Chapter 52

Caturix found himself observing Shemika from a distance. She had been lying there for days, still as beautiful as ever. The other female wolves had been taking care of her, keeping her clean and presentable. They visited frequently, too frequently for his liking.

They were there now, tending to her. Sasha was brushing Shemika’s golden curls while chatting with Oksana. They were always so noisy, so talkative. It was hard for him to think, but he guessed they were trying to keep him company without actually saying so.

Shemika’s neck was healing well, thanks to her improved diet that had boosted her healing abilities. But until she woke up, no one could give her lycan blood to speed up the process. The head healer had little hope for a full recovery.

Somehow, the healer had managed to bring Shemika’s heartbeat back. She had fixed her neck and cleaned her up. Shemika was connected to numerous monitors and machines, but the healer warned that she might never wake up.

That didn’t matter to Caturix. He would wait for her forever. Shemika had irritated him for a long time before he finally gave in to her. He was just as stubborn as his Mika.

Every day, seeing the mark on her neck made his mood darker. Nikandr had failed to take her life, but he had left his mark on her skin. No one should have marked her. No one but him.

Sasha was pulling items out of a small green bag and placing them next to Mika on the bed.

“What are you doing?” Caturix asked.

“Her makeup,” Sasha replied calmly.

“She doesn’t need her makeup done,” he retorted.

Sasha didn’t flinch at his anger. They all knew that he only punished others when Lyosha ordered him to, and that he was only grumpy now because his woman was unwell. He was all talk and no action.

“Well, she’d love it,” Sasha countered, continuing to arrange the makeup items. Damn her. She knew how to manipulate him.

He signaled for her to continue. Shemika’s happiness, even the possibility of it in the future, was of utmost importance to Caturix.

When she was done, he asked them to leave. They were reluctant. No one had left Caturix alone since the incident. They were all afraid of the worst. Someone was always around, as if he would break. He didn’t want company. Not right now. He wanted to be alone with his woman.

“Are you sure, Alpha?” Sasha asked nervously, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Maybe someone had told her to stay with him.

“Yes,” he replied, moving his chair closer to Shemika’s bed. The chair legs scraped against the floor, but Caturix didn’t mind the noise. Secretly, he hoped it would wake Mika.

Sasha hesitated, but eventually left without much resistance.

He thought, randomly, that if it had been Mika instead of Sasha, his Mika wouldn’t have given up so easily. That thought brought a genuine smile to his face, unlike the fake smiles he’d been giving people since Shemika’s incident.

Finally, after nearly a week of constant company, they were alone.

He rested his elbows on the side of Mika’s bed, holding his face in his hands.

He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t sure how to handle this. He had lost his family when he was a young boy, but he had never really bonded with them. Shemika was different. She was everything to him, and Caturix would have given up anything just to see her amber eyes open again.

“Mother Luna,” Caturix whispered quietly, hoping she could hear him, if she existed. “I will do anything you ask of me, for her. I will die so she can live. I would give anything for her. I would give up my wolf and never shift again,” he promised.

He waited, as he had been taught to do since he could remember. But he felt no warmth, no presence, and heard no response. It was quiet. Well, not exactly quiet. There were several sounds in Shemika’s recovery room.

The machines connected to her beeped, the air conditioner hummed, her heart beat steadily. But there was another sound. A much quieter, faster sound.

Caturix sat up suddenly, his ears straining to hear the beat. He stood over Shemika’s unconscious body, following the sound down to her abdomen.

A tiny heart was beating rapidly. Like a tiny…person.

Caturix pressed his ear against her belly. There it was.

Shemika was pregnant. Or at least…something was growing inside her.

Caturix stood up from the bed, deciding not to panic, and called for the healer. He opened the door to Shemika’s room and poked his head out.

Two men were standing on either side of the door, pretending to be just hanging around, but Caturix knew better. Ever since he had taken over the Rurik pack, he had been heavily guarded.

“You,” he said, pointing to one of the men.

The man straightened up, pleased to be chosen without knowing why. “Yes, my alpha?” he asked eagerly.

“Send for the healer,” Caturix ordered.

“Is your mate well?” the man asked, concern in his voice.

“Don’t question him,” the other man snapped, annoyed that he hadn’t been chosen for Caturix’s task.

The man nodded and quickly left his post.

Caturix gave the remaining man a grumpy look and went back into Mika’s room to wait for the healer.

She arrived quickly, carrying a large bag. She looked surprised when she saw that Mika was fine and Caturix was pacing.

“Alpha?” she asked.

Caturix stopped when he heard her voice. “She needs an ultrasound,” he ordered, gesturing toward Mika but not daring to look at her. “On her…abdomen,” he added, gesturing vaguely.

“Do you have reason to believe something is wrong besides the neck injury?” she asked, putting on a pair of medical gloves from a box on the wall.

Caturix couldn’t say it. He couldn’t say anything else. He just glared at the healer. Fine, he was the alpha. “Just do it,” he ordered.

She nodded happily, as if thrilled to do anything for him, and moved the necessary equipment next to Mika’s bed.

Caturix sat back down in his chair to watch the screen as the healer moved the wand over Mika’s belly.

She was as professional as ever, checking everything she could with the ultrasound. After a moment, her eyes widened. She cleared her throat and gave Caturix a panicked look that was supposed to reassure him.

“What is it?” Caturix demanded, even though he already knew.

She turned the monitor toward him and pointed to a small, bean-shaped figure on the screen.

“We have another passenger on board, sir,” she said nervously.

“What is that?”

“A…a baby?” she said, confused.

His baby? How? Conception took decades, if it happened at all. It wasn’t possible.

“Congratulations, sir,” she said, turning the screen back to continue her examination. “We’re looking at about seven weeks gestation,” she informed him.

Seven weeks…it was definitely his. Not that he thought she had cheated, but seven weeks ago was when Mika went into heat. He was the only one with her. He was…going to be a father. Mika was carrying his child. He…

He suddenly felt like he was going to throw up. Which he did, leaning over the side of his chair to vomit on the tiled floor.

“I’ll get someone to clean that up, sir,” the healer said, going to give orders to one of the men outside the door.

She came back to pat Caturix’s shoulder sympathetically.

“This is wonderful news, Caturix,” she said. “You will have an heir.”

An heir? For the alpha position? That was the least of his worries. He had a child growing inside his woman, a tiny, vulnerable creature. He couldn’t trust anyone now.

Caturix moved between the healer and Mika, giving her a stern look. Mika had to be protected.

The healer nodded, as if understanding that all lycan men acted the same way when they found out they were going to be fathers.

Once the healer left, Caturix went back to Mika. He couldn’t help himself and found his hand gently resting just below her belly button. Under his hand, his child was growing.

Caturix was amazed at the thought.