No matter how many times I repeated the facts in my head, I couldn't get used to them. Simple facts laid out so indifferently by the woman they claimed was the moon goddess.
Me and Harper are not meant to have children.
The child in Natalie's womb is going to be the Alpha after Harper.
If the moon goddess had planned it all along, then why the fuck she strung me along? Why flying fuck did she introduce me to this new world, only to create situations where I could play no part in it. It just didn't make sense and I was already damn tired by trying to contemplate everything that was happening.
"What do you mean?" My head snapped up to meet the tearful eyes of Natalie. Why was she crying? Nevertheless, I meekly nodded.
Her shoulders racked with sobs again and she determinedly shook her head. "No way."
Sebastian's body had become tense since I had spoken and for good reason too. Despite his harsh demeanor and ignorant attitude, I knew he was rooting for me and Harper. Besides being a father, he was also the alpha of his pack and was responsible for the well-being of all of its members. And making sure that the alpha line continued after him was his duty and responsibility, which I knew he had no intention of backing away from.
"No, it does. If the child inside you is meant to be the next alpha, I'm not going to take any chances with it." He snapped and I felt a coldness settle in the room.
"I can't have the child. It doesn't matter if it is Harper's." She sniffled. "I haven't found my mate yet; he will reject me if he finds me pregnant with some other guy's child." Her shoulders shook as sobs racked her body.
Well, then you shouldn't have slept with someone else's mate!
Even then, I felt a sliver of sympathy for her and her mate. Her mate and I were the only two people who would be drastically affected by this course of action.
Sebastian slammed his hand on the table and I jumped up from the sound. His eyes flashed black and I knew that his wolf was making an appearance.
"I don't bloody care what you want to do Natalie. As your alpha, I order you not to abort this child."She whimpered and bowed at the dominance of her alpha. She meekly nodded but I knew she didn't want to. Hell, everyone in the room did.
"Now if you all will excuse me, I have some things I would like to discuss with my mate." That was our cue to leave and I gently got up from the comfortable armchair I was sitting in.
I reached the door first and twisted it open. I couldn't get out of the room fast enough.
"Zara."
I turned around as Sebastian's voice called out to me. I took in his tired features and saw how exhausted he must be with everything going on.His face softened as he looked at me and I nervously gulped at the soft look.
"Let Harper take you home."I didn't want to argue anymore, so even though I didn't want to, I nodded.
Harper knew I didn't want to speak to him so he didn't make any advances or small talk, even though I knew it was killing him. To be this close to me and yet so far away. Well, it was time his actions caught up to him. I was done feeling sorry for him.
After an awkward ride, which felt longer than it should have, he parked the car in front of my house.Without saying goodbye, I went to my room and snuggled deep into the sheets.
***
It has been two days since we came to know about the results of the paternity test and I couldn't have enough guts to go to the school. I made up some excuse for it and my parents seemed to believe it.
They knew something was up but they didn't push me. They let me have my own space and I was glad for it.
Neither Harper nor Natalie had tried to call me and I was really glad for that. I needed as much distance from these people as possible.
Samantha and Aiden tried calling me and texted me several times. They didn't know what was going on but I assured them that everything was fine. In reality, everything was far from it.
As I lay on my bed, I could feel that my body was done sulking. I wanted to go out and be the girl I always was before I got caught up in this fucked up werewolf drama. And I was glad that this realization hit me when there was enough time for me to get ready for school.
Taking a deep breath, I decided that sooner or later, I would have to face the world and I wanted to get it over with soon. I got up from my cozy bed and walked into the en suite to do my daily routine.
With leaden legs, I got into my car and drove to the school. I could see that my parents were surprised to see me up and about but didn't ask me any questions. I was really glad they knew when to give me space and not ask questions which would hurt me more.
I made every attempt to avoid running into Harper or Natalie. Samantha and Aiden too. So, pretty much everyone I knew and talked to. Needless to say, I felt pretty lonely in the classes and breathed a huge sigh of relief when the lunch bell rang.
