CHAPTER 55
ANNA’S POV
I stirred slowly in my sleep, though it wasn’t really sleep anymore, because voices were already tugging at me, pulling me awake. At first, I thought maybe it was a dream, but then I recognized them. Ryan’s voice, broken and shaky, and Dr. Kellan’s, steady but serious. My lashes fluttered, but I didn’t open my eyes fully, I just stayed still, pretending to be in a deep sleep while my ears stayed sharp
Then I heard Ryan, his voice choking on the words, as if saying them hurt him more than anything ever had. ” Pregnant? Anna?”
My heart stopped. My stomach twisted so violently I thought I’d throw up. Pregnant? Pregnant? That couldn’t be me. No. I told myself I must have misheard. I must be dreaming. But then Dr. Kellan’s voice came in, calm, matter of fact, cruel in how certain it sounded.
“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 was forcing her body to awaken the wolf blood she carries. That’s why her vitals are caught between human and wolf.”
I froze. The words spun inside my head, over and over, repeating until my chest hurt. Pregnant? Wolf blood? Human and wolf? None of it made sense. It wasn’t me. I didn’t understand. My throat tightened, my body trembled under the blanket, but I kept still, pretending to sleep while my ears refused to let me miss a single word. Confusion mixed with fear, my heart hammering as my world started to feel like it wasn’t mine anymore.
I stayed like that until Dr. Kellan left, the door closed behind him and the silence that followed was deafening. I couldn’t hold it anymore. My eyes opened, and I pushed myself up slowly, every muscle trembling, not from fever anymore but from dread.
Ryan turned at once, his frown deep, but when his eyes met mine, worry took over his face. He rushed to me immediately, his voice soft.
“Anna, baby, when did you wake up?” He brushed his hand against my forehead, slid his fingers down to my neck , his thumb gently pressing to check my pulse. His brows pinched together as he studied me. “Do you feel okay? You scared me half to death. You were burning up. Are you better now?”
But I didn’t answer his questions. I couldn’t. My lips trembled and the only words that made it out were a whisper. “Am I truly pregnant?”
His hand stilled. His entire body froze. He looked at me, his mouth opening slightly, but no words came out. Finally, he sighed, his eyes closing briefly before he took my hand in his, holding it tightly,
My voice cracked as I added, “And I’m not fully human?”
Ryan’s eyes lowered, and his silence told me everything I needed to know. My stomach dropped, my chest twisted and my body began shaking harder. But it wasn’t sickness anymore. I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t burning. I was fine now, fine in my body, but broken in my heart. Shaking because the truth was too heavy.
“I’m pregnant…” I whispered again, repeating it as if I was trying to make sense of it, but each time I said it, it hurt more. Tears filled my eyes until they blurred my vision I looked at Ryan helplessly, my grip tightening around his hand. “How? We were careful. We were always careful. It was only once, only once you released inside me, how could that one time…?” My voice cracked, my tears fell. “What is Mom going to say? She’s going to hate me, Ryan. She’s going to hate me forever.”
Ryan cupped my face, his thumbs brushing my cheeks, his voice desperate. “Anna, please, baby, calm down.
We’ll figure this out together, you’re not alone in this-”
“No!” I shook my head violently, the tears falling harder. “Don’t tell me to calm down! I can’t be pregnant, Ryan, I can’t! I’m just nineteen! I’m still a fresher in the university, my life was only starting. How am I supposed to raise a baby? How am I supposed to even face Mom? She already said we were wrong, she already said we were supposed to be siblings, she already hated that we were together… and now… now I’m pregnant with your child?” My voice cracked and broke into sobs, my chest heaving as buried my face in my hands. “She’s going to be so, disappointed in me, Ryan.”
SO
He wrapped his arms around me tightly, pulling me into his chest, rocking me slightly as if that was making me calm. “Anna, listen to me, I’m here. You’re mine. You’re my mate. This is our baby, and I’ll protect you both with everything I am. Please don’t cry like this. Please, baby.”
But I kept shaking my head, sobbing against him. “No, Ryan, I can’t be pregnant. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to breathe right now. I’m scared. I’m so scared.”
The door opened.
Everything inside me froze. Ryan’s arms stiffened, his body turned, and I lifted my tear–soaked face slowly, dread crawling through me.
Mom stood in the doorway.
Her face was carved with everything I had feared most. Shock. Disappointment. Anger. Betrayal. Her eyes flicked between me and Ryan, her lips trembling, her breaths uneven. Then her voice came, making my chest cave in completely.
“What did I just hear…? Pregnant? You? Anna?”
