Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
One step forward…4 steps back
*Liam POV*
I was at Starry Moon for the day, helping finalize the documents for our funds transfer for their rebuild. Their grant from the council was finally available for transfer and $500,000 from the council, and the $500,000 match donation we offered will help them so much. We have already found 8 fishing and crab boats, and a storefront location in the tourist town of Astoria to set up a fresh seafood shop. The man who owns the shop is allowing them to open up, rent-free, for 6 months and then afterward, the rent would be extremely cheap. He is a wolf mated to a human, so he lives in Astoria with his mate. He used to be part of Dark Star, and was overjoyed that Callum was gone and no longer had control. We had just walked out of Jason’s office, and my phone rang. I saw it was Loki and I quickly answered. Melian had an important doctor appointment, and I was worried something had happened.
“Hey brother, what’s up?” I answered. I could tell he was anxious by the sound of his voice, and he asked me to go somewhere private, so we could talk. I told Jason I needed to use his office for this call and that it was important, and he told me it was fine. He said he would meet me at the pub in half an hour. I waved him off and closed the door. “OK, I’m alone. What has got you all worked up?” I asked. He quickly answered, and explained the strange call he had received on the office phone. “Who were you with almost 3 and a half years ago, Liam?” he asked. My mind was racing trying to recall, and then it hit me. Rochelle. Rochelle Nightwater was the daughter of the Beta of the Northern Sun pack. I heard she was attacked and killed by a rogue recently, and honestly, this child could very well be mine. I wanted a paternity to prove it, but I wouldn’t turn my back on a child in need. “You don’t remember, Lok? Rochelle Nightwater, her and I dated for almost a year before she got up and left one night to go back to her pack,” I told him. “Holy shit! That’s right! What the hell are you going to do, and how do we explain this to Mel?” he explained. I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t going to hide it from her either. I told him I would be heading out soon, and that I promised to have a beer with Jason to celebrate things coming together. When I was done, I would head out. He acknowledged what I said and promised to keep things quiet until I got home. I needed to call the Gamma, but I would wait until I was with my brother so that I had a witness to the conversation.
I went and used the restroom, and splashed a little water on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed how tired I looked. My beard was as unruly as my hair, and the bags under my eyes were the evidence needed to prove I hadn’t been sleeping well. I needed a short vacation to relax and rest, and after I spoke with the Gamma, I was planning that trip. I left the restroom and headed out the front door of the packhouse. The pub wasn’t far, and I decided to walk and breathe in the fresh air. I waved at the occasional pack member I passed, and even spoke with a few of them. The consensus was that Jason and Rebecca were just what the pack needed. It warmed my heart to know we had a part in helping this happen for them all. I walked into the pub and Jason was already seated at the bar with Leif and Jorma. They waved me over, and I took the stool next to Jason. The bartender plopped a large glass of their home-brewed house ale and a shot of their finest whiskey. “Drink up brother! We have reason to celebrate”, Jason hollered and clanked his glass against mine. I gave a slight chuckle and gave the ale a good swallow. I then picked up the shot glass and poured the warm liquid down my throat. I knew I couldn’t drink any more than what was in front of me, because I needed to leave as soon as I finished. I explained that I had to head out soon, and Jason understood. I didn’t tell him anything other than I wanted to be there when Mel got home from her appointment.
