Chapter 162

Maeve’s POV

I wasn’t sure how long I had been here for. There was no sense of time where I was. But it felt as if days had passed. Occasionally, a guard would come and give me a tray of food and some water. I refused to eat anything they had given me though; I wasn’t sure what they would put inside of the food, and I didn’t want to take that chance.

I felt disgusting, tired, hungry, and parched, and I was starting to worry that Xaden would never find me. Occasionally Isabelle would come and taunt me; she heard about the search party and how Victoria was driving them further away. She’s been assisting Victoria in throwing off my scent. Earlier, Isabelle arrived with a pair of scissors and cut off a piece of my hair to throw them off even further. I tried to fight her away from me, but I was too weak from not eating for what felt like days.

“You’re finally getting what you deserve,” Isabelle growled at me just before she took my chunk of hair and left the underground dungeon.

Tears stung my eyes as I was once again alone. I sat up and pressed my back into the cold concrete walls, wrapped my arms around my body, and pressed my knees to my chest, desperate to keep myself together despite the fact that all I wanted to do was fall apart.

I hadn’t seen Kenneth in days, but I knew he was getting reports on me. The guards were always watching me like they were waiting for me to pop at any second. Soon, Kenneth finally blessed me with his presence, but he wasn’t alone.

Not only was Isabelle there by his side, but another woman as well. Someone I didn’t recognize.

“This is Doctor Lucy Adam’s,” Kenneth introduced. “She’s going to check and make sure the baby is okay.”

I didn’t want this woman to touch me, but I also was desperate to know if my baby was truly okay. He had been quiet these last few days; barely moving and when he did, he felt weak. I had been scared that not eating was harming him, but I feared even more that eating this prison food would harm him even more.

Kenneth unlocked the cell door and stepped into the small space with a couple of guards in tow as if they feared I would do something to escape, despite the fact that I could barely even sit up.

“Ew, she smells,” Isabelle says, crinkling her nose as she glared down at me.

“What do you expect? She hadn’t showered in days,” Kenneth muttered to his daughter.

Doctor Adams stepped towards me with her doctor’s bag, and she knelt on the ground beside me. I could see the hint of worry in her eyes, but she kept a stoic expression. She worked for Kenneth, so I knew I couldn’t trust her. I couldn’t trust anyone in this pack.

“I’m just going to check your heartbeat,” she told me as she pulled out a stethoscope. “Take a deep breath,” she said, putting the cold metal against my chest.

I did as she said, knowing there was no use arguing with her. After a few minutes of placing the stethoscope on different parts of my chest, she grabbed a notebook and took some notes. Then she pulled out a small machine and started to set it up beside me.

“What is that?” I asked, my voice coming out hoarse and unfamiliar.

“It’s a portable ultrasound machine,” she explained. “I’m just going to check on your baby.”

I didn’t say anything as she lifted up my shirt, which was now filthy and ripped, over my plump belly. She placed her fingers on different portions of my stomach, feeling around. I winced in pain as her fingers dug into me. I let out a whimper of distress when she shifted the baby inside of me. It took everything I had not to push her away. After another moment, she started to rub this cold jelly on my stomach, and I winced again from the feeling.

Then, she grabbed the machine, and it buzzed to life as she pressed the “on” button. She put the wand part of the machine against my stomach and rubbed it around. She was quiet, as was everyone else, as she searched for the heartbeat. My own heartbeat was nearly thumping out of my chest as I waited with bated breath.

I prayed that my baby was okay.

I heard the whooshing sound of a heartbeat, but it didn’t sound normal. It was kind of all over the place and it was sort of weak. Not as strong as I would have liked it; but it was there. My baby was alive and that was all that mattered to me.

“He’s weak,” she said, staring up at Kenneth with a frown. I hated that she was telling him about my baby and not me directly, but I bit my tongue. The quicker I got this over with, the better. I just wanted them to leave. I didn’t feel safe with any of them in my space; now that I knew my baby was alive, I didn’t need them anymore. “I’m going to give him some antibiotics and strengthen him a bit.”

Kenneth nodded.

“Do what you must,” he murmured.

“How is her nutrition? Has she been eating?” The doctor asked, still looking up at Kenneth.

“No, she hasn’t,” he muttered. “Or drinking.”

“It’s going to kill the baby if she doesn’t eat and drink something,” she explained, making my heart squeeze painfully in my chest.

Kenneth narrowed his eyes.

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

She nodded and then turned back to me. She put the ultrasound machine away and wiped the jelly off my belly. Then, she started to get the syringe ready. I didn’t want her to stick me with anything, I feared what it might do, but she was adamant that it was to keep my baby alive. It was the best she could do for right now; the rest was up to me.

I winced as the needle was stuck deep into my belly and into my baby. I wondered if it hurt him as much as it hurt me. The thought of my baby feeling any type of pain made me want to vomit.

The doctor soon stood and turned to Kenneth.

“Can we speak privately?” She asked.

He nodded and motioned for everyone to leave the cell. Once they were all gone, the doctor and Kenneth gave me one last look before they too left the cell, shutting and locking the door behind them.

I let out a small cry as I buried my face in my hands.

I’m so sorry, baby, I thought to myself, hoping my silent prayers would somehow reach my unborn child.

I waited in the cell for so long after the doctor’s visit, that I eventually cried myself to sleep. I slumped against the wall and rested my head off to the side as I slowly drifted off to sleep, my body unable to keep up with the rest of me. My hands were protectively covering my belly, hoping to shield my baby from harm’s way.

I was awoken by the sounds of the cell doors unlatching and opening. I wasn’t prepared to see some of the guards walking towards me with Isabelle in tow. She was grinning as she held up her phone, pointing the camera at me. One of the guards had some sort of machine with a long tube and my blood started to go cold as he approached me.

Isabelle grinned as she said, “This is what happens when you refuse to eat!”

Two of the guards grabbed me, shoving me to the ground so I was facing upward and unable to move with their hands pinning me. I struggled against them, kicking and screaming but they were too strong, and due to not eating, I was too weak. However, I still felt something boiling inside of me, an anger I had never felt before surging through my veins, but it barely reached the surface.

I was too weak and there was no use in fighting these strong gamma warriors.

The Gamma with the machine appeared in front of my head and before I knew what was happening, he was shoving the tube into my throat. I choked and gagged at the feeling of it sliding down my throat and into my stomach. Tears spilled out of my eyes and vomit rose in my throat, making it impossible for me to breathe. Spots of darkness clouded my vision, but I refused to pass out.

I heard the humming sound of the machine being turned on and soon, a mush was leaving the tube and entering my stomach.

The second the tube was in my mouth; I knew the plan. They were force-feeding me because I refused to eat on my own. They were desperate to keep this baby alive so they could use him for their sick games. Now I was facing the consequences of going against them. They were no longer giving me a choice of eating; they were forcing food into my stomach. I cried out… or at least I tried to cry out… fearing that the tube was going to hurt my baby.

I heard Isabelle cackling as she held the camera up and pointed it at me. I wasn’t sure what she was planning on doing with that footage, but the evil glimmer in her eyes told me that she was enjoying the sight.

The tube was making it impossible to breathe and the guards holding me down made it impossible to move. More specks of darkness clouded my vision; I feared what would happen if I passed out. What other sick games would they play with me if I couldn’t defend myself? What would Isabelle do to me?

The Gamma in control of the machine shut off the food portion and then switched on another button.

It felt like I was drowning as water left the tube and entered my stomach. This time, I couldn’t prevent it… I couldn’t fight it… I was a goner.

I let the darkness take me as I passed out.