4

Seeing how casually I said it, Derek's eyes reddened at the edges, the alpha gold flashing through his normally blue irises.

His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, claws threatening to emerge.

He struggled to control his emotions, his jaw working as he tried hard to remain calm.

A low growl rumbled in his chest, drawing the attention of passing packmates who quickly lowered their eyes and hurried past.

But when he spoke, his voice couldn't hide a tinge of pain that surprised even me. It cracked slightly on the words.

"Viv, you terminated our baby? Why?" His face looked almost broken, as though I'd struck him. "You should have told me. I would have—"

I looked at him as if he were an idiot, cutting him off mid-sentence. The laugh that escaped me was hollow and bitter.

"Why? Derek, you're an Alpha, not some clueless Omega. You know perfectly well that a chest wound from a silver dagger is fatal even for the strongest wolf." I tapped the bandages visible beneath my hospital gown. "The silver poisoning alone would have killed the baby. The miscarriage was inevitable."

My voice rose as the anger I'd been suppressing finally found its target. "I told you I was pregnant right there on the battlefield, but you still sent the healer to check on Sarah who wasn't injured at all. And now you ask me why? Are you pretending to be stupid, or is your memory as selective as your concern?"

Caleb squeezed my hand, a silent show of support. He glared up at Derek with a fierceness that belied his small stature.

I couldn't bear to look at Derek anymore, afraid I might be sick—or worse, that I might cry. Five years of hurt threatened to spill over, and I refused to give him the satisfaction.

Derek reached out with trembling hands to embrace me, his expression pleading. "I didn't believe you. I thought you were just saying anything to get help first. I—"

But Sarah, who had been silent until now, suddenly clutched her forehead with delicate fingers and collapsed softly to one side, a perfectly timed swoon.

"Oh!" she gasped, her voice wispy and fragile.

Not by coincidence, she fell right into Derek's arms, her head resting against his chest as though choreographed.

The hands that had been reaching for me were quickly withdrawn to support her, his body turning away from me instinctively. It was so predictable I almost laughed.

"Sarah?" Concern flooded his voice—the same concern that had been absent when I lay bleeding on the battlefield.

Sarah looked at me weakly, with a hint of apology that didn't reach her calculating eyes. She fluttered her lashes, one hand pressed dramatically to her chest.

"Vivian, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your family reunion. I just felt dizzy." She clung to Derek's arm. "It must be the stress of everything."

She turned her face up to Derek, her expression softening. "Derek knows, I've always had a weak constitution. Even as children, he had to protect me." The emphasis on "protect" wasn't subtle.

I watched her performance quietly, recognizing every manipulative tactic. I nodded with a smile designed to show understanding while conveying contempt.

"Of course," I said. "You should get her to a bed, Derek. She looks... fragile."

Then I turned and left, my hospital gown fluttering around my legs. I ignored the urgent calls from Derek and the confused cries from Ethan behind me, holding Caleb's hand tightly as I walked away without looking back.

"Mom, wait!" Ethan's voice cracked with distress.

"Let them go," I heard Derek mutter. "She needs time."

Time. As if time could heal this wound.

After encountering Derek and Ethan in the hallway that day, they suddenly started showing concern for me—a jarring change after days of neglect.

They not only visited my hospital room every other day, their arms laden with flowers and stuffed animals, but their attitude toward Caleb had also softened considerably.

Ethan even brought his favorite action figures, attempting to entice Caleb into playing.

"You can borrow these if you want," he'd offered, eyes downcast. "Just until you get your own."

I didn't want to create a scene before officially breaking the mate bond, so I didn't stop them from visiting, though my demeanor remained cool.

I accepted their gifts with polite thanks and placed them on the windowsill, untouched.

It was Caleb who darkened his face whenever they came, his small body positioning itself protectively between me and the door.

Only after they left would he return to his sweet, gentle self, cuddling beside me on the narrow hospital bed, telling me stories about his grandfather or asking questions about my healing abilities.

One day, after Derek and Ethan had left—promising to return the next day with chocolate from my favorite shop—Caleb asked me with unusual seriousness:

"Mom Vivian, do I have to be friends with Ethan?" His eyes searched mine, worried.

I looked at him, somewhat amused by his formal tone.

"Of course not. You don't have to be friends with anyone you don't want to be." I smoothed his hair. "But why do you dislike him so much? He's trying to be nice to you."

I thought children his age usually enjoyed playing with peers, especially ones bearing gifts of toys and candy.

"Because he hurt you!" Caleb burst out, his voice fierce.

He clenched his fists, his face full of indignation. His small body trembled with emotion.

"He left you to die! I saw everything from the trees. I was hiding there when the rogues attacked. He didn't even look back when they took you away!"

He swallowed hard, tears gathering in his eyes. "If you were my mother, I would never let you be in any danger. I'd protect you with my life."

His loyalty, after such a short time, stunned me into silence.

"And also..." he continued more quietly.

He lifted his head, his eyes full of sympathy as he looked at me. So much wisdom in such a young face.

"I can feel that you're unhappy whenever you see him and his dad. Your smile changes. It doesn't reach your eyes anymore."

He placed his small hand over mine. "But he doesn't care about your feelings. He only cares about his own happiness. He just wants you to forgive him so he doesn't feel bad anymore."