I finished my drink and said goodbye to my family, and jumped into my truck. I rushed home as quickly as I could, and I saw my mate as I was driving up the lane. Why was she so far away from the pack house and hospital? I pulled up beside her and rolled down the window. She didn’t even look my way. I hollered her name, and it startled her, and I knew she had been deep in thought. “Mel, baby, are you OK?” I asked her, and she shook her head without saying a word. I jumped out of the car and took her hand. I led her to the passenger side of the truck and helped her in. After climbing back into the truck myself, I turned to her and asked her what was wrong. She looked at me, fighting the tears forming in her eyes, and simply said, “We need to find Loki first.” I started to panic, but held a calm composure for her. I took her hand and pulled her closer to me and held onto her as I drove to the pack house. I linked Loki to go to our room, and told him something was wrong with Mel. He said he would grab the snacks and meet us there. Loki knew snacks were always a comfort to our mate, and I told him that it was a good idea. I closed the link and concentrated on trying to talk to Mel. I told her about everything going on at Starry, and she only replied with short responses. I was thankful when I saw the pack house and I didn’t even bother parking in the garage. I parked out front and helped her out of the car. We intertwined our fingers and walked up to our bedroom. Walking in, she saw Loki already sitting on the sectional and had a grand spread of snacks and drinks waiting for her. She flashed a small smile, and walked over to sit next to him. He pulled her close and she snuggled into him. I sat on the other side of her and held her hand. “Talk to us baby girl,” Loki said. She took a deep breath and said, “Possible ovarian cancer.” Loki and I looked at each other and were at a loss for words.
The “C” Word
*Melian POV*
I had arrived at the hospital clinic earlier than I was scheduled, and decided to visit the children in the children’s health ward. There had been an outbreak of the flu, and there were several children hospitalized from the pneumonia it ended with. I was thankful that our doctors and nurses were able to get it under control rather quickly, but hated that there were kids who ended up really sick from it. I made sure to leave little surprises in the form of candy for them at the nurses’ station, and made my way back down to the maternal clinic to see Roxy. “There’s my girl,” she said. Roxy and I had become seriously close, and it was good having her as another motherly figure. She always had the best advice when it came to my mates, her nephews. She brought me a paper gown and sheet and told me I knew the drill. I gave her a smile, and changed into the latest in ‘paper fashion’. It wasn’t long before she came back in, and we discussed what had been going on. I told her I was having bloating issues, as well as weird cramping pains in my ovary area, and that it was getting worse. She asked me to lay down, and she started to feel around with utter concentration. She pulled out the stirrups and placed my feet in them. After doing her exam, she asked me to stay for an MRI. She explained that it was just a precaution, but the look on her face told me that it was just to confirm what she had already seen. While waiting for the lab to come get me for the MRI, another nurse came in to get blood for lab work. I was starting to get nervous, but kept being reassured by those who noticed that it was ‘all procedure’.
Finally, returning to my room, Roxy returned as well. She told me I could get dressed, but wanted me to come to her office right after. A million thoughts swirled through my head, and I dressed quickly. I knocked on her door, and heard her tell me that it was open. She smiled at me as I walked in, and it gave me some kind of reassurance. However, that reassurance would quickly fade away. “You know how I am, sweetie. I am a straight shooter. The reason for the MRI was to basically to confirm what I found during your exam. You have a pretty large mass on your right ovary, and one just slightly smaller on your left one. I will have the results of your MRI and your blood labs by the end of the day. Do you want me to call you or come by to give you the results?” she explained. I must have been staring into space, because she started to wave her hand in front of my face. My head snapped at her and I replied, “Are you implying that I may have cancer?” A defeated look came across her face and she slightly nodded her head. “Unfortunately, that could be a possibility, sweetheart. If it is, ovarian cancer is treatable with surgery,” she replied. I knew that it also meant I would never be able to have another baby of my own. I mean, we have 4 kids right now. That was enough. Right? She went around her desk and embraced me with a warm hug, and I thanked her for being honest and looking out for me. I left her office with more questions than she had answers for at the moment, and decided to take a walk through the forest. Ruby wanted to shift, but I couldn’t at the moment. I needed to think, and if I let Ruby take over, I wouldn’t be able to do just that.
