Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 81: The child in her womb is still alive.

Chapter 81: The child in her womb is still alive.

"Her Highness?" Anaya, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up, her tone edged with suspicion, her gaze fixed on Rhys and Sorayah’s hands locked together. Her arms were crossed, and her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer. "Is that just a nickname? Because she’s beautiful? Or maybe there’s something more?"

She suddenly brushed Rhys’s hand off Sorayah’s and sat between them. Her gaze sharpened as she unsheathed her dagger and pointed it directly at Rhys’s throat.

"And why are you so... touchy? Are we really here to save your friend, or is this your lover?"

"Anaya!" Rhys snapped, rising sharply to his feet as frustration flared in his voice. "Enough! Please, control yourself in front of her highness."

"Huh?!" Anaya’s eyes widened in disbelief, her dagger still pressed dangerously close to Rhys’s skin. "So I was right. I followed you here to save your lover, instead of finding a way to escape my pack and save my family?"

"I’m not his lover," Sorayah said calmly, a hint of amusement breaking through her shock as she offered a small, sad smile. But Anaya didn’t find it funny. Her face twisted with fury as she redirected her dagger toward Sorayah.

Before the blade could reach her, Rhys acted swiftly, blocking the strike with his own sword which he had unsheathed by now, causing Anaya’s dagger to clatter to the ground.

"You...!" Anaya gasped, stepping back, her eyes blazing with rage. "You’re treating me this way because you found your lover after I have showed you so much love!"

’Love?’ Sorayah thought to herself as she let out a light chuckle. ’A woman could actually fall in love with Rhys. But then a werewolf?!’

Instead of responding to Anaya’s fury, Rhys turned his attention to the doctor who had remained silent throughout the exchange, standing nervously in the corner.

The man though a werewolf like Anaya had been abducted by Rhys and Anaya before the war began. He was the best physician in the entire region, his skills unmatched.

"Doctor," Rhys said, his voice laced with urgency, "how is Her Highness doing?"

The doctor stepped forward with a respectful bow. "She’s stable now. The poison has been purged from her system. She just needs to take the medication I prescribe, and she’ll regain her strength in no time." He paused, glancing nervously between them. "Also... the child in her womb is still alive."

"Child?!" Sorayah and Rhys both exclaimed, voices overlapping in shocked unison. Their eyes locked onto the doctor, wide with disbelief.

The atmosphere in the room dropped.

"What are you saying, Doctor?" Sorayah asked, her voice quivering as her hand instinctively pressed to her abdomen. "I... I’m not pregnant! How could I be?"

"Yes, Doctor!" Rhys interjected, his tone laced with growing panic. "How could she possibly be with child? You must be mistaken. Please, check again."

The doctor shook his head slowly, calmly. "I’ve practiced this profession for over thirty years. I know when someone is pregnant, even if the child is just days old. The lady is two weeks along. It’s an early pregnancy, which is why she hasn’t shown any symptoms yet. But it’s undeniably there. In fact, it’s a miracle the child survived the poisoning at all."

"Unbelievable!" Sorayah muttered under her breath.

"Wow... so your lover is pregnant now? How disappointing," Anaya scoffed with a bitter laugh.

"Shut up!" Rhys snapped, turning sharply to face her. His hands clenched into fists at his sides before he turned back to Sorayah, concern etched deep into his features. "Your Highness... who is the father? Please tell me. If one of those werewolves hurt you, I swear to the gods, I’ll kill every last one of them even if it costs me my life."

Sorayah’s heart dropped. Her lips parted but no words came. She had taken the pregnancy prevention medicine after her one-night encounter with Dimitri. There had been no way she should have gotten pregnant.

Then how?

Tears welled in her eyes again, her throat closing with emotion.

"I..." she stammered, unable to form a coherent thought.

Sorayah’s gaze then flicked toward the others in the room, and Rhys understood her instantly.

"Please. Leave us," he said, directing the command at Anaya and the doctor. His voice was firm, but respectful.

Anaya’s eyes widened in protest. "You want to be alone with your pregnant lover now?"

"Just go, Anaya," Rhys said through gritted teeth.

His tone startled her. Hurt crossed her face like a slap, and she stood frozen for a moment before turning and storming toward the door, slamming it behind her.

The moment the door clicked shut, Rhys turned to Sorayah again, his expression gentle now, voice soft.

"Now... tell me, Your Highness. Who is the father of the child?"

"It’s Dimitri," she said at last, the name falling from her lips like a curse.

Shock rippled across Rhys’s face.

"We had to... it was the night we were poisoned. The antidote required blood to circulate fast. Dimitri said we had to... to mate. And I..." Her voice broke. "The person who poisoned us was never punished. Why? Because I was already branded the Beta Lord’s sex slave. So when it happened... they said it was just me performing my duty."

"What?!" Rhys exploded, running a hand furiously through his black curls, his breath heavy with anger.

"I drank the pregnancy prevention tonic right after... I swear I did. I don’t understand how this happened. I shouldn’t be pregnant." Sorayah began to cry again, and before another word could leave her lips, Rhys pulled her into his chest and held her tightly, letting her release her grief.

No matter how much it hurt him too, how deeply betrayed or furious he felt, he knew it was nothing compared to what Sorayah was carrying inside her heart.

After some time, when the sobbing had quieted, he spoke again.

"What do we do about the pregnancy now? It’s still early, right? The doctor said so..." His voice trailed off, uncertain. "We can still..."

"I’ll keep it," Sorayah said quietly, lifting her head from his chest. Her voice was calm, but there was a fierceness in her gaze Rhys hadn’t seen before.

He blinked, startled. That was not the answer he expected.

"You... you’ll keep it?"