Time and again, I noticed how a few werewolf teens gave a small bow to me which made me feel extremely uncomfortable. It would be a complete shock to them when they come to know about the surprise in Natalie's womb. I tried to picture how the pack would react to the news and failed to come up with a realistic response. I took a deep breath and put a stop to all the masochistic thoughts running through my head.
I couldn't sit with my friends but I could go out for my lunch break and have some much-deserved "me- time".
As the bell rang, I made my way over to the girl's washroom where I was shocked at the sight in front of me.
No wonder I hadn't seen Natalie in the hallways or in the last class we shared.
Natalie was passed out in the girl's washroom and I wondered for how long she had been there.Panic rose in my chest as I remembered that she was pregnant and her fall could have hurt the child inside her. I may be upset with her but I wasn't a monster.
I quickly dialed for emergency services and told the lady about Natalie's condition over the phone. The principal, being a werewolf didn't question me as an ambulance came into the school. I told him that she collapsed inside the girl's washroom and would need immediate serious medical assistance.
I got inside the ambulance without anyone questioning me. The perks of having a werewolf alpha as your mate!
I was surprised how calm I was acting, while a tornado wreaked havoc inside me.
During the two days I pondered over the situation, I realized that the most innocent person, even if you could call it that, was the child himself. It shouldn't have to bear the brunt of my hatred, even if I hated its parents, which I doubted I did.
Despite what the existence of the child would do to me and Harper, I realized that I didn't want it gone. Call me stupid, but that was how I felt.
My musings were interrupted when an unconscious Natalie was put on a gurney and carried into the ER. While the doctors checked on her, I called Sebastian and told him what had transpired.
I waited in the waiting room, not wanting to leave without knowing what happened to Nat and her child. Fifteen minutes later, a doctor called out for Natalie Simpson, and I was snapped out of my thoughts.
Sebastian promised me to call him when I knew what exactly happened and that was what I did. I dialed his number, which he had given to me for emergencies a while before, and waited for the call to go through. He would not like what I would say.
"What is it?" Sebastian's voice sounded tired and pitied him.
"She hadn't eaten in two days and became unconscious," I said as a wave of rage washed over me. I got it that she didn't want the child but she also knew that she couldn't abort it. I had expected her to take care of the life growing inside of her and not disregard it completely.
Sebastian sighed. "I should have known she would do something like this."
"If you knew, why the hell did you let her out of your sight?" I snapped.
A growl came from the other side and I gulped. I should think twice before being rash with an alpha.
Sebastian sighed again. "I thought she was more responsible than this." So, did I. "This leaves me no choice, then.""What do you plan to do?"
"I thought we would have a few more weeks."
A wave of apprehension rose inside me at his words.
"What exactly do you plan to do, Sebastian?"His next words caused a wave of hurt and uncertainty through me but I knew it was a desperate and much-needed measure.
"We are going to announce to the pack that the heir of the pack is on its way."Sebastian went against protocol and asked Natalie's parents to come into his office the day Natalie was hospitalized. He wanted to explain the situation to her parents before they heard it from a doctor or any outsider. As far as I know, they didn't exactly take the news very well. But they couldn't exactly do anything.I had no idea why but Eva always kept me in the loop with everything that had been going on. That was how I knew that Natalie's parents were informed before her pregnancy before the rest of the pack and that was how I had known that today was the day Sebastian was going to make the pack announcement.Seb was taking everything seriously. It was only yesterday that I had found Natalie unconscious in the girl's washroom and today he was going to announce the pregnancy to the pack.For obvious reasons, I had no plans to attend the announcement. Today was a Saturday and I had full plans to watch a comedy movie to try my depressing mood and spend time with my family. I had b
Me, Sebastian, and Dan (the pack member who had barged into the meeting room) left the room as soon as we overcame the shock of someone interrupting the meeting. We had left Eva sitting in the armchair because she wouldn't be able to run during her pregnancy. After so many miscarriages and considering her age, it was the responsible choice.The three of us bound down the stairs, into the foyer, and burst through the front door of the pack house. Before I could say anything, Dan shifted into his brown wolf and sprinted in the direction of the forest. Sebastian gave me an apologetic wolf, shifted into his massive white wolf, and in the same direction that Dan had run.I huffed angrily. Couldn't have Dan said that shifting was required?! I wouldn't have taken the trouble of running down the stairs then.If I had any more doubt that it was Samantha, it was cleared after I saw a huge black wolf close to her. I recognized the wolf as Aiden and a smile graced my face.I hadn't seen both of t
