ELARIAN “What do you mean she didn’t come back last night?” I asked Gabby, Vienna’s mother, in surprise as soon as she broke the news to me that she hadn’t seen Vienna since she went out to pick herbs yesterday.Slowly, I eased myself onto the couch. My stomach was now protruding more with each passing day, and it was gradually becoming so uncomfortable for me. But Gabby and Vienna were doing everything they possibly could to make me comfortable.They were the literal angels the Moon Goddess sent to save me from my misery. Three months ago, I thought all was lost until they stumbled upon me and brought me here, to this pack, the Blood Moon Pack, a place I now considered my home.“Does Alpha Xavier know about this?” I questioned her further, wrapping my hands around my stomach protectively while gently caressing it.“I’m sure she’s fine and will return soon. She’s probably with one of those omega wolves she plays around with. She does that all the time.”“Plus, Alpha Xavier sent a gua
ELARIAN “There’s something I need to tell you,” I said to Gabby as we made our way up the flight of stairs that led into Alpha Xavier’s mansion.She was obviously paranoid about her daughter’s whereabouts and eager to get to the Alpha, practically flying up the stairs, far ahead of me at this point.“What is it?” She didn’t turn around, nor did she stop.“It’s about the baby’s father and the man whose name you hear me call out at night.” We were now at the top of the stairs, and I was heaving heavily, coming to a halt in front of one of the large pillars to catch my breath.It was still a mystery to me why they had built so many stairs, and everyone was subjected to the ordeal of climbing them every single time they visited the Alpha. But Vienna said it was good for me, so she made me do this once every week.My back hurt, and my legs ached, but not as badly as the first time she brought me here. I was now a little more used to it, along with the pain that followed.“Do we really hav
AEROS "Vienna, my pack does not take kindly to thieves. We do not appreciate you coming into our private garden and taking what is not yours," I began softly, not wanting to scare her into retreating into her shell.“I did not steal those herbs,” she snapped back.I was taken aback by how confident and bold she sounded. I had expected her to be a timid and easily scared woman, but she seemed far from that.“Those were general herbs, and if you had any knowledge of them, you’d know they are not supposed to be hoarded in a private garden. They should be shared with the rest of the world,” she added.“Shut your mouth,” a guard growled, shoving her forward roughly. She turned and shot him a glare. Irritated by her defiance, the guard raised his hand to strike her, but Jonathan grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.My lips curved into a thin smile. I was sincerely amused by how she spoke back without fear of the consequences. She sounded nothing like the timid woman I had initially expect
ELARIAN “Why do I feel like Alpha Xavier is mad at me?” I asked Gabby as I paced the length of the waiting room. We were still in the pack house, waiting for Alpha Xavier, who had left the mansion a while ago to bring Vienna back.Gabby didn’t want to dwell on it too much due to her health, so she kept herself occupied with knitting by the window overlooking the large gates, hoping to be the first to see when the Alpha returned.“He’s just upset, that’s all,” she replied without looking up from her task. “You’re carrying the child of an Alpha. That changes everything, Elarian. This could lead to war, especially when that Alpha is someone of high status. You, of all people, should know the consequences of what you’ve done.”“I know… I know… but Aeros has no idea about the pregnancy. He doesn’t even know I’m here, so I don’t see why we should panic. You said so yourself,” I said as I stopped pacing and walked over to her, desperate for reassurance.“That makes it even worse, Elarian. A
AEROS“A car just pulled out of his house a few minutes ago,” Jonathan announced as he walked into my study, still holding a phone to his ear.He was clearly talking to our man stationed at Xavier’s house. I had kept a close eye on Xavier ever since the incident with Blair, using this spy because I became suspicious of him when I lost her. Over time, I had tried to let go, realizing I was just paranoid when I lost her. Xavier had no real reason to want the woman he loved dead.“Who left the house?” I asked, looking up from the report I had been reviewing.I had asked one of the guards to gather any information they could find on Vienna, the young woman currently in my dungeon, hoping to find some sort of connection. But there was nothing. She lived with her mother, who was a healer in Xavier’s pack. Nothing about her stood out, and the more I looked at her details, the more it dawned on me that Xavier could be right.Maybe I was grasping at straws. Maybe Elarian wasn’t there. But the
AEROS The moment my eyes locked onto hers, my entire world stood still. Seeing her again after all these months hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and reeling. My mind raced with questions, a jumbled mess of emotions swirling inside me.As I took in the sight of her, my heart swelled with a mix of joy and disbelief. But then my gaze dropped to her belly, and my world came crashing down. The sight of her swollen stomach felt like a ton of bricks, leaving me sucker-punched.Disbelief and shock gave way to a tidal wave of emotions: anger, hurt, betrayal, and an overwhelming sense of loss. I felt like something precious, something that was mine, had been stolen from me. My mind reeled with questions and doubts.But beneath it all, there lingered a deep sadness and longing. It felt as though I had lost her all over again, like I was reliving the pain of our separation. Her pregnant belly was a harsh reminder of what could have been, of what we had lost.“Please, Aeros,
ELARIAN It was clear that Xavier didn’t want me anywhere near Aeros. It felt like he was somehow trying to use me against him. When I noticed two other identical cars behind us, I knew something was going on.The erratic driving, as if the driver was trying to lose someone, worried me, but we eventually arrived at our destination. I was immediately surrounded by more guards than I had ever seen.I tried to keep myself occupied by exploring the apartment, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Gabby’s face as I left. The look in her eyes haunted me.Had I really made the right choice by hiding from Aeros?I just wanted what was best for my baby.Suddenly, the mark on my neck began to tingle. It was as if I could sense Aeros, but I knew he couldn’t possibly be anywhere near here. Deciding I needed to return to the mansion, I demanded the guards take me back. They refused at first, but after I threatened them with the possibility of losing the baby, they reluctantly agreed.When we arrived
ELARIAN The entire room fell silent as Aeros stared at me, his expression one of stunned disbelief. Jonathan looked just as shocked, and that’s when I noticed Xavier standing by the door. There was a look on his face that I couldn’t quite read.“What did you just say?” Aeros asked, taking a step closer, but I instinctively took a step back.“Don’t… don’t take another step, Aeros,” I stammered. Tears pooled at the bottom of my eyes, and I swallowed hard, fighting to keep them from spilling.“Why… why didn’t you say something, Elarian? You should have told me. You should have come back home to me. You should never have run from those rogues who were supposed to bring you to me. And you never should have left in the first place.” His tone was firm, and the way his eyes locked onto mine made me want to believe everything he said.But I couldn’t forget. I couldn’t forget how he kicked me out after the mind-blowing sex, how he made me crave him only to treat me like nothing but a pet. He w