The Lycan Series
The Lycan King’s Breeder Chapter 52

Talon's

POV

"I'm sorry, Alpha." Lydia sighed, giving me a sympathetic look. "She lost the child."

Those were the most dreaded words to ever hear come out of Lydia's mouth. I felt devastated, angry, and lost. Most of all, I felt sad for Avalyn. I could tell this pregnancy meant a lot to her, it meant a lot to everyone, but her especially. I couldn't help the guilt that washed over me as I watched her seated form on the clinic bed, she looked lost.

I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault. It had to be something I had said to her. Maybe I had stressed her too much. Maybe Avalyn was right, I shouldn't have yelled at her, I should have just respected her choices and given her a little bit more freedom. Damn!

I wasn't even sure if she would have it in her to forgive me after our big fight. After what I did, because I was pretty sure I had stressed her to the point of losing the baby. I should have just listened to her when she protested against having too many guards, I should have been more careful.

I took in a deep breath and turned to Lydia.

"Do you know why?" I asked, oddly calm about the situation. I couldn't find it in me to be mad at anybody here. It wasn't their fault.

"Not exactly, but I guess that she must have consumed something she shouldn't have. There's a small amount of misoprostol in her system." Lydia replied, jerking her glasses off her face as she squinted at the notepad in her hands.

I stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell is that?" I asked, not even sure what the hell she was talking about.

"It's a human drug that forces a miscarriage to happen. It works by softening the walls of the cervix and forcing the fetus out." She explained, but I could still see the look of worry on her face.

I stared at her expectantly, but she said nothing. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me everything, Lydia?"

She straightened up and stared at me. "Alpha, I don't understand this. Avalyn couldn't have gotten her hands on the drug anywhere around here," Lydia said, walking closer.

"Something's not right. I think somebody must have laced something she ate with the drug."

"What?" I asked in shock. If I was getting whatever Lydia was saying right, Avalyn had been poisoned by someone from my pack.

Somebody had wanted her to lose the baby, my heir.

"It's very unlikely she decided to end her own pregnancy. So I'm pretty sure somebody wanted her to lose the child." Lydia explained, conforming to my thoughts.

The room grew silent as everyone took a moment to let the news sink in. I turned to stare at Avalyn through the glass door and watched as she shook her head in denial, tears pouring down her face. Emily and Dawn were trying to comfort her but were failing miserably.

From behind me, I felt Greg stiffen, then he walked closer to Lydia. "You do understand what you're implying, right?" He asked gingerly.

"That's the only logical explanation if I'm being honest, even though am not a hundred percent sure," Lydia said before turning to me. "I know Avalyn, she would never try anything to hurt the baby on purpose, that's why I suspect that someone else tried to." I really had to take a few minutes for Lydia's words to sink in. Why had the moon goddess decided to punish me with one unfortunate situation after the other?

I had done everything right, I had led my people well. I carried on my late father's legacy with honor But the one time I needed something from the goddess, I was met with tribulations and disappointments.

It wasn't fair.

"Beta!" I snarled. Feeling anger wash over my whole body. Somebody had killed my child before it was even born. Somebody here wished me bad and I was going to find them. I was going to tear the whole place down finding out who that person was, and then I'd rip them apart with my own bare hands.

Greg walked up to me and bowed, waiting for his next orders. He had an impassive look on his face, but the way his eyebrows were furrowed together slightly made me know that he was angry too. "Gather up all the maids and chefs that have been in charge of Avalyn's meals since her arrival," I ordered gruffly. It had to be one of them. One of those people had to be responsible for this. Greg bowed his head. "Yes Alpha, but I believe Miss Avalyn was at the breakfast hall with the princess and my sister this morning. Her meal hadn't been brought up to her room like it usually was." Hearing Greg says that made my blood boil beyond normal. It was like, everything and everyone was against me today. I had just lost my heir, and if that wasn't devastating enough, I had also learned that somebody from my own pack had possessed the guts to kill my unborn child.

With fire in my eyes, I turned to Lydia. "I want to know when you think she might have consumed the poisoned meal."

Lydia bowed her head and turned to look at Avalyn through the screen door. "I would say roughly around this morning, but I need to ask her a few questions first."

"No," I said on instinct, taking Lydia by surprise. "Let me talk to her myself." I knew Lydia was confused by my decision, but I didn't care. I really couldn't trust anyone around Avalyn right now. I had to keep her safe, even if it meant that I had to do it myself.

I walked towards the screen door that divided our room from the one Avalyn was in, and slid it open, creating one of the most irritating loud screeches I'd ever heard. The sound immediately drew the attention of the three girls in the room, as they all turned in my direction. Dawn and Emily immediately got up to bow their heads in respect.

"Leave us," I ordered, walking closer to Avalyn who was still seated on the bed.

Dawn and Emily immediately left the room, but not before my sister turned around to give me a warning looking as if I cared.

I sat down gently on the bed and stared at Avalyn, she had her eyes downcast, so she wasn't looking at me. She quickly wiped the tears off her face and sniffed.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered in a soft quivering voice, still avoiding my eyes.

I released a long breath as I watched her. Of course, she was going to feel worse about this. She was going to think it was her fault she lost the child. Not on my watch though.

"What for?" I asked just as softly as I caressed her cheeks. Her silky skin under my fingertips was so tender and a little wet from all the tears, and her long lashes cast shadows under her innocent doe eyes. I couldn't have been blessed with a more beautiful breeder. She shook her head and let out a pained sob. "F-for... everything, Talon." She cried. "I couldn't even.... do what you wanted m-me to. I'm so sorry."

"Don't say that, Avalyn. I won't allow you to say that." I sighed, pulling her head up to finally look her in the eyes. She had such beautiful eyes.

"It was not your fault, nothing that happened today was your fault."

"But it is though." She replied, blinking away more tears as she shook her head.

It pained me to see her like this, to watch her take the blame for what was most definitely not her fault. I felt my wolf whimper in sorrow as I watched Avalyn cry. This was not right. She shouldn't suffer for this.

"Avalyn," I called softly, but she didn't look at me.

I couldn't help myself, I leaned forward toward her and captured her lips in mine. It seemed to be the only way I could get her attention. I very well knew that everyone behind that screen door could see us. I had a feeling they were all watching us, but I couldn't give it in me to give a fuck.

Avalyn was sad and I would do anything to make her feel better.

I pulled away from the kiss first and stared at her intently. She still had her eyes closed but I could make out the small smile that graced her face.

"W-What was that for?" She whispered as she looked into my eyes.

"I had to get your attention somehow," I replied with a sigh. "Listen to me, Avalyn. This is not your fault, I won't let you say that." She looked like she was about to protest again, but I shushed her quietly.