My heart sank at the realisation, and Maris must have noticed the horror on my face because she quickly added.
"Not to worry, I'll make sure no child is conceived."
"Thank you," I said gruffly, lowering my head to hide my shame. To change the subject, I asked Maris again. "But what might be the problem? Why is the mark on her neck red and inflamed?"
"Her body is in shock," Maris explained. "The bond formation during a Crescent moon is intense for Direwolves, talk more of a mere human. To be sincere, I don't know how she survived mating with you. In any case," she looked up at me. "You need to leave so we can examine her properly, and we can't do that with you hovering."
"I'm not leaving her."
"Alpha," Maris said firmly. "You're making this harder. Your presence is affecting her through the bond. She needs space so her human body can try to heal from your mark, but if that is impossible, we might want to consider other options."
