Chapter 176

Carol’s POV

“Mrs. Miller-Cruz, are you still there?”

I realized I had been holding the phone to my ear without saying anything. I was way too stunned to speak, but I had questions that I needed her to answer right away. My heart was hammering in my chest at the very thought of being pregnant.

“Doctor Carmicheal, is there a chance I could be pregnant?” I asked, my voice coming out breathy. I didn’t want anyone to hear me, so I kept my voice low as I spoke.

“If you had sex in the last few weeks, then yes,” she answered. “Do you want me to run some tests for you? Or are you capable of getting that done at your new clinic?”

My breath came out shaky as I thought about the fact that I could be pregnant. I always knew that one day I wanted to be a mom. But right now? Was I ready to take that step? Were kids something Aiden wanted? I never bothered to ask him what he wanted. The conversation never came up between us and it probably should have happened before we got married.

I was suddenly feeling sick to my stomach again, but this time I managed to swallow it down. I didn’t want to vomit all over this outfit after I just showered and changed.

“I’ll get that done here…” I finally answered, my breathing labored.

“I’m so sorry to have to tell you about this news over the phone. If there’s anything I can do, let me know,” she said compassionately.

I nodded, forgetting for a moment that she couldn’t see me.

“Thank you, doctor,” I managed before hanging up.

I put my phone back in my purse before going into the packhouse. Aiden was waiting for me just inside the front door and he looked worried.

“Is everything okay?” He asked me.

I decided not to tell him about this potential pregnancy until I knew with certainty that it was real.

“Yeah, it was just my mom,” I lied.

He wrapped his arm around me and guided me into the ballroom where the party was being held. I brushed the thought of possibly being pregnant out of my mind. When I was offered champagne. I respectfully declined, telling them I didn’t want to upset my stomach any more than it had been.

Nobody questioned me.

The very next day, before I went to the hockey stadium, I called the pack doctor and made an appointment to get tested.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this, doctor,” I told him.

“Not even the Alpha?” He sounded uncertain.

“Especially not the Alpha,” I told him in return. “At least not yet. I’d like to know for sure.”

“How about you come in tomorrow morning and we can find out,” The doctor suggested.

“Thank you so much; I’ll be there,” I assured him before hanging up the phone.

I sighed relieved; by this time tomorrow, I’ll know if I’m pregnant or not.

I spent most of the workday in my office at the hockey stadium. I had a ton of paperwork I needed to finish. When I finished, I joined the team and the coach at the rink and watched them practice for their upcoming game. The season's first game was around the corner, and the team has been working hard to be the best. The first game was going to be against the Statford Freeze and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about it.

I felt a bit like a traitor; I just hoped they would understand.

I took some notes while I observed each play that was made. I wanted to write down the players’ weaknesses as I spotted them so they could work on them.

“They’ve been playing a lot better since you joined,” Coach Sanchez informed me.

“I think they just want to impress the Luna,” I teased with a sly grin.

Coach shrugged.

“Even so, if it gets us the win, then I’ll take it.”

I laughed as I turned back to the team. The way they effortlessly glided across the ice made me think back to when Aiden taught me how to skate. I blush crept along my cheeks as I thought about what happened after he taught me how to skate.

But then I started to think about how much he loved hockey and how it was still such a huge part of his life despite his being an alpha now and not having the time to play. I wondered briefly if our children would like hockey as much as their father does. I wondered if Aiden would teach them how to skate and maybe even teach them how to play the game.

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach at the thought of it. I realized that I truly did want to be a mother and even though right now seemed like poor timing, I don’t think there’s ever a perfect time to have children. I put my hand on my belly, and I felt a warmth spread across my entire body.

I could have a baby inside of me right now. I could already be a mother and not know it. Aiden could be a father.

I never spoke to Aiden about being children before; it never came up. Or maybe it just never felt like a good time to speak about it. But I worried that maybe he didn’t want children.

Then again, he is an Alpha, and he would need an heir to take over for him once he retired.

“Are you okay?” Coach Sanchez asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I blinked a few times and looked at him, realizing I had completely zoned out.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. I’ll be okay though,” I assured him.

The team was just finishing up their practice session and I skated out to them to tell them where they could improve and what I noticed while observing them.

Afterward, Allen caught up with me just before I went into my office.

