Chapter Twenty Four

I awoke with a splitting headache, a dull throbbing inside of my skull. The pain was awful and I whimpered, before I had even opened my eyes. I didn't want to open them – I was scared about where I was.

The last few moments before I was hit by my attacker, played in my mind, and I didn't want to know where I was. The odd thing was, I wasn't in some dungeon like I had thought; because I knew that I was lying on a bed, which confused me.

I was confused further, when I heard Layton's voice call to me. "Gemini, can you hear me? Are you awake?"

I groaned, in an attempt to say yes. I finally opened my eyes, and I came face to face with Layton's large green eyes. His eyes were harder, and colder, than I had ever seen them. My eyes took a few moments of focus, before I looked around.

I was in a hospital, the one in Hender Pack. Valentine stood on one side of the room, with Evan and his Pack doctor, whereas Layton sat next to the bed I lay in. "What happened?" I asked, as I tried to sit up. I whimpered in pain as I did so.

My head hurt, but so did my body. I groaned, as my head rested on my pillow. "I hurt" I complained. No one said anything, it was silent. "What happened?" I asked again. I looked at Layton, but he continued to just stare at me – no emotion in his eyes. "Layton, what happened?" He gave me no answer.

"Valentine, what's going on?" I pleaded, tears filling my eyes. Layton's behaviour was scaring me, it was like he was mad at me. Valentine gulped deeply, before he looked away from me. I glanced at Evan, who mirrored his deflective actions. "Someone please tell me" I cried.

"Alpha Female Vetteriano" the doctor finally spoke up, walking to the end of the bed. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this. But after the attacker knocked you out, they injected you with chemical cocktail of Mifepristone and Misoprostol".

I gave him a confused look, "what? What does that mean?" There was a moment, before the doctor cleared his throat, and explained what no one else wanted to.

"Mifepristone – when combined with Misoprostol – can be used in an induced abortion procedure. Mifepristone is commonly used to end pregnancies that are less than forty-nine days from conception. What is does, is inhibit the production of certain hormones. Without these hormones, the fetus is unable to stay attached to the uterine wall. As the fetus detaches from the wall, it begins to die and then is expelled from the womb".

I could hear blood pounding in my ears, and I swallowed deeply. "What are you saying?" I choked out, trying to meet my friend's eyes again. Valentine, nor Evan looked at me. Layton did – but his eyes were so cold that I turned away.

"I'm sorry, Alpha Female, but I'm afraid you lost your pup" the doctor said. Everything that was said after that, I didn't hear. I could hear nothing but my own heartbeat. I couldn't cry. I couldn't scream. I couldn't get angry.

There was only a few words going through my mind; my pup had died. My child, my unborn baby, had been killed, had been murdered, because someone didn't like my husband. It disgusted me that someone could kill an innocent pup because of Layton.

"Why?" I blurted out, speaking over the doctor – I hadn't been listening, so I wasn't sure what I was interrupting. But for the first time ever, I didn't care if I was being rude. All the eyes in the room turned to me. "Why did they do this?" I demanded, staring directly at Layton.

His jaw set, before he answered truthfully. "Not long before the Mating Ritual, I was in a feud with a neighbouring Alpha. He attacked a woman in my pack, almost killing her. However, I responded and I killed his mate. We called a truce, but I assume he is still wanting to get even".

I looked at Layton, my eyes wide, as the first tear fell from my eyes. "How did the other Alpha find me?" I whispered.

"No doubt, he has people working for him. He is very rich, and some people think that money is more important than Packs. Those people are little, but Thomas would know exactly how to find them. He's a very manipulative man, who knows how to play with peoples weaknesses".

"Why didn't you tell me all this before?" I asked Layton.

"Because you didn't need to know".

"Well obviously I did" I snapped at him. I had never snapped at anyone before, especially not Layton, but I was filled with so much grieve that I just couldn't control my emotions. Layton didn't reply, but I saw the muscles in his jaw twitch – showing me that I had angered him with my disrespect. But I didn't care. "You had no right to keep that from me. No right" I screamed at him. He didn't even blink at my anger or raised volume.

"Did you see who attacked you, Gemini?" Valentine asked me. "Or anything? Anything that could help us identify who is working for Thomas?" An image of those red stilettos filled my mind, and I knew exactly who they belonged to.

"No" I lied, "I don't remember anything".

The doctor kept me in the hospital overnight, occasionally checking me over. My headache subsided a few hours after I woke, but I continued to bleed from my genitals because of the miscarriage. I kept telling myself it was a miscarriage, because if I reminded myself that it was a forced abortion, then I would dissolve into a crying wreck.

The following day, I left close to lunch and Layton walked me back to Valentine's house. It was awkward between us; neither of us had spoken, except if we needed to, since I had woken. Layton was angry with me, but he wouldn't tell me why. But I assumed that he blamed me for being weak and allowing our child to be killed.

"Are you hungry?" Layton asked me, as I took a seat on Valentine's spare bed.

"No".

"Are you tired?"

"Yes".

"Then you should sleep" he said. I simply nodded at him, not sure what to say. I wanted to cry, but I had been doing that since I found out. I wanted to scream, but I knew it would do no good. What I really wanted was to get revenge. All I felt though was numbness.

"Stay with me" I called out, as Layton made his way to the door. He paused, his hand over the handle. "Layton, please, I need you right now" I choked out, as another wave of sobs racking my body. "I've just lost my pup. Why don't you show me an ounce of compassion and comfort me when I need it?" I snapped – my grieve turning into anger.

