anna’s sleeping face. “But she’s human… she’s always been human. How
can she have… how can she have werewolf traits?”
Kellan let out a long breath. “Sometimes things weren’t as simple as they looked. Bloodlines can be complicated. There are cases, rare ones, where children born of human and wolf bloodlines don’t show any traits, and are believed to be fully human. Until something happens. Until the right trigger. It could be trauma. It could be a bond.
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In Anna’s case…” He paused, then looked me straight in the eyes. “…it was your mark. and now… her pregnancy.” The words hit me like a knife. I blinked at him, my chest tightening so fast I could barely breathe. “What?” My voice cracked. “No… no, you’re wrong. She can’t… she’s no-” My words choked out of me, my whole body shaking. “Pregnant? Anna?”
Kellan’s tone stayed steady, but there was weight in every word. “Yes. She’s pregnant. I’ve run enough checks to know. The symptoms aren’t just from your bond. It’s the child she’s carrying. The combination of your mark and the pregnancy is forcing her body to awaken the wolf blood she carries. That’s why her vitals are caught between human and wolf.”
My legs almost gave out. I staggered back, one hand dragging through my hair, the other clutching the edge of the bed like I needed it to stay upright. “No… no, this can’t–fuck–this can’t be happening. I was careful, Kellan, I swear to God, I was careful! I never-” My voice broke again, the words tangling in my throat.
Kellan’s gaze softened, though his voice stayed firm. “Ryan… you marked her. She’s your mate. Fate doesn’t care how careful you thought you were.”
I turned my eyes to Anna, sleeping so soundly, her lips parted, her chest rising and falling too faintly under the hospital blanket. My throat burned, my chest twisted until thought I’d shatter from the inside out. Pregnant. She was pregnant. My Anna. My mate. Carrying my child.
My pulse thundered in my ears as the words replayed over and over, but then Kellan spoke again, “Ryan… do you know anything about Anna’s biological parents before they died?”
I blinked, my head snapping toward him. “What are you talking about?”
He folded his arms, studying me with that steady look of his. “If one of them carried wolf blood, even a little, that could explain everything. The dormant traits. The way your mark lit up something buried. The pregnancy making it worse. Maybe… maybe she was never fully human to begin with. You need to ask your parents, Ryan. They should know something.”
