Lila's morning started like every other lately—with her struggling to drag herself out of bed. Her body felt heavy, her head throbbed, and she had to fight the rising nausea with every step toward the bathroom. She turned on the faucet, splashing her face with cold water, and stared at her pale reflection in the mirror.Is this how intense Severing the bond would be?
"You're fine," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. "You've been fine before. Push through it."
Downstairs, Mia was already in the kitchen, sipping coffee and scrolling on her phone. She looked up as Lila entered, her brows furrowing.
"Okay, seriously," Mia said, setting her cup down. "You look like death warmed over. What is going on with you?"
"This whole mate bond thing wants to end me but I am stronger" Lila shrugged, pouring herself coffee and avoiding Mia's gaze. The smell hit her wrong, and her stomach twisted, but she forced herself to take a sip anyway. "I also didn't sleep well."
"Lila, come on," Mia said, folding her arms. "You've been saying that for weeks. You need a day off or a doctor—preferably both."
"How do I explain to a Doctor that my ex boyfriend who lied to me by the way is a werewolf and I am his mate and because I am trying to stay away from him I am ill?How do I explain that I am human but there's something called a mate bond without looking crazy Mia?I'll be fine. Really." Lila set the mug down and grabbed her bag, heading for the door. "I just need to get through today."
By the time Lila made it to her desk at work, she already felt like collapsing. Her head pounded, her vision blurred, and even sitting down didn't relieve the weight pressing on her chest. She focused on writing her trip report, determined to finish it no matter how she felt.
"Focus," she muttered under her breath, her fingers sluggish against the keyboard.
As the nausea worsened, she made her way to the vending machine and bought an energy drink, hoping it would give her the boost she needed. But as soon as the liquid hit her tongue, she gagged, the taste turning her stomach.
"Lila, are you okay?" Ryan's voice startled her. She turned to see him standing a few feet away, concern written all over his face.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, forcing a weak smile. "Just tired."
"You don't look fine," he said, stepping closer. "Maybe you should sit down for a minute."
"I'm okay, really," she insisted, brushing past him to get back to her desk. But the moment she stood, the room spun, her knees buckled, and she felt herself falling. Darkness engulfed her before she even hit the ground.
"Lila! Lila, can you hear me?" Ryan's voice was faint and panicked as she floated in and out of consciousness.
Ryan's heart raced as he pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing 911. "Hi, I have a colleague who just collapsed," he said quickly, his voice tight. "She's unresponsive. We're at 214 Madison Avenue, Suite 5B."
The operator guided him through basic steps until paramedics arrived. As they loaded Lila onto a stretcher, Ryan grabbed her bag and checked for her emergency contact information. He pulled out a folder and flipped through it until he found a name and number labeled "Mia Thompson."
When Mia arrived at the hospital, she burst into the waiting room, her face pale and worried. "Ryan!" she called, spotting him near the desk.
Ryan stood and walked toward her. "Mia, I'm so glad you're here. She's stable now, but she fainted at work, and I didn't know what else to do."
Mia exhaled deeply, her hands on her hips as she tried to steady herself. "Thank you for calling me. How long has she been here?"
"Maybe an hour? The doctors are running tests to figure out what's wrong. She hasn't woken up yet, but they said she's stable."
Mia nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Ryan, has she seemed… off at work lately? Like more tired than usual or sick?"
Ryan hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, now that you mention it. She's been pushing herself really hard. She told me she was fine, but honestly, I wasn't sure."
Mia sighed. "That sounds like her—stubborn as ever. Thank you for staying with her. You didn't have to do that."
"Of course," Ryan said, his voice soft. "She's part of the team. Let me know if there's anything else I can do."
Mia nodded again, squeezing his arm briefly. "I'll take it from here. Thank you."
A few hours later, Lila's eyelids fluttered open. Her head throbbed, her throat was dry, and her limbs felt like lead. As she turned her head, she saw Mia sitting beside her, a wave of relief washing over her.
"You're awake!" Mia said, leaning forward and grabbing her hand. "God, you scared me half to death."
"What… happened?" Lila croaked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You fainted at work," Mia explained, her grip on Lila's hand tightening. "Ryan called 911 and rode with you here. They've been running tests to figure out what's wrong."
Lila groaned, her free hand coming up to rub her forehead. "Great. Just what I needed.I told you this mate bond thing is trying to kill me."
"Don't joke," Mia said sharply. "Apart from the mate bond let's also talk about how You've been pushing yourself way too hard at work , and now look where it's gotten you."
Before Lila could respond, the door opened, and a doctor stepped inside. He was a middle-aged man with glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, holding a clipboard.
"Good to see you awake, Ms. Collins," he said with a kind smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a truck," Lila said, earning a small laugh from Mia.
The doctor nodded, his expression sympathetic. "That's understandable. But we've run some tests, and I believe we've found the cause of your fainting.We found quite a lot of caffeine in your blood,Coffee maybe?."
Lila frowned, her heart skipping a beat. "I had coffee then I felt I needed an energy drink at the office cause I was feeling really exhausted.was that what caused it?"
The doctor hesitated, glancing between her and Mia. "Ms. Collins, we're you aware that you are supposed to avoid caffeine and energy drinks?You are pregnant and it's not good for you or the baby "
The room fell silent. Lila's breath hitched, her mind racing. Pregnant? The word felt foreign, impossible.
"I'm… what?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"You didn't know?You're about 11 weeks along," the doctor continued gently. "When was your last menstrual period?Based on your bloodwork, everything looks healthy so far. But your body is under a lot of stress, and it's affecting your health. I strongly recommend taking it easy—avoid overexertion and stay hydrated."
Mia's mouth opened and closed, her expression shifting from shock to concern. She turned to Lila, her voice barely above a whisper. "Wait what?"
Lila looked shocked, her eyes welling with tears. She couldn't speak, couldn't process what was happening.She then realized that she had not had her period since she moved in with Mia almost 3months ago and the realization hit her like a brick.She had been so engulfed with work she didn't realise.
The doctor cleared his throat. "I'll give you two some privacy. Let the nurses know if you need anything."
As the door closed behind him, Mia scooted her chair closer, taking Lila's hand again. "Hey," she said softly. "We'll figure this out, okay? You're not alone in this."
Lila shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do, Mia. This wasn't supposed to happen."
"I know," Mia said, squeezing her hand. "But you're strong, Lila. You'll get through this. And no matter what, I've got your back."
Lila knew she was in deep shit because she had willed herself not to think about Adrian and Caleb but now she had no choice but to think about it.She had slept with both men in the space of one week so where would she start from?
Lila took a shaky breath, her hand resting on her flat stomach. She thought about her mum,what woyld she say to her mother?or her Job?what would she do about her job because she just couldn't show up with a big stomach.Was this the end of her career?She started crying because she was forced to come to the realization that she didn't know who was responsible for this and she had somehow managed to mess up her life in one week.She had always thought about what her life would look like in future and how she would turn out but Pregnancy?The word echoed in her mind, carrying both fear and a strange, fragile hope. What now?