“Hey, I just wanted to make sure we were still okay. I feel bad for how I acted the other day and I’m really sorry Carol,” he said, touching my arm to stop me from disappearing through the door.

I turned to him and smiled.

“Everything is fine, Allen. No need to worry or keep apologizing. I’m not mad at you. I understand that you were just drunk,” I assured him.

He looked relieved and nodded.

“I didn’t go to the execution, but I heard about it. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said genuinely.

“I guess that’s part of being a Luna,” I said as I opened my office door and stepped inside, Allen followed behind me. “Doing things I don’t want to.”

“I didn’t really know Mike, but I knew he was close to some of the pack members, and he was close to the former Alpha. It’s a shame it turned out this way,” he said.

I was going to respond to him, but I felt a ping of nausea hit my stomach suddenly.

Oh no, not here… not now, I pleaded with myself. I did not want to get sick while at work and embarrass myself yet again.

I held onto the desk and took a steady breath, trying to calm my nerves and aching belly.

“Carol, are you okay?” Allen asked, stepping around me.

I looked up at him to reassure him that I was fine, but then I felt dizzy. Perhaps I moved my head too fast, or maybe it was something else. But I could see the concern in his eyes as he tried to steady me.

Was I spinning? Or was the room spinning?

“Luna!” Allen nearly shouted and before I knew what was happening, I fell to the ground.

Allen was quick to catch me though before I actually hit the floor. Everything was spinning and I felt so sick.

“Allen…I—” I couldn’t speak.

Specks of darkness clouded my vision; I turned my head away from Allen and lost the contents of my stomach all over my office floor.

I heard him cursing, but that was about it because almost right after I threw up, I passed out.

…..

I woke up to the light sounds of beeping. When I opened my eyes, I struggled against the illuminating lights that blinded me.

“You’re waking up!” I heard a familiar voice say from beside me. “I’ll get the doctor.”

The doctor?

The person beside me ran out of the room before I could fully open my eyes. but once I did get them open, I realized I was in the hospital.

My heart was racing; how did I end up here? Where was Aiden?

Moments later, the doctor walked in, and Allen followed behind him. I realized the voice I heard a bit ago was Allen’s voice. He looked worried as he walked in, but when he saw my eyes open, he was relieved.

“What’s going on?” I asked as he approached my bedside.

“You passed out in your office right after you vomited,” he explained. “I brought you to the hospital.”

“Where’s Aiden?”

Allen looked a bit sheepish.

“I didn’t tell him you were here; I wasn’t sure if you wanted to worry him,” he admitted.

I sighed; maybe it would be better if he wasn’t disturbed by this. I looked at the doctor who seemed to be setting up an ultrasound machine and my heart dropped into my stomach.

“Doctor?” I asked him, drawing his attention. “What’s wrong with me?”

He glanced at me before returning his attention to the machine.

“You were extremely dehydrated,” he explained, motioning towards the IV that he put into my arm. I hadn’t noticed it until now and I frowned at it. “But I have a suspicion as to why you keep throwing up and why you haven’t been feeling well. Though, your bloodwork hasn’t come back yet. I’m going to use this machine to double-check.”

He lifted my shirt, exposing my belly to him as he smeared some cold jelly on it.

“You think I’m pregnant.”

It wasn’t a question and he didn’t answer me right away. Instead, he turned the machine on and then put the wand against my belly. He moved it around for a minute and I watched the screen light to life and the inside of my stomach appeared. My eyes stayed glued to the screen and then he stopped and sighed as he found what he was looking for.

“Doctor?” I asked, unsure of what I was seeing.

He pointed to a small speck on the screen and then turned to me.

“That’s it,” he told me. “The reason behind your illness. You are indeed pregnant, Carol.”

And just like that, my entire world changed. Allen grabbed hold of my hand, and a smile lit up his face. I wasn’t sure why he was so happy, but I couldn’t contain the tears that fell down my cheeks as I looked at him and then back at the screen.

This was real; I was having a baby!

…..

Third Person POV

Carol and Allen, what a beautiful-looking couple to those who were watching on the outside. Carol found out she was expecting, and Allen was there to hold her hand, smiling as if he was the baby's father.

It would be a shame if people got the wrong idea about them.

Carol was so wrapped up in the news of her baby that she didn’t notice the flash of light from a camera just outside of her hospital room.