Avenging Luna
Chapter 91: Mate or Baby

Chapter 91: Mate or Baby

Drake’s POV:

The doctor stood in front of me, his face drawn with worry. His words echoed in my head, and I struggled to process what he was saying.

"A C-section," he explained, "might be the best course of action. There’s a chance that the baby hasn’t been affected by the wolfbane, and delivering now, even though the baby is only seven months along, could give us a fighting chance. But we need to be cautious. If the baby has been exposed to the wolfbane, performing the C-section could do more harm than good."

My mind raced. Premature. Seven months. My child would be so small, so fragile. And if the wolfbane was in the baby’s system, what would that mean? Would we be bringing a life into this world just to watch it suffer?

I looked at Leila lying there, still unconscious, her face pale and her breaths shallow. She had already endured so much. My heart ached, torn between wanting to save them both and the fear of losing them.

The doctor continued, his tone gentle but firm. "If we go through with the C-section, Leila’s body will have a better chance of healing. Right now, she’s trying to fight the wolfbane while also supporting the baby. If we remove that strain, her healing process could improve. But it’s a delicate balance."

I clenched my fists, feeling utterly helpless. My mind was at war with itself. I wanted to protect them both, but the reality of the situation was brutal. There was no perfect solution, no guarantee of safety for either of them.

The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder, his eyes filled with empathy. "You don’t have to decide this alone, Drake. But time is running out. We need to act soon."

I stood there, my thoughts racing. How had it come to this? Leila and I were supposed to be preparing for the birth of our child months from now, not making life-or-death decisions in a sterile hospital room. And now, because of some cruel twist of fate—or someone’s malicious intent—I was faced with the hardest decision of my life.

The thought of losing both of them paralyzed me. The guilt gnawed at me. I should have taken her to the hospital sooner. I should have done more.

"I need to know," I said, my voice hoarse. "If we do the C-section, and the baby hasn’t been affected by the wolfbane, what are the chances of survival for both of them?"

The doctor paused, choosing his words carefully. "Leila’s chances of survival will increase if we remove the baby now. Her body is strong, but it’s being overwhelmed by the poison and the stress of the pregnancy. If the baby hasn’t been affected, they’ll be premature but viable with the right care. Our neonatal team is ready. But..." He hesitated, "If the baby has been affected, we could be looking at severe complications. In that case, it might be better to avoid the C-section, since the baby if affected will be better off in their mother womb"

I rubbed my face, frustration boiling beneath the surface. There was no certainty, no way to know for sure until it was too late. I couldn’t shake the thought that this was all my fault. I should have seen the signs earlier, acted sooner. Now, my mate and child were suffering for my mistakes.

"I need more time," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The doctor nodded. "You have a little time, but not much. We need to move quickly if we’re going to do this."

He left the room, giving me a few moments to think, but how could I think straight? Every option felt like a gamble, and I wasn’t sure I had the strength to make the right choice. I wanted to scream, to rage at the universe for putting me in this impossible situation.

I turned to look at Leila again. Her face was peaceful, but the machines around her told a different story. Her body was fighting, but it was weakening. I could feel it through our bond, faint as it was. She was slipping away, and if I didn’t act soon, I’d lose her. I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t survive that.

I walked to her side and knelt down, taking her hand in mine. It was cold, and the chill sent a shiver down my spine. "Leila," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to save you. But I swear I’m going to try."

I kissed her hand, feeling the overwhelming burden of the decision pressing down on me. Could I risk it? Could I bring our baby into the world now, hoping that the wolfbane hadn’t touched them, knowing that it could save Leila? Or should I leave things as they were and hope for the best, knowing it might cost them both their lives?

I needed to clear my head. I needed to make the right choice.

The doctor’s words rang in my ears. Leila’s body will have a better chance of healing if we remove the baby now. The logic was sound, but the risks were terrifying.

I closed my eyes, trying to connect with Leila through our bond, trying to feel what she would want. Would she want me to risk our baby to save her? Would she want me to protect our child at all costs?

No answers came. All I felt was the dull ache of our weakened connection, a shadow of the bond we once had. I was alone in this decision, and that terrified me more than anything.

I stood up, pacing the room. My mind was spinning, my heart pounding in my chest. What if I made the wrong choice? What if I condemned them both with my decision?

But I had to act. I couldn’t stand by and watch Leila fade away.

With a deep breath, I made my decision. I called for the doctor, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my insides. When he entered, I looked him in the eye, my jaw set with determination.

"Do the C-section," I said. "Save my mate, and save my baby if possible."

The doctor nodded and immediately began preparing his team. As they moved into action, I stood there, my heart racing, my hands shaking.

It was out of my control now. All I could do was hope—hope that I hadn’t made the wrong choice, hope that the Moon Goddess would protect them both.

And pray that I wouldn’t lose everything.

I had no choice but to go with the C-section. The logic was undeniable, but the emotional weight of it was suffocating. With the C-section, there was a possibility that I could save both Leila and the baby—if they hadn’t been affected by the wolfbane. There was hope, slim as it might be. And if the baby was affected, well... at least Leila would survive, and we could try for another baby when the time was right.

But the alternative—leaving things as they were and refusing the C-section—was even riskier. I could lose both of them. That thought was unbearable. My mind screamed at me, reminding me that I had already wasted too much time, that I should have taken her to the hospital the moment I suspected something was wrong. Instead, I had let my anger and confusion cloud my judgment. If I did nothing now, if I let that poison continue to spread through her body and the baby’s, then I might lose everything.

I couldn’t bear that.

The doctor’s words still echoed in my mind: "Leila’s body will heal faster without the strain of the pregnancy." It was the safer option, the only option where I might still have a future with her. And I clung to that thought. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t lose everything.

I stood outside the operating room, my heart racing as they prepared her. The sterile scent of the hospital, the hushed voices of the nurses and doctors—it all blurred together. I felt disconnected from reality, as if I was watching this unfold from a distance.

As they wheeled Leila into the room, I caught one last glimpse of her, lying unconscious on the hospital bed. Her face was so pale, her body so fragile. She looked nothing like the strong, fierce woman I had fallen in love with. The wolfbane had drained her, and now she was fighting for both her life and our child’s. I hated seeing her like this, but I knew this was our only chance.

I wanted to be in there with her, to hold her hand through the procedure, but they wouldn’t allow it. The risk was too great. So, I stood outside, pacing the hallway like a caged animal, powerless to do anything but wait. My thoughts spiraled out of control—what if the baby didn’t make it? What if Leila didn’t make it? The uncertainty was crushing, and my hands shook with fear and frustration.

I kept replaying the last few hours in my head. I had been so stupid, so blinded by my own anger and assumptions. The sight of her holding that bottle... it had pushed me over the edge. I had jumped to conclusions, believing that she was deliberately taking the wolfbane. But now, standing here in the cold, sterile corridor, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

The minutes felt like hours. Every second that passed was torture, knowing that my whole world was in that room, in the hands of the doctors. My bond with Leila was weak, almost nonexistent, and it terrified me. I couldn’t feel her like I used to. Was she too far gone? Was she slipping away from me? My heart clenched at the thought.

Finally, the door opened, and the doctor stepped out, his face unreadable. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for him to speak, every fiber of my being screaming for some kind of answer.

"How is she?" I asked, my voice hoarse with desperation.