29

                                    

                                          
I don't know how long I laid there but I do know that I was completely still, my eyes planted firmly on the image of my baby. A million things rushed through my head ranging from Dominic to Cameron to the very fact that this is actually real. A baby is growing inside of me.
                          
"Jade? Are you ok?"
                          
I nodded absently still unable to remove my eyes from the picture. "Yup...I'm having a baby..." I mumbled absently. Months ago the idea was just a dream, a hope for me and the mate that didn't want anything to do with me. Countless nights I put myself to sleep dreaming about what my pups would look like. My perfectly normal wolves that would never have to face the torture and torment of being different like I did. Remembering my dormant gene and earlier prognosis that there was in fact a chance that my pups might inherit my curse I shot up, turning to him with my hand on my stomach protectively, "What about the gene? Is my baby going to be normal? What am I going to do if this pup has a dormant gene too?!" Panic set in, my breath deepened with new tears working their way through my tightly pressed lids as I shook my head. "I don't want my baby to go through that!"
                          
"Jade—" Doctor Hemming called to me but I could just barely hear him.
                          
"Look again! Please tell me you can tell right now that my baby is going to be able to shift! Please—"
                          
"Jade!" He gripped me by my shoulders firmly. "Look at me, Jade." I shook my head again before slowly prying my eyes open. With them came more tears that just wouldn't stop. "This is exactly what I just warned you about. You need to try not to get so worked up about things. It's not good for you or the pup. As a physician, I don't like to tell my patients things unless I'm completely sure but if it'll help put your mind at ease I'll tell you why I need to see you again next week. As I said, the gestational age of the fetus is a little over 8 weeks but the features appear to be already matured. I believe your pup is developing a lot faster than normal. Because of that, I have no doubts that your pup will have an active wolf gene." I could sense his hesitation in the pause that followed so I gave him a small nod as if to tell him to spill whatever else he was holding back. He sighed deeply closing his eyes for a moment, "Promise me you're going to take my advice and relax more."
                          
What? He lets out that ominous sigh then hits me with 'Promise me you're going to relax more'? What fuck kind of patience does he think I have? Did he not just see me freak out seconds ago? Can he not see my heart threatening to break through my ribs? 
                          
"Doc..." Lowering my brows I glared at him with a fierceness that must have shown him that I'm not in the mood because I literally saw him swallow. 
                          
"When I touched your stomach, I felt my wolf," My eyes nearly fell out of my skull as my breathing picked up again, this time from short-lived excitement. "The second I took my hand away the feeling was gone. I held your hand to help you get on this table and even as my hands are on your shoulders right now I'm not feeling anything." Dropping his hands he placed them both on my still exposed stomach and for as long as they remained there I could in fact feel the presence of his wolf. When he removed his hands that feeling was gone instantly. "I'm not trying to give you false hope or more to worry about but your pup is already showing signs of being special. You're a very strong wolf, Jade. You and Dominic both but I think your pup is going to be even stronger. He or she is going to be what helps us get our wolves back."
                          
That alone should have been enough to silence my fears of my child having my dormant gene but instead, it filled me with new ones. If my baby is the key to helping the pack, then that would mean that they'll have to go even longer; wait until after I give birth to finally restore everything. Either that or I could go through with my plans to track down Cameron. Yeah...decisions. Giving nothing more than a nod, I pulled my shirt down and slid forward to get off the table.