Selling Myself To The Alpha
Chapter 83

Liana POV

I sit silently next to Axel as he tells his father about us, but I do not listen. My headache from this morning has returned with a bang.

It is unlike anything I have experienced before - including a migraine. There is a disturbing murmur of voices in the back of my head while some idiot is going apeshit on drums at my temples. And to top it off - nausea keeps coming and going in waves. I close my eyes and take soft, deep breaths. "Hold on, son," Grant interrupts Axel's story. "What's wrong with her?"

"Liana," Axel turns to me and cups my face, but it is too painful to open my eyes. "What's wrong? Talk to me."

"Just a headache," I try to sound nonchalant, but I am failing miserably.

"Since when?" He asks concerned as he picks me up. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"It just started," I moan. Why is everything so loud?

"Axel, what's wrong with her?" Grant sounds alarmed.

"I don't know, Dad," Axel replies quickly. "Get Michelle, I'm taking her to my room."

"Walk softer," I complain when it feels like each step he takes resonates through my head.

"We're almost there," he whispers as he takes the stairs two by two.

I bite hard onto my lip to keep myself from making any sounds. I feel so small and weak. No wonder his mother thinks I'm not suitable to be a Luna.

"Where are your pills?" Axel asks as he lays me down on a soft bed.

"My handbag," I mumble and throw an arm across my eyes. "Please turn off the lights, it's too bright."

Even the sound of the light switch is excessively loud as Axel turns it off and switches on a lamp in the corner.

"Michelle is coming," Grant joins us in the room. "Has this happened before?"

"No," Axel sighs. "Dad, she's ..."

"Toilet," I groan and jump up. Instantly, Axel is by my side and carries me to the bathroom. He holds my hair as nausea overcomes me. With each convulsion, my head wants to explode. I want to cry from humiliation and pain but there is no time as I keep on throwing up.

"Where the hell is Michelle?" Axel hisses at his father and I can tell he is on the brink of losing control.

"Axel, it's been five minutes," Grant reasons. "She'll be here as soon as she can."

"Dad, Liana is pregnant," Axel sounds desperate. "We must help her."

"I'm getting your mother," Grant says hastily.

"No," I croak as I wipe my mouth. She is the last person I want to see now. She hates me and she will hate my baby. "It's over, I'm okay."

"You're not okay," Axel grunts as he picks me up and carries me back to bed. "You're almost transparent."

"I just need my medication," I insist. "There's nothing else to do."

"Go get it," Grant orders and sits next to me on the bed. "I'll stay with her."

"Thanks, Dad," Axel sighs relieved and I pinch my eyes closed when his footsteps t*****e my mind again.

"I'm going to be a grandpa," he whispers softly in awe as he takes my hand.

"Yes, sir," I croak despite my best efforts to sound cheerful and happy.

"This is a good day," he pats my hand. "And I don't want you to worry about anything, you hear? We'll take good care of you. Everything will be all right." "Thanks for accepting me," I smile weakly as I squeeze his hand.

"I'm really sorry for being so rude earlier," he sighs. "I was mad at Axel for shutting me out. I wasn't ..."

"It's okay," I interrupt him. As much as I appreciate his apology, I need silence. The nausea might be over, but my headache is very much alive. "I understand."

"I'm back," Axel announces, and I am on the verge of reprimanding him for being so loud when I see his face. And he calls me pale. His green eyes are wide and worried as he helps me up. My fingers are trembling when I take the pills and Axel puts the glass of water against my lips to swallow.

"Thank you," I sigh and lay back down.

Axel lays down next to me and pulls me close to his chest.

"Don't worry," I close my eyes. "The baby is fine."

**

Axel POV

I can tell by Liana's breathing that she is sleeping, and I rest my forehead against hers.

"Axel," Dad says softly. "Michelle is here."

"A little late, don't you think?" I growl and pull Liana closer to me.

"Listen," Dad sighs. "I know you're worried but don't lash out at Michelle. Don't take your emotions out on her, okay? Take it out on me, I know how to deal with it."

"Dad, I'm not going to make it if something happens to her," I admit. "I want to yell and scream and break things. I cannot handle this hopelessness. I cannot watch her being so sick and not help her. I want our baby, Dad, but what if ..." "Don't go there," Dad cuts me off sternly. "You don't know what's wrong."

