Chapter 2

~Ava~

We stepped out into the corridor, the distant hum of celebration muffled by the thick stone walls.

“What’s going on now?” Ethan demanded, his voice sharp with frustration.

I didn’t hesitate. “What's going on? Just take a look inside, Ethan. She’s taken over everything, the decorations, speeches,and the pack's attention. That's supposed to be my place,not hers, and today was supposed to be my birthday so what’s happening?” I said, my voice trembling with the weight of my feelings.

“Emilia is only helping.” Ethan replied, his tone cold. “You have been overwhelmed, and our pup needs you to be strong enough—“

“Pup?” I cut him off, my anger rising. “Now you remember I am carrying your Pup. I am overwhelmed because you are not backing me up,” I snapped, voice rising with emotion. “You let her walk all over me, and the pack sees it. They don’t respect me anymore because you don’t respect me..

Ethan sighed, rubbing his temple “You are blowing this out of proportion. Emilia has experience—she is making things better for everyone.This isn’t about you now, Ava. It’s about the pack”.

The words stung, reminding me of the way he always used my humble origins to push me down. Yes I was an orphan raised in an orphanage, but I fought so hard to make something of myself. I could have built a future for myself at a big company if my heart hadn’t wavered when the broken Alpha’s son begged me to stay. He promised me everything including making me his chosen mate- and I believed me. He treated me well, but now, with Emilia’s sudden arrival, everything had changed. He was neglecting me, neglecting our pup.

How could he not see how much it hurt?

Didn’t he realize the pain I felt?

“Don’t you dare!” I hissed, my voice shaking with anger. “Don’t you dare tell me this is about the pack. It’s about her. You are letting her replace me”.

Ethan’s expression hardened, his patience clearly wearing thin. “No one is replacing you . Stop being so insecure,” he snapped.

His words hit me like a slap.

Before I could respond, a distant howl echoed in the night, sending a chill down my spine.

“Rogues”, Ethan muttered, his body tensing with the sudden shift of his Alpha aura.

Without another word, he turned, rushing back toward the hall.I followed him, my heart pounding in my chest, the argument and my emotions was forgotten immediately.

As we reached the entrance, chaos erupted. Rogues stroked in, their vicious snarls ripping through the air. Fear gripped my body as I instinctively placed a hand on my belly.

Mother’s instincts kicked in, and I scanned the room looking for Ethan in the madness. Warriors scrambled to form a defense line. My eyes darted in every direction as I searched for him, panic rising because I needed him more than ever right now. I couldn’t shift into my wolf form— not while carrying our pup. I forced if, I might harm our baby.

“O Goddess, where is he?” I muttered under my breath, trying to keep away from the rogues.

My heart scattered as I saw him, standing at the center protectively shielding Emilia. The reality of it hit me like a thunder strike.

Tears stung my eyes as I realized where his priorities lay. 

“Stay sharp!” Ethan’s voice cut through the noise, his commanding tone unwavering as he fought off the rogues. Emilia, his first love, clung unto his arms, her face pale but composed.

I forced myself to focus, clenched my fists, and gritted my teeth. But each glance Ethan threw at Emilia, each word of reassurance whispered to her, made my heart ache.

The attack came quickly, without warning. I dodged one rogue, striking its ribs before spinning to avoid another.

“Ethan!” I shouted, my voice desperate as I saw a rogue barreling toward him, unnoticed.

He didn’t even flinch, his attention still focused on Emilia..

“Emilia, stay behind me!” he barked, his claws extending as he tore into a rogue that lunged at her. Emilia clung to his arm, her expression one of fear, but she stayed close to him.

My stomach twisted in on itself. I fought as hard as I could, alone. The numbers were overwhelming, and with each second, I felt like I was being buried under the weight of my own despair.

Then, it happened. A rogue rushed at me from behind, and I didn’t see it in time. Its claws raked across my back, and I stumbled, blood spilling from the wound. I gritted my teeth, refusing to fall, but no help came.

My thoughts swirled in a haze of pain.

My pup—my pup needs me.

Through the blur, I saw Ethan again—still focused on Emilia, his back turned as he fought off another wave of rogues. His eyes never met mine.

“Ethan!” I screamed through the mindlink, my voice desperate.

“Ethan!” I called again, and this time, he looked at me. His eyes flickered with uncertainty, but just as quickly, another rogue attacked Emilia, and his focus snapped back to her.

In that instant, a rogue lunged at me, and with one brutal swipe, it threw me across the yard. I felt my bones crack as I slammed into the ground, pain exploding through my body. I gasped for breath, unable to scream. The agony was overwhelming, and I could feel life slipping away from me.

I tried to make a sound, but nothing came.

Tears flowed freely as I tried to stay conscious, unable to keep up with the carnage around me. The rogue towered over me, ready to strike again, but just as the blow fell, Beta Maximo appeared, cutting through the air with a swift strike that severed the rogue’s head.

“Luna!” He cried out in fear, rushing to my side. “You’re hurt! Fall back!”

I could barely make out his words, but I could hear the sounds of the rogues retreating. They were being overpowered, and one by one, they fled.

But before I could say anything, I felt a warm, sticky liquid between my legs. My vision blurred, and I looked down to see blood staining my thighs. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to focus, but the world was spinning.

“Please...” I whispered weakly.

And then, everything went black.