Whose Baby Is This?-1
Sebastian’s POV
When the physicians first mentioned brain damage, I’d researched every fucking possibility it could entail. I’d read about selective amnesia too, just never imagined it would happen to Thea.
“Selective amnesia manifests as patients forgetting portions of their lives,” the chief physician explained, his voice weighted with gravity. “In Thea’s case, she’s lost memory of the past four years. Some cases recover completely, others only remember fragments, and some patients may never fill those gaps.”
I scanned the room, taking in everyone’s reactions. Leo and I were the only lucky ones. She remembered us but had forgotten everyone else present.
“Are you saying she might never remember us?” Iris asked, her voice trembling.
Her fingers twisted nervously together as she fought to stay composed. I knew how hard this hit her. They were best friends, and now the physician was telling her Thea might
never recall their shared memories.
“So that’s why Mom doesn’t know who Phoenix is?” Leo suddenly spoke up, his tone
confident and matter–of–fact.
In a room full of anxious adults, a six–year–old pup was the most collected one. Leo was
growing into a fine Alpha heir. While most kids his age would struggle to articulate their
thoughts, Leo didn’t. He was my son, but his confidence often surprised me.
“Yes, Leo.” The physician nodded, then turned to address all of us. “We’ve also discovered
she’s having difficulty recognizing certain letters and numbers. Given she still works as a
teacher, I strongly advise against her returning to work for now.”
“But I love teaching,” Thea frowned, sadness filling her voice. “It’s part of who I am.”
“Recovery is the priority now,” the physician insisted. “We need to determine if this condition is reversible and how much recovery is possible.”
Though she didn’t like it, she agreed.
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Whose Baby Is This?-1
“When can she be discharged?” I asked, already mentally planning arrangements.
“I’d like to observe her for one more night, and if everything’s normal, you can take her home tomorrow.”
Leo nearly jumped out of his seat at the news. The kid had spent three months worrying his mother would never wake up, and now knowing she could come home tomorrow, his joy was barely containable. I noticed he’d been clutching Thea’s hand since our conversation began, like he feared she’d disappear again if he let go.
“Could I speak with you all privately for a moment?” The physician motioned toward the door. “Leo can stay with his mother.”
As we followed the physician into the hallway, my stomach churned. Was there something else? What could be worse than “she’s forgotten four years of her life“?
“I must emphasize one thing,” the physician’s voice grew more serious. “Do not attempt to force her to remember what she’s lost. Many families try this, but for patients with brain trauma, it can trigger severe migraines and, in extreme cases, even seizures.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Maximus sounded lost.
The physician turned to me. “I know you’re divorced now, Alpha Ashworth, but she currently believes you’re still married. Medically speaking, it’s best to return her to familiar surroundings–meaning, back to where you lived together, surrounded by familiar things and people, maintaining the life she remembers for now.”
The suggestion made me catch my breath. My wolf immediately perked up, This is our chance! he roared in my mind.
But logic told me this could be a dangerous path. I couldn’t go back to how I was during our marriage. I couldn’t pretend I didn’t have feelings for her. And when she eventually recovered her memories, what would she think about me letting her live a lie? It wouldn’t
just be a betrayal of her trust–it could destroy any hope of repairing what was between
- us.
“Isn’t that deceiving her? A lot has changed,” Sophia voiced my concerns directly.
“I understand your feelings, but this is the best approach for now. The last thing we need
is her nervous system overloading. That could have serious consequences.”
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I reluctantly admitted his point was reasonable. That damn silver bullet was still lodged in her brain, and if too much stress made her condition worse…
“What are we supposed to do?” Seraphina asked painfully. “I’m her mother, and she doesn’t even remember my name. Are we supposed to pretend we’re strangers?”
“Build new connections with her,” the physician suggested gently. “Don’t focus on the past, but on the present. Please understand, her brain is selectively blocking memories for self–protection. Breaking through that protection could have unpredictable
consequences.”
