Chapter 71


    Chapter 71: End of the Line


    Moana, The gap that existed between Edrick and I could never be bridged; I knew that now.


    Our ride home was silent. The steak that I could still taste on my tongue now tasted foul. To think that I


    had spent the entire day feeling as though we could have some semnce of normalcy; even if we


    never became romantically involved, why couldn’t we still be proud of what we had created between


    us? Why did he always have to hide me and E? Would the new baby also face the same struggle of


    having a father who didn’t want anyone to know about his or her existence?


    We went home that night, still without a word spoken between us. I took E to bed with only a brief


    word of thanks for everything he did that day, but after that, I didn’t look at him again.


    …


    On Monday morning, I awoke to the sound of someone knocking on my door.


    “Come in,” I called, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. The door cracked open and Selina poked her head


    in.


    Your first appointment is in a couple of hours,” she said. “I’ve already made breakfast for you. Come


    and eat before you get dressed.”


    I sighed, havingpletely forgotten about my appointment that day, and climbed out of bed. As I


    followed Selina to the dining room in my robe, I noticed that Edrick was nowhere to be found.


    “Is Edricking to the appointment?” I asked as I sat down at the table and began to spread butter on


    my toast.


    Selina shook her head while she poured some hot coffee into my cup. “He has something to deal with


    at work, but he mayeter.”


    I frowned, feeling my shoulders droop a little. It was my first prenatal appointment; I was hoping Edrick


    would be there to see the first ultrasound, seeing as how he was the father, after all.


    “I guess I’ll go alone, then,” I said, taking a bite of toast.


    “Nonsense,” Selina said. “I’ll be going with you.”


    At the very least, hearing that Selina would be there with me was a bit of afort. “Thank you,” I


    replied with a smile. “That would be nice.”


    After I ate, I hurried back to my room to shower and get ready for the day. I brushed my teeth and


    combed my hair, put on a loose-fitting dress andfortable shoes, then met Selina out in the foyer.


    As we took the elevator down, I realized that this was only the second time that I’d ever seen her going


    out into public, with the first time being my first day of employment. She had changed out of her


    housekeeper uniform and was wearing a crisp linen dress and held her purse stiffly in front of her.


    “Do you ever go out?” I asked as we walked across the lobby.


    “Rarely,” she said. “Only if I have to.”


    “You never want to go out with friends for a meal or anything like that?”


    Selina simply shrugged. “No one ever invites me.”


    As she said that, I felt my heart ache a little for her. I decided, then and there, that I would start inviting


    Selina out more — even if just on my morning walks with E.


    We got into the car and drove away. On the way to the hospital, Selina exined that the hospital we


    would be going to was a special werewolf hospital that was actually owned by the Morgan family, so I


    would get the best treatment; not that I couldn’t have gathered that myself, just from the enormous


    modern building with the Morgan family logo on the sign. When we walked into the hospital, I was even


    more taken aback by how sleek and clean the hospital was. The hospital I went to for the abortion was


    nice, but this one was even better — and when we took the elevator up to the obstetrics and


    gynecology department, I was floored.


    Not only was the department spacious, clean, and modern, but there were also several other well-to-do


    werewolf couples in the waiting room. I even recognized a few of them as well-known celebrities. Of


    course, they all looked up at Selina and I when we entered and gave me a dirty look.


    “Don’t stare,” Selina whispered to me as we approached the counter. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling


    embarrassed as I realized that I probably looked like a deer in headlights.


    “Hello, the receptionist said. “Name?”


    “Moana Fowler,” I replied.


    The receptionist looked me up and down for a moment before clicking around on herputer. Just


    then, another couple came in behind us. I nced over my shoulder to see that they were also a well-


    known werewolf couple that I’d seen in various television shows. I felt my face go red as they looked at


    me, and I quickly looked back at the receptionist.


    “Miss, I’m going to have to ask you to step out of the way so I can assist our werewolf clients first,” the


    receptionist suddenly said, shooting me a dirty re.


    My jaw dropped. “I was here first,” I said. “And I have an appointment–”


    “Yes, but this is a werewolf hospital, and our policy is to always serve werewolves first.”


    Suddenly, Selina stepped in. “I’m a werewolf,” she said proudly. “A gamma. And I’m escorting this


    young woman.”


    The receptionist only stared nkly at Selina for a moment before rolling her eyes and waving the


    other couple forward. Selina grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the side, fuming. “If only they


    knew…” she growled under her breath, shooting the receptionist an angry look. “The father of your


    baby pays her sry!”


    “It’s okay,” I said. I’d been dealing with treatment like this as a human for my entire life; it was nothing


    new to me.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    “It is not alright,” Selina said. Just then, she stormed back over to the desk and mmed her hands on


    the counter. “I’m demanding that you treat this youngdy with respect!” she said. “You’re being terribly


    rude.”


    The receptionist narrowed her eyes. I tried to step in to calm Selina down, but it was no use. The


    receptionist then picked up her phone and dialed a number.


    “Hi– Yes– We have a human here who wants to be seen. Mhm. Yes, she has a werewolf escort, but


    they’re being incredibly disruptive to the other patients. Okay. Thank you.” The receptionist hung up.


    “I’ve just called security,” she said to Selina. “If you don’t want to be escorted out, then I suggest you


    leave.”


    Selina’s frown deepened. Meanwhile, the werewolf couple at the desk, as well as all of the others in the


    waiting room, were staring at us with abination of incredulity and mockingness on their faces.


    “You can’t seriously tell me that you’re turning away an expecting mother,” she said. “This is ludicrous!”


    The receptionist shrugged. “I don’t make the rules. If you had just let me serve the polite werewolf


    customers ahead of you, then you could be checked in by now. But you’re just causing a scene.”


    “It’s really okay, Selina,” I said, touching her arm. “I can find another doctor.”


    Just then, the doors swung open. In walked a man in a ck suit and tie, who had the look of the


    hospital director.


    And beside him, in walked Edrick.