Acantha in a pool of blood

"Ahhhhhh"

Acantha's blood-curdling scream shattered the air, sending Ghod's consciousness into disarray.

He bolted from his seat, dashing towards the door with a speed almost too much to control. He took the stairs two at a time, his feet pounding a frantic beat that matched the panic pumping through his veins. He kicked her door open without even trying the handle first, and his world suddenly stopped.

"Helena!!" he bellowed, his stomach twisting painfully, and his eyes widened in horror at the sight of her limp body and the crimson stain spreading quickly beneath her gown.

With his heart racing, he dropped to his knees beside her, his mind reeling with fear. "No, no, no... Helena," he chanted, the words sounding like a soft plea.

"What happened?!" he screamed at Meliana, standing in the corner, her face completely gaunt and pale.

"It hurts," Acantha moaned as he lifted her into his arms.

"Oh, bloody hell, it hurts!!!" she yelled, and he could see that it did by how tightly she shut her eyes and how deeply her nails were digging into his neck as he began walking towards the door.

He would deal with Meliana later, but first, he needed to get his wife to the physician.

The air felt damp, the clamminess making his clothes stick to his body uncomfortably. Some errant branches from trees snagged at him as he rushed through the small forest that led towards the brook.

He nearly lost his balance when he stepped on a wet rock and waded through the small stream, but nothing mattered to Ghod as he ran for the physician's cottage.

"We'll be there soon," he muttered comfortingly, wishing there was something else he could do to lessen the pain for her.

"Please stay awake," he pleaded when he felt her hands going lazy around his neck and her breathing getting more relaxed. "I can't afford to lose her, please."

***************************

"My lord!" the older lady muttered in shock as Ghod entered the room.

"Quick! Hurry, Gwen!" he urged, bypassing her and heading straight for her laboratory space.

"Something's wrong with the Luna."

"She's bleeding, my lord," the physician murmured, the sadness in her voice scary and confusing to him at the same time.

Ghod laid Acantha down on a pallet, intentionally ignoring his blood-smeared arms and chest. The bright green of her dress had also been stained to a dark brownish color, especially at the back, when the old lady moved closer and began inspecting her as quickly as she could.

"Is she still awake?" He wanted to use 'alive,' but for some reason, he couldn't.

"Yes, she is," Gwen said as she grabbed a glassware and poured an earthy, astringent-smelling liquid into a cup, then motioned for him to hold her up while she put it to her lips.

"Will she live?" he finally asked, unable to hold it in.

"She will," the lady replied calmly as Acantha slowly downed the liquid. "She's just weak from blood loss. The yarrow mixture will help stop the bleeding while I check whether the fetus survived."

Her statement was like a massive blow to the stomach, and he swayed from the impact as he sucked in a sharp breath. The medicine woman took one glance at his expression and knew he had no idea of his wife's pregnancy.

"Fetus?" Ghod echoed blandly, and she nodded before grabbing a stool.

"Are you telling me my wife currently carries my child?"

"Well, yes," Gwen answered, cutting through Acantha's undergarments. "I usually do this part alone, but you are the alpha."

He ignored that, finding it hard to process that Acantha had hidden something important from him. Or perhaps she wasn't hiding it; maybe she didn't know.

"How far along does she have to be for something like this to happen?" he asked, and Gwen shot him a slightly amused look.

"My lord, your wife has miscarried," she announced, then stood up. "This is not normal at all," she started as she grabbed another earthenware and poured a slightly more generous amount of another liquid. "Pennyroyal," she muttered in explanation. "It'll help flush out what's left."

Ghod watched as the older lady, her eyes filled with worry, motioned for him to help her hold Acantha.

"How far along do you think she was before this…?" Ghod asked, his voice a fragile whisper.

"She came in a week ago, and I told her she was eight weeks…" Gwen's voice trembled as she spoke.

"She knew?!" Ghod exploded, his brain pulsing and the entire room spinning around him.

"I…that's what I said," the lady replied, her voice barely audible.

"Why did no one tell me this?!" Ghod 's shout echoed through the room, making the poor woman step back, her eyes glazing over with fear.

"I didn't think it was my place to tell you about your wife's conception, my lord. I assumed she would…" The woman's voice trailed off as Ghod 's rage cut her off. He gritted his teeth, struggling to block out her words, preferring to remain lost in his chaotic thoughts.

His hands trembled uncontrollably as he took a shuddering breath, then turned his attention back to Acantha. She lay motionless on the pallet, her features pinched and her lips taking on a greyish hue that stabbed at Acantha's heart.

"Why would you keep something like this from me, Helena?" Ghod 's voice was a hollow whisper, devoid of emotion. He tenderly kissed her forehead before straightening up and facing the medicine woman.

"Do you know what caused the miscarriage?" he asked, his voice heavy with desperation.

The lady hesitated before a sudden realization seemed to dawn on her. "I need to check her stomach," she said, reaching for a razor and beginning to cut through Acantha's gown, focusing on the area around her stomach.

"What are you doing?" Ghod started, but his question was cut short as the woman pulled away the torn pieces of Acantha's dress, revealing a purplish bruise just below her navel.

"It appears, my lord, that your wife's loss was due to some harsh impact," Gwen murmured. Ghod's mind immediately raced to Meliana, a gnawing sense of dread settling in his gut.