There is a soft knock on the door before Michelle enters the room. She frowns softly as she looks from me and Liana to Dad.

"I'm sorry," she says confused. "I was told Luna needs help. Where is she?"

"Right here," I announce proudly. "Liana is my mate. We kept it a secret until now."

"Dear goddess," she rubs her forehead. "You don't keep secrets from your physician. Are you telling me she's pregnant with your baby?"

"Yes," I gently let go of Liana and stand up.

"With all due respect, Alpha," Michelle grunts. "She's a human and she's pregnant with an alpha's baby. I should've known that from the beginning. She's going to need much stronger medication to carry the child to term." "You've known she is pregnant a lot longer than me," I protest.

"What happened tonight?" Michelle ignores my reply as she takes Liana's pulse and I tell her in as much detail as I can. Including the morning's headache.

"Have you marked her?" Michelle asks softly as she gently touches Liana's stomach.

"Yes," I cross my arms in front of my chest. "This weekend."

Michelle does not say a word as she continues examining Liana and her silence is driving me insane. I need to know what is wrong, but her stoic face does not give anything away.

"Liana and the baby are fine," she announces after what feels like an eternity.

"Oh, thank goddess," I sigh and slump down on the corner of the bed. Dad comes to stand next to me and rests his hand encouragingly on my shoulder.

"But her mark is swollen," her words splinter my fleeting serenity.

"What does that mean?" Dad asks on my behalf.

"Several things," she sighs heavily. "Worst case, she's rejecting your mark."

"Impossible," Dad hisses. "Why would her body keep the baby and reject the mark?"

"I didn't say the baby will make it if she rejects the mark," Michelle looks at me with sympathy.

"You mean ..." the words get stuck, and I cannot bring myself to utter it.

"Yes," she sighs. "If Liana rejects your mark, she'll reject your baby as well and she'll miscarry."

"Goddess, no," I bury my face in my hands and start crying. I do not need Liana to bear my mark. I love her and will still marry her. But I doubt that she will be able to accept and live with it.

"Why is this happening?" Dad asks distraught.

"The alpha baby is too strong for a human mother," Michelle explains patiently. "It depletes all her resources, and her body is fighting back to survive. Without medical intervention, Liana will either miscarry or die." "And the baby dies either way," Dad's fingers bore into my shoulder.

"Yes, but gentlemen, that's the worst case," Michelle's soft words finally register, and I nod as I fight to pull myself together. "She might not reject the mark. It could be swollen because she was marked after she became pregnant. When she was pregnant without the mark, she was fine. Adding the mark, added more strain to her body. This could be something as simple as her body trying to heal the mark and keeping the baby. With time ..."

"No," I jump up and ball my fists as I fight the agony. "We cannot idly sit around and wait and see. There must be preventive measures. Surely, she's not the first human carrying an alpha's child."

"I was getting to that," Michelle smiles patiently. "With time her body will adjust, and she won't have this issue with future pregnancies. The first pregnancy is the hardest and riskiest. With blood transfusions from the biological father, there has been a hundred percent success rate when started early. But those odds declined rapidly the longer you wait."

"Then why are we wasting time discussing it?" I grunt as I roll up my sleeve. "Get the needles, doctor."

"You need to be healthy," She states. "No illness, or drugs in your system. No new piercings or tattoos. I assume I don't have to ask about multiple s*x partners."

I give her a deathly glare and she shrugs.

"Due diligence, Alpha," she says. "This is about my patient's health and not your ego. Technically, I should test your blood before giving it to her."

"We don't have time for that," I grunt. "And my answer is no to all of the above."

"Okay," she nods after a moment. "But only this time."

"We need to do this once a week," Michelle says as she takes out needles and tubes. "I expect you at my office every Monday for a blood donation so that it can be screened before I give it to her." "Fine, whatever," I grunt as I sit down next to Liana. "Just save them."

"I'm also increasing her prenatal vitamins," Michelle continues as if I have not said a word. "And you need to ensure that she eats at least six times a day."

"What else?" I ask as the needle pricks my skin.

"Congratulations on replaceing your mate, Alpha," she smiles at me.