Trish prepared the ultrasound equipment and rubbed gel all over Della's lower belly. Della wondered how she had missed all of the signs. Her periods had never been regular, but she had been feeling nauseous in the morning, and her pants had seemed a little tighter than usual. She had chalked it up to her tendency to overindulge on sweets, and the cooks had been making more apple pies than usual due to an overabundance of apples this year.
"Of course I missed the signs," she muttered. "I had no reason to even suspect I was pregnant." She wondered how this could be happening to her. "I really don't know when this could have happened," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed at her mother, praying she believed her.
"Were you at any parties, drinking, and not had any memory of what happened?" Her mother asked, and Della shook her head.
"No, never. I've kissed a few times, messed around with clothes on, but never anything that could lead to…. to this." She looked down at her stomach, realizing she even had a slight bump. "Why didn't anyone notice that my scent changed?"
"Well, we did, but we assumed it was due to hormones, perhaps your body calling out to your fated mate?" Leah sighed. "I believe you, Della. We never realized it was due to pregnancy because we know you. Whatever happened, it clearly was not something you agreed to." Anger flashed across the Luna's face. "Who would dare to do this to you! How could they have done it without you knowing?"
Della watched the monitor, her eyes lighting up when she heard the heartbeat. That was her pup, alive, with a strong heartbeat! Trish frowned, and her heart sank. "What is it?" She demanded, panic rising in her voice.
"As you know, werewolf pregnancies progress faster than humans, lasting four months rather than nine. Your pup appears to be about a month along, based on the developmental characteristics. The size, though, is slightly larger than normal."
"What does that mean?" Della asked, alarmed. "Is something wrong with him?"
"What makes you so sure it's a him?" Her mother asked, gazing at the small shape on the monitor, a small smile on her face. "Can you tell at this point?" She asked Trish.
"No, not for sure, but the larger size does suggest a male, and a powerful one at that." Trish looked thoughtful for a moment, before removing the instrument and printing off the readout for Della to keep.
"It's a boy," Della said, "and it is not his fault he was created the way he was. I refuse to hold that against him. I will not have an abortion." She sighed. "I would never judge anyone who did, and I believe there should always be a choice. I am saying, in my case, I choose to keep my pup." She gave a half smile. "I have always dreamed of being a mother. Mom, you should understand, didn't you feel something when you found out you were pregnant with us?"
Leah's face softened. "Of course I did, and I understand, Della. I just, well, there are a lot of hardships you will endure, and you don't deserve them. And your brother, well, this could affect his life too."
Della's anger flared again. "Jared would be on my side on this," she said, "he would give up the title if he knew. Which is why I have some decisions to make about my future." Della had already began forming a plan. She would mask her scent before leaving the pack, so no one would know. She wouldn't let her reputation tarnish her brother's future.
"Trish, do you have a scent masker I could use to hide the scent of my pregnancy?" She asked.
"Yes, I can send you with some. Della, I have to tell you, there is only a small window of time for you to change your mind. This pup is growing like a weed. That might help you narrow down who the father could be." Della jumped up and began throwing her clothes back on.
"I don't care who the father is. If I do find out, I will likely kill him myself." The coldness in her voice left no doubt that she was serious.
"Della, don't you see? You will hate the half of your pup that is him!" Her mother cried, "your whole life, Della, this is not your fault yet you will be punished for it!"
"The pup," she said, pointing to the little spot on the ultrasound readout, "is MINE. The Moon Goddess will look after us. This happened for a reason."
"Della, the pup was most likely fathered by an Alpha," Trish said, "they tend to grow faster. You having Alpha blood will make the pregnancy easier, but you will need careful monitoring. The growth rate is unlike anything I have seen." Della nodded. "I will figure it out."
She and her mother took the masking spray, and left the clinic, the silence heavy between them. Finally, Leah asked her, "Do you plan to tell your brother and father?"
"Of course. But don't worry. I will remain hidden away until the pup is born. Tell everyone I went away to visit friends. Once he is born, I will think of something." She looked at her mother hopefully. "Could we pass him off as an orphan? That I adopted?" Her mother shook her head.
"Della, the odds of being able to hide this, even with masking spray, are slim. Even when he is born your scent will change. You will not be able to hide the fact that he is yours."
Her mother's phone rang, and she took the call as they pulled up in front of the Pack House. "What? Well, that's a surprise. Did he state the reason for his visit? Oh, that makes sense. Well, we will be in shortly. Oh, she's okay. I will let her explain in detail." Della stared at her mother, curious after listening to the one sided conversation. They stepped out of the car, and began heading towards the Pack House doors. "Alpha Dustin and his Beta, Marcus stopped over to visit your brother. Dustin is the new Blue Moon Alpha, and he just wanted to see your brother and wish him well, since he happened to be passing through."
Della barely heard the words her mother said. She was sprinting towards the house, like someone possessed. She threw the front door open, and four surprised werewolves stared at her.
Her wolf was jumping up and down in her head, and Della wanted to do the same! She crossed the small space between herself and Dustin, who took her hand. Sparks exploded at the touch, and Della exclaimed, "Mate!" Dustin's eyes met hers, and she was filled with joy, her wolf, Mila, doing a happy dance.
Then his eyes changed, the joy replaced with shock, then anger. He shoved her away, as though disgusted. He quickly turned on his heel and stalked out the door. His Beta looked at her with disgust and followed.
"What the hell? How dare you treat my sister that way?" Jared shouted, following. "Stop! You don't come to my Pack House and disrespect my sister like that! What the fuck is wrong with you?" He demanded an explanation.
"Your sister," Alpha Dustin spat, "is a whore. Do you expect me to raise her bastard pup?" Jared looked at Della, whose tear filled eyes spoke the truth.
"Yes, I am pregnant," Della said, anger making her voice low and dangerous. "It was a surprise to me as well. I believed I was untouched, until I learned of the pup."
"That's what they all say," Dustin snapped. "Just admit it. You spread your legs and got what you deserved. Now no one will ever want you as a mate." He took a deep breath, ready to reject her, but Della cut him off.
"I, Della Draven, of Snow Moon, reject Alpha Dustin Edgewater of Blue Moon as my mate." The pain hit her hard, the tether between them snapped, and it felt as though every bone in her body snapped with it. They both fell to their knees.
"I, Dustin Edgewater, accept your rejection," he growled, and the pain intensified. Della didn't care, the asshole didn't even let her explain, and he called her a whore! Good riddance! Her heart broke, and she panicked, thinking of her pup and praying he was not feeling her pain. Their bond was intact, and she sensed no distress. That was all that mattered, she told herself.
She heard her father commanding Dustin and his Beta to swear a blood oath to tell no one of what had happened, punishable by death. She didn't stick around, she turned and walked back in to the Pack House, to her room, where she crawled in to her bed and cried herself to sleep.
"It's okay, little one," she told the pup growing in her belly. "I will love you to the moon and back, no matter what it costs me." She promised, and Della always kept her promises.
Mila, her wolf, howled a sad song in her head, wishing she could comfort Della and their pup, mourning the cruelty of their fate. She then set to purring softly to soothe the growing pup.
The sad, beautiful howl was heard, by the only one powerful enough to manipulate fate. She quickly got to work, making small adjustments and alterations, patterns emerging that would only be revealed in time.