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8. Away From His Shadow
Last Updated:
2024-09-05 05:36:34
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Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 9. No Safety Net
I spent days searching for a job. Each morning, I woke with a knot of anxiety in my stomach, knowing that I would face another round of rejections. The world outside Castor’s grip was cruel, and I had never realized how dependent I had been on him. The rejection was hard to take. I didn’t have a degree, and my resume was little more than a blank page. Most companies barely let me finish speaking before they cut me off. Some knew who I was the second I introduced myself. “Lila Roman? Castor Roman’s wife?” The interviewers would stare. They didn’t say it outright, but I could tell they were afraid. Afraid of hiring someone tied to the most powerful Alpha in the city. I wasn’t a person to them. I was Castor’s property, even if I was trying to leave him. No one wanted to be caught in his orbit. No one wanted to take the risk. I tried to hold onto hope. I couldn’t go back to Castor, not after everything. But the weight of the rejections piled up, making me feel smaller each day. I w
Last Updated : 2024-09-05Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 10. Quite the Scene
It was my third week working at the diner, and I had settled into the job as much as possible. The early morning rush was relentless every single day, and the nausea hit harder some days than others.My breasts and back ached constantly, and my feet were sore from standing all day, but I forced myself to push through. I needed this job. The symptoms just reminded me of why I was pushing so hard.I wiped down the counter, my thoughts drifting to Cast. Even after everything, his influence refused to leave me alone. The whispers around town and the way people stared when they recognized me came back to him.The ex-Luna, now just a cook in some dingy diner.That's what they saw. What they whispered.As I scrubbed harder, trying to focus on anything else, the door slammed open against the wall as it was forcefully opened. The force of it startled me, and I didn't need to turn around to know who had just walked in. My parents had found me. I froze.“Delilah Montez Roman!” My mother's voice
Last Updated : 2024-09-05Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 11. Paying the Price
CAST - The memory of Lila's face that day haunted me. She looked at me, eyes steady, as she told me she was leaving. At first, I couldn't believe it. I thought it was just a phase, that she'd come back, see reason. But she hadn't. And the longer she stayed away, the more I panicked. "Mr. Roman, the Blakely contract needs your signature," Maya, my assistant, called from the doorway. I barely glanced up. "I'll get to it later." It came out harsher than I intended, but I didn't care. The frustration was too much. Maya knew better than to push when I was like this. I heard the door click shut behind her as she left me alone with my thoughts. I stood and started pacing the length of the office. I couldn't get Lila's face out of my mind. The cold, determined way she'd looked at me before walking out. At first, I thought she was bluffing, that she'd return. She had to, she was my fated mate. My Luna. The mother of my child. But she didn't, and that's when the panic set in. Slamming
Last Updated : 2024-09-06Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 12. Mine
Browsing through the maternity section made everything feel surreal. Tiny outfits hung on racks, each a reminder of the life growing inside me. I trailed my hand over a little onesie, imagining my baby wearing it. I hadn't planned on being here, in this aisle, pregnant and alone, but here I was. And somehow, despite everything, I was managing. "Look at this one," Indy said, holding up a pair of tiny overalls with a smile. She had been my rock through all of this. We were in Statesboro, far enough away from Augusta that I let myself relax a little. No one knew me here. No one would look at me and see Castor Roman's runaway Luna. I could just be Lila, a pregnant woman preparing for her baby. "Those are adorable," I said, reaching out to feel the fabric. It was soft, so perfect for a newborn. I imagined my baby in them, snuggled in my arms, safe and warm. For a moment, the reality of my situation faded, and I allowed myself to feel happy. Indy nudged me with her elbow. "You're go
Last Updated : 2024-09-06Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 13. Already Won
The phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, the lawyer's name flashing across the screen. "Hello?"There was a pause, longer than it should've been. I could feel it coming. Bad news."Mrs. Roman, I'm sorry. I can't continue with your case." "What? What do you mean you can't continue?""I'm dropping it. There's... too much at stake for me. For my firm. Castor Roman has too much influence. No one is willing to go up against him. No one. I'm even struggling to get basic things from the clerks."I leaned against the counter as the room started to spin. "So you're just giving up? After everything I've told you?""I'm not giving up, Lila. It's not about that. It's about survival. I can't risk this. And, if I'm honest with you, I don't think any lawyer in this city will take your case. He's just too powerful."Castor. Castor is always controlling something. "So that's it? He wins because you're scared? You're just letting him take everything from me?""You're smart, Lila. You knew this was
Last Updated : 2024-09-07Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 14. How Close
