Sidonie's POV

A loud beeping sound filled my ears as I slowly became aware of my surroundings. I groaned at the annoying sound, shaking my head to get it out. There was a low murmur and then I felt someone touch my head.

I hissed at the pain and my eyes flew open, ready to fight whoever it was.

A man was wearing a white coat, looming above me. The pair of stethoscopes hanging around his n*eck made me calm down. Behind him was a nurse holding a metal tray and some cotton wool.

Pain drifted down my temple again and I directed my attention back to the doctor. What the hell was he doing?

Scratch that, what was I doing here?

Last I recalled, I was on the bridge. My b*dy didn't feel wet, so I doubted I had jumped into the river.

So how exactly had I gotten here?

"Oh good, you're awake." He said with a smile and stepped back. "We'd been worried you had suffered a fatal blow. But your head seems fine. Only a bruise and that should heal in a day or two."

I frowned at him and tried to sit up. He grabbed my arms and propped me against the bed headboard.

"Thank you," I murmured hoarsely. "What happened? How did I get here?"

"A group of people rushed you in." The nurse replied, walking to a bin in the wardroom to throw the cotton wool. She sounded unimpressed. "They saw you faint on the bridge and brought you here."

I gripped my head, trying to think through the headache that slowly arose. I had fainted? How? Why? It didn't seem likely that I would faint just like that. I was a werewolf, I had a lot more resilience than half the humans on the planet.

Yet I had fainted.

Had it been because of Carlyle? Maybe the pain he caused me had made me weak.

"When…" I croaked. "When was that?"

"Some three hours ago." The doctor supplied.

"Oh, I see," I mumbled and swung my legs to the side of the bed. "Thank you."

"You need to be careful!" The nurse yelled suddenly, and I looked at her, face marred in confusion. It was just a bruise on my head. It wasn't like I was going to go around ramming my head into every wall I saw.

"What?" I asked, unsure of what exactly was going on.

The doctor and nurse exchanged glances, and I felt dread fill my stomach. Why were they acting strange? Was something wrong with me? Did they know I had been planning to jump off the bridge?

"Is there a problem?!" I asked, getting alarmed by their secrecy.

The doctor cleared his throat and spoke up. "Do you know you're pregnant, Miss?"

I stared at him blankly, then as his words dawned on me, my eyes widened in shock. "I'm what?!"

"I told you she didn't know!" The nurse said, sounding rather proud of herself. I glared at her and she glared right back.

What in the world was going on?! How was I pregnant? I'd only had s*x once in my entire life and… No!

No way! I could not be carrying Carlyle's baby!

"No!" I yelled, shaking visibly. "I can't be pregnant. I can't. Not his baby."

The nurse's eyes softened and she came to my side, covering my hand with hers. "Breathe, okay? It's not the end of the world."

It was! I wanted to tell her. It was the end of my world. It meant I had to live now. I couldn't kill the baby. I could not drown myself either.

Hell, how would I explain this to my parents? They would lose their heads! Mom would be so disappointed with me. I covered my face with my palm, sobbing into it.

What about Carlyle? I shuddered at the thought. If he found out I was pregnant with his child, there would be no escaping the betrothal. He would demand a marriage with me and my parents would gladly give me up to save face.

He could never find out. I had to find a way to disappear off to a place he would never find me. I didn't want to be bound to him ever. Not now. Not in a million years!

Cleaning my tears, I thanked the nurse and doctor for their help and asked if I could leave. After a few proceedings and signing the discharge document, I walked out of the hospital, tired yet terrified.

If Carlyle heard a whiff of me carrying his child, I would have to marry him. Or worse, he could decide that he didn't want me at all, like he had so boldly declared in the cafe and only lay claim to his child.

I could not allow that to happen.

I glanced down at my belly. It looked the same as it had in the past years. But I knew in time, it would grow bigger. I placed my palm over it, rubbing it slightly. This child saved me. I would be damned if I would let it go.

I would raise him all on my own. Without Carlyle. Determined, I hailed a cab home.

Mom waited at the door, eager to hear whatever must have happened.

"I'm sure you'll hear from him soon," I told her with a smile and watched her eyes light up with joy.

"Oh my gosh! I am so happy!" She squealed and rushed into the house to tell my father.

I listened to them talk excitedly about it during dinner. How happy they were that things worked out. How they had always known Alpha Carlyle would like me. Hilarious. They couldn't be more wrong. But of course, I didn't tell them. I sat through the entire dinner, shoving meager pieces of meatloaf down my throat.

I imagined the faces they would make the next day when they discovered Alpha Carlyle didn't, in fact, like me, and that I was gone from the city.

That night, I drafted a letter telling them not to worry and that I was fine. I broke my piggy bank I had kept for years and packed a few clothes. I had lived for my parents all these years, it was time I lived for myself and my baby.