Jason was anxious as he walked onto the property. Like most of the other times before, he went straight for the barn. He knew Elena wouldn’t be in the house, and rather than risk knocking and being told to leave yet again, he hurried to the place he was most likely to find her. As he walked, he checked around him and noticed she wasn’t anywhere else on the property. It was past noon, so she would have already done most of her work.

He walked into the opening of the barn and froze when he saw her lying on the ground. “Elena!” he called and ran to her. He fell to his knees, his heart in his throat as he felt for her pulse. He breathed an immense sigh of relief when he realized she was still breathing. “Elena,” he called again, and her eyes fluttered but didn’t open. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out as her head rolled back to its former position.

Jason started to panic, and he looked towards the house. He rested her once more on the ground and ran to the door. “Help!” he shouted, knowing her parents wouldn’t be far away. “Help!”

The kitchen door opened and Gregory ran out. “Prince Jason? What’s going on?” His face was a picture of worry and confusion, but he moved quickly because of the urgency in the man’s voice.

“It’s Elena,” Jason confirmed, and ran back to her. He dropped to his knees and scooped her head into his lap. He rolled her over on her back and he saw her stomach. His breath caught in his throat, and he was temporarily paralyzed.

“What happened?” Gregory asked as he got to the barn.

“I don’t know,” he muttered, his lips feeling suddenly heavy. “I came in and saw her like this.”

Gregory looked at him suspiciously. “Quick, help me get her up.”

They moved quickly to get her to the house and drew the attention of Olivia and a very scared Nathan, who stood by the kitchen door. Olivia ran out and met the men halfway to the house.

“Oh, what’s wrong with her?” she cried as she touched Elena’s face and tried to diagnose her condition.

“I don’t know,” Gregory answered abruptly. “The Prince said he found her unconscious on the floor.”

“I knew something was wrong,” Olivia echoed her previous sentiments from the day before. “Take her to the living room. I’ll get some water.”

The men carried her awkwardly into the house, placing themselves in uncomfortable positions in order to not hurt her. She was moaning, and they weren’t sure where she might be hurting. She was unaware of what was happening. They rested her on the sofa, and Olivia hurried in with a cold compress and placed it on her forehead.

“You think that will work?” Gregory asked incredulously. “The prince is here.”

Jason knitted his brows when he quickly understood their meaning. “This time? This has happened before? And how the hell is she pregnant and I didn’t know about this? This baby is mine. I know it!”

Olivia sighed. “We tried to tell her to tell you. She didn’t want to. It was her decision.”

“Goddamn it!” Jason spat and turned around the room.

“This is all your fault,” Gregory accused. “If you hadn’t forced yourself on her…”

Jason had had enough with talk about him forcing himself on Elena. “Sir, with all due respect, I made love to your daughter by her own free will. It was her choice. I’m sure you heard by now that was all a lie. I stayed away because that was what Elena wanted, but if I had known she was carrying my child, I would have been back in a heartbeat.”

“Now is not the time for this,” Olivia interjected. “Elena is lying on the sofa and in pain. Now, one of you get a car so we can take her to a hospital, or shut the hell up so I can tend to my child!” She snarled like a mother wolf and practically bared her teeth at the men, who instantly shut up and paid attention.

“Shit!” Jason muttered and whipped his phone out. “Rick, get back to the farm asap. I have an emergency.”

“I’ll get her dressed and pack some of her things. I don’t think she’ll be coming back today,” Olivia announced and wiped her hand down her dress as she stood.

Jason nodded and stood over Elena, looking at her pale face. His eyes were drawn slowly to the rise on her stomach, and it occurred to him that she was about six months pregnant. He had been gone for as long, and he knew this baby must be his. But why didn’t she tell him? He wanted to be angry with her, but the timing was grossly inappropriate. He wiped his hand down his face and walked around the room. He looked away when Olivia returned, and she hastily changed Elena’s clothes and got her ready to leave.

“Is the car here yet?” she asked.

The phone rang as if in answer to her question. “I’m coming out,” Jason told Rick and went to Elena.

“Be careful with her,” Olivia warned. “Gregory, stay with Nathan. And please try to tell him nothing is wrong.”

“He’s not an idiot, Olivia,” Gregory answered.

“Neither are you,” she replied. “Help him lift her.”

They carried Elena out to the car, attracting the attention of a few nosy neighbors who were no doubt wondering about the car returning for the second time that day. He knew that by the time they returned, everyone would be aware of what had happened, but they were not his problem.

Rick got out of the car when he realized what was happening and adjusted the seat so she could lay flat on her back. He whipped out the extra cushions and elevated the seat to make her more comfortable as both Olivia and Jason got into the car with her.

“We need to get to the hospital, Rick,” Jason commanded. “Quick!”

“On it, sir!”

The ride to the hospital was an uncomfortable one for all three passengers. Jason couldn’t take his eyes off Elena’s stomach, and he battled with a range of emotions. He had gotten over the initial shock, and he was beginning to accept the fact that he was going to be a father. When he decided to come back that morning, he had no idea what he would encounter, but he never imagined this.

“I’m such an idiot,” he uttered finally as he rubbed his palms together and stared out the window. “I knew something was wrong when everyone shut me out. I should have tried harder.”

Olivia sucked in a lungful of air before she spoke. “It isn’t your fault, Prince Jason. My daughter can be very stubborn. She has always wanted a simple life, not the flashy one you promised. When she found out she was pregnant, she was determined to go through it alone. Her father and I tried to get her to change her mind, but she wouldn’t listen. She was afraid you would take her away from the life she loved.”

Jason pondered the information for a few moments and nodded. “I see that this is her life, and if she was willing to make such a sacrifice, it has to be important. I wouldn’t take it away from her.”

“But how would it work? Don’t you see? That’s the problem,” Olivia added.

“I get it now,” Jason replied broodingly.

He had no idea how to make her his wife without her leaving the farm or him moving onto it. But one thing was for sure—she was his. Elena was having his child and there was no way he wouldn’t be a part of that.

“I’m not going to abandon her. Not even if she asks it,” he told Olivia.

The car pulled up at the hospital, and Jason jumped out and headed for the emergency section. Soon, orderlies hurried out wheeling a gurney, and Elena was lifted onto it. She had shown no signs of life since she left the farm, and both Olivia and Jason were besides themselves with worry. They followed the gurney as it squeaked along the recently polished hallway, giving off an eerie sound as the wheels wobbled and rolled.

“I want a private room for her,” Jason told one of the men.

“Right away, sir, but we have to get her registered first.”

“The hell you do!” Jason barked. “Get her to a room and then you can do the paperwork. She isn’t going anywhere. She could be in grave danger and you’re talking about paperwork.”

The men were frightened and looked around the hallway for escape from the wrath of the prince. An elderly man, obviously conscious of the rising tones in the hallway, stepped out of an office and grinned as he immediately recognized Jason.

“Prince Jason,” he exclaimed as he extended his hand. “What’s going on here?”

“I need her checked out right away. I’ll handle the paperwork after.”

“Sure. Bring her to the west wing, and hurry!” the doctor told the orderlies.

Jason’s level of tolerance was waning as he followed the men. He didn’t know what was going on with Elena, and just when he found out she was carrying his child, she might be losing it. He wanted to break something, and he balled his hands into fists as he tried to quell the rising tide of anger that swelled inside.