Mating the Female Alpha
Chapter 78 – Bernice is pregnant.

Landry's POV

"Are you sure what you saw?" Landry asked, storming out of the palace with Jessie behind him. Cora had already left the palace to get to cover while she recharged. But according to Jessie was a shapeshifter, taking on the form of Bernice. Shapeshifters are powered by the full moon. However, their powers are limited. If they use them too much at once, they won't be able to shift again until they recharge under the full moon. Which was exactly what Cora was going to need to do if she wanted to continue being Bernice.

"I still can't get it out of my head..." Jessie breathed, her tone growing shaky. "One minute she was Bernice... and the next...." She paused to gather her thoughts. "It wasn't Bernice. I knew something was weird about her..." "Yeah; I had a feeling too. She proposed marriage to me earlier... that definitely didn't sound like Bernice."

"What are you going to do?" Jessie asked, peering up at Landry.

"I'm going to find Cora," he told her. "She's going to lead me directly to Bernice. I have a feeling she's heading in that direction."

"Bernice has been captive for this long...what if..." she couldn't get the words out.

"She's not dead," Landry told her. He would be able to feel it if she were dead; his wolf has some kind of connection with her. That much was clear. "She might be hurt but she isn't dead."

He just needed to find her before she ends up dead.

Bernice's POV

My vision was foggy, but I could see Alaric pacing back and forth. I knew something was wrong from the look on his face. Or maybe something was right. Either way, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be good for me. "How did she not know this information?" Alaric growled to the woman who stood beside him.

It was someone I didn't recognize, but the woman looked nervous to be in his presence. Her body trembled and she kept glancing down at me periodically as she spoke.

"I don't know, sir... I'm thinking none of them knew...." She stammered.

"Cora should have known," Alaric hissed, fury rising through him. "She was supposed to be on top of it." He paused as he glared at the woman. "Are you sure those reports are factual?"

"Yes, sir. I ran them myself. There's no mistaking it..." she said, lowering her gaze.

"And it's still alive? Even after all her torture?"

"As of right now... it seems so, my Lord..." she said, keeping her head lowered.

He gazes over at the guards that stood nearby; I wished I knew what they were talking about. I could hardly comprehend the words being spoken. Everything was distorted and my vision was blurred. I just kept thinking how badly I wished Landry was there.

"Change of plans," Alaric growled to the guards. "We are giving her back."

"What?" The vampire guards said at the same time.

"After all we did to get her here? You want to give her back? Are you giving up, sir?"

"Does it look like I'm the type to give her up?" Alaric hissed. "No. I have a new plan. Maybe even a better plan." He paused as he walked closer to me. I could smell the vampire stench on him and I shivered. I didn't want him anywhere near me; not while I was so vulnerable like this. "I initially wanted to crush the Wolf King so deeply that he would be vulnerable and defeat able. But now... I think there's something more important he would want. I could use this to my advantage." "I'm not understanding..." the woman said, nervousness clear in her tone.

Their voices were becoming more distorted, and I was losing grip on reality. I was having trouble keeping myself awake. I was so weak... oh so weak.

Where was Julia?

"If there really is something growing inside of her... then that could be valuable to me."

What was he talking about?

"I'll connect with the Wolf King... we are going to give her back and lay low. When the timing arrives... I will take what is mine. And the Wolf King will be left with nothing."

Their voices faded away as I lost consciousness.

...

Landry's POV

"Good evening, Wolf King," a voice roamed through his head, causing his entire body to freeze. "We have what you want. We are done with her for now. I will leave her in a secluded place in the forest. Come get her if you want her to survive. She doesn't have much longer to live."

"Who is this?" Landry demanded to know; it didn't sound like a normal mindlink from a wolf. But whoever it was, he was no longer there. He ended the connection, leaving Landry furious.

Landry didn't wait around for the voice to return, he went directly into the forest to pick up Bernice's scent. He could smell the strawberry milk almost right away; it was painfully obvious and his wolf grew anxious to get to her. He could also smell the scent of fresh blood, which meant she was actively bleeding.

He ran fast, following the scent and allowing his wolf to guide him to her. His dark fur was nothing but a blur whooshing through the dark forest. The moonlight worked for him, lighting his pathway as he continued to run.

He paused when he saw a small figure lying in the depths of the forest.

Bernice.

The rays of the moon shined down on her fair skin, illuminating the bruises left on her flesh. She was completely naked with dirt smeared around her body. As he got closer, he noticed the welts from whips that had sliced through her skin. She was alive. But barely.

If he didn't rush her to the hospital, she was going to die.

...

The doctors were quick to rush into action. As soon as they saw Bernice and how damaged she was, they were getting a gurney and placed her on top.

Landry watched as they took her away.

"I'm going in there with her," Landry insisted.

"It's better if we take a look at her first, Alpha," one of the doctors said to him, trying to keep him from following Bernice.

"Let me in," he roared his demand, refusing to take no for an answer.

"Landry, let the doctors do their job," Jessie said, grabbing onto his arm. "They will keep us updated."

Landry pulled his arm away from his sister; he didn't even realize she was there. He mindlinked her when he found Bernice and told he to meet him at the hospital. She got there quickly.

Fury flashed through him, and he struggled to keep his wolf at bay. He was about to lose control entirely and shift into his wolf form to get to Bernice.

One of the doctors kept his stance, trying to keep the fear off his face, but failing miserably.

"Alpha King-"

"Let. Me. In," he seethed through his sharp fangs.

The doctor glanced at Jessie who also wouldn't dare go against Landry at this point. The doctor finally nodded and stepped aside. Without saying anything, Landry shoved through the doors and finally made his way into Bernice's room where a couple of doctors were standing over her, nursing her wounds and taking tests to find out how much damage there was inside of her.

"The poor girl," one of the nurses said as she assisted one of the doctors in scanning her body. "So much internal bleeding. She's going to need surgery at least."

"A couple of broken rips too," a doctor breathed, shaking his head.

Landry felt numb, standing at the door, staring down at Bernice.

He blamed himself for putting her in this much danger. He should have kept her safer.

"I'm amazed that her womb is still intact after all damage to her stomach," another doctor said, staring at the scan on the computer monitor. "Though there's some bleeding it looks like coming from the fetus."

Fetus?

"If we want the baby to survive, we'll need to do surgery now," the other doctor said. "I'll call the OR."

That was when the doctor noticed Landry standing at the door; he frowned, confused.

"Oh, Alpha King. We didn't see you there. We were just "

"Did you say, baby?" Landry asked, staring around at all their startled faces. "Bernice is pregnant?"