Page 64 of A Luna's Revenge

My parents and the elders pressuring me to sire an heir; my resentment of Charlie for not fulfilling those desiresand blaming her for something that was not her fault. If I had had a medical exam as Charlie requested, I would have known sooner, and we might have had a pup or two by now.

I will never be able to figure out why I let myself be talked into cheating on Charlie that first time at the Alpha’s conference. Tracy could never hold a candle to my Charlie. My entire future lies a hopeless emptiness before me as I think of how I causedthe death of my pup that Charlie miscarried, my only chance to be a father, thanks to my desire to cheat. The sickening part is that I no longer remember much of those nights. It’s as though they have been blocked or erased from my mind. I am mostly thankful not to have those memories of my betrayal, but to not even remember something so important to me at the time that I threw away my family for is karma, I suppose.

On top of everything else, a few weeks ago, Dr. Bridgit gave an educational workshop to the pack where she explained Cheating Mate Syndrome and how it damages not only the mate bondsbut does physical harm to the mate being cheated on.

Hearing that all over again, I wish someone had just exposed me. Maybe I would have come to my senses sooner. Perhaps Charlie could have forgiven me, and our pup would have lived.

I walk to the waiting room and collapse into a chair with my head in my hands. I hear the cry of the pup being born. There is no reason to be here; this is no longer my life. I sink to my knees on the floor and silently join the pup’s wails.

Chapter 36 - Our Pup

Dr. Emily Sutton

With Daddy's hands on the pup nesting beneath the skin, I open up just above the pubic line with my scalpel. Once accomplished, I begin separating the muscles from the tissue to reach the uterus. One slice and I have access to the pup.

"Daddy, place your hand on the pup as I deliver." He does, and I safely remove the squirming infant, wrapping him in a towel, andwe clamp off the umbilical cord.

"Congratulations, Daddy, it's a boy." Tears stream down his face as he beams at the tiny, squalling pup. "Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?"

"Yes! Yes, my boy!" He weeps as I hand him the scissors. "Is Charlie okay?" He asks, handing them back as he looks at the unconscious female.

"She’ll be fine. We’ll take good care of her. She was never in much danger," I say.

The neonatal team is ready to take over. "I recommend Daddy keeps his hands on the pup at all times until he’s stable," I instruct. We hand over the father/son package to the neonatal team.

"Will do, doc." One of the neonatal team doctors wraps the pup in a blanket and leads Dad and thepup to the warmer for immediate post-delivery assessment and treatment.

Nurse Reynold turns to me with concern. "The baby doesn't look like it's responding as quickly as we'd like." With Dad attached, the neonatal team whisks the pup out of the room. Dad looks back longingly at the patient as if he is reluctantly leaving her, but the pup is responding to his touch andneeds him more now.

Even though I am still worried about the pup, I must stay focused on the mother. "Mother's status?"

Nurse Reynold nods, her voice steady. "Her vital signs are good, and she is stable."

"Good. Let's close her up." I skillfully piece the patient back together. A birth such as this can be traumatic, but I always thrill at knowing I help save lives.

Jenson

I watch as they wheel Charlie out of the delivery room. I assume they are taking her to her room. Reggie isn't with her, nor is the pup. As I follow slowly behind like a stalker, I am once again filled with remorse at how I handled things with Charlie.I've lost my pup and my beautiful mate, and my life is a total mess.

The fated mate bond is sacred. It should never be tampered with. I understand everyone has free will and can make their own choices, but when you choose to enter into a mate bond, all parties and all outsiders should respect that choice. I should have never cheated.

Fated mate pairings are responsible for 95% of our population. Only 5% of chosen mates can reproduce. That is why the fated mate bond is sacred and protected by laws. Our population is decreasing rapidly.

Recently, the Alpha Commander made attendance at training regarding Cheating Mate Syndrome (CMS) mandatory. It’s when one of a mated pair cheats on the other, and it causes significant health issues to the cheated-on mate. When wolf shifters find their mates, their bodies sync biologically.

Some shifters are carnal, so cheating occurs. But it damages mates, it damages relationships, and it damages families irreparably. If adults want to do that and the mate is okay with it, medical intervention can make it a safer practice without the pain. Or, you can just renounce your mate bonds and cohabitate however you wish or go your separate ways.

Just 10 years ago, CMS was unnamed and unknown, while the victims usually died. The same is true with RMS or Rejected Mate Syndrome. Today, those are preventable and even curable.

I want my mate back, but it was too late the moment I first cheated with Tracy Vincent.

I watch as they push Charlie into the observation room for recovery. I approach the large plate glass window and peer through. They work with Charlie, settling her in the bed and draping a blanket over her still form. As they leave the room, the nurse I spoke with earlier eyes me warily. I stand my ground. I'velost her, but it feels like this is where I am supposed to be right now. I enter the room and approach her bed cautiously. I caress her face and comb her lovely hair back. I lean over her to kiss her one last time, but I am pulled back violently.

"Sir!" A big, burly male in a security uniform has me restrained. "You need to leave." He hisses as he drags me out of the room.

"You don't understand." I bellow. "She is my mate."

A group of nurses flood the room as I amdragged out. Satisfied that Charlie is okay, they close the door while another member of security guards it.

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