The Wolves and the Vipers

Chapter 45 - A Stolen Kiss

Jace wouldn't really talk about it. He was even quieter than usual, and I could tell he was upset ... but not much more than that. He was guarding the mate bond so well that I could only see the general colour of his emotions. I didn't know if he was blaming himself. I didn't know if he was contemplating ways of tracking Luke down — in whatever state he might now be in — and returning him to the pack, on the off chance that we might eventually find a way to fix him.

Danny was dead, and we knew Luke was not, and you would think that might be a comfort, but it was the opposite. I would rather be dead myself than roaming around the countryside, tearing apart anything that moved or breathed. I would rather be dead than eat a mouthful of human flesh, like the feral in the woods had done. Luke would feel the same way, I was sure. And in many ways, it would be easier for us to have a corpse than all these questions of where he was and how he was suffering.

But I was trying not to think about Luke, and I was trying not to think about Jace, because today Kara needed me. This time, we weren't sat in the doctor's office. He had called by the house, which was my first clue that we weren't going to hear good news.

"The blood test results have come back, Kara," the doctor told us. He'd asked us both to sit down, and we had kicked out the boys and my guards so the living room was as private as could be. "And I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but they show that you're in premature ovarian failure. It's very unlikely that you will be able to have children."

"Very unlikely," Kara repeated quietly. I reached out and took her hand in my own.

He inclined his head. "Nothing is impossible. My suspicion is that they have surgically removed one of your ovaries and damaged the other one through experimental drugs. Since I don't know exactly how that happened, I can't rule out the possibility that it will one day start functioning again. But I don't think it's wise to get your hopes up, because that would be a miracle indeed."

She chewed on her lip. "They removed one? Can it grow back?"

"No, lovely. I'm sorry, but it can't," the doctor said. "I'd like to start you on some medication to replace the hormones that you're missing. Hopefully, that'll help you with the symptoms you've been experiencing, and it will reduce the risk of osteoporosis. But we can talk about that when you're ready. Right now, I'd like to give you some time to process what I've told you. Do you have any questions?"

Kara shook her head, and the doctor got up to leave. I mouthed a thank you as he went past me. Once we were alone, I let go of Kara's hand and turned on the sofa so I was facing her properly. Her eyes were a little unfocused.

"You okay?" I asked her quietly.

She started fidgeting with the zip of her jacket. "I guess. I hadn't really decided if I wanted kids. I just ... I don't know how I feel about it."

"I'll be here, you know, if you want to talk. I've always got time for you."

Kara smiled at me, almost shy, which was very unlike her. A moment later she was wrapped up in my arms, and I was squeezing hard. I was well aware that I might be getting less of her attention soon, so I wasn't taking her for granted. Tyler was turning eighteen tomorrow.

"No more periods, right?" she mumbled into my shoulder. "That's pretty cool."

"Yes, I suppose it is," I laughed.

We broke apart from the hug. Kara got up from the sofa and went to grab herself a bag of crisps. I followed her.

"Do you think my mate will mind?" Kara asked me as she opened the crisps. It sounded like a casual enough question, but it sent a dagger-like sensation into my heart.