Chapter 32

MIRIAM'S POV
What is chasing her?" Daniel asked Cherry who was standing at the door waiting for me to get inside.
"Nothing serious." She said and he walked away.
I was panting as I entered the house and Cherry started laughing at me. When I settled in, I couldn't even find my voice to ask them about what just happened out there.
"Trisha," Cherry called out and Trish came at that moment.
"Please get her a glass of water. It should not be cold." She instructed Trish who walked out as she kept her gaze on me. I was becoming very uncomfortable with the way she was looking at me. I tried to look at myself to see if there was anything wrong with me but I couldn't find any so I decided to stay calm.
"Where is Ivy?" I asked Cherry who was still staring at me as though I had just stolen something.
"She should be in her room." She responded and I could not say anything further.
"Are you okay?" She asked and I was too scared to tell her that I was not so comfortable with the way she was staring at me.
"Talk to me Miriam, what is it?" She asked again and I wanted to lie but I could not find any reasonable excuse to give her.
"Hey, you need to calm your nerves, okay, no one in this house is going to hurt you. What you just saw out there is nothing but the best way we express ourselves. It is that time of the month.
"I was just concerned because I have never seen such a thing before now." I added as I squeezed myself into the couch I was sitting in the more.
"Soon, you are going to get used to it." She added as Trish walked in with the glass of water in her hand.
"Has this been going on since I came back?" I asked because I have been here for a few months and I am just having such an encounter for the very first time.
"Is there anything else you would love to tell me about?" I asked her and she was quiet for a while. Then she stood up and left the living room. I wanted to call her back but I thought she would be tired and it was time for her to retire to bed.
As for me, I could stay awake all night long and that was because I had been sleeping all day. Trish came back after dropping the cup I just finished drinking from in the kitchen.
"Please tell me more about what just happened out there. I was totally lost and I was told that it was all your idea." I explained to her and she sat down beside me ready to unleash all that she had in her bosom.
"Before you do that, you would have to allow her take my test first." Cherry said as she walked in with a notepad and a pen.
She sat directly opposite us and looked straight at me.
"Could you please excuse us?" She said to Trish who stood up immediately and headed to the stairs.
"Come on Cherry, it's fine. Let her stay . Besides, I really do enjoy and appreciate her company." I told Cherry so that she could allow her to come back but she insisted we must have that meeting alone.
"Alright, if you insist, let's proceed." I told her as she kept staring at me.
"You are making me feel so uneasy right now. Why are you staring at me the way you are doing? Did I do something wrong?" I asked her in one breath and she smiled. I am sure she gave me that smile just to ease the pressure on me.
"You just have to relax, Miriam. I can see you are very nervous and apprehensive. I gave you that look just to confirm my assertion and I am right." She said and scrambled something on the notepad she had brought with her.
"So tell me, how do you feel?" She asked me and I didn't know what words would best describe the way I felt at the moment and every other time.
My greatest trouble was this pregnancy and I badly needed to deal with it but I don't know how to go about it. I wanted an abortion but they would not let me get it.
In fact I have been warned never to talk about it anyway. How do I tell her that the negative energy was because of nothing but this pregnancy and I badly wanted it out.
"You are not saying anything." Cherry snapped at me dragging me out of my thoughts. I sighed even as I remained quiet.
"Tell me whatever it is you want to say. I promise it will be between us." Cherry said and I didn't know why I just couldn't trust her.
"It is said that two cannot keep a secret." I said.
"Unless one is dead." She added, completing the statement and I smiled.
"You seem to understand me more than anyone else." I said to her and she smiled.
"I take that as a compliment." Cherry stated and I was glad she felt good about it.
"So tell me, how do you feel?" She asked again and by this time I had made up my mind to tell her what it was.
"I feel worked up. I feel tired and I wish I could just get this thing out of my stomach." I said as I slightly hit my already protruding stomach.
"Don't hit the baby that way again. He has done nothing wrong." Cherry said and I apologised for doing that.
"How about your meeting with the council of elders? How do you feel about it." Cherry asked as she looked at me waiting for my response.
"I feel so nervous about it. I don't know how best I am going to face them. It's been a long time since I had such a meeting." I answered and she stood to her feet.
"Before you were made Alpha of the silver moon pack, I am sure there were qualities you exhibited that made them have so much confidence in you." She said and I stood up and followed her as she walked around the living room.
"Yes, I know I was very courageous and I was so Knowledgeable in everything that concerns the pack." I added to what she has said.
"So did you by any means lose the knowledge?" She asked, still backing me while I stepped into every position she stepped out of.
"No I didn't. I still know everything and more and I have been able to learn more over the years." I said as I stood at a spot.
"If you know all these, what is stopping you from taking up your responsibility and doing the things you know how best to do?" She asked and I felt the concern she had for me in her voice.
"I don't know Cherry, I have been subjected lately and that has made me think that I cannot take up such responsibility as alpha again." I said with tears rolling down my cheeks and I tried as much as I could not to make it obvious.
"This means that all that is stopping you is your mindset because I don't see anything else. How can you tell me that you cannot take up a simple task because you feel you can't. " She screamed at me and I couldn't blame her for her anger . She was right and I would appreciate it if she could talk some sense into my head.