The sun had started to set, and the forest was getting pretty dark. I decided to go out of it and walk the dirt road back to the house. I heard a honk, but paid no attention to it until I heard Liam yell my name. I slowly turned to him, and he asked how I was. All I could muster to say was that we needed to find Loki. I didn’t know how to even tell them what I had just learned, but I knew I had to. Liam didn’t force me to speak anymore, and we walked hand in hand up the stairs to our bedroom. Walking in, I noticed Loki sitting on the couch watching the game. A huge display of snacks and drinks filled the coffee table. I let go of Liam’s hand and made my way over to Loki. I snuggled into him, and he turned off the game. “What’s up baby doll?” he asked. I waited for Liam to sit with us, and I was finally able to release the words I dreaded so much. “Possible ovarian cancer.” I said. I felt them both get tense, and Liam admitted he knew cancer was serious, but knew nothing about the ovary kind. I took a deep breath and sat up straight. I explained that I would need to have surgery and a biopsy done. I wouldn’t know the results of the blood labs and MRI until after Roxy left the clinic, which should be soon. They both comforted me the best they could, and I asked Loki to turn the TV back on. I needed a distraction until Roxy arrived, and snacks and TV seemed like a good distraction. I didn’t even care if it was the basketball game Loki had been watching before. He took the remote and turned it back on, and the Portland Trail Blazers were winning by 21 points. I picked up a sandwich and a bag of Doritos. I grabbed a can of Mt. Dew and sat cross-legged between my mates. We continued to watch the game, but I couldn’t help to keep checking the time on my phone. As I checked it for the 100th time, a text popped up. It was from Roxy, asking me and her nephews to meet her in their office. I showed it to the twins and we left our room. My bag of Doritos is still in my hand.
When we got to the office, she was there waiting. I knew the look on her face already held my answers. Liam opened the door for us, and we filed in one by one. After we were seated, Roxy laid a large envelope on the desk. These are the pictures of my MRI. She pulled out one sheet of paper and went over the blood labs first. My blood count was seriously bad, and the MRI had confirmed that there were definitely large masses on my ovaries. I let out a whimper and my chips hit the floor. My mates were immediately by my side, and the three of us listened closely as she explained our options. Or should I say, option. Removal of the ovaries and any tissues that the masses had touched was the only option. Surprisingly, my mates took it better than I had. Liam came in front of me and cupped my face and said, “Baby, you are what is important here. We have four beautiful babies already, and if we want more, there are other options. There’s adoption, and surrogacy.” A smile across his face. It was good that they didn’t think it was the end of the world, but I wasn’t sure I could agree. Just the mention of someone else carrying my babies made my skin crawl.
Coming To An Understanding
*Liam POV*
Maybe it was dumb of me to open my mouth and mention surrogacy. I mean, I understand where she is coming from, but it would be 100% our baby. Just someone else carrying it. We can harvest and freeze her eggs before her ovaries have to be removed. I will not mention it again though, because the look in her eyes could have killed me if it were possible. My heart breaks for her, and I would go to the ends of the earth if it would help her from being sad. How do I tell her about the possibility of me having a child before I met her now? I need to do it soon, because she is going to question why I have to leave to go up north. I linked Loki and asked him what I should do, and he said that I should probably just rip the band-aid off and tell her now. That way, we can handle everything together now, before it becomes too late. I had to agree with him. We stood up to leave Roxy’s office and my aunt wrapped her arms around Mel. “Sweet girl, you are strong and resilient. You and my boys will get through this together, just as you always do. I am only a phone call away. Liam, eventually your feet will start to taste like garbage. Try and keep yours out of your mouth, please.” she smirked as we were walking out the door. I heard Mel snicker through her tears and I just shook my head. Roxy always had a way with words, and this time, I walked right into it.