Being enveloped in Harper's arms had brought a feeling of peace to me. I had even felt the tingles that I didn't feel a few weeks ago. The fabled tingles that ran through your body, brought you to your knees and gave you a high dose of sheer pleasure. Being in your mate's arms had some benefits.It had all felt right at the moment. But then as I laid in my bed that very day, it had never felt so wrong. The dynamics of our relationship weren't that simple and I didn't think it ever would be.I knew the bond between us would only work towards bringing the both of us back together and it's pretty needless to say that it would be a very unhealthy move.Moreover, I would be bruising my self-respect and dare I say it, ego if I were to even think about getting back with him under these circumstances. I wouldn't have to think twice about it if the fucking bond hadn't messed up my mind and the realization only made my resolve harder than it was before.I had no idea what Sebastian's motive beh
~ Harper’s POV ~Having her in my arms after such a long time felt so amazing, so fulfilling. Granted, it has only been a few days but still, being away from your mate is torture. A torture I had been deliberately inflicting on myself.As much as I knew my mate, I knew that she needed time alone to sort things out in her head. So, I gave her exactly that. Time!It had been so fucking hard to stay away, though. It hasn't been long since I accepted her as my mate. As a result, the bond between us twists and forces us to be closer to each other and complete the mating process. My wolf had been restless for so long, all he could think about these few days, apart from the problems I caused, was the pleasure of marking our mate, of marking Zara.My wolf would lure me with vivid images of the mark she would proudly wear on her shoulder when my canines would finally pierce her soft skin. My wolf reminded me that I could then, hear her voice inside my head all the time. I would be able to hear
It was as if the bond knew what I meant to do because as soon as I drove out of the pack lands, the unease in my body became a dull throb in my chest. It wasn't gut-wrenching painful but was still very distracting. All I wanted to do then was turn the car around and run into Harper's arms. I felt a voice inside me that begged me to go back to Harper. As the distance between me and home increased, I became homesick. As homesick as I ever could be. The images of my parent and Cory flashed through my mind, making me want to give up the idea of leaving altogether. I knew it was the bond playing tricks on my mind but that didn't make it any easier.Flashes and memories with my family, friends, and even Harper revolved in my mind, making me clench the steering wheel in frustration. I was helpless to this supernatural force and I found it futile to resist it. The bond was playing games on my mind and I was completely prone to it.Being human, whatever effects, I felt because of the straini
I think werewolf alphas were as good as mafia bosses because they both seemed to know everything. How Sebastian came to know about my sister's address, I had no idea.I had never visited her after she left for university but my parents had. Her boyfriend, mate actually, had moved in with her and her address was the same all through these years.Her apartment building was exactly like I would expect a student would live in. Not too flashy but comfortable. At least, I hoped it would be comfortable, I would be living in this building for at least, the next few weeks.We climbed two stories and stopped in front of a door with apartment number 206. I gulped nervously, not looking forward to meeting my sister at all. I nervously glanced at Sebastian who hadn't said a word since we got out of the car. If it was possible, he seemed more rigid and authoritative than he usually was.His stance unnerved me. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had come to get me when I was on th
How could I have possibly known that Adam didn't know that I knew about werewolves? This is what happens when decisions are made overnight. There's no extensive planning which leads to people like me, who blurt anything anywhere to anyone, ending up in situations like this.Adam was shocked, I could tell. And honestly so would I. Why didn't Emily tell him that I knew about his kind? Right then, I was hoping that she had just forgotten to mention it.I was hoping that my spewing out something like this wasn't a big deal. Fingers crossed and all.I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. I had nothing to say so I closed it back again. Adam crossed his arms across his chest and turned to face me. I could see the mate mark on his neck, the mark my sister had given him. I had no idea that human females could mark their mates too. We didn't have sharp canines and Harper never told me about it.A loud knock on the door broke out uncomfortable stare down and I thanked my stars
