Page 52 of A Luna's Revenge

Alpha Blake is attentive yet watchful. When I begin to cry, he reaches out to hold my hand. By the time I am through, Alpha Blake is sitting next to me on the bedwhile I am curled up in his arms, sobbing. Once I am finally out of words and tears, Alpha Blake pulls away. The front of his dress shirt bears evidence of my emotional breakdown.

“Charlie.” He begins. “Let me reassure you that we will do all we can to assist you. I am sorry for what you are going through. If I could only find my Luna, I would not put her through what you have been through. Your mate isn’t very bright.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

“Please, call me Blake.” He smiles charmingly.

“Thank you, Blake.” I yawn. I am no longer feeling very strong; I am exhausted and spent. “Please don’t let anyone know where I am.”

“You are safe here, Charlie.” I hear Blake whisper as I give up the struggle to stay awake.

As the sun peeks over the horizon in the early dawn hours, my pup slips away from this heartless world. It began as cramps in my lower abdomen, followed by bleeding. I quickly press the call button, and a young nurse enters the room. It’s only a few minutes after she leaves that an on-call doctor arrives, but there is nothing to be done to save my precious pup.

Because wolf fetal growth is faster, we gestate from 4-6 months, so my son was already formed. His lifeless body is so tiny that he can fit in the palm of my hand. After letting me hold him for a while, the nurse takes him away. The doctor is still in the room, tapping notes on his hologram screen.

“What happened?” I cry softly. “Amaris said he should be okay.”

“I’m so sorry.” He pats my shoulder. “We will perform an autopsy, but it’s likely wolfsbane poisoning.”

“Wait! Is wolfsbane transferable through semen between partners?”

“Yes. It’s highly toxic, as you know, and it can be passed via bodily fluids between partners. Is that how you think you may have come into contact with wolfsbane?”

“My mate was taking a wolfsbane-laced tea to subdue his wolf.” I stutter. “Could that have anything to do with my fetus dying?”

He looks at me, horrified. “Uh, yes. I’ll let the lab know. But more than likely, depending on contact frequency, he was probably filling your womb and the pup with wolfsbane. It’s a miracle you even conceived.”

“Um—from my understanding, he—that is, my mate had several affair partners. Would they—would they be in danger?” I don’t know why I care about Tracy Vincent or a bunch of females from my pack who didn’t mind betraying my trust, but I do, especially Tracy’s innocent pup.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says quietly. “Again, it would depend upon contact. If it was a string of one-night stands, exposure was likely minimal. However, if it’s a regular sexual partner, such as you, the exposure would be more significant and dangerous.”

“Then perhaps you should contact Dr. Bridgit and inform her of the danger to certain she-wolves because I am notsure about exposure.” I drop my head in embarrassment. “But please keep my whereabouts and identity secret.”

“We can do that. But right now, you are my number one priority. I will give you a bolus of fluids to help flush your system. Just stay in bed and sleep as much as you can today. Sleep is healing.”

He pushes his hologram device stand out the door as it softly clicks shut behind him.

The nurse returns to attach another bag of fluids to my IV.She connects a new tube to the existing one and adjusts the drip rate. Then she says, “We’ve increased the flow, so you’ll need to use the restroom more often. If you need assistance, ring for me.”

I nod. “Thanks.” She cleans up the trash from my bed and tosses it out as she leaves.

I lay back and close my eyes, yet tears stream down my cheeks. It’s a wonder I have any moisture left in me. If only Jenson could have just been a patient and faithful mate. By taking wolfsbane, something his full-grown alpha body could handle, he unknowingly poisoned me and our longed-for unborn son. The irony is not lost on me.

In my darkest hour yet, I retrieve my cell phone and open my text app.

Chapter 29 – Investigations and Allegations

Alpha Jenson

I have my best enforcers and trackers out trying to find Charlie. In the meantime, Alpha Blake will be here around noon today to escort Tracy to headquarters in Stone Mountain. I need to speak to her before she leaves to ensure she keeps quiet so that everything will work out for us.

I go to the basement, and since it’s still early, not many people are working around the cells. The guard is young, so he should be easy to manipulate.

“Josh, I need a few minutes with the prisoner to do follow-up questioning; why don’t you take a break and have a snack? I know you are a growing young wolf.”

“Thanks, Alpha.” He takes off up the stairs. “I was getting kind of hungry.”

Once Tracy and I are alone, she tears into me. “What the heck, Jenson?” She starts to cry. “Why am I in a jail cell?”

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