Walking back to the pack house, Mel took my hand and leaned her head against my arm. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Loki and I stopped in our tracks and I looked at my mate and said, “No, baby! You have nothing to be sorry for. Not at all. I am the idiot who should be apologizing to you for making the surrogate suggestion. Neither Loki nor myself hold this against you. As long as you are healthy, and our current babies are healthy, that is all that matter to us. We are a family with more than enough love to get us through the worst of times. I think the past has proven that. Roxy is right. Come hell or high water, we will get through this as a TEAM!” She seemed to relax a little and nodded her head. “You are right, we will. It’s just scary is all. If I were a full-blooded wolf, I wouldn’t have to be worried about this at all. Ruby has barely spoken to me today, and I’m afraid she is angry with me. My body has taken her right to carry more children as well.” she said softly. Her eyes glazed over and Ruby must be speaking to her at that moment. When her eyes cleared, I heard Loki ask, “Ruby?” Mel nodded to him and said, “She said I was overreacting, and that she was just sad for me. She says we have more than enough kids and that we should be happy with what we have, not what might have happened. She said there was a possible chance we may not have been blessed to have another child anyway. When I think about it, she is right. There was no for sure chance I would have conceived again in the first place.” I pulled her into my embrace and held her until she pulled away. “Are you OK, Liam? I can feel the tension in your body.” she asked.
It was now or never, I guess. “No, not really. It’s more than just me worried about your condition. Let’s go check on the babies and get back to our room, and then we will talk, alright?” She looked at me wide-eyed and gave a slight nod. We took care of our kids, and made sure they were tucked in tight, and then went to our room. Loki called down to have a late dinner delivered to us, and I let the nanny know that we were going to need some privacy for a few hours. That way, if any of the kids woke up, she knew to make sure they were alright. We sat on the sectional and again, Mel snuggled into Loki for support and I sat facing her. I didn’t know how to start things off, so I just started with the phone call from Gamma Travers.
“Earlier today, Loki received a call from the Gamma of a pack we hadn’t spoken to in almost 3 years. We don’t have any alliances, and we aren’t enemies. We just simply don’t associate. The reason behind that is, I used to date their Beta’s daughter Rochelle about 3 and half years ago. We had dated quite awhile and one night while I was helping with patrols, she packed what things she had here at Blood Moon and left. She, herself, never told me why, but her father, Beta Malcom Nightwater of the Northern Sun pack, called me one day a few months later and explained. She had been for a brief visit right before she left, and had found her mate. He was a new warrior who had transferred from another pack, and she tried to fight it and stay here with me, but she couldn’t stay away from him. She didn’t want to hurt me is what he said. Anyway, today when Gamma Travers called and spoke with Loki, he mentioned that I needed to come and collect my child. I had heard not long ago that Rochelle was attacked and killed by rogues, but I never knew she was pregnant after she left. I had no idea that I had a child with her until today. I swear it, Mel. I have asked for a paternity test, just to make sure the child is mine. I have to go there in two days to have it done. I want you to come with me, but if you don’t want to, I understand. I’m not even sure if the child is a girl or a boy, but if it is mine, I can’t abandon it. It would be like me walking away from our girls. I just can’t,” I explained. I had to look away from her briefly to collect myself, and when my gaze fell back upon her, her eyes were clinched shut. “Mel? Please talk to me. I’m sorry for the timing, but I really didn’t want you to be in the dark about this. No secrets, remember?” I said quietly. Her eyes popped open, and she said, “I’ll go. I was speaking with Ruby. I can’t be upset about this, Liam. It was before me, and the child didn’t ask to be put in this position and neither did you. I know if you had known, you would have stepped up. You are an amazing father, baby. Not only to our girls, but to our son too. If this child is yours, you have to let me do one thing, and I need you to promise I can.” By this time, Loki was sitting up staring into her eyes just like I had been, and I asked her what promise she needed. “If he turns out to be yours, he is mine too. I will get to adopt and raise him as mine. His family at Northern Sun won’t be shoved out of his life, but they will not be forced to be in it either. They will respect our decision that I will raise him as his mother, and when he is old enough, we will tell him about his birth mother. If you can’t promise me this, I can’t stand behind you.” she spoke without hesitation. I dropped to my knees in front of her, and laid my head on her knees. I started to weep and whispered to her, “I would promise you anything in the world. You already know this. I promise you that you will be this child’s mother if he turns out to be mine.” She ran her hands through my hair and said softly, “Even if it isn’t yours. If they don’t want the child, it is ours. OK?” I nodded my head and Loki kissed her temple. He answered for me and said, “We promise you, babe. The little one comes home with us.”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.