CHAPTER 52 A MUST TO SACRIFICE
1099 Words
Elara walked out of the clinic but her legs felt stiff, and the healer’s words kept ringing in her ears. You're a match. You're pregnant. You can't do both.
She stumbled slightly as she reached the gravel path. The sun was high now and her world felt like it was crumbling into a million tiny pieces.
She found a wooden bench near the edge of the woods and sank onto it, her hand going to her stomach. There was a life growing inside her, a part of Ronan, and a part of the love she wasn't supposed to have. But then there was Selene. Selene, who was fading away in a hospital bed because her blood was turning against her.
"Why does it have to be like this?" she whispered to herself, her voice cracking.
She closed her eyes, and all she could see was Selene’s pale face and her thin, straight hair. They were supposed to be together forever, the two girls who were mistaken for twins, the two halves of a whole. Now, one was dying, and the other held the key to her survival, but that key came at the cost of a child.
Elara stood up, pacing back and forth, her mind disturbed. She couldn't tell Ronan. If she told him, he would stop her, and his alpha instincts would never let her put herself or the baby at risk. He would choose the baby, or he would choose her, but he would let Selene go if it meant protecting his mate. She knew him too well, and that was the problem.
She looked toward the Alpha’s estate, seeing the tall chimneys in the distance, and felt a pang of longing. She wanted to run to him, to tuck her head under his chin and let him tell her everything would be fine, but he couldn't fix this. No one could.
"I have to choose," she muttered, her jaw tightening. "I have to choose between a life that hasn't started and a life that shouldn't end."
She started walking again, not toward her home, but toward the quiet stream where she and Selene used to hide as children. The water was clear, bubbling over smooth stones, and she sat by the bank. She thought about the pack, about how they had turned their backs on her, and how they would hate her even more if they knew what she was considering. But their opinions didn't matter anymore, and only Selene mattered.
A twig snapped behind her, and she jumped, her heart leaping into her throat. She turned, expecting to see a guard or perhaps Ronan himself, but it was just a small forest animal scurrying away. She let out a shaky breath, realizing how on edge she was, and how much the secret was already eating her alive.
She thought about the procedure the healer mentioned. Bone marrow. It sounded so clinical and so simple, yet it was the hardest thing in the world. If she did this, she would lose the baby. There was no way around it, and the healer had been clear about the risks.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, pressing her palms against her belly. "I'm so, so sorry."
She stayed there for a long time, until it was becoming darker and the air turned cool. She had made her decision, but it was crushing her chest. She would save Selene. She would give her friend the years she deserved, the chance to grow old, and the chance to lead the pack one day. Even if it meant Elara would never hold her own child, and even if it meant Ronan might hate her forever when he found out.
She stood up, wiping her face with the back of her hand, and started back toward the village. It had to look like an accident. If people knew she chose to end the pregnancy, she would be exiled, or worse. She had to protect the secret to protect Selene’s recovery.
She reached the healer’s back door and knocked softly, hoping he was alone. He opened it quickly, his eyes searching hers, and he knew.
"You've decided," he said, stepping aside to let her in.
"I have," Elara replied, her voice a little calm now. "I’ll do it. I’ll donate."
The healer sighed, rubbing his temples. "You know the cost, Elara. I cannot perform an abortion here, it is against the pack laws for a healthy pup."
"I know," she said, looking him straight in the eye. "I'll handle that part. I'll make sure the pregnancy ends, and then you will perform the transplant. You will tell everyone it was a match from an anonymous donor, and you will tell Ronan I had a miscarriage."
The healer hesitated, his hands shaking slightly as he organized his vials. "This is a dangerous path, girl. Lying to an Alpha is a death sentence for some."
"He won't kill me," Elara said, though she wasn't entirely sure. "He’ll just hate me. And I can live with his hate if it means Selene is alive to see it."
"How will you do it?" the healer asked, his voice a whisper.
"There's a steep ridge by the old mill," Elara said, her heart cold. "I'll fall. It will be believable. Everyone knows I've been distraught and clumsy since the scandal. They’ll just think I wasn't looking where I was going."
The healer looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "I shouldn't agree to this. It goes against everything I was taught."
"Then think of Selene," Elara stepped closer, grabbing his sleeve. "Think of the girl you've watched grow up. Do you want to bury her? Because if I don't do this, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing in a few months."
He was silent for a long minute, the only sound in the room being the ticking of a clock on the wall. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. But you must be careful. If the fall is too hard, you might not survive it either, and then both of you are gone."
"I'll be careful," she promised, though she didn't care much for her own safety anymore.
She left the clinic again as she began the long walk toward the old mill, her heart thumping against her ribs.
She reached the ridge. It was high enough to cause damage, but low enough that she hoped she would live.
She stood at the edge, looking down, and the wind whipped her curly hair around her face. She took a deep breath, clutching her stomach one last time.
"Forgive me," she whispered.
- Writer
