Chapter 4

Chapter 4

She walked in wearing a long silk dress, unhurried, and looked down at Mara.

"I heard you were having a hard time. I had to come check."

Mara turned her head away.

Vivienne didn't care.

"I heard your son died," she said. "I didn't tell Cade — I didn't want to upset him. But I had a Pack Oracle look into it. Ren's fate was dark. He shouldn't be buried in Pack territory."

She leaned down, close enough that only Mara could hear.

"So I'm going to have him scattered somewhere. Just... anywhere will do."

"Shut up." Mara's voice broke. "Shut up—"

She lunged. The guards slammed her back down.

The electrodes came again. Current tore through her. She collapsed, body seizing on the cold floor.

Through the blur, she saw a familiar figure step through the door.

Cade looked at her lying there and turned his face away.

"I'm sorry, Mara. The announcement affected the Pack. I had to give the Elders something."

A pause.

"There's something else. Vivienne is pregnant."

He crouched down. He pushed the wet hair from her face.

"Once this is done, I'll have a reason to release you. Just cooperate. Can you do that?"

A long silence.

From somewhere deep in her chest, very quiet:

"...Yes."

When Mara came back to the Pack house, she was different.

The defiance was gone. She was quiet. She did whatever she was told.

Vivienne said she had severe pregnancy symptoms and needed someone with her at all times. Mara stayed. She didn't sleep.

When Vivienne pushed her down a flight of stairs, claiming a false contraction, Mara climbed back up with blood in her hair and said nothing.

When Vivienne demanded rare healing herbs that could only be found in a dangerous part of the Pack territory, Mara went herself. She was shaking the whole time. She didn't stop.

Cade watched. Something felt wrong about it — the sight of this woman who had never backed down from anything, broken into obedience. But he didn't say anything for a while.

Then one day Vivienne knocked over a bowl of scalding broth. Cade finally pulled Mara aside, alone.

"You don't have to do this," he said. His voice was complicated. "If it's too much, I can find someone else."

Mara kept her eyes down. She shook her head. She left without a word.

The days passed without incident. Then one night, during a storm, Vivienne went into labor.

Cade stood outside the delivery room watching Mara work — calm, gloved, focused. She'd been wrong about everything, he thought, watching her. The Chosen Luna giving birth to a child that would carry Adrian's bloodline, and his Luna didn't cry, didn't break, didn't flinch.

He looked for some sign of pain on her face. He couldn't find one.

Then the baby cried.

The Pack servants cheered outside the door.

Cade walked in. He looked at the baby briefly, then at Mara. He cleared his throat.

"Thank you for everything, Mara. I'll bring Ren home as soon as—"

He stopped.

He remembered.

Mara took the newborn and turned toward the door without a word. She smiled at the room, faintly.

"Congratulations."

Then she walked out.

In a corner no one was watching, her expression changed. She looked down at the baby. Something shifted in her face.

She carried him toward the examination room.

At the door, a blade pressed against her jaw from behind.