Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 285: Labour pains...

Selene POV

As the mindlink between Xavier and me suddenly snapped, I felt a sharp, hollow pang in my chest. The severing was abrupt like a door slamming shut between us. One moment, I had been speaking to him—desperately trying to get a sense of what was happening at Greyhound Pack—and the next, there was only silence. Cold, unforgiving silence.

I gasped softly, clutching my head as the disconnection hit me. Something wasn’t right. I had barely begun explaining to Xavier that we were working to uncover the truth behind the attacks when the link cut off. I reached out again, searching for the connection, but it was like the thread had been severed completely.

"No!" I whispered in frustration, my heart pounding. "No, no, no!"

Noah, who had been pacing nearby, turned at the sound of my voice. His sharp eyes immediately locked onto mine, narrowing in concern. "Selene, what happened?"

"I lost the mindlink," I muttered, rubbing my temple. "One second I was talking to Xavier, and then... it just went silent. It’s gone."

Noah’s face darkened, and his jaw clenched. "That’s not a good sign," he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the room as if he could find a solution simply by sheer will.

Kragen, who had been standing by the window, tense and quiet, stepped forward. "Was he under attack?" His voice was low, a growl rumbling beneath the surface.

"I don’t know," I admitted, the unease twisting deeper inside me. "He didn’t say anything about an attack. He just said they were trying to hold off the rogue wolves, but the moment I tried to dig deeper... it was like someone cut us off."

Noah cursed softly under his breath, his face hardening. "We need to get more information—now."

"But how?" I asked, my mind racing. "If the mindlink is broken and Greyhound’s communications are down, how do we even reach them?"

A heavy silence followed as both Noah and Kragen exchanged glances. Kragen was the first to break the quiet.

"I don’t trust that the mindlink breaking is accidental," he said, his voice steady but grim. "Whatever forces are working behind the scenes, they’re organized. They know how to cut us off. This wasn’t just a simple disruption." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Noah nodded in agreement. "Which means we need to act fast. We can’t afford to be blindsided."

A surge of frustration swelled inside me. I hated this feeling—this helplessness. For so long, I had felt like I was being pushed around by events outside my control. First, being taken and held by whoever had impersonated me, then being told about a prophecy I barely understood. And now, as my pack was possibly under siege, the weight of it all pressed on my shoulders.

"I need to go there," I blurted out suddenly, my voice firmer than I expected.

Noah’s eyes snapped to mine. "What?"

"I need to go to Greyhound," I said again, my heart racing as the words left my mouth. "Xavier is my pack—our pack. I can’t just sit here while they’re being attacked."

Noah’s expression hardened instantly. "No. Not."

"What do you mean ’no’?" I challenged, stepping toward him. "We don’t have any other way to find out what’s going on. Greyhound is under attack, and we’re stuck here without answers."

"You don’t need to be in the middle of it," Noah snapped, his voice sharp, but I could hear the concern lacing his words. "We don’t know the full scope of what’s happening, Selene. If you go there, you could be walking right into a trap."

I clenched my fists, frustration gnawing at me. "I’m not just going to stand by and let my pack fall apart. I’m not some helpless damsel, Noah. I have to do something."

Kragen stepped between us, his presence commanding as always, but his tone was gentler than Noah’s. "Selene, I understand your urgency. But Noah’s right—we don’t know what’s waiting for us at Greyhound. If you do, we can’t guarantee your safety."

"And what about the safety of everyone else?" I shot back. "If I’m connected to this prophecy, then I need to start acting like it. I won’t let people die when I can help."

Noah’s gaze softened for a moment as he looked at me, and for the first time in this entire conversation, I saw something beyond his protective instinct. There was pain in his eyes. Fear.

"I know you want to help," he said quietly, stepping closer. "I know you feel responsible. But we need to think this through. I’ve already sent out scouts to check on the packs near us—if they report back with anything, we’ll move. But rushing in could do more harm than good."

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. "I just... I can’t lose anyone else, Noah. I won’t."

His hand reached out to cup my cheek gently, the warmth of his touch grounding me for a brief moment. "I know," he said softly. "And we won’t. We’ll find a way to get to Greyhound. But we need to be smart about it."

As I stood there, trying to absorb everything Noah and Kragen were saying, a sharp pain tore through my abdomen, stopping me in my tracks. I gritted my teeth and inhaled sharply, trying not to let it show on my face. The last thing I needed was for them to see me in this state—especially not now.

Not now.

I pressed a hand gently to my belly, trying to soothe the twisting pain. Please, baby. Not now. Just a little longer.

Noah’s voice droned on, outlining defensive measures and strategy, but I could barely hear him. The pain had come suddenly, and it wasn’t easing. It was growing. Another wave hit me, stronger this time, and I felt my knees wobble. I clenched my fists, trying to hold myself together.

"Selene?" Noah’s voice broke through the haze. "Are you okay?"

I forced a smile, one that I hoped seemed convincing. "I’m fine," I lied, though my body betrayed me with another intense cramp. Sweat prickled at my forehead.

"You look a little pale," Kragen said, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Of course, he noticed.

I swallowed hard, willing the pain away. "I... I just need to rest for a moment," I said, my voice shaky but firm. "I’ll head to the bedroom and lie down."

Noah gave me a concerned look but nodded. "Go rest. We’ll handle things here."

I nodded quickly, trying to make my exit without drawing more attention. Each step was torture. By the time I reached the stairs, another searing contraction had me gripping the railing, my breath coming in sharp gasps.

Not now, I pleaded with my body, holding my belly as if that could calm the storm brewing inside. I can’t deal with this right now.

I made it to my bedroom and shut the door, collapsing against it as the pain surged again, a deep, throbbing agony that made me want to scream. I bit down on my lip to stop the sound from escaping, my hands trembling as I staggered to the bed.

The sheets felt cool against my flushed skin, but the relief was momentary. Another contraction ripped through me, more violent than the last. I grabbed the bedpost, my fingers curling around the wood so tightly I thought it might splinter.

"Please," I whispered between clenched teeth, tears stinging my eyes. "Not now. Please, not now."

I reached for the maid button by the bedside, pressing it repeatedly with shaking hands. I waited, my heart pounding, praying someone would come. But nothing. No one answered.

The pain intensified, twisting through my body in relentless waves. I couldn’t stop the groan that escaped my throat as I clutched my belly, feeling as though I was being torn apart from the inside.

"Someone, please," I whimpered, the pressure building unbearably. Sweat dripped down my temples, my body trembling uncontrollably as I realized no one was coming. No one had heard me. No one knew I was in labour.

I tried to send out a mindlink to Noah, focusing through the haze of pain. Noah, help. I need... But it wasn’t going through. It was like I was screaming into the void, unable to reach him.

Another sharp contraction gripped me, this time so intense that I cried out in agony, my back arching off the bed. My vision blurred from the pain, tears slipping down my cheeks as I curled into myself, unable to move.

I needed help. I couldn’t do this alone.

Through the fog of pain, my mind searched for someone—anyone—who could hear me. And then, almost instinctively, I reached out to Kragen. His presence felt like a steady anchor in the storm, and I clung to it desperately.

Kragen, please. I need help. It’s... the baby...

There was a moment of silence, and then his voice came through the mindlink, sharp and concerned. Selene? What’s happening?

I’m in labour, I managed to send, my body convulsing with another contraction. I... I can’t do this. I can’t...

His response was immediate. Hold on. I’m coming. Stay with me. Just breathe.