Chapter 85


    “No. That’s not possible.”


    He quirks his head. “Stop me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure your former husband would have s*x with


    you.”


    Yes. All the time.


    Sometimes multiple times. Daily.


    I gulp.


    My hands instinctively go to my stomach.


    Adam’s gaze goes to the cooler across the room where he’s storing my chemotherapy then back to


    me.


    “I, uh, can’t take the drugs to ki ll the ca ncer without k illing my baby.”


    He frowns. His eyes are so kind. But the pity I see there… it ki lls


    1.


    “This particr ca ncer…no.”


    I tug out my hair tie and twist my hair.


    Adam bites his lip.


    “Okay, let’s say I put off treatments. If I can carry the baby to five or six months, the child could survive


    then, right?”


    “Yes. We’d likely have to keep the baby in NICU. But the statistics for premature births are quite good.”


    Adam frowns. “But if you forego treatments that long… the ca ncer will have spreadpletely. You’d


    be down to days left on your life, and even if we started chemo, it’d be toote.”


    “I see.” I feel like I’m going to pu ke again. “So it’s me or my baby.”


    He starts rifling through a stack of papers. I’ve clearly unnerved him. “I’ll confer with Dr. Henley. We can


    run more tests.”


    I reach across the table and still his hand. “Hey. We both knew this was a longshot. Can we transfer the


    embryo? Maybe find a surrogate?”


    I can ept that I’m going to di e, but I can’t bury thepulsion to try and save my baby.


    “Active pregnancy transfers of a fetus or embryo are very rare


    and high risk. If this was IVF or something, it’s actually easier because once the embryo is imnted, it


    either takes or it doesn’t. You already have a sessful pregnancy. Attempting a uterine procedure can


    with a premature delivery. The first trimester is a time when most pregnancies either take or


    terminate.”


    So I’m high risk to the nth degree.


    “Do I have enough time?” I ask Adam.


    He nods. “For the baby. But if you dy your treatments that long, your chances for survival…”


    Right. There won’t be any chance.


    The hospital oncologist topped me out at 5% if I started aggressive chemo and radiation immediately.


    And that was before the transfer of my father’s powers that have also boosted the aggressiveness of


    the ca ncer, it seems.


    “Leah, you need to abort. We can start treatments. There is still a chance that we can save you.”


    “No,” I whisper.


    “Please.”


    I want to ask more questions, but Adam looks positively frazzled, and I’m not even sure what to ask.


    I’m pretty shell shocked myself. “Hey, Adam, can we keep this information between ourselves for a


    minute.”


    His brows draw together. Not for the first time, I wonder what my life would be like if I’d grown up here.


    Would Adam be the father of this child? Would I be si ck at all?


    It’s hard to say. Everything happens for a reason, I suppose.


    “Adam,” I say again when he continues to stare at me numbly. “Can you respect my right to privacy on


    this?”


    He nods.


    “No one can know about this. I’m vulnerable enough.”


    He seems concerned, like maybe he intended to tell a few people, but I hold his gaze until he nods


    again.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    “I won’t tell anyone, Lee.”


    I don’t know why, I just don’t think this is information that


    should be out in the world. At least not yet. I have to think


    things through. See if I cane up with some n. I have to


    be smart about this because this isn’t just anyone’s baby.


    I’m the Alpha of Pack Roberts.


    The Father is the Alpha of thergest pack in this region.


    Do I tell Aaron?