Her Heart Stopped, Mine Too
Sebastian’s POV
“Alpha Ashworth, time is critical. We need your decision immediately,” the physician’s voice was urgent, almost pleading. I tried to speak, but my throat constricted as if someone had wrapped their hands around it and squeezed. Not a single fucking word would come out. My wolf howled in agony inside my head, the sound deafening me to everything else.
“Alpha?” The nurse’s voice was filled with tense expectation.
“The baby,” Iris suddenly spoke, her voice soft but incredibly firm. “If it comes down to it, save the baby.”
The physicians and nurses nodded quickly, rushing back into the treatment room. I spun toward Iris, a tidal wave of rage, terror, and a bone-deep helplessness crashing over me—a feeling I’d never known before. My expression must have revealed everything, because she met my gaze unflinchingly, her eyes clear and certain.
“Don’t look at me like that, Sebastian,” she said steadily. “We both know that’s exactly what Thea would choose.”
Roman stepped forward. “Iris is right. Thea would put her baby first without hesitation. If we chose differently, she’d hate us for the rest of her life when she woke up.” He voiced the thoughts haunting the darkest corners of my mind, and I collapsed into a chair, strength draining from my body. I couldn’t argue; they were right, but accepting that truth was more painful than a knife to the gut. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Of course, I didn’t want anything to happen to her baby. But the thought of a world without Thea was something I couldn’t even begin to process. All I could do was pray to the Moon Goddess that the physicians wouldn’t have to make that cruel choice. Let them both come back. Let Thea hold her newborn baby herself.
The waiting was fucking killing me. My mind raced through a thousand possibilities—worry, uncertainty. I just needed someone to tell me she’d be okay, that she and the baby were out of danger, that they would both fucking make it.
“This is all my fault,” Iris’s sob broke the silence. “She tried to reach me, but I wasn’t available. When I saw the missed call, I told myself I’d call her back later, but if I had just called her immediately…”
Roman pulled her into his arms, gently rubbing her back. “This isn’t your fault, Iris. No one could have seen this coming.”
“If anyone’s to blame, it’s me,” Sophia said, having arrived about half an hour ago. “She called me too, wanting to go shopping, but I was busy, so I asked if we could postpone. If I’d gone with her, maybe I could have done something to prevent her from getting hurt.” I knew she and Iris were now Thea’s two best friends. She joined the self-blame, hugging herself as if cold, crying like Iris.
Looking at them, I saw the love for their friend shining in their eyes. Though they hadn’t known each other long, their bond was undeniable.
“None of you could have possibly predicted this, so don’t blame yourselves,” Margaret’s voice trembled. “Blaming each other won’t solve anything right now. We should pray for Thea and the baby, ask for the Moon Goddess’s blessing,” my father added.
I said nothing, staring at the treatment room doors, waiting for news. Each second felt like a fucking century. Why was my Alpha power so useless in this moment? I would sacrifice everything to see her alive, scowling or rolling her eyes at me. If I could take her place, even if it meant my death, I would do it without a second thought.
“Remember that time at the mall?” Iris suddenly said, her eyes warm with memory. “Thea didn’t see the glass door and walked straight into it.”
Sophia laughed softly. “Then she fell on her ass, her face all red, but she was still laughing.”
“She said it was one of the most embarrassing moments of her life,” Iris continued, “but she never let little things like that get to her.”
A few chuckles rippled through the room, but I felt a twinge of discomfort. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay silent.
“And that time when that hot waiter caught her talking about how cute he was? We were trying to signal that he was right behind her, but she didn’t get it until he cleared his throat,” Sophia said with a gentle smile.
“She was so mortified. She begged us to leave because she couldn’t face him again,” Iris added. “She refused to go back to that place after that.”
Silence fell. Everyone was lost in memories—for some, perhaps not good ones. After all, they’d all treated Thea like shit, but Iris and Sophia had plenty of good memories.
My patience slipped away. How could they sit here talking about Thea like they were telling stories around a campfire? Like they were reminiscing about someone already gone?
“I have so many stories about her that I want to tell Leo and her new baby,” Iris’s voice was soft, “about how amazing their mother is, how special…”
“Enough!” I shot to my feet, rage boiling inside me.
“W-what?” she stammered.
“Don’t fucking talk about her like she’s already gone!” My voice carried the weight of my Alpha authority. “She’s still alive, she’ll be fine, she’s going to make it through this!”
The waiting area went silent. Iris looked at me in shock, while Sophia lowered her head.
The treatment room doors opened. A different physician walked out, and we crowded around him.
“How is she?” I demanded, my heart pounding.
“The C-section went well for the baby,” the physician said. “The infant has been taken to the neonatal intensive care unit.”
Everyone sighed in relief, but I noticed he hadn’t told us everything. When he said the C-section went well for the baby, what did that mean for Thea? Did it mean the opposite for her?
Before I could ask, he spoke again.
“Congratulations, Alpha Ashworth, it’s a girl.”