"Look at you Miriam, just take a good look at yourself. Aren't you ashamed that you have let mediocrity get into your head?" She asked me and all I could do was cry.
"You don't have to let whatever it is you have been subjected to define you. There is much, so much more ahead of you and I am sure you would not want to be caught off guard." She stated and walked back to her seat.
I stood at the spot I had stopped earlier and tried to take in all she had said to me and in as much as it was all I needed, I felt she should have said it in a nicer way.
"And what have the nice talks you have been hearing done for you?" My wolf asked me and I could perceive that she was as angry as Cherry.
"Tell me what you think I should do and I will do it." I said to Cherry as I walked to my seat.
"Are you sure you are going to get on it at once?" She asked me and I nodded my head assuring her that I would take up the responsibility.
"Alright then, the first thing is to accept that you can do it. Forget about whatever it is that is telling you that you can't and focus on the task." She said as she moved to join me in my seat.
"I need you to be confident. Keep your head up and act like all that you are.
Look at Daniel, he did all you should do in your absence and did it perfectly without any guidance. It is nothing different from what you know so you can do it." She assured me and I felt a bit relieved.
"What about the elders? My meeting with them is fast approaching, how do I face them." I asked her and she gave me what I would call a half smile.
"You are the boss. You are the Alpha, surround yourself with courage and boldness and don't let anyone intimidate you. You give the orders and not the other way round." She added.
I took a few minutes to think about what she had just said and I was convinced that I had been the one delaying my second reign.
"You can always ask me questions if you don't understand anything." She added as she walked to the kitchen.
I stood up, walked around for a while, sat down again and crossed my legs. After a while Cherry walked in with two glasses of wine and handed me one.
"I promise not to disappoint you. Although the fear I am still having is how to start the conversation with them. I just don't know what to do." I said to her as I sipped the drink in my hand and started coughing immediately because of the alcoholic content of the drink.
"How much alcohol does this contain?" I asked her as I raised the glass in my hand.
"Not too much that you can't handle." Cherry responded and I dropped the glass on the table.
"So about what you asked, I will tell Daniel to make it look like you are coming to address them. There will be no room for interrogations from them. He would also put you through everything that has been going on in the pack." She added as she dropped her empty glass and took mine.
I just sat there like a dummy and stared at her. By the time she was done, she stood up and walked upstairs leaving me all alone in the living room.
I sat there thinking of what to do and planning every step I would take and how I would take it. I almost took the notepad Cherry had left on the table to write a speech but I decided otherwise.
After a while, I went back to my room and laid on the bed even though I was not sleeping. I felt refreshed and strengthened. It was the cry that helped. The fact that I was able to express myself and let out all that I have been holding up was something that I craved for and the feeling was priceless.
I stood at the dressing mirror and began to tell myself how much of a blessing everyone I have around me was.
I also assured myself that I was able to do all that I had set out to do.
With this, I covered myself and closed myself to sleep and also prayed I don't have the dream that woke me up again.
I heard some chattering in my room so I opened my eyes and it was morning already. I felt disappointed because I wanted more sleep but I don't think I can get some at the moment.
"Hey Trish." I said as I opened my eyes to see it was Trish arranging my closet.
"Good morning Miriam." She greeted me and I struggled to stand up from the bed and she helped me up.
"You stayed up late last night." She said and I was just too tired to speak to her.
"Help me get to the bathroom." I told her and she held me and let me into the bathroom.
"If there is anything else, I am here." She said as she walked away.
"Tell Cherry I need to see her." I told her.
"Cherry left this morning. She said she will be back by evening.
"What about Daniel?" I asked her and she told me he was downstairs.
"Please tell Daniel to come with you." I told her and she left immediately.
Before Daniel and Trish came in, I was already in bed waiting for them. Daniel walked in and gave me a kiss on the forehead and sat beside me holding my hands.
"I think I need to see the doctor, I am not feeling too well." I told him and he squeezed my hands softly.
"That's alright." He said and pulled me in for a hug.
"Get her ready," he said to Trish who rushed to get me some clothes from my closet.
"I should go get my car keys, just give me a moment." Daniel said as he kissed my head again.
Trish helped me dress up and I was ready before Daniel came back. Daniel lifted me up and carried me all the way to the car. He always cares so much about me and would never let me stress myself for any reason. This pregnancy has made the velocity of the care increase and I was enjoying every bit of it.
Trish carried my bag and walked behind us until we got to the car then she dropped the bag at the back seat and walked back to the building.
"Where are you going?" Daniel asked her and she came back.
"You should follow us to the hospital as her personal maid, you know?" He said to her and she found herself in the car in no time.
The ride to the hospital was very swift and Trish didn't fail to keep me company all along.
By the time we got to the hospital, we didn't see the doctor that attended to me the other day and we were asked to wait for him..
I told Daniel to go back because his presence might be needed at home and he agreed after the pressure I put on him.
"I will call you to come pick us up when we are done." I told him.
"Don't do anything stupid Miriam." He said with so much seriousness.
"I promise." I responded and he kissed my hair and walked out of the hospital. If for nothing, I was so glad to be out of that castle after a long time.