Chapter 15: Fuck! I’m Having The Alpha Princess’s Baby.
"Paye, I am telling you, something is wrong with me. I couldn’t shift last night. Everyone shifted into their fucking wolves and I just stood there like a wolfless being, except I felt my wolf inside but it refused to come out," I sang into my brother’s ears.
He was lying down on the couch, sleepy as usual. I know he is listening, but I need his full attention. This is a big crisis. I have always shifted ever since my first shift, so what is happening? I have never missed a full moon. Not once. Even when I had a fever at twelve and my bones felt like they were melting, I still shifted. Even when I twisted my ankle running through the woods, I still shifted. So what changed? What did I do wrong?
"Faye, I need to sleep. When I wake up I will listen to you, I promise," he said, half dozing. "And go to school. You are going to be late."
"How am I supposed to go to school when... I missed my shifting? I am a wolfless being.." I shouted.
But he was already gone. His breathing evened out like nothing I said mattered. Like I did not just confess the worst thing that could ever happen to a werewolf. I stared at him for a second, waiting for him to suddenly sit up and say he was joking. He did not move.
Eriko came out of his room.
"Come on, I will drive you to school. Your brother needs to rest. He had a long night," he said, not even waiting for me to respond. He dragged my hand outside the door.
"I am not done talking," I muttered, but he was already locking the door behind us.
We were in the car on our way to school. Kaye was in the back seat. I sat in the front while Eriko drove. The engine hummed. My knee kept bouncing. I pressed my palm against my chest just to feel something steady. My wolf was there. I could feel her. Curled. Quiet.
"This is not fair. Paye always listens to my complaints and he is never like this. Why is he like this?"
"Your brother is working hard, okay? He needs rest and sleep."
"I don’t get it. He is a bartender, so why is he always tired? And is he the only one working in the club?" I voiced out.
Eriko did not answer immediately. His jaw tightened a little. He kept his eyes on the road.
"I heard you saying that you were not able to shift last night... Anything changing?" Eriko said, changing the topic.
"I don’t know. Usually my wolf used to be the one impatient to shift, but last night I felt like she didn’t even care about the full moon. Like she was just pacing in circles and then resting."
I close my eyes for a second and try to remember it clearly. The moon was high. Everyone was already dropping to their knees, bones cracking, skin tearing, the sound of fur pushing through. I was ready. I was waiting for the snap in my spine, the pull in my ribs, the burn under my skin. Nothing.
"So no bone cracking at all?"
"Yes. Nothing."
Just me standing there while everyone else ran into the woods. I could hear them howling. I could hear the wind shift when they moved. I stood there like an imposter.
"There are three reasons why a werewolf doesn’t shift under the full moon. Reason number one, underage. Two, when pregnant. And three, the Moon Goddess’ curse," he said.
"Fuck. I am cursed. I have never done anything wrong in my life. Why would the Moon Goddess curse me? I am sure it’s from my past life. My previous life must have been a ruthless wolf and I was cursed for my ruthlessness," I said, panicking.
My chest started to feel tight. What if it is a curse? What if this is permanent? What if I wake up every full moon and nothing happens? What if I slowly stop feeling her at all?
"I don’t think you are cursed. If the Moon Goddess wants to curse you, she makes you completely wolfless. And you said you still feel your wolf inside."
"Yes, I do. I still feel her right now."
"Okay. You are above ten, which leads to pregnancy."
"Duh. I am not pregnant."
The word sounds stupid coming out of his mouth. Pregnant. Me, no fucking way.
"Well, have you been... you know..." he said, making a weird face.
"Having sex?" I completed it for him.
"Hey, there is a kid around," he said, looking at Kaye, who was completely unbothered.
"Don’t worry. I am pretending not to listen. My aunty says a lot of foul words," Kaye said.
I almost laughed, but I did not.
"Well, I have only... done the s word once. But it’s not a dude... a girl. So it’s not possible for me to be pregnant. So let’s go back to the Moon Goddess curse. Maybe..."
"The Moon Goddess curse makes one wolfless. There is still time, so we will stop by a convenience store and get a pregnancy test done to be sure. And if you are not, we will go back to the curse," he said.
Before I knew it, Eriko bought a pregnancy test kit and handed it over to me.
I didn’t take it. I just folded my arms, staring at him.
"There are two, so you have to pee and get the thing, you know.."
"This is ridiculous. I am not pregnant. It’s impossible for me to get pregnant by a girl. And I have never slept with a boy before," I said, not loud enough for people around to hear our conversation.
"Well, if you sleep with a female Alpha, you’re likely to get knocked up."
The moment he said that, I froze. Because the only female I have ever been with is an Alpha.
The Alpha Princess.
But that doesn’t make sense, right?
Right? My throat feels dry. My wolf shifts again. Not restless. Just aware.
I collected the test from him and found myself a restroom to get this over with.
I am in the restroom, sitting down on the toilet, staring at the test kits, waiting and watching. My hands are slightly shaking. My head feels light.
The stall feels too small. The air feels thick. I press my back against the closet and close my eyes for a second.
I just hope this is not true. I cannot be pregnant.
I am still in school. I still argue with my brother about chores. I still steal fries from Kaye’s plate. I am not ready to carry a child.
As I wait, I read the boxes. One said two lines for positive and the second one said the plus sign for positive.
My breathing gets louder in my own ears. I try to slow it down. Inhale. Exhale.
Three minutes. The longest three minutes of my life.
My mind runs wild. What will Paye say? Will he look at me differently? What will she say? The Alpha Princess. Will she deny it? Will she claim it?
I press my hand to my stomach without thinking. It feels the same. Flat. Normal.
I turned them to see.
Two lines. A plus sign. Both positive.
For a second I just stare. Like if I stare long enough, they will change. Like maybe I read it wrong. Maybe I am hallucinating. I blink. Still there.
My heart starts pounding so hard I feel it in my throat.
Fuck... I’m having the Alpha Princess’s baby.
