Chapter 28
"She says Peter is with her right now," Eden rushed to explain as she followed Alec down the halls. Her shoes were in one hand as she gathered her dress in the other.
"And Lillian heard Peter say the baby is his?" Alec asked as he stormed towards the floor he shared with Grace.
Eden looked over her shoulder at the old woman huffing and puffing behind them.
"Yes, yes," Lillian said. "I heard it with my own ears."
"She heard it with her own ears," Eden relayed back to Alec.
"I swear to the gods I am going to kill her," Alec growled.
Eden fel her hands and feet grow numb from the cold. She felt Alec's rage run through her veins. It was terrifying and heartbreaking. He truly believed he was going to be a father.
As they reached the doors, Alec pushed them open without hesitation. Eden looked over his shoulder and spotted Peter and Grace standing in the middle of the room.
"Hi, my love," Grace smiled. "How was the ball?"
Her eyes moved over his shoulder and landed on Eden.
"What the hell is she doing here?" Grace demanded.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Alec spoke through his teeth as he pointed to Peter.
Grace flickered her gaze to the man with the round glasses. Eden watched as Peter begged Grace with his eyes.
"Peter just came by to see how I was doing," Grace said slowly.
"Cut the bullshit, Grace," Alec shut his eyes to contain his anger. "I know."
Grace stilled. Her eyes moved to Peter and then back to Alec.
"I know about the two of you," Alec took a dangerous step towards Grace.
Peter took a protective step towards her as well just as Eden grabbed Alec's arm.
"Do not touch him!" Grace snapped. She tried to detach Eden's hand from Alec's but he stopped her.
"You will not speak to her like that," Alec said in a low voice.
Grace gasped, "Are you fuckin' kidding me?"
Eden swallowed the lump in her throat as Grace narrowed her bright blue eyes.
"I am the mother of your child, Alec," Grace threatened.
"No, you're not." Alec took a step back.
"What?"
"I know now," Alec's body trembled with rage. "I know the baby isn't mine."
Grace shook her head as anger flared in her eyes.
"And who told you that?" She yelled. "Eden? The psycho defected witch!"
"Enough!" Alec yelled back making Eden jump. "She is my mate. Another word about her out of your lying mouth and I will make you live to regret it."
"Mate?" Grace paled.
The tension in the room could have outdone Zeus's thunder. Eden only had a second to feel the warmth in her from Alec's declaration before it drowned under her worries.
"Grace," Peter reached for her. "I think you should tell him."
"Shit up!" Grace hissed.
"She doesn't have to tell me shit," Alec shrugged. "I know. I know you are the father."
"No, no," Grace shook her head. Her face flipped like the sides of a coin from fury to devastation. "No, baby. This child is yours, Alec."
The look of heartbreak washed over Peter's face. Eden didn't know who she felt worse for, Alec or him.
"Grace....please," Peter begged. "It's all over."
"She's lying," Grace ignored Peter. Alec flinched as she jumped forward and took his hand.
"Don't believe her," Grace shot daggers at Eden through her eyes. "She's doing this to keep you away from your child."
"Don't look at her like that," Alec said as he pulled his arms away from Grace.
Grace blinked in surprise as she watched Alec pull her arm away and pull Eden to his side.
"I trusted you blindly, Grace," he said. "You are the most fucked up woman I have ever met."
"Grace," Peter spoke for the first time with some conviction in his voice. "Admit it."
"You knew from the start, didn't you?" Grace asked Alec. "You knew she was your mate."
"Yes," Alec said.
"And you played me," Grace shoved him back. "You played me this whole time!"
"Are you insane?" Alec asked, moving away. "You played me!"
"Grace," Peter tried to hold her back.
"I am going to be your wife, Alec Radacovick!" Grace screamed, waving her ring. "I am going to be Mrs. Radacovick!"
Alec and Eden didn't know what to say as Grace's anger intensified. Eden's heart began to pound in her chest as she worried about the baby.
"Alec," she pulled her mate closer. "Maybe we should leave."
"You do not tell him what to do, little girl!" Grace laughed. "He needs me by his side! Not you! You are a nobody! You should have stayed dead!"
"Grace!" Alec growled just as Peter pulled her into his arms.
"Grace, please," Peter begged. "Please stop."
"Get the fuck away from me!" Grace pushed him away as she yelled.
Suddenly, the sound of gushing water caught all of their attention. Grace gasped as she looked down at the fluids running down her legs.
"No, no, no." Alec rushed forward.
"Alec," Grace said in a panic.
Alec grabbed Grace as she hunched forward. He opened his mind link and called for help.
"You're only seven and a half months along," Peter said with worry as he rubbed Grace's back.
"The doctors said she might deliver prematurely," Alec said as she moved Grace closer to the door.
Eden jumped out of the way. Her worries laced with Alec's as he picked Grace up in his arms and rushed towards the medical wing. Peter followed behind. Eden dropped her shoes, picked up her dress with both hands and hurried.
Halfway to the medical wing, a woman with glossy brown hair and large gray eyes rushed forward with a team of nurses.
