Perry's POV
"What do you mean by 'was'?" The words came out low and dangerous, my Alpha authority bleeding through despite my attempts at control. I already knew the answer—could see it written in the guilt consuming Marcela's face—but I needed her to say it. Needed confirmation that my worst fears were justified.
Something had happened to my mate while I was gone. Something devastating that would explain the careful way she'd been avoiding certain topics, the shadows that sometimes flickered across her eyes when she thought I wasn't looking.
Marcela's composure cracked entirely under the weight of my stare. Her hands shook as she twisted them together, and when she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.
"My king... the queen was pregnant." The words fell between us like stones. "But as you know, given her condition, she couldn't carry the pregnancy to term safely."
