Chapter 2

The female he meant to take was never me.

The next morning I jolted awake from another contraction.

When I opened my eyes, a young female in a crimson Luna gown was standing by my bed.

Startled, I sat up. "Who are you?"

She met my eyes without flinching and gave me a dazzling smile.

"Sorry. My Alpha's busy, so he sent me to look after you."

My voice was uncertain. "Your Alpha—"

She nodded. Her smile got brighter, almost blinding.

"That's right. My Alpha is Damon Hale."

"He drank too much last night, then he worked so hard in our den after, I felt sorry for him. So I came in his place."

There was a challenge in her eyes. She was looking me up and down.

"If you ask me, a female who ends up like this is just a failure."

She pointed at my swollen legs, her face twisted with disgust.

"Swollen like that. Even you must be sick of looking at yourself."

"No wonder Damon doesn't want to see you. He couldn't even stomach the food you cooked."

My heart sank. So that was it.

No wonder Damon always used pack business as an excuse not to come see me in the late months.

One day I'd put on a new maternity dress and brought food down to the Hale Pack headquarters lobby.

The sentry at the gate wouldn't let me in. He even threw the food I'd cooked into the trash.

Afterward Damon comforted me. "Useless sentry. I'll have him reassigned tomorrow."

But weeks later, when I passed by the lobby again, the same sentry was still there.

So all of it had been Damon's order.

"I don't need you to look after me. Please get out."

I pushed through the pain, using the last of my dignity to send Seraphine away.

But right then Damon walked in. He saw the wounded look on Seraphine's face and pulled her into his chest.

"My Luna," Damon said, tense, "what happened? Did she bully you? You're too kind—"

Seraphine squeezed out a single tear, putting on generosity.

"It's okay, Alpha. They say pregnancy turns females mean. I'm just scared I'll turn out like that too..."

Damon pressed a deep kiss to her forehead.

"You won't, my Luna." He glanced at me. "If you're really afraid, we can let Elara carry our pup too. She's done it once now. She has experience."

Carry their pup. The word landed, and rage and grief crashed into me at once.

"Get out! Both of you, get out!"

I grabbed the pillow and the water cup beside me and hurled them at them with everything I had.

Seraphine yelped. Damon reacted instantly, shielding her against his chest.

"Elara!" I'd never seen him this furious. "If you'd hit Seraphine, ten of your lives wouldn't be enough!"

I wanted to stand up and fight back, but a violent contraction dropped me to my knees on the floor.

Something panicked flashed through Damon's eyes. "What's wrong? Is the pup coming?"

The pain was crushing. I felt like my bones were being pulled apart.

"Get the healer—"

"Right, right—" Damon was flustered.

He yelled for the healer and jammed his thumb on the call stone.

"You again." The same healer from yesterday—the one who'd called me a mistress—walked in with her brow furrowed.

She didn't even examine me. She just gave me a disgusted look.

"Every other female whelps fine. You're the only one making a fuss."

She sighed and turned to Damon.

"When it's time, we'll bring her to the birthing chamber."

"If you ask me, instead of wasting your time here, you should spend it with your real mate."

Seraphine chimed in, soft and injured.

"Alpha, the healer said it's fine. And she threw that pillow pretty far, so she clearly has strength left. Let's not worry for nothing."

"You haven't eaten properly. Let me take you down to the dining hall. I'll bring something back for Elara too."

Damon's brow tightened. When he looked at me now, there was a layer of disgust in his eyes.

"Seraphine is being generous enough to come look after you. When are you going to stop being jealous?"

He took Seraphine's hand and turned, walking out.

He didn't so much as glance at me, still on my knees on the cold stone floor.

I bit down on the pain, dragged myself up, and pressed the call stone again.

I wasn't putting on a show.

I was in so much pain. It hurt so much.

Another brutal wave of pain tore through my belly.

It was like something was churning me apart from the inside.

The call stone didn't answer. No healer came in.

I picked up my phone and forced myself to call Damon.

Seven calls in a row. He cut every one.

On the last one, Damon's irritated voice came through.

"What are you doing now? What do you want?"

Before I could speak, Seraphine's laughing voice came through from behind him.

"Maybe Elara just can't wait to eat. Hungry wolf."

"Really, such low breeding. Can't even wait her turn for a meal—"