CHAPTER 1: MY BABY IS GONE

RAYA'S POV

My life had always been tragic—locked away, cast aside, and treated like I was nothing. I had long grown accustomed to the pain and hurt. But if I were to recall the moment my fragile heart truly shattered and my world crumbled, it would begin with this day—the day I lost my pup.

It was a dim Friday afternoon. The clouds hung low, heavy and dark, threatening to unleash a downpour. The sun lingered patiently behind the gloom, waiting for its chance to illuminate the earth. And just like the sun, my only bright light was the three-foot bundle of joy bouncing happily beside me as we walked through the eerily quiet forest.

Alpha Draco’s warning echoed in my mind, my mate's voice carrying its usual edge: “It's not safe to wander around in the forest at this time; be back in less than two hours. I shouldn't have to find you!”

I sighed, my breath complementing the rustle of leaves and the murmurs of the creatures who called this place home.

“Mummy, what’s wrong?” Lason asked–his gaze roaming,

“You've always been such an attentive little pup,” I teased. Turning to pick him up, I balanced him on my hip. “But you don't have to worry about Mummy. She's just a little tired.”

“Cheer up.” I chuckled, nuzzling his neck as I tickled him.

“Mummy, Mummy, stop!” he giggled, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

“Sure. It's your first time in the forest. Are you enjoying it?” I cocked an eyebrow.

He bobbed his head energetically, his black hair flying loosely. “Yes, but I'm scared, Mummy. There’s something in the shadows,” he murmured, his eyes darting as his body curled into mine.

My heart skipped a beat, an uneasy feeling settling over me. I halted, heart pounding, as I did a three-sixty scan of the surrounding trees and bushes.

The dense tall trees were dark and heavy; I picked up no movement. Still, something in the back of my mind screamed danger—a nagging feeling to get out of there.

I backed up, Lason in my hands, ready to return to the heart of the pack. Then a blur of motion caught my eye, then another, and out of the cluster of bushes and undergrowth emerged a werewolf.

I recoiled, my steps unsteady. Before me stood a hefty, snarling rogue, its strong jaws lined with sharp teeth and dripping saliva.

In a moment, three more stepped out, four-footed with thick black fur. Their eyes glowed a dangerous red. Despite having no wolf of my own, I could still sense a foul aura on them—a promise of death to whoever crossed their path.

A breath I hadn’t realized I was holding rushed out. “What do you want from me?” I yelled, gripping Lason tighter. They only stalked closer, a telltale sign that this encounter would end with one party dead or injured—likely the former.

Fear overwhelmed me as the damp, earthy scent filled my lungs and without thinking, I spun and bolted from the spot, the rogues hot on my heels.

“What’s going on, Mum…” Lason cried, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Don’t cry, baby. Mummy will keep you safe—we’ll be alright. I’ll mind-link Daddy, and he’ll come to save us,” I soothed, determined to wiggle out of this in one piece. Lason was my world, and I would die before I let any harm come to him.

Adrenaline coursed through me, dulling the burning ache in my foot. My sandal snagged on a tree root, sending Lason and me crashing face-first to the ground. I sprang to my feet, hyper-aware of the rogues encircling us, snarling and growling, ready to shred us to bits.

A rogue stalked forward. I grabbed a heavy stick nearby, swinging it to keep him back. "Lason, hold on to me," I instructed.

A wave of dread crashed over me—I was powerless before them, useless without a wolf to protect my son.

As a rogue lunged, I swung at its head, knocking it back a few feet. Panic flooded me as I opened my mind, frantically linking Draco. *Please answer*.

*Hello?*

*Draco, I need you here! Lason and I are being attacked by rogues.*

*Damn it, Raya! I told you not to go out! If anything happens to Lason–I*

I gulped at the threat in his tone, the faint metallic tang of my blood from biting my lip lingering in my mouth. *We’re on the north side—not far from the pack.*

*You both stay safe. I’m coming.*

A rogue lunged again, this time grabbing my leg and yanking me down hard. My head hit the ground, sending a jolt of pain through me. “Arghhh!” I yelled.

“Mummy!” Lason screamed, his face streaked with tears and his small body trembling.

My vision blurred as I swung the stick, bashing the rogue until it let go. “Just stay put, honey,” I managed, my voice quivering. Crawling back to him, another rogue snapped at me, catching a mouthful of my hair and dragging me across the ground. Pain shot through me with each jagged stone and branch that tore at me as I was pulled away.

From about ten feet, I glimpsed one of the rogues grabbing Lason by the arm, his small scream piercing the air.

“No, Lason!” I shrieked, my heart wrenching as two rogues latched onto him, pulling his limbs in a cruel tug-of-war. I kicked and thrashed to get back to Lason, consumed by the need to protect him.

The fourth rogue bit into me, sending a searing pain through my leg, it injected Miasbite into my bloodstream. My strength ebbed instantly, leaving me limp and helpless. The reality that I couldn’t defend Lason ate at my heart.

His wails tore through the forest, his little body deformed and mutilated. He was covered in crimson blood—an image I will never forget. He gazed at me, his green orbs mirroring mine, love and pain swirling in them. Then his cries went silent. He slumped, and with it, his life force faded away.

Lason, I thought, as my eyes closed. Hot tears stained my cheeks, still reeling from the shock and pain of his death. I had just lost a piece of myself—my happiness, my light, my everything.

I felt numb as the rogues continued ripping into me. My baby was gone.

Terrifying howls of pain caught my attention. I forced my eyes open to see my mate, Draco, in the clearing in his half-wolf form, slashing at the rogues until they stopped moving.

Other werewolves arrived, picking up what was left of Lason’s limp form and taking it to the pack doctor. The rest of the pack warriors tackled the rogues who were latched onto me.

I watched my mate at a distance, pace in a circle, his jaw clenched and his veins bulging.“Ouuugh!” a gut-wrenching howl tore out of him, “Damn it, Raya! You always do this—always make reckless choices!” He slammed a fist into a tree, bark splintering under his strength.

“And I wasn’t there. I should have been there.” His voice cracked, the edges fraying with grief. He turned to me, his gaze a bitter mix of anguish and hate.

“I’m sorry,” I mouthed.

“You’re sorry!” He punched the tree again, storming toward me. “Do you think sorry will undo this? Will it bring our son back?!” he bellowed.

“I… I didn’t know it would end like this,” I stammered, trembling with guilt and shame. I convinced myself it was safe, but deep down, I knew better. I’d let my need for escape blind me—and now Lason paid the price.

He crouched to my level and grabbed my throat, his claws biting into my skin.

“I warned you not to come out here!” he roared. The fire in his eyes scared me, but the pain there was worse. Before me was a man torn apart by loss, and yet… he only knew how to hurt me in return.

“Please, Draco, I can’t breathe,” I choked, tears blurring my vision, but his grip only tightened. At that moment, I realized he didn’t just hate me for losing Lason. He hated me for surviving.