The woman lost her genteel professional demeanor. “That was the first thing you should have told us. Are you really that ignorant?”
She turned with a theatrical huff and slammed the door behind her.
Soon after, the doctor returned, frowning intensely.
A cool breeze blew out of nowhere and the lights dimmed.
“Should I be worried?” Zoe asked, when the doctor continued to frown down at a chart.
“Do you know how many documented cases there are of mixed breed solstice babies carrying to full term?” The woman’s dark eyes held a hint of sympathy.
“No,” Zoe answered honestly. The woman was scaring her.
“One.” The doctor stared at her with her hands clenched and her mouth all skewed up. “You and Jack should’ve let us know immediately.”
“But what about my birth, I must have been a mixed breed?”
“You seem to have left out a lot of details.” The doctor pursed her lips and held up the clipboard holding the all-but-empty form. “Do you even know if you were the result of solstice?”
Zoe started to answer, then shut her mouth. She really didn’t know anything. “I just assumed…”
“We have no idea what we’re dealing with. We’re checking you into the hospital right now.” The doctor scribbled some notes and stood as if to leave.
“Wait. Am I going to lose my baby?”
“Everything looks to be fine at the moment.” The doctor’s grim face spoke the exact opposite of what she said aloud.
“Then why do I need to go to the hospital?”
“If you check out okay, they’ll release you. Why don’t you call Jack and let him know.”
“No,” Zoe said a little too loudly, and the woman’s brows rose sharply. Zoe fidgeted with the paper gown. “I don’t want to worry him. You know how he is. When I get home I can tell him in my own way.”
The doctor looked uncomfortable. It had to be obvious that everything was not smooth in Fialko-land.
“Very well. I’m calling an ambulance to take you over. Just lay right here and we’ll take care of everything.”
Zoe nodded and rubbed her hand over her stomach. Her fingers trembled and her panic swelled in her chest. No matter how messed up her relationship was with Jack, she hadn’t wanted any harm to come to their child.
It just hadn’t seemed real. Until now.
Zoe closed her eyes and said a silent prayer.
Please, baby. Be all right.
Chapter 34
Ivar pulled the phone’s distorting speaker away from his ear and cursed. Somehow his cousin knew he’d lost track of his niece.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” His cousin’s voice simmered to a low, poisonous, scorn.
“Calm down, Gregor. I’ll pick up her trail again. It’s a minor setback.”
“Bah. You are lucky I still have need of your seed, cousin. But you don’t need all of your fingers to fuck a witch…”
Ivar shuddered. There could be no more excuses.
“My men say the witch is pregnant. Why didn’t you tell me?”
