Chapter 4 She's Awake

Chapter 4 WENDY’S POV “No...” I whispered, my throat tight, my voice shaking. “No... this can’t be happening,” I shook my head. “This can't be happening. You can't say that,” I said, my voice a calm desperation. “You need to give me my baby. Now!” The nurse shook her head still. “I'm sorry, ma'am.” No. She was lying. I had felt the kicks, the life inside me. How could it just be gone? “No! I don't believe you! Give me my baby!” I tried to sit up, but something pulled me back— the IV drip. I grab at it, yanking, trying to free myself. “Let me go! I need to see my baby!” The words come out in a scream, my hands fumbling desperately. I have to get out of here. I have to hold my baby. They’re wrong. They’re all wrong. “Please calm down,” the nurse rushes towards me, pressing an unseen button that sends other nurses rushing in. Together, they held me down. “Look at me! Look at me! You need to calm down!” “I can’t calm down! I need my baby!” I dissolved into a puddle of tears. “I just want my baby.” One of them began stroking my limp, disheveled hair softly. “I'm so sorry, but your baby is gone. We did all we could.” I curled up on the bed, my arms wrapping around my stomach, stroking gently but there was nothing. I couldn't feel anything. Only emptiness. “Why?” I choke out, my tears mixing with the dripping from my nose. “Why did this happen?” I asked, my chest tightening with denial and panic. I reached for my stomach again, as if by some miracle I would feel the baby kick, feel that life was still there. But there was nothing. My fingers pressed harder, desperate, hoping for anything — even a flicker I looked at the nurse's face again, trying to make sure it was not some cruel joke they had decided to play on me. But their faces held sincerity, sadness, even. As if they felt my pain and mourned for me. I shook my head, trying to shake their faces — images of pity — away. Perhaps it was a dream. A horrible, terrible nightmare that I would wake up at any time. “What's she doing?” I heard one of the nurses whisper to the other. I ignored them and shut my eyes, taking deep breaths. Then I opened them back up again. I was still here — on the hospital bed, in hospital clothing— hooked to an IV. I was right. It was a nightmare — a real-life nightmare. My baby was gone. “Is there anyone we can call for you, Luna? The Alpha?” a nurse asked, concern in her voice. “Yes. Call me my husband,” I replied, rocking myself. I didn't care that our marriage was on the verge of ruins right now. I needed him, needed to tell him that we had lost our child. “Call my husband.” ***** The hospital room was cold and sterile, a contrast to the storm raging inside me. I lay there, clutching my phone tightly, waiting for George to respond. They had sent someone to the packhouse to call for him, but he hadn't come. I knew he was busy, but surely he would make time for me, especially after hearing I was in pain. I texted him again on my phone: “I’m at the hospital. I need you. Please.” The little “read” notification popped up almost immediately. He saw it, but still… no reply. Minutes passed, and I felt every second dragging on, weighing heavier on my chest. My phone vibrated suddenly, and I glanced down, heart racing, expecting it to be George. It wasn’t. It was from Queen Rosina. The text was short and sharp, cutting through me like a blade. “Did you like my present, little whore? I warned you to stay clear of my stepson, but you refused. Next time, make sure to cut your cloth according to your size.” My hands trembled as I read her words. I had been right all along. This was her doing. She was why I'm here — without my baby. What did I do to deserve this? My only crime was being in love. I didn't know there were repercussions for love. If I had known, I would have stayed far away but now it was too late. I gritted my teeth, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill over as I stared at the message. I didn’t have the strength to reply. All I wanted was my husband. He would come, I was sure of it. He had to. A nurse walked in then, her face pitying as she approached my bed. I sat up, hopeful. “Has George come for me?” I asked, my voice a shaky whisper. “There's someone here to see you.” Relief washed over me. Finally, George was reaching out, showing that he cared, even if he hadn’t replied to my messages. Maybe he was too overwhelmed, or maybe Rosina’s influence had been too strong. But now, he was making an effort. That had to mean something. The door opened, and I turned expectantly. But instead of George, in walked a man I barely recognized—George’s lawyer. My heart sank. “Hello, Luna Wendy,” he said in a formal tone, holding out an envelope. “The Alpha has instructed me to deliver these.” I blinked, not understanding at first. I opened the envelope slowly, dread settling in as I read the top of the document. Divorce papers. “He requests that you sign these immediately,” the lawyer continued, “If you refuse, he will be forced to sue for damages.” “Damages?” I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper. My head was spinning, my heart racing. The man I loved, the man I thought would be here to support me, had sent a lawyer instead. And he was threatening to sue me? My mind couldn’t process it. I felt the tears start to blur my vision, but I wasn’t about to cry in front of this man. I blinked them back, staring down at the papers. Before I could even react, my phone buzzed again. My heart lurched—maybe it was George this time, reaching out to explain, to apologize. I grabbed the phone, hands shaking as I opened the message. But it wasn’t a text. It was a voice recording. From an unknown number. I hesitated, but then, with a deep breath, I pressed play and George's voice filled the room, casual and cruel. “I never loved Wendy,” he was saying, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “I only took pity on her. She wasn’t... enough for me, never was. And never will be.” The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Every ounce of hope I had left drained out of me, leaving me hollow. Empty. I stared at the phone in disbelief, my whole body trembling. He never loved me? Did he pity me? I had enough. This was it. The lies, the manipulation, the pain—I was done. I wiped away the tears that I had been holding back and stared at the divorce papers. Fine. Did he want a divorce? He could have it. I grabbed the pen, my fingers tightening around it as I prepared to sign my name. But just as I pressed the tip to the paper, a loud voice echoed in my mind, making me freeze. “Do not sign, Wendy. This isn't the way of the Uktenas. Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!” I gasped, my head whipping around, looking for the source of the voice. Who said that? The room was empty except for the lawyer, who seemed oblivious to what I had just heard. My heart raced, pounding in my chest. It couldn’t be real. Could it? I turned towards the mirror across the room, and that’s when I saw it. There, reflected on me, was something I had never seen before. My wolf. It stood tall, its fur glowing under the fluorescent lights, its eyes—burning red. It was magnificent and powerful, and it was me. For the first time, I saw it. It wasn’t just some part of me I kept hidden. My wolf was real. Its presence filled the room, and its wild, earthy smell enveloped me. I stared at it, feeling its power surge through me, grounding me in a way I had never felt before. My breath steadied, and the tears that had been falling stopped. My wolf’s eyes met mine through the mirror, and I knew, deep in my soul, that I couldn’t give in. Not like this. George had hurt me, Rosina had humiliated me and made me lose my child, but I wouldn’t let them break me. I turned back to the lawyer, still holding the pen in my hand but no longer willing to sign. “I’m not signing these,” I said, my voice firm, stronger than it had been in a long time. The lawyer looked at me, surprised, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t the same woman I had been before. My wolf had awakened, and with it, so had I.