Moon Of Misfortunes

Chapter Thirteen: Lilies

I peel my eyelids back, which reveals a cold sterile room. I was laying on a hospital gurney with a thick white sheet wrapped around me. Pain radiated from my lower abdomen and I looked down at the covered site. The bump I had gotten so used to sporting was gone as if it never existed. I ripped the covers off and pulled my hospital gown up to my chest. A thick gauze was wrapped around my abdomen. My eyebrows furrowed together in shock. Did they do a C-section on me? Where are my pups? I also had a pair of handcuffs slapped around my right ankle.

I pulled my gown down and started to scan the room for any more clues to what had happened. I tranced the I.V in my hand to some expensive looking machines. I heard the door of the room open and close. The sound of footsteps stopped. My eyes shot over to Rubio, who looked utterly broken and exhausted.

"Adaline," he breathed out in disbelief.

He jogged over to me and gently clutched my hands while smiling. He ran his thumb over my knuckles lightly, staring into my orbs.

"Where are my pups," I croaked out, my throat was stiff and sore.

Rubio broke our eye contact and gazed down at the floor. Panic surged through me.

"Please tell me that Nikolai doesn't have them," I began to sob, fearing the worst.

Rubio sucks in a breath and begins to speak, "Adaline, the pups, they-"

The door swung open and a doctor stepped inside the room. He was an older man as his salt and pepper hair gave away, but he seemed to be pleasant. I looked at him questioningly.

"Where am I? Where are my pups?"

"You are in the Council's health clinic," he began, "you are lucky to even be here after trying to kill the Queen."

"My pups?"

"They were both dead before they were ever delivered," he huffed, "your mate marked another sending you into early labor. I am sorry, there was nothing we could do. They most likely died at that moment."

I gasped and quickly became hysterically. I looked to Rubio for answers, but he still had his eyes glued to the floor. I glanced back at the doctor.

"Can I see them," I asked, choking on my sobs. He nodded and left the room. After a few minutes, he returned with two tiny carts, with sheets draped over each body.

"One boy and one girl," the doctor spoke as he lifted the covers off of their faces.

I sobbed loudly. They were truly dead. Their sweet plump faces were sickly white, their lips a light blue-grey, and their eyes were gently shut.

"Can I hold them?"

Rubio let go of my hand and stood up. He excused himself to the corner of the room, with his hand placed over his mouth. The doctor picked each of my pups up individually, placing them within my arms. I sobbed out as I looked at each one of them. I was so close to being a mother, even if it was just for a few hours.

I continued to hold them for another hour or so. My tears were tried up and my face felt raw, even chapped. The feeling of misery was replaced with utter numbness and apathy toward the world. I gave them both one final, prolonged, kiss on the forehead before speaking.

"I have said my goodbyes," I spoke in a monotoned voice.

The doctor nodded and walked to be. He carefully lifted each one of my stiff pups out of my arms individually and placed them back on the cart. He gave me one last tight-lipped nod before he left the room.

"Adaline, I am so sorry," Rubio said.

He walked over to me and sat down on the bed. I avoided his gaze by searching the room once more. My eyes landed on a bouquet of black lilies that were stuffed inside of the trash can that was near the door.

"What are those," I whispered.

My question elicited a deep growl from Rubio.

"They are flowers," Rubio said, the words squeezing out from between his teeth.

"From who," I pressed. I was utterly confused. Who would even send me flowers? And why would someone be so quick to throw them away?

"They are from the High Council. They sent them to mock the death of your pups and reassert how they won your death like some fucked up prize, so I threw the ugly things in the trash."

"Oh," was all I could muster.

A few quiet moments passed and Rubio and I continued to blankly stare at one another. Rubio appeared to be deep in thought as if he was debating on something.

"What is it," I questioned numbly.

"You are set to die in a few hours," Rubio replied, "we need to figure out a way for you to escape before they kill you."

I laughed at Rubio's ridiculous idea and shook my head.

"They would kill me before I could even step foot out of this palace. Not to mention, you would be exiled if they found out you conspired with a criminal. Also, I'm not sure if you noticed but I am chained to this bed. And for goodness sake, if it even it did work, where would I go? They would find me, eventually."

"We could pull this off! We could go to the Scahagën Region and live freely," he breathed out.

"We? Where is this all coming from?"

Rubio began crying, "I can't watch you die like the others. Please, let me help you."

I rolled my eyes and began to speak, "I'm going to die eventually. I might as well go with whatever dignity I have left."

Rubio smiled at me sadly and placed a hand against my face. I leaned into his touch: I was desperate for any form of comfort, at the moment. However, our moment was cut short when the door slammed open and four Elders filed into the room. Rubio ripped his hand away from my face before anyone could notice.

"It is time," one of the Elders spoke before looking down at the flowers in the trash can. The Elder frowned.

"Did you not like the Lilies we sent?"