Chapter 85: Chapter 85
Kieran’s POV
I stared at Kyra’s photo, gripping my whiskey glass tightly. My jaw clenched more with every passing second, the muscle twitching beneath my skin. Her beautiful face haunted me. That smile, which once lit up this place, now tortured me day and night.
I couldn’t stop hearing her crying in my head. Those eyes that once looked at me so softly now reflected only hatred in my memories. Every damn corner of this mansion reminded me of her—of what we used to have.
Ronan, my wolf, kept pacing inside me, howling in pain just like I was hurting. Losing our mate was driving us both mad.
"Where are you?" I whispered, touching her face in the photo. Her orange blossom scent was gone from our bed, from our home.
A few months without her felt like forever. The bond between us, even though I had never marked her, kept pulling at me. I was losing it without her. She was everything to me, my only hope. I couldn’t live without her here. Every day felt like dying, slow and painful, and I couldn’t take much more.
My fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. Nathan Anderson hadn’t appeared in any of my investigator’s photos. I’d had pack members watching his family for months, but that bastard was nowhere to be found.
He had to be the one hiding my mate. That worthless Alpha of Nightfall Pack thought he could keep her from me after what happened. But she’s MINE. No one takes what’s mine.
"I’LL KILL YOU, ANDERSON!" I smashed the whiskey bottle against the wall, watching the glass explode. The whiskey poured down like blood, making me imagine how satisfying it would be to see his actual blood spill.
Ronan snarled inside me, just as hungry for violence as I was. We both wanted to rip Nathan’s throat out, to watch him choke on his own blood.
You’re dead, Anderson. I swear to the Moon Goddess I will find you, and when I do, I’ll tear you apart piece by piece. Your Alpha status won’t mean a damn thing when I’m through with you.
I grabbed my phone and called my Beta. "Search harder. Check every building the Andersons own. If it has their name on it, I want it torn apart."
I wouldn’t rest. Wouldn’t stop. She belonged in my bed, in my arms, under my control—and that’s exactly where she’d be.
***
Kyra’s POV
I sat on the hospital bed while Nathan cleaned up after dinner. The pain was gone now, but my back still ached from my big belly. The doctor wanted me to stay here since the baby was coming in a few days, even though I really wanted to be back at Nathan’s house.
I touched my belly, feeling my baby girl move inside. Sylvia, my wolf, purred happily, loving every movement like any mother would.
Nathan came over with my toothbrush, already prepared with toothpaste. He was about to help me up when the doctor walked in, smiling.
"Just checking on you before I leave," she said. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," I replied, shifting a bit. "But it’s really heavy, and my stomach hurts sometimes."
She nodded. "That’s normal when you’re this close. Try walking around tomorrow morning. It helps get your body ready."
Nathan listened attentively, looking serious like an Alpha receiving important news. The doctor noticed how focused he was and smiled.
"I’m happy for you both. Since this is your first baby, I have lots of tips, if you want them."
I laughed softly. "We’d love that, doctor."
Her eyes brightened. "We’ll talk more after the baby comes. Just take care of yourself for now. Also," she lowered her voice, "having sex before the baby comes can actually help with delivery."
My face grew hot, and I couldn’t help glancing at Nathan. His neck flushed red and he suddenly busied himself with fixing things on my table.
I cleared my throat and offered a small smile. "Thanks, doctor."
She squeezed my hands. "Prayer helps most, Kyra. Having a baby is hard on your body, but seeing your little girl will make it all worth it. Stay strong, don’t be scared."
After she left, Nathan and I grew quiet. All that talk about sex made things awkward between us. Nathan helped me to the bathroom, waited outside, then helped me back to bed.
"Goodnight, Kyra," he said softly, tucking in my blanket.
I looked at him. "Goodnight, Nathan."
Every morning, I walked outside the hospital as the doctor suggested. Nathan always stayed beside me. He kept his hand near my back, ready to help me if needed. Today, I sat on a bench after walking a bit, enjoying the warm sun on my face.
Nathan suddenly got up and came back with ice cream—vanilla with chocolate sprinkles, my favorite. He still remembered. My heart leaped when he did that—I wasn’t ready for those feelings.
Every day was the same, with Nathan shadowing me, knowing what I needed before I asked. I was grateful for his help, but I still thought about Sophia. I didn’t know if they were together, but I assumed they were. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, the thought of them together hurt.
I was eating an apple and watching TV when pain shot through my stomach. The apple slipped from my hand as I grabbed my belly, trying not to scream.
Then I felt my bed was wet, and another pain hit me.
"AHHH!" I couldn’t hold back the scream.
Nathan jumped from the couch where he’d been sleeping and ran to me.
"Kyra, what’s wrong—" His eyes widened as he realized. "Oh! Shit!" He covered his mouth, his face turning pale as he saw my water had broken.
He pressed the nurse call button quickly. Grabbing my hand, he looked at me, clearly afraid. "Just... just squeeze my hand when it hurts."
I nodded and squeezed hard as another pain came. Sylvia whined inside me, excited but worried about our pup arriving.
The doctor rushed in and checked me after pulling on gloves.
"Labor’s starting," she said calmly. "It’ll be a few hours before the baby comes. Call me when the contractions get closer together."
I nodded, but Nathan panicked and grabbed the doctor’s arm. "But doctor, she screamed. And... and her water broke..."
The doctor smiled. "That’s normal, Mr. Anderson. Don’t worry, your wife will be fine. I’ll get the delivery room ready."
"Nathan," I called, squeezing his hand as he tried to stop the doctor.
When he turned to me, I gave him a small smile. "She’s right. I learned about this at my checkups. I know what’s coming."
He swallowed and nodded, still worrying. "Tell me right away if it hurts again, okay?"
Just as the doctor said, labor dragged on for hours. When the pains grew closer together, they moved me to the delivery room. Nathan wouldn’t let go of my hand, so they let him stay. Having him there made me feel less scared as the pain intensified.
Giving birth hurt like hell. I cried and screamed with each contraction. I squeezed Nathan’s hand so hard I thought I might break it, but he never complained. He just kept wiping my tears and encouraging me while I pushed.
"You’re doing great, Kyra," he said, his voice steady even though his eyes were full of worry. "Almost there."
I was exhausted. After what felt like an eternity of screaming and pushing, I heard something new—a baby crying.
My lips trembled as I turned to look. Through my tears, I saw the doctor holding my tiny baby. I started sobbing harder as all my feelings flooded over me.
"It’s a girl," the doctor said happily.
My eyelids grew heavy, everything growing dark. Before I passed out, I heard Nathan yelling my name and begging the doctor to help.
The last thing I felt was his warm hand still holding tightly onto mine.
