AthenaThe pain didn't subside as quickly as Sebastian had assured me. It persisted, dragging on for hours. What made it worse was the unpredictable fluctuations in my body temperature, swinging from scorching heat to bone-chilling cold. Words failed to capture the sheer horribleness of it all; it was an indescribable torment. It felt as if my energy was being drained from the very core of my being, as if I had already lost copious amounts of blood.My teeth chattered uncontrollably, and my body convulsed with continuous waves of shivers, each second worse than the last.This felt even more unbearable.Sebastian had dressed me in warm clothes and tucked me under the duvet, doing his utmost to keep me warm. I couldn't fathom how exhausting it must have been for him to constantly offer support when everything seemed so out of control. The weight of responsibility lay heavily on his shoulders, and despite my efforts to conceal my pain, I knew I had achieved the bare minimum, which felt

Athena"So...the abnormal growth is life-threatening, and this is not a good sign?" Cora seemed to have a hard time digesting the truth, and the worry swarming in her eyes said it all."Yes, it's kind of like that, but look, on the bright side, I get to meet my baby boy faster," I smiled,"It could be a bad sign, but I don't care about it. I am just happy that I won't have to wait long.""But wait, I don't get it. Why can't you two opt for an early delivery? I know it can be risky considering the premature instincts of your baby, but the risks might be minimised compared to a normal delivery. I just don't understand why the doctor thinks it's riskier," Cora spoke, her voice carrying an edge of frustration, "Give me the name. I'll speak to him myself.""We both have done our research, Cora," Sebastian sighed, "I've also spoken to a few other doctors out there, even though they didn't take over our case, their opinions did not vary. They, too, believe it's safer to perform the delivery o

AthenaCora's eyes widened with fear, her hands trembling slightly. As for me, I had no idea how I was supposed to react. Yes, fear gripped me, and the sensation of the blade's tip pressing ever so slightly against my throat sent shivers down my spine, even though I had faced death countless times before. But this time was different; now, with every breath I took, I knew my child's life hung in the balance, vulnerable to the ultimate death.What scared me, even more, was that the person holding the dagger was someone I had considered a friend."Aa-Aaron, what are you doing?" My voice quivered as my hands instinctively moved to shield my belly, as if I had already discerned Aaron's intentions. Was he truly here to harm me?"I am doing what I should have done earlier," he hissed, tightening his chokehold on me and pressing the dagger closer to my neck, the tip bruising my skin. I gasped in pain, but he remained unyielding, "I have tried everything, Athena. I've attempted to make you und

Athena "What is this place? Please, Aaron, let me go. I beg you."Instead of responding, he simply tied my hands behind my back. As I pleaded with him to release me, desperately trying to convince him not to hurt me or my baby, fear gripped me. This was the real Aaron I was facing now— The facade was no longer there.The surroundings around me were unfamiliar and I didn't even know my way back since he'd very cleverly covered my eyes right after a few minutes he had forcefully gotten me inside the car. All I knew is that I was locked in an old, dusty room. My eyes caught the peeling paint on the walls. It hung like tired skin, revealing the layers of time that had passed, as if the room had seen countless lives come and go. The air was heavy with the scent of decay, and I could almost taste the dust particles, and a cloud of musty air that assaulted my senses. Cobwebs stretched across every surface, connecting the remnants of a strange bygone era. Ancient furniture, draped with tatt

AthenaIn just a matter of minutes, perhaps five at most, another howl echoed from the same direction I had just fled. The urgency to rescue my child and escape intensified. The deeper I ventured, the jungle's darkness engulfed me, beyond the approaching dusk, as if the very terrain absorbed my every pawfall.Adjusting to my newfound lupine form proved challenging, despite the profound potential it held. Joy should have welled within me, had circumstances been different. Amid this life-and-death urgency for my child and me, my half-life of hell ended. The ash-hued fur now enveloping me marked my shift – bones realigning, former doubts erased. A single question remained, paramount: Can I save my baby?I did not know but I knew, I had to. No matter what, I had to.Irrespective, I surged forward with unrelenting speed, and the strength in my body grew. But the abdominal ache deepened, sapping my strides. My efforts persisted, each second ticking toward an impending reckoning. My deliver