Seven:
1064 Words
Rhyder's POV.
Alexis was sobbing uncontrolably. Her entire body rocked with each fresh wave of sobs that tore through her.
"What do you mean? What happened? What are you talking about?"
I tried to get an answer from her - any kind of explanation. But she only choked on another sob and clutched at the fabric of my t-shirt.
She was inconsolable.
I didn't know what to do. My heart went out to the state that she was in. I had no idea what she was talking about, but whatever it was had to be horrible for her to be this broken.
I wrapped my arm around her and gently stroked her hair with my other hand.
At first, she only cried louder. I pulled her closer and after another few moments she finally calmed down enough to look at me.
I've never seen anyone look as sad and as shattered as she did in that moment.
I was almost too scared to ask again.
But I knew that I had to.
I slowly wiped the tear stains from her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears. I kept my voice low.
"Talk to me. Please, Alexis? What happened?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she took a deep uneasy breath. Almost as if she was trying to muster up the courage she needed.
I took her hands in mine.
"I'm here now, Alexis. You're not alone anymore."
Something shifted behind her eyes when she looked at me again. A small smile formed at the corners of her mouth.
It faded again almost immediately.
"It must have been all the stress I was under... I'm not really sure what exactly happened..."
She began to cry again.
"Oh, Rhyder. I'm so sorry... it's all my fault... I'm so, so sorry."
She stammered in between sobs and burried her face in her hands.
An uneasy feeling began to settle over me.
"What? What's all your fault, Alexis? Please, just tell me?"
I was trying my best not to push her, but I was beginning to feel anxious. I needed to know.
"Oh, Rhyder..."
I lowered her hands from her face and tilted her chin up with my thumb.
"Alexis..."
She couldn't look at me. She closed her eyes.
"It's the baby, Rhyder! I lost our baby! Our pup!"
For a long moment it felt like the world around me disappeared completely and I was left alone in a pitch black emptiness.
It almost felt like I was dreaming.
I didn't want to hear what she was saying. I didn't want to believe that it could be true.
I haven't given myself much time to think about the pup or the fact that I was going to be a father - I was so focused on winning Grace back that I pushed it to the back of my mind.
But as the devastating reality of Alexis's words began to sink in, I could feel a part of my soul breaking away - a part that I haven't even allowed myself to acknowladge.
And it hurt like hell...
More than I knew anything could hurt.
I slowly returned to the present.
Alexis had her face burried in her hands again. She was sobbing again.
I felt like a ghost of myself - as if I was watching myself from a distance.
I wrapped my arms around Alexis and pulled her close. Her sobs felt like my own - like they were tearing away at the rest of my soul.
I had to fight back my own tears.
My wolf remained silent. Something - a small voice in the back of my mind, told me that there was something off about his silence. But I was too consumed to pay it much attention.
Why was he so unbothered by the loss of his pup?
"I'm so sorry, Rhyder. I don't know what I did wrong."
Her voice penatrated my mind in a desperate sort of push.
I didn't completely comprehend what she was saying at first.
"Will you ever be able to forgive me?"
"What?"
She freed herself from my embrace. She had a look of absolute terror on her face.
Her voice trembled as she spoke again.
"Will you ever be able to forgive me for losing our pup?"
Her words hit me like a fist.
I looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.
I took her hands in mine again and suddenly any thought for myself and my own feelings completely vanished.
I looked at Alexis and my heart broke.
She looked so sad. So lost. So vulnerable.
"Alexis, how can you even ask me that? What happened wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Really?"
Her eyes held so much hope.
"Yes, Alexis. I don't blame you. I couldn't. I wouldn't."
"Do you really mean that? You don't hate me because of it?"
"Of course I don't. I could never hate you. I'm so sorry that you had to go through this alone. I'm so sorry that this happened to you."
Alexis threw her arms around my neck and pulled me into her. I realized for the first time how fragile her frame felt.
"Oh, Rhyder. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that."
I pulled back to look at her.
"You really thought that I would blame you? That I would be angry with you?"
"You wouldn't be the first."
She looked away from me again.
"What? What do you mean? Who blames you?"
"It doesn't matter. Just let it go, please?"
I was overcome with an overwhelming sense of rage.
"Tell me, Alexis!? Who!?"
I tried to get up but Alexis put her arms around me again and pulled me close.
"Please? Just stay with me, Rhyder? Please? Just hold me."
She pleaded with me, her voice faltering.
I had to do as she asked. No matter how much I struggled to surpress the urge to rip out the tongues of the pack members that blamed her for losing our pup.
I owed her that much.
I eased into her arms as I closed my own around her.
"And promise me that you'll never leave me again."
I hesitated.
"Please, Rhyder? I need you? I don't think I can do this without you."
I knew that she meant every word.
"I promise, Alexis."
- Writer