"Rye," Alec called to her.
"I got it, I got it," Rye said as she moved the stretcher along. She told Alec to lay Grace down before she looked up at Eden.
"You must be Eden!" Rye said with a smile. "Clare has told me all about you."
"Hi," Eden said breathlessly.
"We'll talk later," Rye called over her shoulder as the nurses wheeled Grace away.
Alec pulled Eden to his side and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"She's my mate," he said to Rye.
"Oh!" Rye stopped just long enough to look from Alec to Eden. She then turned her head down the hall to where the nurses had wheeled Grace away.
"Oh this is messy," She said before she hurried off.
Alec, Eden and Peter all rushed into the medical wing and looked around frantically. The nurse at the front desk instructed them to have a seat in the waiting area until Rye told them what to do. Peter ran a hand through his hair with worry as he bang to pace the floor. They all walked over to where the nurse had directed them and held their breath. Alec turned to Eden and tugged her closer to himself.
"Are you okay?" He asked, cupping her face.
Eden nodded. She felt mentally drained from both her and Alec's emotions. Lillian sat in one of the chairs and shook her head, muttering under her breath.
"Alec," Peter spoke up after a few seconds.
The concerned look in Alec's eyes slowly vanished as anger filled them. Eden held his hand tighter as she heard the growl rising from him.
"I wanted to tell you," Peter said slowly.
"Oh really?" Alec laughed. "When? Before or after she manipulated me into marrying her?"
"You think she wasn't doing that to me?" Peter frowned. "I knew the child was mind and everyday she threatened me she would have an abortion if I said anything to you."
"She's sick," Alec shook his head. "She needs help......what was her end goal in all this?"
"I told her you would find out as soon as you saw the baby," Peter ran a hand through his hair again.
"Then why did she lie?" Eden asked. "What was she trying to do?"
"She wanted the wedding to happen before she gave birth," Peter looked away. "She thought if you two were married you would still stay after you found out about the baby."
Alec growled as his hands balled into fists. Eden leaned her body against his and felt him relax just a fraction.
"She wanted everything," Peter said slowly as his eyes began to water. "She always had her eyes on the prize. She wanted the money, the house, the name....everything that I couldn't give her."
Eden felt her stomach twist. Her heart broke for Peter as he stood in front of them with his head hanging.
"I'm so sorry, Alec," he said. "I was just trying to make sure my child lived."
Eden looked over to her mate and pulled his hand into hers. She knew he was hurting, he had every right to. She wished she could make the pain go away.
"She played both of us," Alec said after a while.
The three of them fell into silence. Eden sank into a chair and Alec followed. She laid her head against his shoulder as the seconds dragged on. Peter continued to pace the floor.
After sometime, Exton and Gemma arrived, followed by Owen and Mavi. The small waiting room started to fill up as Jackson and Rose came searching for Eden.
"Eden," Jackson called to his daughter in a calm voice. His eyes hardened when he saw the way Alec held his daughter's hand. "It's time to go home."
Alec's hand tightened around Eden. He stood up slowly and looked into Jackson's eyes.
"Mr. Heywood," Alec took a deep breath. "In front of everyone, I am admitting Eden is my mate. I love her and she loves me. I know our relationship didn't start out as it should have but I will make everything right."
Jackson didn't move. He looked at Eden and held out his hand.
"Let's go, Eden."
"No," Eden shook her head.
"Eden," Jackson said with worry. "You do not deserve this. You shouldn't be anyone's second choice."
"She's not my second choice," Alec said.
"Isn't she?" Jackson turned his eyes to the boy holding his daughter's hand. "You picked Grace over your mate."
"No," Eden shook her head. "He picked an innocent child over me and I want him to do it a hundred times over."
"Eden, no," Jackson shook his head. "You are too young to kn-"
"Mr. Heywood," Mavi took a step forward. "Under human laws Eden is an adult. She has the right to say if she wants to. And under my law, no one has the right to separate two mates."
Jackson looked to his daughter and then to Alec. He turned to Mavi and she took a step between him and the couple.
"I'm sorry to have to do this," She said.
Jackson looked to his daughter, "Eden.....I just want you to be happy."
"I am happy," Eden moved from behind Alec and Mavi and ran into her father's arms. "Dad, I am so happy with him."
"I'm still not convinced he will keep you happy," Jackson frowned. "But I will trust you."
"Thank you," Eden said as tears came down her face. She kissed her father's cheek before he kissed her forehead.
"Alec?" Rye's voice startled everyone in the tiny waiting room. They all turned to her as she stood in front of them in her pale yellow scrubs.
"We need to do an emergency C-section," Rye said. "The baby is too early. It can't breathe on it's own."
"That's our best option right now?" Alec asked.
"Yes," Rye nodded. "We get the baby out and put it in an incubator."
"Okay," Alec nodded. "Whatever you need to do."
"Do you want to be in the room when the baby is born?" Rye asked.
Alec looked over to Peter.
"Maybe you should go..." he said with a sigh. A tear rolled down Eden's face as she felt her mate's pain. Peter looked to Rye and then back at Alec.