I was staring at the cold white ceiling. My hands rested protectively over my stomach, every breath slow and careful. The doctor had been in moments ago. I hadn't lost the baby. Not yet. But that didn't mean everything was okay."You're under too much stress," the doctor said. "If you don't take care of yourself, there's a risk to the pregnancy. Rest. No more strain."Yeah right.I exhaled, trying to focus on anything else. My chest felt tight, and I couldn't push away the image of what might have happened. Of what could still happen.Linc knocked on the door and stepped inside."How are you feeling?" he asked.I turned my head away, biting back everything I wanted to say. How was I feeling? Terrified. Exhausted. Like the world was slowly caving in. But none of that mattered. I just wanted my baby to be okay."The baby's fine," I whispered. "For now."He shifted awkwardly near the door, his usual confidence nowhere to be seen.I pulled myself up into a sitting position, wincing
Last Updated : 2024-09-07Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 15. A Fool
CastI sat at my desk, the papers in front of me a blur of numbers and meaningless deals. None of it mattered. Not Pinewood, not the real estate empire I'd built, not even the pack politics. Nothing mattered except Lila. The second she left me, something shifted. I couldn't shake it. Every day without her felt like a fresh wound in my heart. She was carrying my child, and that should've been my focus, but it wasn't just that. I loved her. It took me too long to realize it, but now that I had, the truth was suffocating. I'd been so damn stupid. Lila should've been the one I chose from the start. Not Selena. Not the wild thrill that came with someone who didn't care about the pack, about responsibility. Selena had been fun, an escape. But Lila was forever. She understood what it meant to be Luna. She was strong and resilient and was everything I needed by my side. And now, she was gone, fighting me at every turn. The door to my office clicked open, and Selena sauntered in, dr
Last Updated : 2024-09-07Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 16. Maybe Not Ever
The kitchen buzzed with the usual morning rush, and I moved between the stove and the counter, plating pancakes and eggs and pouring syrup. And pretending not to notice Cast sitting at the counter again. He'd shown up like clockwork for two weeks, always in the same spot, ordering the same thing. Pancakes with whipped topping and fruit. I hated that it reminded me of when we were together, but I didn't show it. I couldn't. Not in front of him.The worst part wasn't his silent presence, it was the tips. He left outrageous amounts every morning, more than the diner earned daily. At first, I refused them and told the waitress to give them back or keep them herself, but Castor made it impossible to refuse. I ended up taking the money, using it to buy things for the baby. Diapers, clothes, toys. It felt like child support before the baby was even born.I tried to ignore him, focusing on the orders in front of me, but the stress of seeing him every day was eating away at me. My body
Last Updated : 2024-09-07
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Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 222. Love Him
LILA - The knock startled me. My body stiffened as I clung to the remnants of composure, the ache in my chest almost unbearable. Cast turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel. I watched him wrap it around himself and head for the door. He seemed far too calm for this. "I've got it," he said, glancing back briefly.I didn't respond. The nausea still twisted in my stomach, and the bond with Linc burned at the edges of my mind, an unwelcome intrusion that wouldn't stop.Cast opened the door, sticking his head out just enough to block whoever it was from seeing inside. "I just finished showering, and Lila's getting cleaned up now. She threw up all over both of us," he explained, his voice casual like it wasn't a blatant lie. "I'll be out in a minute."I froze, heat flushing through me. Not from embarrassment but from pure fury.Before I could think twice, I grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower, forcing down the bile rising in my throat. The lie was too much, and
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 221. Take It
CAST -The night stretched endlessly, each tick of the clock reminding me I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. Tessa had adjusted my meds earlier in the week, upping the dosage just enough to screw with me. It wasn't the first night I'd spent like this, wide awake while the rest of the pack slept. It was starting to wear me thin.Kat, on the other hand, was out cold. Her body rested against mine, curled into my chest like she couldn't get close enough. The warmth of her breath skimmed my skin, steady and soft, the kind of rhythm that should've been calming. I trailed my hand over her back, tracing idle patterns out of habit more than intent.The room we were in wasn't really ours. It belonged to Lila, and she had Declan here, then briefly to me when I didn't have anywhere else to go. Now it was just "the extra," a placeholder no one had claimed outright. Yet, it was starting to feel like ours. Our stuff was scattered across the dresser and floor, the bed smelled like her shampoo, an
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 220. The Sooner The Better
LINC - The road stretched ahead, cutting through familiar territory and leading us toward the human city. My eyes darted to the rearview mirror more often than I wanted to admit. Cast and Kat sat in the backseat, wrapped up in their own little bubble.Cast had her pulled against him, whispering something that made her shoulders shake with quiet laughter. Their heads tilted together, foreheads brushing occasionally, like they couldn't bear the thought of any distance.I told myself to be happy for them. They deserved it, after everything. But no matter how hard I tried, the sight made something twist inside me.Lila sat beside me, her hand resting lightly in mine, but it might as well have been someone else's hand for all the connection I felt. Her grip barely registered, her fingers slack against mine. She wasn't even pretending to care about the passing scenery. Her eyes stayed fixed on the window, distant and unfocused.I could feel the anxiety radiating from her, though she tried
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 219. Not Playing
