Mating the Female Alpha
Chapter 81 – A decision needs to be made.

Bernice's POV

"Bernice?" Landry said in a softened and compassionate tone.

I was staring at the wall in front of me for a long while.

Unable to move.

"Bernice, talk to me," Landry spoke again; I could hear the worry in his voice. "I know this is a lot to take in," he whispered. "But we can do this. We can figure this out..." How could we figure this out?

I'm pregnant.

I couldn't bring a pup into this world; not like this.

I was going to die before it was born.

I was suddenly kicking myself for being so careful and mindless all those times I'd had sex with Landry.

Realization dawned on me slowly as I processed the news.

"He let me go..." I whispered, finally finding my voice.

"What?" Landry asked, eyeing me carefully.

I pulled my gaze away from the wall to peer up at him, tears welling in my eyes.

"Alaric..." I whispered. "He let me go. When he found out that...." My voice trailed off; I couldn't finish that sentence.

"When he found out you're pregnant," Landry finished for me.

I managed a nod, allowing some tears to escape my eyes and wash over my features.

"Why would he let me go?" I asked. "Why wouldn't he just kill me..."

I asked the question, though, I feared I already knew the answer. Landry knew too because he gazed down at my stomach, which was still flat, with a grim look. "He wants the baby."

"For what reason?" I asked, my voice becoming louder.

"To get to me," he said, meeting my eyes. "Holding you captive wasn't good enough. Now he wants to hold our pup captive. He knows if he has our pup, we will give him whatever he wants."

I placed my hands on my stomach instinctively, feeling the color draining from my face. Before I could say anything more, the doctor came into the room.

"How are we feeling?" He asked with a fond smile, walking toward my bed.

That was a loaded question; I wasn't even sure what to think at that point. As soon as he took in my face, he frowned.

"Usually expected parents are a bit happier by the news," he pointed out.

He adjusted my IV bag, keeping that frown on his face.

"It's just a lot," I told him. "It was unexpected."

"I see," he said, looking between Landry and me. "It wasn't planned?"

"No," both Landry and I said at the same time.

I met Landry's eyes and his worry reflected on me.

"I get it," the doctor said, folding his arms across his chest as he took us in. "I'll get the OBGYN in to see you as soon as I can. She's going to want to do a thorough examination for herself. I'm guessing you two have some decisions to make." I swallowed the lump in my throat at the word "decisions."

He meant the decision of whether or not to keep this baby. That wasn't a decision I wanted to make, but I also had to think logically. I was only going to live for a couple more months. Once I turned 25, I was going to die. I wouldn't be able to carry this baby full-term.

Landry knew that too; this wasn't fair to him.

My heart squeezed painfully in my chest as more tears welled up in my eyes.

The doctor left without another word, and I rested my head against Landry's arm. What were we going to do?

It didn't take long for the OBGYN to make an appearance in my room. She was a petite woman with a kind face; she was probably old enough to be my mother and her aura was very comforting. "Hello,” she said kindly. "I'm the OBGYN Dr. Mulligan. You can call me Hannah if you'd like. I hear we are expecting a baby. That's exciting news!"

She was very eager, but her face fell once she saw the worried looks in our eyes.

"Oh dear," she breathed, staring between the two of us. "Well, let's see what we are dealing with first and then we can talk in more detail."

She set up an ultrasound machine beside my bed, preparing all her materials. Once she finished the setup, she lifted my hospital gown to reveal my stomach.

"This will be a little cold," she said, squirting some clear jelly on my stomach.

She pressed the ultrasound wand to my stomach, staring at the screen intently. I was too afraid to even look. Landry had his hands against mine; he watched me quietly instead of looking at the monitor. "Your pup is only a peanut, but you can see it clear as day," Hannah says, turning the monitor to face us.

I dared a look, and I gasped as I saw the small peanut-shaped pup on the screen. It broke my heart knowing I was going to die before this pup was born.

It had no future, nor did I.

When Hannah saw my sunken face, she frowned. She glanced at Landry questionably and he remained quiet.

"I know this must be a lot to take in; especially considering it wasn't planned. But a baby can be a beautiful thing. I can't decide for you, but you do have options. I wanted to make that clear."

She rummaged through her bag and uncovered a pamphlet.

"This brochure will explain some of the options you have. My number is also listed so once you know what you want to do, please give me a call and we can discuss it further..." she pauses for another moment. "Would you like to take home your ultrasound picture?"

"No," I said quickly. "I think it's better if we didn't."

She didn't look certain of my choice, but she nodded just the same.

"Take some time to discuss it and think it over," she said as she packed up her things. "As I said, I won't pressure you or make any decisions for you. This is completely up to you. But know, that having a baby isn't the end. It's the beginning." "Thank you, Dr. Mulligan," Landry said. "However, do you mind if we talk in the hallway for a moment?"

Landry and Hannah went into the hallway, sealing the door tightly behind them, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

...

Landry's POV

Landry returned home after a few hours of being at the hospital. Bernice was exhausted and was asleep before he left. Landry wanted to return to the palace and get some work done; maybe get his mind off the baby and their impossible decision to make.

As he returned to the palace, he held the ultrasound picture in his hands. He knew Bernice didn't want it, but he needed to have the memory of this little pup. He pulled Dr. Mulligan aside and requested the picture in private. She was pleased with his choice.

He went up the stairs, sleepily, and into his study. But when he opened the door, he paused when he saw there was a brown package on his desk.

There was no name or return label on the package, but Landry's name was printed on the front of it. He crinkled his nose at the smell of the box; before he even opened it, it smelled rancid.

What could this be? He asked himself before prying the tape off the box.

His wolf was getting a nasty feeling and was on guard.

Nothing could prepare him for what he was about to see.

He stumbled back in shock once he was finally able to get a glimpse of what it was.

Inside the box, was the severed head of Cora.