Layton sighed heavily, before walking over and laying down on the bed next to me. I moved closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around me. I grabbed onto his shirt, with a tight grip, as I buried my face in the curve of his neck and cried.

Layton held me tight, the entire time I broke down, and didn't let go until after I'd fallen asleep. I knew that we weren't in a good place at that point, so it felt nice to just have him with me as I worked through my grief.

The following morning, Layton and I packed up and returned to Endoro Pack. It all went by in a blur, the goodbyes, because I was too numb to truly focus on what was going on. But I said farewell to Valentine, and Evan – who stayed behind to continue school.

The flight back was silent, as I spent the entire time staring out the window. I tried to think of anything but my unborn pup, but I just couldn't. I kept thinking of whether it would have been a boy or a girl. Whether it would have looked like me or Layton. Whether it would have had a temperament like me or Layton.

Then, as I thought about that, I thought about when I was attacked. Maybe if I had run faster, my pup would still be alive. Maybe if I had waited for Evan to return before going out alone, then my pup would still be alive. Maybe if I hadn't have ignored Layton's text message he wouldn't have been mad at me, so I wouldn't have gone to find Valentine, so my pup would still be alive.

"What are you thinking about?" Layton asked. He had been studying me for a while – I had felt his eyes on me – but we'd both been quiet until then.

"That I'm being ridiculous" I replied. My words surprised my mate, and he raised an eyebrow slightly. "It's so ridiculous to be this upset, about a pup that I never truly had. I mean, the pup wasn't even developed enough to have a gender. But, yet, I feel like I have lost so much".

"It's not ridiculous" Layton replied, shaking his head. "That was your pup, something that was growing inside you, and someone murdered it. You have every right to be upset".

"Then why do I feel so pathetic?" I asked out loud, but Layton didn't answer my question.

For a week, back in Endoro Pack, I didn't leave the house. I spent all day inside, before spending all night inside. Layton hardly came home, and even resulted in sleeping in his office a few times.

After a week of grieving, I finally managed to turn my sorrow into anger. I was angry, and I was ready to get my answers. I knew who those red heels belonged to, and they had murdered my child. I was angry, and I needed to act.

I got out of bed, washed my blonde curls, before dressing in a light blue dress and matching heels. I hadn't gotten out of sweatpants in a week, so it felt odd to be so dressed up. But I knew that I needed to – because I needed to act better, in order to get my revenge.

I packed a small weekend bag, and placed it in the back of Layton's car, before I walked down to Layton's office. Whenever Pack members saw me, they bowed in submission and told me they 'were sorry'. Layton didn't want to scare the pack, so he'd told everyone I had simply miscarried the pup, not that it had been murdered.

When I reached Layton's office, I knocked on the door before walking inside. I frowned deeply, when I saw Andrea – in a very tight black dress – sitting on the edge of Layton's desk as he worked.

Layton had told the pack that he and I were 'back together', after we found out I was pregnant. However, only a few days later I miscarried. While I'd been away, Layton had told me that Andrea had made a reappearance again. She'd flirted and tried to sleep with him numerous times, and he had declined her every time.

"Gemini, I didn't realise you were coming over" Layton replied emotionless, as he looked down at the papers in front of him.

"Well, I'm your wife. I didn't realise I needed to" I replied through gritted teeth; I was angry. I was at home grieving over our dead pup, as he flirted with his ex-girlfriend. I turned to Andrea, and frowned. "Maybe you should leave, I need to speak to Layton. And it's the kind of things that wives and husbands – like Layton and I are – need to discuss. We don't need your shameless flirting with a married man interfering".

Andrea opened her mouth to snap at me, but Layton beat her to it. "Andrea, leave" he commanded. The red head paused, before pouting and storming out the room. Layton sighed and turned to me. "What do you want?" he grumbled.

I didn't reply, I simply walked around the desk until I reached his chair. He looked up at me, confused for a moment, before I straddled his waist. Layton was shocked by my boldness, but I ignored it as I quickly kissed his lips. He was hesitant for a moment, before returning my kiss.

We kissed for a while, Layton's hands gripping my hips hard. I could feel how much he was enjoying it, but he pulled away as my hands began to undo his belt. "Gemini" he breathed out, as I continued to undo his pants. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I need you, I love you" I replied, pressing another kiss to his lips. Layton looked at me for a heavy moment; his chest heaving from his labored breathing. Then, with his decision made up, he picked me up and placed me on the desk edge. I yelped in shock, as he stood up and kissed me again – undoing his belt himself that time.

Layton and I made love a few times in his office, before I said goodbye and returned home. I felt bad, for manipulating Layton like that. But I needed him to know that I loved him, before I left. Because I did love Layton, more than I had ever imagined. And he wouldn't believe me if I just told him, so I had to show him in a way that would prove I wasn't repulsed by the situation. Because I wasn't mad at Layton – but he was a substitute for the rage.

However, when I got back to the house, I wrote Layton a note before I got into his car. The note read; 'Layton, my husband, I'm sorry. I lied to you, I know who attacked me that night. I should have said something, but I didn't – I was foolish. But, now, I know what I need to do. I will get revenge for what they did to our pup, before I return. Don't think I won't come back, because I will. But for now I must go. Forever yours, Gemini'.

I drove out the territory, my hands shaking in anticipation from running away – even if I did have every intention of returning. But I finally needed to be strong, for the first time ever. Because I needed to return home, look my mother directly in the eyes, and ask her why she murdered my pup.