Chapter 245 - 0245

Lorelei POV

"She’s not pregnant."

It felt like my entire world came crashing down at that very moment.

"I’m truly sorry, Alpha," the healer said, bowing his head again. "I take full responsibility for the mistake."

By then, Kaelen had completely let go of my hand.

My eyes dropped to my empty palm, and for a second, I just stared at it.

The warmth of his hand was gone, leaving my fingers strangely cold.

"So what caused her to throw up and collapse?" Kaelen asked.

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

The healer straightened slightly, although his eyes remained fixed on the floor. "The lab results show that there’s nothing physically wrong with the Luna. Her body appears to have reacted to the amount of emotional and mental stress she’s been under. On top of that, the fertility supplements she’s been taking can cause minor side effects like nausea and fatigue."

He paused briefly before continuing, "All of those things combined most likely caused her sudden collapse."

"And that’s it?" Kaelen asked quietly.

"Yes, Alpha. She simply needs proper rest and time to recover. If her stress levels are reduced, she should make a full recovery."

The healer remained bowed, but I barely noticed him anymore as my eyes were fixed on Kaelen.

I watched his broad shoulders sink ever so slightly, like the weight of the news had finally caught up with him. His jaw tightened, and his hands curled into fists at his sides.

He was trying so hard to keep himself together.

Trying so hard to act like this didn’t hurt.

But I could see it.

I could see the disappointment in the way he avoided looking at me. I could see the pain he was desperately trying to bury beneath that calm expression, and somehow, seeing him like that hurt me more than the healer’s words ever could.

I didn’t even realize I was crying until a warm tear slipped down my cheek. The healer was the first to notice, his eyes dropping to the tear as another one followed. He let out a soft, nervous gasp before lowering his head even further and shifting uncomfortably on his feet, clearly unsure of what to do.

When Kaelen’s gaze finally shifted toward me, the moment he saw my tears, his controlled expression shattered into panic.

"Lorelei?" He was at my side in a heartbeat, his large hands gently cupping my face as his eyes searched mine. "Why are you crying? Are you hurt? Does anything hurt?"

I shook my head, but the tears only came faster, spilling down my cheeks until I could no longer hold back the sob that tore through my chest.

"I’m sorry," I choked out through my tears. "I’m so, so sorry."

Kaelen’s brows pulled together in confusion, his concern deepening as he looked at me. "Sorry? For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing?"

"I got your hopes up," I whispered, my voice breaking as I struggled to get the words out. "I made you believe... and now..."

I couldn’t finish.

The words were too painful to say out loud because I had seen the sudden happiness in his eyes earlier. I had seen the hope and excitement that had filled his face when he thought he was going to become a father, and I had seen how much that moment had meant to him. He had looked genuinely happy, and knowing that I was the reason that happiness had disappeared hurt more than I could explain.

Without letting go of me, Kaelen flicked his hand toward the healer, silently telling him to leave. I heard the soft click of the heavy door shutting a moment later, leaving the room quiet and private.

Kaelen’s expression softened as he pulled me tightly into his arms, wrapping his broad frame around me and pressing my face against his chest.

"Listen to me," he murmured firmly into my hair. "This is not your fault. None of this is your fault."

"But you wanted this so badly," I sobbed, clutching his shirt as the dampness of my tears soaked through the fabric. "You wanted a child. You wanted a family, and I couldn’t give it to you."

The disappointment I felt in myself was almost unbearable. I had spent my entire life being told that I was useless, cursed, and never enough, and even after everything I had been through, some part of me still believed those words.

Kaelen had been so good to me. He had given me everything I had never thought I would have, including a love I had once believed I didn’t deserve. So when I finally had the chance to give him something truly precious, something I knew he desperately wanted, I had thought maybe I could finally give him something in return.

Instead, I had failed him.

Again.

Is there something wrong with me? The terrifying thought wouldn’t leave my mind as Kaelen held me even tighter, one of his large hands moving slowly up and down my back while his other hand cradled the back of my head. I wanted to believe him when he told me everything was going to be okay, but the doubt had already settled too deeply inside me.

"I do want those things," he admitted softly, and somehow, hearing him say it made my heart clench even harder. "I want a family. I want a child. But more than anything in this world, I want you. I want you healthy, I want you happy, and I want you safe. Everything else can wait."

He took a slow breath, clearly trying to keep himself together for my sake before continuing. "We’ll have a child someday. Maybe even sooner than we think. But it doesn’t have to happen right now. There’s no rush, Lorelei. We have time."

His words were supposed to comfort me, and a part of me wanted to let them. But beneath them, I could still hear the faint disappointment in his voice. I could still feel the slight tremor in his hands, and I couldn’t forget the way his shoulders had dropped the moment the healer gave us the news. He was hurting too. I knew he was.

He was just trying not to let me see it because he was more worried about me.

And somehow, that only made me feel worse.

"What if something is wrong with me?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, making his hold on me stiffen.

"What if I’m never able to give you a child?" I continued, the fear that had been building inside me spilling out before I could think better of it.

"Lorelei, stop." Kaelen pulled back slightly, staring down at me with a stern, almost desperate look. "Don’t say that. Don’t ever say things like that."

But I couldn’t stop myself. My mind had already started connecting every piece of evidence until there was only one conclusion left. My curse was punishing me again.

Callista had gotten pregnant after sleeping with Jaxen only once, while Kaelen and I had been together so many times without protection, yet nothing had happened. How could I not wonder if there was something wrong with me?

Maybe I was defective.

Maybe I was the flaw in this union.

"Why don’t you find another woman?" I blurted out, the thought leaving my mouth before I could even realize how cruel it sounded.

Kaelen’s hands immediately tightened around my shoulders. His eyes widened in complete horror as he stared at me, looking as though I had just driven a knife straight into his chest.

"What did you just say?" His voice came out low and hoarse, almost making me freeze.

"You should take another she-wolf," I continued through my broken, breathless sobs, completely consumed by the fear twisting inside me. "I won’t get angry, I promise. You’re the Alpha King. You need an heir. You should be with a woman who can actually give you a..."

"Lorelei!"