Pregnant? The word echoed in my mind like a distant bell,its sound growing louder until it consumed me. I laughed,but it wasn't a laugh of joy . It was sharp, bitter, like something dark clawing its way up my throat. How could this be real? It felt like a cruel dream, and any moment now, I'd wake up in my tiny cabin — still heartbroken,but not pregnant. Not like this . "Are you serious?"My voice trembled, barely holding back the storm of emotions building inside me. I glanced at the man who had helped me ,his expression unreadable. He didn't finch, though.My hands trembled, gripping the blanket tightly.My heartbeat felt like a drum in my chest ,fast and erratic. "I wouldn't joke about something like that ?" He said softly,his tone unusually gentle. "The physician was certain." I swallowed hard. There had been no one else— Drake . The thought of carrying his child,afterall that had happened, twisted my stomach into knots. " I saw you at the Alpha's Mating ceremony, rumour
I woke up with a sinking feeling in my stomach. It wasn't just because I hadn't eaten much—a bowl of cereal and some fruits —but because I knew today will be another difficult day . Antoine's warning echoes in my mind has I prepared to head out. Who will want to employ a pregnant woman? But what choice did I have ? I have to survive. I had a child to think about now. I placed my hands slightly over my stomach and felt my child growing. "We are going to be fine." I whispered softly, hoping my words could erase the dread I had been feeling inside me The marketplace was very busy, with the scent of fresh bread and grilled meat, mixed with the underlying scent of sweat and heat. People rushed by ,merchant shouted over one another and the crowd bustled as if the world was still normal— for them at least. I scanned the job board, hoping to find something, anything to make a little money but every job either required heavy lifting or paid so little , it couldn't even cover my
LAYLA "Get her! " I heard as an arrow whizzed passed my left check drawing out blood. Branches slapped against my face as I sprinted through the forest, lungs burning with each breath. The footsteps behind me were getting closer. Whoever they were , they weren't stopping and neither would I. The wind howled through the trees, but I could still hear them.Heavy, relentless footsteps , closing in on me. I had to keep running. I had to get to him. My mate . My Alpha. Drake He was the only one who could help me, the only one who would protect me. I stumbled over a fallen log , nearly crashing to the ground, but my legs kept moving, powdered by adrenaline . My wolf growled in frustration , begging to shift but I couldn't. Not now ,not when I was so close. The Packhouse was just ahead, beyond the clearing. If I could make it there ,I had be safe. I knew that Drake would be there . He had to be. I burst through the treeline panting hard . Relief surged through me at the
I had tried to forget the past . But as I stood there ,numb from seeing my mate with another woman, memories of that fateful day flooded my mind , dragging me back to the darkest moment of my life . We were just teenagers when it all happened. The day I lost everything FLASHBACK "Layla! Run! Don't look back!" My mother's voice rang out ,her usual calmness shattered by fear. The trees around us blurred as I stumbled through the underbrush, my heart racing,my wolf clawing at me, begging to be let out. But I couldn't. My parents had told me not to shift . Not yet. I turned back ,the scent of blood ,the sound of snarls filling the air. Rogue wolves. Dozens of them. My father's howl echoed through the forest ,a warning and a plea. He and my mother were the Guardians Of The Moon ,a title given to those who were responsible for the protection of the Alpha and his family and sworn to protect even the future Alpha with their lives . But I know that they couldn't hold of