~ Harper’s POV ~The pain wasn't anything I could describe. One second it wasn't there and the next it was penetrating every damn nerve ending of my body. It left in seconds too, even though it felt like I was suffering for hours.Yeah, it was that intense. One second, I was sitting on the chair, going over the reports of Elijah's murder with Aiden, and the next second I felt as if someone stabbed my chest. It felt impossible to think past the fog of pain, it felt impossible to even breathe at the moment.The words in front of me blurred and I passed out, with my hands clutching my chest.***I opened my eyes to find myself in my room. Why wasn't I in a hospital? I was in my bed and my heart clenched for a second as I remembered that the last time, I was in it, I held Zara in my arms.I hadn't slept in my bed since the night she told me that she loved me and asked me to mark her. I should have marked her. Maybe then, she would still be with me. I snorted at this train of thought. Eve
Bonus Chapter: Natalie's POVI knew something was wrong when I didn't get my period for two months. I never had a smooth cycle so I wasn't troubled when they didn't happen the first time but their absence in the second consecutive month got me worried. My body had undergone certain changes I knew weren't normal and I was worrying myself to death, thinking about some kind of deadly disease that would kill me in a few months. Even though I knew that my immunity system was way better than a normal human's, I couldn't help but entertain such thoughts. I didn't tell anyone of my concerns as I didn't want anyone to worry because of my baseless concerns. Nonetheless, I booked the first possible appointment with the pack gynaecologist. I had prepared myself for everything, a tumour in my ovary, internal hemorrhaging of my uterus that would result in an immediate hysterectomy, or even breast cancer which would again lead to a complete mammectomy. But as I sat in front of the doctor and she ex
Bonus Chapter: Ethan's POVWhen you grow up as a werewolf, all you ever hear is the word 'mate', because people around you can't stop talking about them. Some elders talk about mates with a dazed but happy look in their eyes and you can easily tell how much they love their mates. When young people talked to mates, you could practically feel their longing and the love they had for their mates. When teenagers talk about mates, you can feel their desperation to find their mates and be one with them. Rejections in my pack were extremely rare and every werewolf lived happily ever after with their fated mates. There were no doubts, no questions asked because your mate could be the exact fit of your soul, your second half, and the one who you are supposed to live as long as you live. Growing up and watching my parents and pack members, this is all I had watched and learned, that a mate was for you to love, hold and protect till the end of your days. When you're brought up like that, the ide
EPILOGUE 3: HARPER'S POV (TEN YEARS LATER)It was three years ago when Mason was first teased by a classmate about the unusual arrangement of his parents. I had always known that as he was growing up, he became especially attuned to the fact that the way his family lived wasn't exactly normal by usual standards. There were so many unusual factors that they were bound to seem different to him and I wasn't exactly prepared for how Mason was coping with how different his family seemed to be from any other family in the pack. As the future alpha, it was essential to be a part of the pack because other people were often intimidated by the power you had and by the power you would have in the future. My father always taught me to be a part of the pack but always remember that you could never essentially be a part of the pack. And this is exactly what I had taught Mason to do; I had asked him to play with all the other wolf kids but always remember that in the future, he will be responsible
Epilogue 2: Zara's POVI could feel everyone's eyes on me, which instantly made me nervous. I hated feeling this way but I wasn't sure I could help it. I hated being the centre of attention and walking down an aisle and standing in front of all the pack members to take part in the Luna ceremony was exactly that, being the centre of attention. Harper had told me that since I was the true luna of the pack, the ceremony would be a little different and I wasn't sure how that would affect me as I hadn't exactly attended Natalie's ceremony. I weakly smiled at all the pack members assembled in the pack grounds and started walking down the aisle towards the raised stage at the front of the pack. I was barefoot to pay homage to the natural aspect of the pack and to respect the raw nature of the wolves. The grass was soft beneath my feet and I immediately compared the softness to the grass in the spirit world where I used to meet the moon goddess. Harper had instructed me to not look around an
