Hiding the Alpha's Twins

8~ News and Regrets

A Month Later...

~Avery~

"Congratulations, Ms. Avery Frost. You are four weeks pregnant," the doctor announced, as she handed me the test results. I found myself frozen in disbelief, my mother at my side. The words seemed to echo in the sterile room, creating ripples of disbelief in their wake.

"No, doctor. That's impossible," I protested vehemently, the words tumbling out in a rush of denial. "I... I can't be pregnant."

A shadow of concern flickered across the doctor's face, her eyebrows knitting together in a delicate frown. She cast a puzzled glance, between my mother and me. Sensing my distress, my mother reached for the paper the doctor extended, offering a gracious smile in return.

"Thank you, doctor," she said softly.

She motioned for me to rise and follow her out, but I remained rooted to my seat, grappling with the shocking revelation. It took a gentle nudge from my mother to rouse me from my stupor, her firm hand guiding me out of the doctor's office and into the sterile hallway. As she guided me through the corridor, my mind was a stormy sea, struggling to grasp the reality that had been thrust upon me. It wasn't until the elevator doors slid open that I found my voice again.

"I want... I want to terminate."

My mother's gaze bore into mine, a torrent of unspoken emotions swirling in her eyes. But she remained silent, pushing me gently into the elevator. With a press of a button, the doors closed, enveloping us in a cloak of silence as we descended to the ground floor. It was then, amidst the oppressive stillness, that my mother finally turned to me, her expression a canvas of unreadable emotions.

"I refuse to believe you just uttered such nonsense," Mom's voice cut through the tension, disbelief lacing every word.

I blinked back the tears of frustration threatening to escape, turning to face my mother. "What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to take care of a child right now? I can't be pregnant."

"But you are," Mom stated matter-of-factly, her voice a blend of compassion and firmness.

I let out a nervous laugh, shaking my head. "No, this can't be happening. It's impossible." Denial coursed through me. It felt like some cruel joke fate was playing on me. It had barely been a month since we fled the Silverpine pack, seeking refuge in a new pack, and now I was saddled with a responsibility I was nowhere near prepared for. "You don't understand, Mom. Who could the father be?"

A month ago, I found myself entangled with two men. One was my destined mate, and the other, Jackson, a reckless mistake born of alcohol-fuelled desperation. Now, as I grappled with the reality of my situation, the lines between past and present blurred, leaving me lost in a sea of uncertainty. It only made it more confusing knowing who owns the child growing inside of me. My mother, sensing my distress, sighed deeply and clasped my hands in hers, compelling me to meet her gaze. We were here, trying to change our identities so that no one from Silverpine Pack or King's family would see us again. Despite severing all ties with King, including blocking him across all social media platforms after the night of our escape, this pregnancy felt like an unbreakable link dragging me back to a past I yearned to forget.

"How are we to navigate this pregnancy without jobs, Mom?" We were hiding with one of Mom's childhood friends here until we changed our identities. We had no money left on us, now a baby was on the way. What if we never found work? What if we were forced to rely on the kindness of others to survive? The questions swirled in my mind, each one more terrifying than the last.

"Listen to me, my dear," Mom's voice, soft yet firm, enveloped me like a warm embrace as she squeezed my hands reassuringly. "Don't cry. It doesn't matter whose child it is. We'll manage, just as we always have. Understood?"

"But how?" I countered; my voice tinged with desperation. "We don't have any money."

Mom's gaze softened, a flicker of resolve igniting in her eyes. "I was penniless when I brought you into this world," she countered gently. "Your father, may he rest, wasn't the kindest soul, and after he passed, his pack members treated me with disdain. I had no one to turn to when you came into this world, but we made it through, didn't we? Look at the remarkable woman you've become. Your child will be just fine."

I nodded and wiped my tears just as the elevator chimed. This pregnancy test brought back memories that I had long wanted to bury. Memories of King and of everything I went through in the pack. As the elevator door opened, I started going on, wiping my tears, so that it wouldn't be obvious that I was crying, but I bumped into someone that rushed into the elevator and the contents on their hands fell to the floor.

"Oh, I'm... I'm' so terribly sorry," I stammered, moving to gather the items, only for our heads to collide in a comical yet painful meeting as we both stooped in unison. Lifting my gaze to apologize once more, I found myself locking eyes with a man whose smile was as disarming as it was infectious. Despite the turmoil within, his genial demeanour coaxed a smile from me.

~*~

~King~

I stared blankly at the letter clutched in my hand, its words blurring into an incomprehensible mess as my thoughts wandered far from its contents. With a sharp rip, I tore the paper in two, tossing it carelessly into the nearby trashcan with a frustrated sigh.

"F*cking coward," I muttered under my breath, swirling the wine in my glass as I gazed out the window at the twinkling lights of the buildings in my pack.

Only the thought of one person was in my mind. Avery. Her thoughts had haunted me right from the morning after the attack to our pack when I realised, she was gone. The more I thought about her, the more I realised that I might have made a mistake. I had let my anger cloud my judgment, allowing it to overshadow any semblance of reason. It wasn't until Avery vanished from the pack that I began to question my actions. The realization dawned on me too late—perhaps I had made a grave mistake. The night she allegedly slept with the rogue; I felt no physical pain. I had marked her the night before and should have felt pain, but I didn't know anything until Regina sent me a photo of them together.

I should have sought her side of the story and listened to her voice amidst the chaos of accusations. I should have set aside my pride and ego. But the sting of her abandonment lingered. She had no right to leave without a word. I know I hadn't given her the attention she needed when she came here, but I have my reasons for that. But after claiming her that night, everything changed. Her scent lived rent-free in my head. And now, with her gone, I was consumed by a relentless determination to find her—to punish her for her perceived transgressions.

I downed the contents of my glass, the bitter taste of the wine failing to dull the ache in my chest as I returned to my desk, sinking into the familiar comfort of my chair. A soft knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, and Kristopher entered, his presence a welcome distraction from the turmoil within.

"Still brooding over Avery?" Kristopher asked, collapsing into the chair opposite mine. As my beta and closest friend, he knew the depths of my regrets, including my secret efforts to locate Avery. "I don't understand your emotions. Why reject her if you knew you couldn't get over her?"

I leaned back, allowing the cool leather of the chair to momentarily distract me from his probing. "What do you have for me?" I deflected; my voice rough from the whiskey.

Kristopher sighed deeply. "It looks like she disappeared completely from the surface of the earth. I've checked in on every pack and there is no person with such a name. But the men are still working on it."

"Listen, Kris," I interjected, my tone firm with resolve. "I don't care if you have to comb heaven and earth. Bring me back Avery."

Kristopher blinked, taken aback by the intensity of my command, but he nodded in silent understanding. "As you wish, Alpha," he replied.

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