Chapter 22: Abortion
Chapter 22: Abortion
(Aria’s POV)
The sterile smell of Silvercrest Hospital brought back painful memories. Just weeks ago, I’d watched my mother take her final breath in one of these rooms. Now I was back for a different kind of loss.
“Are you sure about this?” Olivia squeezed my hand as we sat in the waiting area of the reproductive health department.
I nodded, struggling to keep my expression neutral. “I have to be.”
My mind drifted to the night Alexander and I first mated. How desperately I’d wanted to bear his pups then. How proud I’d been when I finally conceived after years of trying. Now that dream had twisted into something unrecognizable.
“I can’t tie myself to him forever through a child,” I said quietly. “I just can’t.”
My wolf whimpered inside me, instinctively protective of the tiny life we carried. She didn’t understand human complications – mate bond severances, custody battles, lifetime entanglements. She only knew we were carrying a pup that was part of us.
“It’s for the best,” Olivia assured me, though her eyes betrayed uncertainty. “A clean break is better for
everyone.”
A nurse called my name, and we both stood. Olivia had insisted on coming with me, refusing to let me face this alone. The gratitude I felt for her friendship was overwhelming.
“Ms. Summers?” The nurse handed me a clipboard with forms. “Please fill these out completely before your
consultation.”
My hand trembled as I took the pen. Name, address, medical history – each question felt invasive, forcing me
to confront the reality of what I was about to do.
Previous pregnancies: None. Reason for visit: Termination of pregnancy.
The words stared back at me, cold and clinical.
“Aria?”
I looked up, startled to see Dr. Nathan Lewis approaching. I hadn’t seen him since my mother’s funeral. My
heart hammered in my chest as I quickly covered the forms with my arm.
“Dr. Lewis,” I forced a smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
His kind eyes studied me with professional concern. “I could say the same. Are you feeling unwell?”
“Just a stomach bug,” I lied, gathering the paperwork against my chest. “Nothing serious.”
Olivia stepped forward. “We should get going. Don’t want to be late for our appointment.”
Dr. Lewis nodded, though his expression suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Of course. Take care, Aria.
If you need anything…”
“Thank you,” I said quickly, pulling Olivia toward the elevator.
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Once the doors closed, we both exhaled.
That was close,” Olivia muttered “Isn’t he Dominic’s friend?”
I nodded, my stomach churning with anxiety. “If he finds out and tells Dominic…
“He won’t,” Olivia assured me. “Doctor–patient confidentiality, remember?”
But my wolf paced anxiously beneath my skin. She didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to end the life we’d created. Her distress only fueled my own doubts.
The consultation room was small and impersonal. The doctor, a middle–aged woman with tired eyes, reviewed my paperwork before looking up with a hint of recognition.
“Ms. Summers, I remember you from your fertility consultations.” Her voice held no judgment, only professional detachment. “You’ve been trying to conceive for some time.”
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
She nodded toward the examination table. “Let’s do an ultrasound to confirm how far along you are.”
The gel was cold against my skin as she moved the wand over my abdomen. A rapid whooshing sound filled the room – my pup’s heartbeat. My breath caught in my throat.
“There,” she pointed to a tiny bean–shaped form on the screen. “Approximately six weeks. Everything looks
normal.”
My fingers involuntarily reached toward the screen, tracing the outline of the tiny life inside me. My wolf howled with protective instinct, suddenly more present than she’d been in days.
“That’s… that’s our pup?” I whispered.
“Yes,” the doctor confirmed. “At this stage, the vital organs are beginning to form. By week twelve, they’ll be fully developed, and around week fifteen, your pup will start to develop their wolf characteristics.”
–
Tears welled in my eyes as I imagined it the tiny being growing, developing, becoming part human, part
wolf like me. Like Alexander.
“Given your history with fertility issues,” the doctor continued gently, “I have to ask if you’re certain about this
decision.”
My resolve wavered as I stared at the screen. “I’m getting a mate bond severance,” I explained, my voice breaking. “The father… it’s complicated.”
The doctor’s expression softened with understanding. “I see. Well, before we proceed, I’d like to run a few additional tests. Your previous fertility treatments may affect the procedure.”
She prepared to continue when her phone rang. Apologizing, she stepped out to answer it, leaving Olivia and me alone with the ultrasound image still frozen on the screen.
The room felt suddenly airless. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the tiny form on the monitor. My wolf’s maternal instincts surged strongly within me, fierce and protective.
“Am I doing the right thing?” I asked Olivia, my voice barely audible.
She moved closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Only you can answer that, Aria.”
“I wanted a baby for so long,” I confessed. “Years of treatments, herbs, prayers… and now that I finally have
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one, I’m throwing it away.”
“You’re not throwing anything away,” Olivia said firmly. “You’re making an impossible choice in an impossible situation. No one would blame you.”
“My wolf blames me,” I whispered. “She doesn’t understand why we’re here.”
Olivia sighed. “Your wolf only sees the pup, not the lifetime tied to Alexander. Not the custody battles, the manipulation, the using your child as leverage.”
She was right. Alexander would never let me go completely if I had his heir. He’d use our pup to control me, to keep me within his reach. Claire would be involved, inserting herself into our lives at every opportunity.
“I’m sorry, little one,” I murmured, touching my stomach gently. “Maybe in another life, under different circumstances, we’ll meet again.”
The door opened as the doctor returned, her face professionally composed once more.
“I apologize for the interruption,” she said. “Now, regarding the procedure-”
“How soon can we do it?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
The doctor reviewed something in my file, her brow furrowing. “Ms. Summers, there’s something we need to
discuss.”
She pulled her chair closer, her expression serious. “Given your history of fertility treatments and your wolf’s previous responses to them, proceeding with this termination carries significant risks.”
“What kind of risks?” Olivia asked when I couldn’t find my voice.
“There’s a high probability – about sixty percent – that the procedure could result in permanent infertility.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. Permanent infertility. Never having pups. My wolf howled in distress, the sound echoing through my mind.
“The trauma to your reproductive system, combined with your wolf’s already compromised fertility, creates a
complex situation,” the doctor explained. “If you proceed today, you may never be able to conceive again. Both you and your wolf would be affected.”
I couldn’t breathe. My hand instinctively moved to my belly, protective, and uncertain.
“Is there… is there any alternative?” I managed to ask.
The doctor nodded. “I’d recommend taking these medications to stabilize the pregnancy while you consider
your options. Return in a week, and we can reassess.”
She wrote a prescription and handed it to me. I took it automatically, my mind still reeling from the revelation.
Olivia thanked the doctor and guided me out of the room, her arm steady around my waist. I moved in a daze, clutching the prescription like a lifeline.
“It’s okay,” she murmured. “You have time to think.”
As we walked toward the elevator, Olivia suddenly pulled me into a side hallway, pressing me against the
wall.
“What-“I began, but she pressed a finger to her lips, pointing discreetly toward the OB/GYN reception area.
A woman stood at the counter, her features partially concealed by large sunglasses and a scarf wrapped
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around her hair. But I’d recognize that posture anywhere – the perfect stance, the confident tilt of her chin.
Claire Watson,
“What is she doing here?” I whispered.
“In the OB/GYN department?” Olivia raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
We watched as Claire collected some papers from the receptionist and headed toward the exit, never
noticing us in the side hallway.
“Do you think she’s…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
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