Epilogue: Zara's POVA blush immediately coated my cheeks as I slowly woke up from my deep slumber. The bed felt too cosy and I couldn't help but snuggle against Harper's body. His amazing body heat and the tingles that danced all over my skin whenever we touched made me let out a deep, sleepy moan. I felt Harper stir beside me and felt his arm settle on my bare hip, eliciting a heady warmth to settle deep in my belly. His thumb gently caressed my hip bone and I moved closer to him, determined to have as much skin contact as possible and leave no space between us. Harper's scent surrounded me, which brought an involuntary sleepy smile to my face. Even with my eyes closed, I could picture Harper's slightly upturned nose as he slept. It was too hard to resist his adorable expressions so most of the time, I didn't even try. My head rested on his shoulder and my face settled in the crook of his neck. Without needing to open my eyes, I leaned forward and planted an open-mouthed kiss on Ha
I thought about it for so many months, because the act of being marked by Harper seemed final. It felt like a full stop and in a way, it was final, an end. I knew the meaning of being marked even before I had decided to go away when I had learned of Natalie's pregnancy. I had asked him to mark me so many months ago and he had refused. It seemed so long ago, Aiden's birthday party when he found out that Samantha was his mate. So much has happened since then, things that have made me value the most precious things in life, let go of grudges, and the importance of relationships. After all, I have been through, I believe I have grown as a person. Not just me either, I know that all of us, Harper, Natalie, Samantha, and Aiden have grown up and matured in a way that most eighteen-year-olds don't. Well, Natalie is nineteen years old and so is Harper, as of today. So, I want to stress the fact that the decision to mate with Harper wasn't a light one even though I know most people wouldn't s
I think what the moon goddess said somehow helped me get over Ethan's death. I was still wrung and grieving about him for weeks, don't get me wrong but thinking about how must be at peace somehow made it easy to bear his loss. If I were to believe the goddess' words, Ethan wasn't happy in his life and was lost because he had no apparent purpose. I like to think that he got the release he so desperately wanted and needed. Even after knowing all this, I still couldn't cope with the fact that I won't be seeing him every day. He had been my source of comfort and strength for so long, he was someone I could lean on. He had begun to understand me in ways I'd never thought possible. And his absence felt left like a big void and I wasn't sure I could fill it. I didn't know if it was possible to fill it. When Harper told me that Ethan wouldn't be getting a funeral like the pack members because he was a rogue, I had been so infuriated. I knew that what Harper was saying was a part of who he w
~ Harper’s POV~"You do realize that to break the bond between us, either one of us will have to complete the mating process and mark our mates," I remarked and watched as Natalie nodded her head in acknowledgment. We had just gotten back after performing the final rites of the pack warriors who had lost their lives from the battle with the rogues. Needless to say, we needed some time to regain our bearings before we mingled with the rest of the world. I had done it before when my father was fighting for his life and I still found it jarring to my being, to perform the final rites of the werewolves who lose their lives. I couldn't imagine how Natalie must be feeling as it was her first time dealing with this ceremony. And hopefully, the last time. "I know," she said and we didn't speak for a few moments. I sincerely hoped that it would get easier with time, performing this ritual. It certainly hurt more when I knew that the pack members were paying for the mistakes my father committe
When I came to my senses, I immediately knew that Harper wasn't in the bed with me. I had lost consciousness when I was engulfed in his body heat, with his arms wrapped around me. The loss of his presence was so pronounced that I didn't want to open my eyes. It felt like he was the only reason I wasn't emotionally breaking down right now. A very big part of me wanted to be near him right now and the fact that he wasn't here with me disappointed me a lot. Even in my dreams, I had expected him to be here with me, helping me get over my loss. I wanted to never open my eyes and I was glad the room was shrouded in darkness. My neck prickled in awareness and I became aware of someone sitting in the room and even though, the threat of the rogues was over, I suddenly felt unsafe. "I know you are awake, Zara." I recognized that voice and the fear immediately abated. I opened my eyes and got up in a seating position. I leaned against the headboard and regarded the figure of the soft figure of