LILA - Linc returned hours later without anything other than more exhaustion and cuts and bruises all over his body. He'd tracked over the entire property inch by inch and could not find Pheobe's scent anywhere else but in the nursery. It was unnerving, to say the least. The house felt different tonight. I moved down the hallway, trying to settle my breathing, trying to put the pieces together. Phoebe's scent, that unmistakable presence, was still here, still staining everything with questions. And I had to get to the bottom of it before it shattered the fragile ground Linc and I were walking on.The girl who smelled like Phoebe had been with Declan earlier, changing his diaper. Feeding him, burping him, and her hands all over him all day. She'd been in that nursery all afternoon. She'd never left, according to multiple people. I walked into the room where we'd confined her. I wouldn't allow them to keep her in the cold basement. She looked up, startled, and I could see her anxiet
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 218. Find Her
LINC - Phoebe's scent hit me hard, sharper, and more potent than ever before. It nearly dropped me where I stood, my wolf surging to the surface in chaotic waves. It rooted itself in my instincts and refused to let go. My entire body reacted violently, muscles tensing as my wolf clawed for control. I wanted to fight it, to reject every maddening urge it awakened, but the instincts were overwhelming. All I could think about was the need to hunt, to claim, to dominate. I hated all of it.The basement air carried the acrid tang of lingering shifts. The full moon always left its mark, draining energy from our bodies and our minds. I didn't want Lila away from me during the shift, but the plan had been the safest for everyone. She'd stayed upstairs with Declan while Cast and I had been confined below, locked in the reinforced cells to ensure no one else bore the brunt of our transformations.As my limbs ached from the shift, the exhaustion was intense. Knowing Declan was safe upstairs h
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 217. Under Attack
CAST - The morning of the full moon was chaotic. Lila was a mess, and it wasn't just her—it was everything. She was overwhelmed, emotional, and I could tell the energy from the twins was making everything worse. Her emotions bounced all over the place, and it was impossible to know what would set her off or calm her down. Linc and I spent most of the day in and out of the bedroom, trying to comfort her. She couldn't settle, and every time she reached a moment of peace, something seemed to bring the turmoil back.I knew why she was on edge, and so did Linc. The full moon brought too much baggage, especially after what happened with Jaed. Her need to protect Declan overrode everything else. She didn't want to leave him alone, not with the energy vibrating between all of us. Finally, when it was getting too late to keep waffling, she pulled me aside, her gaze distant as she looked toward Declan's room."I can't go. Wady is great, but I can't leave him." Her hand rested over her stomach.
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 216. Curious
LINC - The moon was nearly full, adding another layer to the issues we were dealing with. Cast and I sat on the back steps of the pack house, watching the omegas finish their chores outdoors. We'd been stuck in this limbo all week. Ever since Phoebe's scent had clung to our walls like a stain, everything had shifted. It was just in our nature to doubt one another as bloodline Alphas. Conversations were heavier, movements slower to make sure we didn't trigger one another. It felt like we were wading through sludge, trying to decide who we could trust."So, we're splitting up again?" I finally asked. "Full moon in separate spots to keep from killing one another?"Cast nodded, his thumb tapping rhythmically against his knee. "Yeah. I'll head down to the basement here, and you can go back to the old place. It's the best way to keep things stable. Will Luca be here this time to keep an eye on things upstairs?"I nodded. "And Indy. Lila wants someone she trusts here with her and Declan."
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 215. Her
LILA -The full moon crept closer, and we needed a plan. A week had passed since we returned to find Phoebe's scent clinging to the house like an infection. None of us had shaken the unease it left behind. Cast and Linc had been restless, their tension crackling through the air as they tried to make sense of it. For me, the days had become a battle against a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Every time I thought I'd found solid ground, something else rose to unsettle me. The pregnancy only added fuel to the fire. The energy coursing through me prickled under my skin, relentless and demanding, urging me to protect and take charge.Cast had been slipping out more often, heading to see Kat. He wasn't exactly hiding it, but his efforts to keep it subtle weren't lost on me. He wanted to keep the peace and spare me any unnecessary friction. I understood his intentions, even if they didn't sit well. Kat had seemed kind enough before her entanglement with Cast, but things were different now.
Pregnant Luna - Lawful Rebellion 214. Drop It
CAST - The room felt oppressive, its stale air clinging to my skin as I sifted through a stack of books. The pages blurred together, the words swimming uselessly in my vision. The scent of aged paper mingled with the faint tang of coffee lingering from earlier, a weak attempt at focus that had done nothing to help. My efforts to understand why Phoebe's scent was suddenly in the house felt futile. I had grown as restless as Linc was, but neither of us had answers. I slammed the book shut.Behind me, the door clicked open. I tensed, recognizing the familiar rhythm of Lila's footsteps. She paused in the doorway before crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "Are you and Kat dating now? Or are you just dragging her along for fun?" I set the book down and looked at her. "I don't know, Lila. She's human. That makes things complicated."She scoffed. "Complicated how?"I sighed, leaning back against the table. "I want to move forward with her, but I'm scared. If I push too fast, s
