Chapter 175

Fiona

Sinking back into the couch, I curl into Isla’s side and take a deep breath. A baby. I’m having a baby, a little version of me, or a little version of Ethan.

My heart constricts painfully in my chest, and I sigh.

“Should I tell him?” I murmur, laying a hand on my belly. It’s still flat, which isn’t a surprise since I’m not very far along. I tried to do the math and look back, since Doctor Wilson said I was four weeks along. Almost a month and I didn’t even know it.

Though, she said the pregnancy must have happened after my last period, which makes even more sense because I never missed a period. I guess I would have if I’d gone a little while longer without going to the doctor.

“Tell who? Ethan?”

“Yeah. He is the father, so—”

“Hon, I think you need to give it some time before you contact him. There’s a lot that comes with a baby, and neither of you is in a good place with your relationship, you know, since it’s over,” she says softly. Her hand gently brushes over my hair before tucking it behind my ear.

The gesture is soothing, like something a mother would do to calm her child down, and I appreciate it more than she knows. I find myself leaning more and more into her while thinking about how or when to tell Ethan, because this isn’t something I can keep to myself.

No matter what happened between us, he deserves to know about the baby. This baby is just as much Ethan’s as it is mine.

“I guess I’ll have to talk to him at s—”

Someone bangs on the door frantically and loudly. Isla glances at me and motions for me to stay where I am as she walks over to the door. Rolling my eyes, I pull my knees up under me and hug the pillow to my chest. I’ve known Isla for a long time, and she’s always been protective of the people around her, but I think that’s going to get so much worse now.

Not that it’s a bad thing. I’d rather have a friend who is protective of me than one who betrays or hurts me.

“What are you doing here? Hey! You can’t just come in here without permission!” Isla shouts. I turn just in time for Ryan to push past my friend. His face is pinched in worry and anger as he stalks toward me. Before he can get too far, Isla grabs him by the arm, but instead of her yanking him back, he yanks her forward.

Then she’s over his shoulder, and he’s depositing her beside me on the couch.

“How dare you?!” She screeches. I sit up, throwing an arm across her chest because believe it or not, I’d rather not watch my friend become Lycan food.

“I came as soon as I got the message, Fiona,” Ryan says. I freeze. Isla freezes.

“Message?”

“I… Today was the fourth and last day of the Challenges,” he wheezes, sounding out of breath. I motion for him to sit down, but he doesn’t and begins pacing in front of the couch. He scrubs a hand over his short hair and growls lowly. “Ethan was in the middle of his last fight for the Challenges when his opponent slashed his claws down Ethan’s side—”

My heart leaps into my throat as I sit forward and ask, “Is he okay?”

Ryan growls lowly again and shakes his head. “No. Somehow, someone found a way to poison him with a rare toxin. Our doctors are looking at him to see what they can do, but Sophie messaged me and told me you have her grandmother’s healer’s journal. There might be some kind of remedy in there that could help, even if it’s just something to slow down the spread of the toxin.”

The relief that rushes me also drags a weight of guilt with it. I shouldn’t be feeling any kind of relief right now, but the fact that he doesn’t know about the baby does give me some comfort. However, that comfort is quickly overwhelmed by a heavy, crushing weight of heartbreak.

“Is-is he dying?” I can barely choke the words out, not wanting to believe what Ryan is saying.

When he doesn’t answer and just clenches his jaw, I curl my hand into a fist and bite down. It’s the only thing I can do to stop the oncoming scream as my chest tightens and that growing ache that’s been there for several days becomes more painful.

“What can I do?” I jump up from the couch, teetering on unsteady legs, but Ryan reaches forward and makes sure I don’t fall by grabbing onto my arms. “I have the book, and you can take it with you, but… but I want to go with you. You have to take me with you.”

Ryan’s eyes widen, ready to pop out of his head, but before he can say anything, another knock sounds at the front door.

“Who else could be here?” Isla asks, throwing her arms in the air. Though, this person doesn’t wait for her to reach the door. Sophie pushes the door open and rushes in, her hair frazzled and her jacket crooked.

“Did you tell her? What are we going to do?”

I grab the book off the kitchen counter where I’d laid it to work on the Moon Moss body scrub. Ryan turns to me as I pass the book to him.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea to take you to the West. There are a lot of people who don’t want you and Ethan together, and if you show up—”

“I don’t care, Ryan,” I snap, tightening my grip on the book. He looks down then back up at me, narrowing his eyes in warning. There’s no real threat there; in fact, I find more fear and concern than true threat.

“You could be in danger going to the West. It’s not the same as being here.”

I grit my teeth and glare up at Ryan. Does he think I don’t know that?

“I know, but he needs help. I may not be on good terms with Ethan right now, but… but it doesn’t mean I don’t care, okay?” I choke, blinking back the burning in my eyes.

“Fiona,” Isla whispers, nudging me softly in the side. When I look at her, she jerks her chin downward, and I know exactly what she’s thinking about.

“I won’t just sit around and let him die if there’s something I can do to help,” I say to her then turn to Ryan. “He’s my… Please, Ryan. Take me to him.”

Ryan’s brown eyes soften at my pleas, and he finally nods, “Okay, but you do everything I say, and you stick to my side like you’re glued there. Got it?”

“Of course. I will.”