Whose Baby Is This?-2
After the physician left, I stood in the hallway for a few minutes, processing everything. Just when we’d emerged from three months of hell, we’d fallen into another abyss. Everything was happening too fast, too differently. I could barely keep up.
When I was sure I had my emotions under control, I returned to her room. I found Iris, Sophia, and Jaxon introducing themselves to Thea.
“You’re nerdy Jax,” Thea smiled, receiving a glare from him, though without malice. “How
strange that our sons are best friends now.”
“Yeah,” he responded simply.
No one mentioned that Wyatt was also Aurora’s son.
“Mom, do you want to meet Phoenix?” Leo suddenly asked, his face eager.
“Of course! Can they bring her? I really want to see her.” Thea’s smile was radiant and beautiful, one I hadn’t seen in ages. “I still can’t believe we have a daughter.”
That “we” felt like a sharp knife through my heart. Shit. How was I going to explain all
this to her?
Seraphina, seeing my predicament, picked up the phone and contacted the nurse’s station to have Phoenix brought over.
Soon after, the head nurse appeared in the doorway with the little life.
“It’s so good to see you awake, Thea,” she said softly. “This little angel has been waiting a
long time to see her mommy.”
When the nurse placed Phoenix in Thea’s arms, the entire room seemed to hold its
breath. Thea looked down at the tiny life, her eyes filled with wonder.
“She’s… she’s beautiful,” Thea whispered, awe in her voice. “Look at her little fingers, and
her nose…”
“She looks exactly like you, Mom,” Leo said proudly. “Like a mini version of you.”
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Phoenix didn’t cry, probably because she was sleeping. We all watched in amazement as Thea fell in love with Phoenix–a daughter she didn’t remember carrying.
When Leo complained he was hungry, Iris and Sophia offered to take him to the hospital cafeteria to find something to eat. Jaxon made an excuse to leave, saying he needed to pick up Wyatt. The room suddenly quieted, leaving just me, Thea, and Phoenix.
“What about the rest of Sterling Pack?” she suddenly asked, a hint of hurt in her tone. “Don’t they care that I’m awake?”
I’d completely forgotten about them. They’d assumed Thea wouldn’t want to see them after waking up.
“They’ll be here soon, but there are some things you need to be prepared for,” I told her.
Some things were too significant, too important to hide. I was about to tell her about Derek’s death when she suddenly gasped.
I turned to her worriedly, only to find her staring at Phoenix in shock and confusion.
“What is it, Thea?”
“Why are her eyes black? Nobody in your family has eyes like that, and if what you’re telling me is true and Margaret and Derek aren’t my parents, then she shouldn’t have eyes
like these.”
This was another thing I refused to lie to Thea about: Phoenix’s biological father. My gaze slid to Seraphina and Maximus, but they looked just as flustered. No help there.
“Her eyes are inherited from her biological father,” I said slowly, weighing every word.
“But aren’t you her father?” Thea blinked in confusion.
“No, I’m not.”
Her face instantly paled, fingers anxiously clenching. “Oh God, did I… did I cheat on you?
Was I unfaithful?”
Phoenix seemed to sense her emotional shift and began crying uneasily. I took Phoenix from her hands, holding her close to my chest, gently patting her back. Strangely, the motion felt natural, as if I’d been caring for her all along. Phoenix quickly quieted, falling
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Whose Baby Is This?-2
back asleep.
“It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you someday, but you didn’t cheat,” I said.
“You’d better tell me.”
Maybe when she demanded answers, I could find a reasonable explanation for why Phoenix had a different father without making her feel like she’d been unfaithful.
“So when can I go home?” she asked after calming down.
“Tomorrow. I’ve got everything ready.”
“That’s great,” she smiled. “I really want to go back to our home.”
When she said “our home,” I felt something stir inside me. I knew when the physician suggested we conceal the truth, I didn’t want to lie to her, but like my wolf said, maybe this was my second chance–a chance to bring back her love for me. Otherwise, I didn’t know how I could survive.
