Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One - Chapter 255

Chapter 255: Shocking News
Nathan’s POV

She didn’t respond.

She didn’t even stir.

Her arm slipped a little in my hold, her fingers loosening as if every bit of strength had drained from her body. That tiny movement—so small, barely noticeable—hit me harder than a punch. It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t right. Hailee was never still like this. Even in deep sleep she always shifted, breathed deeper, curled into me. But now… nothing.

A cold, heavy pressure settled in my chest, squeezing tighter and tighter with each passing second. My wolf pushed forward, frantic, scratching at the inside of my ribcage, demanding I do something. Fix it. Save her. His fear was mine, doubled, raw, uncontrollable.

“Hailee,” I whispered again, softer this time, my voice cracking around the edges. I brushed her hair away from her face, my thumb trembling as it touched her warm cheek. “Baby, please. Please don’t do this.”

Her head rested limply on my arm, her breathing so faint I had to lean closer to even feel it. A weak, thin exhale brushed my skin—too shallow, too slow. Panic surged violently up my throat, choking me.

This wasn’t dizziness.

This wasn’t exhaustion.

Something was terribly, horribly wrong.

My heart kicked harder, every beat painful. The room felt smaller, the air thicker. I tightened my hold around her, afraid that if I loosened even a little, she would slip away from me completely.

“Hailee, wake up,” I begged, my chest shaking. “Just open your eyes. Look at me. Please.”

But her lashes didn’t even flutter. Her body stayed soft and still against mine. And in that moment, with her limp in my arms, a fear I had never known before swallowed me whole.

Her hair brushed my skin, warm and soft, but she felt too light, too still. Wrong in a way that made the back of my neck prickle with pure terror.

A freezing wave tore through my veins, colder than ice water. I lifted her quickly, my arms shaking, and rushed to the bed without thinking. I didn’t care about my pain, my stitches, or the fact that every step threatened to tear them open.

All I cared about… was her.

My Hailee… the most important person in my life.

“LEO!” I roared through the pack link, my voice shaking so violently it barely sounded like mine. “MOTHER! ANYONE CLOSE—COME NOW!”

My voice echoed through the entire mansion like thunder—through the corridors, the staircases, and the walls. Doors opened. Feet pounded down hallways. Voices rose in confusion and fear. But I hardly noticed any of it.

I laid Hailee down on the bed—slowly, carefully, gently—like she was made of glass and the smallest wrong move would shatter her completely. My hand cupped her cheek, my thumb brushing across her warm skin.

“Hailee… sweetheart… please,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Open your eyes. Wake up. Please wake up.”

Her skin was warm.

Too warm.

Not comfort-warm—fever-warm. Burning-warm. Wrong-warm.

Her breathing was slow and uneven, each breath soft and shallow, like her body was fighting for energy it didn’t have. I leaned closer, trying to listen for her heartbeat, but the blood roaring in my own ears was too loud, too wild, drowning everything else.

My heart hammered faster. Too fast. My ribs hurt. My stitches burned. My lungs felt crushed. But none of it mattered. None of it compared to the terror clawing inside me.

“Please, baby,” I whispered again. “Please wake up…”

Her eyelashes didn’t move.

Her fingers didn’t twitch.

Nothing.

The silence around her was terrifying. Even the house felt like it was holding its breath, waiting, tense.

I was fucking scared… I was on the verge of losing my mind.

Then footsteps crashed down the hallway, quick and panicked.

The door burst open.

My mother rushed in first, still wearing her robe, her hair loose, her face pale with fear. “Nathan—what happened?!”

“She fainted,” I said, the words tumbling out of me, rough and unsteady. “She got dizzy and just… fell.”

Leo stormed in behind her, his chest rising and falling fast. Two guards followed, then a maid, all frightened and wide-eyed.

“MOVE BACK!” I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut stone. “Give her space!”

They spread away instantly, fear thickening the air.

My mother hurried to Hailee’s side and gently pressed a hand to her forehead. The shock in her eyes made my stomach drop.

“She’s burning up,” she whispered.

“I know.” My voice cracked. “I can feel it.”

Leo moved closer, leaning in to inspect. “Did she hit her head? Any injuries?”

“No,” I said quickly. “I caught her.”

My mother touched Hailee’s cheek, worry tightening every line in her face. “Did she complain about anything? Pain? Nausea?”

“No… nothing,” I said quietly. “Just dizziness.”

The room fell silent.

A heavy silence.

Not the calm kind—the kind that suffocates.

