Kayden

We reached Glacier Dome in two hours, taking a different route from the airport because the reporters had tried to follow us.

A journey that should have lasted for only thirty minutes went on for hours.

Throughout the ride, I was shivering not out of cold but from deep anxiety, and not even Rhys’s warmth could numb that feeling. His arm stayed wrapped tightly around me the entire time, his body heat pressing against my side, but it did nothing to stop the tremors running through my muscles. Every time the car slowed or turned, my stomach twisted harder.

All I could think about was people’s acceptance. I hadn’t expected it would be this bad.

I had expected that no one would be vile in real life the way they were online, but every word thrown at me at the airport had cut deep, and I had wished desperately that I had replied to each one of them. Maybe if I had shouted back, the pain wouldn’t feel so heavy now.

"Are you alright?" Rhys asked softly as the car finally entered through the gates of Glacier Dome. His voice was gentle, full of concern, his hand rubbing slow circles on my arm.

I couldn’t respond to what he had said because I was trembling hard in his arms.

My vision was blurry at the edges, my throat dry and tight, as if someone had stuffed cotton down it.

The world outside the tinted windows looked distant and unreal.

I tried to nod, but even that small movement made my head spin. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Leo, I don’t know what is happening to him," Rhys suddenly shouted when he saw how badly I was shivering in his arms. His voice cracked with worry, the usual calm completely gone.

Leo turned back from the front seat to face us and heaved a deep sigh. "We are already here. I will go get the laboratory ready. You should bring him in, Rhys," he instructed, his tone shifting into that focused, professional mode he used when things turned serious.

The van came to a stop in front of the clinic building. Without wasting any time, Leo rushed inside. Even though he had been fired, he still had full access to the facility because of his uncle’s influence.

Rhys didn’t hesitate. He unbuckled my seatbelt with careful hands, then slid one arm under my knees and the other behind my back. In one smooth motion, he lifted me out of the car and into his arms, cradling me against his chest like I weighed nothing.

My head lolled against his shoulder, and I could feel the rapid beat of his heart through his shirt. He smelled like safety.

"I’ve got you," he whispered against my hair as he carried me through the doors. "Just hold on, baby. Leo’s going to figure this out."

The clinic lights were bright as we stepped in and Rhys’s footsteps echoed down the hallway as he followed Leo’s directions making my head spin even more.

Miller walked close behind us without saying anything.

When we reached the examination room, Rhys gently lowered me onto the bed, his hands lingering on my shoulders as he helped me lie back against the pillows.

Leo was already moving fast as he pulled on gloves, grabbed his stethoscope, and started taking my vitals. His hands were cool and steady as he pressed the stethoscope to my chest, listening to my racing heart. He checked my blood pressure next, then my temperature and with every reading, I noticed the frown on his face growing deeper.

"You’re running a low-grade fever," Leo muttered, mostly to himself. "Your pulse is elevated and your breathing is shallow. Kayden, talk to me. Where does it hurt the most right now?"

I tried to answer, but my voice came out weak and raspy. "Everywhere... feels hot... dizzy..."

Rhys hovered right beside the bed, his hand never leaving mine. "What’s wrong with him, Leo? Is it the stress from the airport? The flight? Talk to me. Or is he pregnant?"

My heart fluttered a bit when he talked about pregnancy. I truly wished that was the case.

Leo didn’t look up from the monitor he was adjusting. His voice stayed calm the way it always did when he was deep in doctor mode. "Rhys, I need space to work. You’re breathing down my neck and it’s not helping. Step back. Your presence is increasing his heart rate even more, and if you keep interrupting, I won’t be able to get accurate readings. Go wait outside. Now."

Rhys opened his mouth to argue, but Leo cut him off with a sharp look.

"I’m not joking. If you stay and his blood pressure spikes any higher, I will personally sedate you for interfering with my patient care," Leo’s voice had turned serious and he didn’t look like he was joking. "Miller, take him out. Please."

Miller stepped forward immediately and placed a firm hand on Rhys’s shoulder. "Come on Rhys, let’s go. Leo is definitely going to take care of Kayden and make sure nothing happens to him."

Rhys looked torn, his eyes locked on mine with raw worry but I managed a weak smile and squeezed his hand, urging him to go out. "Go. I’ll be fine, I promise. Let Leo work."

Rhys hesitated for another second, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I’m right outside. Yell if you need me."

I nodded.

Miller grabbed his hand and gently pulled him outside of the room.

Once we were alone, Leo exhaled slowly once they were gone and turned back to me. He pulled up a stool beside the bed and sat down, his expression softening into something more personal.

"Okay, Kayden. It’s just us now. Tell me exactly how you are feeling. When did the shivering start? Any nausea? Cramps? Are you sensitive to light or sound?"

I swallowed hard, my throat still dry. "The dizziness started back at the island but it wasn’t bad. It became worse in the car after the airport. I felt cold inside even though I wasn’t. My stomach is twisting and I keep feeling waves of heat. It’s like a fever, but deeper. And I keep thinking about how those people at the airport had acted towards me."

Leo nodded, listening carefully as he took notes on his tablet. He then gently placed his hands on my stomach, pressing lightly in different spots. "Any tenderness here?"

I winced slightly at one point. "A little... right there."

He continued the examination, asking more questions in his calm, serious tone. "Have you noticed any changes in appetite lately? Sensitivity to certain smells? Fatigue beyond what the travel would explain?"

I bit my lip, then finally asked the question that had been burning in my mind since he mentioned it on the island. "Leo... am I pregnant?"

He paused, his hand still resting lightly on my abdomen. For a moment, the only sound was the soft beep of the monitor tracking my heart rate. Leo met my eyes directly, his expression honest but cautious.

"I’m not certain yet," he said quietly. "The scent change is a strong indicator, especially combined with the fainting and the hormonal spikes I’m seeing on these preliminary readings. But we need blood work and possibly an ultrasound to confirm. In pairings like yours, early implantation can cause exactly these symptoms — sudden scent shifts, emotional volatility, and vasovagal responses like fainting. Your body is going through massive adjustments if conception occurred during or right after your last heat."

He kept his hand on my stomach. "How do you feel about that possibility, Kayden? Are you scared or perhaps hopeful?"

I stared at the ceiling, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "Both," I whispered. "I never thought... I mean, I always wanted this someday and now... I don’t know. I am just overwhelmed."

Leo gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "We’ll know for sure soon. I’m going to draw blood now and run the tests. Whatever the result is, you’re not alone in this. I hope you know that."

I closed my eyes and nodded but deep down I knew that I would feel disappointed if the test came out negative.