"Can we both go?" He asked.
"That's not standard protocol," Rye frowned.
"Mom," Mavi took a step forward. "Please?"
Rye's eyes landed on Alec as he stood heartbroken. She didn't know the full story, but it didn't take her long to see how important it was to him.
"Okay," She nodded after a pause. "You two follow me."
Peter hurried after Rye and Alec planned a quick kiss upon Eden's lips. She watched him disappear down the hall with her heart in her hand. Rose wrapped an arm around her and urged her to sit down. Everyone in the room watched her as she cried silently.
"Eden," Gemma said after a while. "Come, I'll help you change."
Eden felt herself rise as Gemma led her to the bathroom. She stood completely still as Gemma undid the ribbon on the back of the dress and pushed the gown down. Eden felt completely useless as she was dressed in a simple cotton dress and led back to the waiting room.
"Thank you," She heard Rose say to Gemma.
"Of course," Gemma said back.
The group began to converse in a shush tone. One by one they took turns sitting next to Eden and comforting her. Owen patted her hand and told her not to worry about Alec. He was strong, he would be fine.
Eden turned her glossy eyes to the man next to her.
"If he loses this child..." she couldn't finish her thought.
"He is going to be fine," Owen said again. "The first time it was harder because he didn't have you. But you are here now. You are his strength. You have to be strong for him."
Eden nodded as she wiped her eyes. She was about to ask him if he had called his mother when Alec slowly walked into the waiting area.
Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at him. His green eyes found Eden next to Owen.
"It's a boy," Alec said in a quiet voice. "But he's not mine."
The aching pain Eden felt in her chest would have surly knocked her to the ground if she hadn't been sitting. With shaking knees, she rose from the chair and ran over to her mate. Alec caught her at once in his arms as he buried his face in her hair. Eden gasped as she felt the shudder run though his body.
Owen walked up to his brother and put his hand on his shoulder. Alec didn't bother looking up.
"You two should go get some rest," Owen said quietly.
Alec picked up his head but kept Eden close, "No, no. It's fine. The baby is being moved to the NICU, I have to stay."
"We'll stay," Eden told Owen when he turned to look at her.
Owen nodded his head as he moved back next to his wife. Alec and Eden stood by the entrance of the waiting area waiting for any kind of news.
A few minutes later, one of the nurses began to wheel a tiny incubator down the hall. Alec tensed up as she moved closer to them.
Eden pressed a hand over her mouth as her eyes landed on the little baby inside. This time it wasn't Alec's heart ache she felt. It was her own.
One could hardly see the baby in the glass box as the nurse moved him along. He was wrapped up in so many different wires and machines. He looked so fragile. The only thing Eden was able to see clearly was the midnight black hair he had. Just like his mother.
Alec's eyes followed the child all the way until the nurse disappeared into the elevator. Even then, he kept his eyes glued on the closed doors.
"Alec," Owen came back once more. "You should really get some rest."
He pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Eden.
"Take these," Owen said. "It's one of the guest rooms upstairs. Get some rest. You two can come back tomorrow."
Eden knew Alec didn't want to leave. But she also knew he had to. Standing there all night would have done nothing. She looked to her father and sighed gratefully when he gave her a nod.
"Let's go," Eden whispered to Alec as she took his hand.
Alec followed like a zombie. Eden guided him upstairs and into an empty room. She set the keys down and then turned to take his tuxedos jacket off. Once that was gone, she pushed to her tippy toes and started to undo his bowtie.
Just then, Alec broke down.
He shut his eyes and tried to control himself. But as Eden watched, his shoulders hunched forward, his head hung and a heartbreaking sob moved out of him.
Eden quickly wrapped her arms around him as he cried into the crook of her neck. Her body shook with him as his warm tears soaked her skin.
Soon, her own eyes began to water. She turned her face and placed a kiss on his cheek as she felt her tears run down her face. She didn't know how long they stood there. Her feet hovered a few inches off the floor as Alec kept her locked in his arms.
When Eden finally pulled back to wipe Alec's eyes, he released her and gently set her back down on the floor. Eden walked him over to the bed and sat down next to him. She held his hand as she used her other hand to wipe his eyes.
"I..." Alec sniffled as he composed himself. "Rye handed him to me as soon as he was out."
Eden bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from crying again.
"I could feel his heartbeat," Alec looked down at his hands. "It was barely there. I began to panic. It was like holding Ivan all over again. Except.....except this time my wolf didn't recognize his scent."
Eden moved closer and turned his face to look at her. His green eyes ringed in red as he frowned.
"I don't know what hurt the most..." Alec confessed. "Finding out grace lied this whole time....or.....handing the baby over to Peter."
Eden didn't know what to say. She pushed against his shoulder and laid him down slowly. Her hands found their way into his hair as she began to comb his hair back. Sliding up, she placed kisses on his forehead and whispered to him how much she loved him.
"Eden...." Alec called to her after a while as his eyes began to close from exhaustion. "Please, don't ever leave me."
I want to say I am so sorry. I love you all, but it's gonna hurt before it gets better.