Wolf Bargain (Wolfish 3)

Lydia’s hand on my shoulder calms me some, enough at least for me to blurt out my fears.

“Is it … is it something else? Could it be something other than a baby?” I ask, not daring to utter the words stuck over and over in my mind.

Monster. Monster. Monster.

What if the poison didn’t make me barren at all? What if it changed the thing inside me into something else?

I think I’m going to vomit, but Lydia’s hand grows tighter on my shoulder.

“No. Nothing like that,” she says, as if reading my mind. “But sons …” She fixes each one of them with a stare that silences any future arguments, “It’s time. We’ve waited long enough. Sabrina needs to see a doctor. We can’t put her life or the baby’s life in even greater danger by ignoring this.”

After a second, each one of them nods their head in agreement.

Despite Lydia’s attempt to reassure me, I can’t stop the spinning fear in my head.

As we wait for the doctor to arrive, the boys and I lay back down on the bed. They don’t leave me this time. Not for a second.

21

Sabrina

Even though Lydia trusts this doctor, there is a thick and heavy tension when he arrives.

He doesn’t come alone—he comes escorted by a table of medieval-looking contraptions meant to be used, of course, on me.

When Lydia and Romulus escort the doctor back into the bedroom, he’s barely taken one look at me before his face twists up in disgust.

“What is this about?” Marlowe says, jumping up from the bed and posturing himself in front of the doctor. “I thought you said you trusted him?”

“I do,” Lydia answers calmly, from the doorway. “But that doesn’t mean he’s in agreement with how Sabrina was made.”

“And I don’t have to be,” the doctor says, his voice full of disdain. Disdain for me, no less.

There’s a low, guttural growl that emanates from all three boys as they stand around me.

“We don’t want him touching her then,” Rory says protectively, one hand stretched out behind him, as if sheltering me from the doctor we invited here in the first place.

“Fine with me,” the doctor says, nodding once before he turns to leave. Only he can’t, not with Romulus blocking his other path through the doorway.

“Look, I know that you’re all on edge,” Lydia says, “but Sabrina needs to be seen by a doctor. We have a doctor, and despite his personal beliefs, he is here to help us.”

I look from her, to my boys, and back to the doctor. The sense of dread grows stronger within me, even as Rory, Marlow, and Kaleb deflate where they stand—moving aside.

I don’t like how any of this feels.

Romulus motions to the boys for them to leave the room with him, but I grab onto Kaleb’s sleeve before he can go.

“I want you all to stay with me,” I whisper to him. “Please.”

He tries to tug his hand away at first, but I don’t let go. My fingers dig into the threads like claws.

After a second, Kaleb looks into my eyes and nods, sending a glance over at Rory and Marlowe.

They freeze where they stand.

“We’re not leaving,” Kaleb says to his father.

Romulus doesn’t even argue with them, but he also doesn’t remain—much to my relief.