For the first time in years… I was terrified.

Not for me.

For her.

Hailee is my world… my life.

I leaned down, resting my forehead gently against hers. Her skin was too hot. Her breath shaky. Her scent—normally soft and sweet—was clouded with something else. Something faint. Something unfamiliar.

“Come on, Hailee,” I whispered. “Don’t do this. Come back to me.”

My mother touched my shoulder gently. “Nathan, breathe. We’ll figure—”

“I can’t calm down,” I cut in, my voice sharp, raw. “Something’s wrong.”

“There must be an explanation,” she tried. “Maybe—”

“No.” I shook my head hard. “It’s something else.”

Because that strange scent… that faint, unfamiliar scent… it was STILL there.

Weaker now but still wrong. Like something lurking beneath her usual scent, blending in, hiding.

“Smell her,” I said, looking at my mother.

She blinked. “What?”

“Her scent,” I repeated, voice rough. “There’s something mixed with it. Something new. Something I don’t recognize. Smell her.”

My mother hesitated, but slowly she leaned down and breathed in near Hailee’s neck.

One breath.

Just one.

And she froze.

Stiff.

Silent.

Eyes widening.

Not confusion.

Not fear.

Shock.

Deep, heavy shock. The kind that steals all words from your throat.

My chest tightened painfully. “Mother… what is it? What scent do you smell?”

She opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

“What scent do you smell?!” I repeated louder, panic climbing up my throat, burning raw.

But she didn’t answer.

Because—

The healer rushed in breathlessly. “Alpha, I came as fast as I could.”

I grabbed her arm. “Help her. Please. She fainted and—just please.”

The healer nodded quickly and moved beside Hailee. She placed her hands on Hailee’s temples, her eyes closing as she pushed energy into her. The air shifted, warm and humming, and Hailee’s hair lifted slightly from the bed.

My mother stepped back, silent, pale, her hands shaking slightly. She kept staring at Hailee like she was seeing something she couldn’t process. Something she wasn’t ready to say aloud. Something that terrified her.

“What did you smell?” I whispered to her again.

She didn’t answer.

She only looked at Hailee.

And that silence scared me more than anything.

The healer moved her hands to Hailee’s stomach, pressing gently. Then she checked Hailee’s pulse. Then her eyes. Then her breathing. Her brows furrowed deeper with each check.

Leo stood stiff behind me, jaw clenched, watching Hailee like she was made of air and could vanish. The guards stood frozen. The maid covered her mouth, whispering prayers.

Seconds felt like hours.

Then—

Hailee’s lips parted.

A tiny, shaky breath left her.

Her fingers twitched.

Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, weakly.

I leaned forward instantly, my heart slamming. “Hailee. Baby. Look at me.”

Her gaze finally found mine, unfocused, tired. “Nathan…? What… happened?”

“You fainted,” I said softly, brushing her hair back, my hand still shaking. “You scared the hell out of me.”

She blinked, confusion clouding her eyes. “I… fainted?”

“Don’t move,” the healer told her gently, placing one steadying hand on her shoulder. “Your body needs a moment.”

Hailee looked around slowly, her eyes widening as she realized the room was full—my mother, Leo, guards hovering near the door, even the maid frozen with worry. “Why… is everyone here?”

“Because I yelled for the entire mansion,” I admitted, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay calm. “You weren’t waking up.”

She tried to smile, but it barely lifted the corner of her lips. “I’m okay. I’m just… exhausted, I think.”

But she was wrong.

I knew it.

The healer knew it.

And the way my mother kept glancing between Hailee and the healer with that pale, shaken expression… she definitely knew it.

The healer straightened slowly, smoothing her palms down her gown as if choosing her words carefully. Her expression grew serious—calm, but with a softness that made my stomach twist.

She studied Hailee intently, then asked:

“Hailee… have you noticed anything new? Any changes? Any strange feelings in your body? Even small ones?”

Hailee frowned. “No. Nothing. Why? What are you talking about?”

“What is going on?” I demanded, my voice low and tight. I could feel my pulse pounding against my ribs. “Tell me.”

The healer looked at me… then at Hailee… then back at me again. She inhaled slowly, as though preparing to drop something heavy into the room.

“Hailee,” she said quietly, “you fainted because your body is reacting to a change.”

Hailee swallowed, her eyes flickering with unease. “What change?”

The healer’s lips softened into a gentle smile. Her eyes warmed, almost glowing.

She leaned in slightly.

Her voice dropped to a tender whisper.

“You are pregnant.”