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Chapter One
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2024-08-08 14:57:17Prologue
(Riley's POV)
I woke up to a sharp pain in my abdomen. I knew what was happening; Ryker was doing it again. He was cheating on me with another woman. I rolled off the bed, my hands circling around my stomach. The wave of pain passed through me again, and I screamed out, my hands remaining on my stomach as if to shield my unborn child. I groaned, crawling for the door. "Help!" I screamed, but my voice came out hoarse. The pain came again, worse than ever before, and I cried out. "Please... please stop Ryker; you are hurting me," I begged, even if I knew he wasn't here or listening. A strange kind of fear filled me, one I always felt before things went completely wrong, and I was afraid it would now. My child was only one month old, and he 'knew' I was pregnant for him. I crawled for the door, my breaths coming out in pants, my whole body drenched in sweat. The pain wouldn't stop; it only got worse, and I couldn't go any further. In here, no one heard my cries and pleas; even if they did, no one came for my aid. The tears streamed down my eyes, and then I felt the wetness between my legs. No, no, no... please, no... My shaky hands found their way to my middle, and I felt the wetness against my finger. Lifting it to my eyes, it was... Blood. I panicked. My silent sobs turned into loud cries. "Somebody help me; I am losing my baby!" I screamed out, but again, no one came for my aid; my vision blurred, and then the darkness took over. There was only one thought on my mind as I fell deeper into the darkness. I hate you, Ryker. ____ CHAPTER ONE (Riley's POV)I had always thought I was smart. But Alpha Ryker made me look every bit of a fool, over and over again.
I was a low-ranked female in the pack; It was due to the fact that my mother was the pack's slave, even lower than an omega.
Alpha Ryker had been my biggest crush for years, and of course I never thought I would have him as a mate. Imagine my joy when I turned eighteen, and just like every girl, I attended the mating ball, but unlike every girl of my class, I was mated to the Alpha. The same man I had been crushing on ever since I was a little girl. I had dreams, and I started to believe dreams did come true. How wrong I was to think that!
Alpha Ryker had told me to keep it a secret, and it was understandable. He shouldn't be mated to a girl like me, it only spoke of weakness; I was just your average girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes. My mother had been sold to this pack as a slave, but she worked alongside the omegas.
It made sense for Ryker to keep this as a secret for the time being; as long as he loved me, I was just ready to do anything.
The things we do for love.
He never loved me, and I discovered that too late.
I let him take my virginity; after all, I had kept it just for him, and too soon I was pregnant. I had thought of the perfect family we would both have, but all that ended when he introduced the new girl Zara to the pack as his mate.
I remembered the smile on my face, standing before all the pack members, only to see the girl by his side, claiming my position.
He gave an explanation, he gave excuses, and foolish me. I let him play me yet again for the second time; he told me he needed time, and soon I would be announced his mate to the whole pack, but everything ended when he cheated on me with her for the first time. It should have ended a long time ago, but I had been desperate for love and desperate for Ryker.
As werewolves, when one partner cheats, the other is left in pain during the whole process.
Ryker knew the pain it caused me when he cheated, and still he did it. He had done it again and again, and this last time, he claimed my child. The one good thing I had was the only thing I held onto.
.
I woke up disoriented, and then the memories flooded in—the pain I had felt—so intense, unlike anything I had ever felt before, and then the blood. I felt the wetness against my cheeks; I hadn't realized I was crying yet again.
There was blood on my clothes—a lot of blood. I didn't know how long I stayed here on the floor—maybe a little over a day, but he never came back, and I wasn't sure I wanted him too.
I walked into the bathroom to wash up; the pain hadn't faded, and there was a slight throb between my legs, but that was nothing compared to the loss I was feeling deep within. I had already grown a bond with my child, even if it was only a month old.
.
Alpha Ryker walked into the room three hours later. He had spent the whole day with the new girl, whom he had introduced to the whole pack as his mate.
He walked right past me, almost like I was invisible.
"Ryker," I called out, feeling all my pain quickly turning into anger. "Ryker, where were you a night ago?"
"That is none of your business, pup."
My breath came out faster.
"You went to her, didn't you? You slept with her, knowing what it does to me."
"The whole pack sees her as my mate; it is necessary."
"I was in so much pain, and you were the cause. I lost my child because of you. Ryker, how could you do this to me? I am your true mate. How could you betray me?"
"Oh, please shut up," he says, "It is not my fault your weak system couldn't hold him in, so don't you dare blame me for the loss of your child."
My child. Not 'our' child.
And that's all I could take. I had moved fast-- faster than I ever thought possible, and I slapped him as hard as I could, satisfied at the redness of his skin where I had hit him.
He let out a silent sneer, inhaling audibly, and when he looked up and at me, I didn't see Ryker; I saw a beast, the true man behind the fake mask.
"You seem to have forgotten who you are and where you belong. I would give you a little reminder.".
Ryker had never hit me before, so this had been another shock. He hadn't slapped me; no, he had punched me, right to the face, and I lost my balance, falling to the floor.
He walked towards me. "You bitch!"
I felt his legs to my side and then my stomach. The beating that followed was merciless. I begged him to stop, but Ryker only sneered. “You seem to have forgotten your place. You’re nothing but a weak, pathetic pup.”
When he finally stopped, he gave me a chilling smile. "I could never make you my Luna, you weakling. But Zara is my mate and would always be; she would be my Luna.
So I, Alpha Ryker Zeke of the Windborne Pack, reject you, Riley Kaidon, as my fated mate and Luna. "
The truth was that I had believed in him; I had believed that one day he would make me his Luna.
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I watched as Aric’s casket was lowered into the ground.All the memories were buried along with him. Guilt ate at me, knowing he shouldn’t be down there.Many who knew Aric were also present. He had once been a beta to the Dawn pack, then a commander to the Nightshade Pack. He was loved by many, but the strangest thing about life was how fast people tend to move on.Two hours later, everyone was gone, back to their lives. A few months from now, some would forget him. In a few years, others wouldn’t even remember that a man named Aric had once lived among us. He’d be just another tombstone like the rest. No one was ever truly too important—life always moved on.I stood before Aric's grave, eyes puffy and red, tears rolling down my cheeks, and Alexander stood beside me. His eyes were on me.“You know, he had a sister. I had no clue about her; she was the reason he betrayed me; he wanted to save her.” I paused when I realized who I was talking to. “Sorry, I know you’d always hated him.”
