Chapter 44: 44: Two Clear Lines
Hearing Jessie’s question felt as though I had been struck by lightning.
I hadn’t even thought about the possibility, but after she had mentioned it, it seemed to be the only possible explanation.
A month had passed since the first time I had sex with Rowan and Soren. Ever since then, my period hadn’t arrived, and I was already approximately two weeks late. Both times I slept with the Alphas, we had not used any sort of protection. They had also finished inside me.
Hell, even last night Rowan hadn’t used any protection, and we went at it for the whole night. Even if I wasn’t pregnant, after what had happened in Rowan’s office, there was a high chance I could be now.
Worst of all, the first time I had sex with Rowan, I was in heat. That meant my body was most likely at its most fertile.
Jessie’s guess suddenly became a lot more possible than I had ever imagined. I thought my delayed cycle was due to the recent amount of stress. After all, Violet had made sure I would be lacking in both sleep and nutrition― all of which could have caused my delayed cycle. It had never been consistent anyway, and I had already turned a blind eye to it for the longest time.
Until now.
"Briar, are you okay?" Jessie asked, gently shaking me.
No. I wasn’t okay.
I could feel my body turning clammy with cold sweat. My hands felt numb, and my legs felt like jelly. My stomach turned and flipped, but it didn’t feel like the same sort of nausea that struck me just now. I felt sick just from the idea alone that I could be carrying a child.
Especially one that wasn’t conceived out of love.
"I’ll get you a test kit," Jessie said. She climbed to her feet and dashed towards the door. "Wait here! I’ll be right back!"
I barely even had the chance to say anything before Jessie dashed out of my room, the door closing behind her softly.
I sat at the same spot, my mind reeling.
If I were really pregnant, what would I do? The triplets wouldn’t want me to carry their child, surely. They hated me, and I had less than favorable feelings for them, albeit complicated. The best course of action would be to abort the child.
However...
My hand slowly moved to my stomach. It was still flat, of course, and the furthest thing away from a baby bump. But I imagined my stomach swelling with my own flesh and blood. I would finally have a family of my own. The family that gave birth to me didn’t want me around, and while my child’s father would probably not accept this kid as their own, at least I would care for them.
Maybe I could run away.
Jessie came back just then, and my hand flew away from my stomach as though my skin was a pile of hot coals. She had a small smile on her lips and a small plastic bag in her hand, from which she pulled the pregnancy test kit.
"The infirmary had just one left," she said, kneeling down to hand me the test kit. "I nicked it before anyone could notice."
I took the kit with shaky hands. I didn’t even know how I made it to the washroom, but the seconds waiting for the kit to produce the test result felt like the longest three minutes of my life.
Slowly, the strip started to show changes. I stared at the little window, my heart sinking when two lines appeared on the pregnancy test.
"Briar?" A loud pounding on the door caused me to jerk in surprise. The test dropped to the floor with a clatter, and I scrambled to pick it up. "Briar, are you alright in there?"
I could hear some muttering happening outside the door. However, I wasn’t able to catch any words, and the voices sounded distorted.
Mustering my strength, I pulled the door open. Surprisingly, only Jessie stood outside.
"Who were you talking to?" I asked weakly, my eyes darting back and forth. If anyone else knew about this, they could tell the Alphas about it. I didn’t need them to know.
"Just some warriors who were asking what I was doing standing out here," Jessie said, waving it off. "I said a friend had a bad stomachache." When she saw my concerned expression, she gently patted my shoulder. "Don’t worry, I didn’t mention who this friend is."
I awkwardly laughed, shoving the test kit into my pocket. I needed to find a way to destroy this. I couldn’t risk having it lying around somewhere where it could be found.
"Listen, Jessie, I need to get back to my room," I said. "I appreciate the help, but no one can know about this, okay?"
"Of course," Jessie said with a nod. "My lips are sealed."
I smiled thankfully at her before turning and speed-walking to my room. Once I was inside, I closed the door, locking it behind me.
It was official. I needed to leave. It didn’t matter where I went or if I became a rogue. If I stayed here, there was no way Rowan, Soren, and especially Cassian would allow the baby to be safely delivered. Likewise, there was no guarantee that they would let me live.
I needed to go as far away from here as possible, preferably somewhere they would never find us.
However, that was easier said than done. The Shadowclaw Pack was tightly fortified, especially after the rogue attack that happened nearly two months ago. Patrols had tripled since then, and it would be nearly impossible to sneak out of here without some form of help.
Ralph’s face popped into my mind. He was kind. Maybe he would be willing to help.
But I shot that thought down almost immediately. I was no one special to Ralph. Why would he, a rising warrior, risk his life and position for a nobody like me? No sane person would do such a thing, and if I were in his position, I probably wouldn’t either. I could hardly blame him.
I paced back and forth in my room, trying to think of a possible way out.
Just then, a knock reverberated through my room.
