The bond shattered, and Yasmin felt the warmth replaced by a cold, searing pain that tore through her very soul. She gasped, her knees buckling as she fell to the ground, her hands clutching at her chest as if she could somehow hold the pieces of her heart together. The agony was unlike anything she had ever felt—like something inside her was being ripped apart, leaving her hollow and broken.
Laughter echoed around her, cruel and mocking, as she struggled to breathe. She looked up, her vision blurred with tears, and saw Ian’s face—guilt etched into his features. But he didn’t reach out to her, didn’t offer her a hand. He simply shook his head, turned away, and walked off with his friends, leaving her there on the ground. "Look at the runt," someone sneered. "Thinking she could be mated to someone like Ian." "Pathetic," another voice added, and Yasmin heard the laughter grow louder, their cruel words cutting into her like knives. Yasmin felt her heart shatter, the pieces scattering beyond her reach. She stayed there for a moment, the world spinning around her, the laughter and whispers tearing at her. Then, with a sob that tore from her throat, she pushed herself up. She couldn't stay there, couldn't let them see her like this. "Yasmin, wait!" someone called, but she ignored them, her vision swimming with tears. She turned and ran, her feet carrying her away from the square, away from the laughter and the cruel eyes. She ran until her legs gave out, until the forest swallowed her whole, and she collapsed to the ground, her tears soaking the earth beneath her. The pain in her chest was unbearable, and she pressed her hands against her heart, as if she could somehow piece herself back together. She had dared to hope, dared to dream that tonight would be different, that she would finally have someone who saw her, who valued her. But that hope had been torn away, leaving nothing but emptiness behind. ~~~~ Zaid had just witnessed a pathetic scene—a she-wolf getting rejected in the Moonbeam Pack's square. He had watched as she fell to the ground, broken and humiliated, her sobs echoing through the gathered crowd. It was a display he had seen many times before, but something about the rawness of it struck him. When she finally got up and ran off, he felt a pang of something he couldn’t quite place. Pity? No. He wasn’t one for sentimentality. Afterward, he decided he needed a run. The Red Moon had always made his blood run hot, and the night’s events had left him restless. He shifted into his wolf form and bounded into the woods, letting the forest blur around him. He needed the release—the freedom of the wind rushing past his fur, the earth beneath his paws. But then, he heard it. The sound of quiet, anguished sobs. His ears perked, and he came to a stop, his senses on high alert. He padded closer, curious, until he saw her. The rejected girl was curled up at the base of a tree, her slender form shaking with sobs. She looked utterly defeated, her tears streaming down her milky pale cheeks, her long hair tangled around her. He shifted to his human form, his first instinct was to turn around and leave. He had no business getting involved in her misery. But then she lifted her head, and Zaid froze. Even with her face marred by tears, she was beautiful. Strikingly so. Her skin glowed in the moonlight—milky and flawless. Her figure, though hidden beneath her worn dress, was slender yet curvy. Her lips, full and pink, trembled as she wiped her tears, and her eyes—enchanting green eyes framed by lush lashes—gazed at the ground in such despair that something in him stirred. His wolf, normally indifferent to anything but power, reared its head, intrigued. Interested. Zaid found himself stepping forward, drawn by something primal and inexplicable. He realized too late that she had noticed him. Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise. She scrambled to her feet, her fingers fumbling to tidy her disheveled dress. She bowed her head quickly, apologizing in a broken voice. "I-I'm sorry. I was just- I. . ." He merely stared at her, unable to look away. There was a vulnerability to her, a rawness that called to something deep within him. His gaze traced her features, drinking in the delicate lines of her face, the softness of her lips, the brightness of her eyes despite the tears. She flushed under his scrutiny, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that made her look even more enchanting. Zaid found himself stepping closer, his body moving before his mind had time to catch up. The girl looked up at him, startled, and he saw the flicker of confusion and... something else in her eyes. Desire, maybe. It matched the pull he felt toward her, the tension tightening in his chest. "The young soldier," he said, his voice a low rumble, "is clearly an idiot to reject a goddess like you." Her eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. "A... goddess?" she echoed, as if she couldn't believe he was speaking to her that way. Zaid stepped closer, so close that he could feel her warmth, their bodies almost touching. She was looking up at him, her gaze searching his. He lifted a hand, letting his fingers skim over her cheek, her skin soft beneath his touch. She shivered, but she didn’t pull away. "Yes," he murmured, his voice thick with something he couldn't quite name. "A goddess." She flushed again, her eyes fluttering closed as his fingers traced her features. Her lips parted, a small sigh escaping them, and he felt his body tense with need. There was something about her—something fragile, something pure—that made him want to protect her, to claim her. She melted into his hand, leaning into his touch, but then her body stiffened. She pulled back, her eyes snapping open, a flicker of fear and doubt crossing her face. "I—I can't," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I shouldn't." But Zaid wasn’t about to let her go. He leaned in, his breath brushing against her ear as he spoke. "One night," he said, his voice a low growl. "Just one night to forget all the pain." He watched as she struggled, the conflict clear in her eyes. She wanted to refuse, he could see that, but there was also a desperation there—a need to escape, even if only for a moment. She bit her lip, her gaze flickering to his, and for a long moment, they simply stared at each other. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. ----Zaid didn’t wait for her to change her mind. He moved swiftly, scooping her up in his arms, feeling her soft body press against his chest. She gasped, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck, and he could feel her heart pounding against him. He held her close, and in a flash, he used his wolf speed to take her to his guest quarters, his feet barely touching the ground as he ran. He pushed the door open, stepping inside and kicking it shut behind them. The room was dimly lit, the moonlight streaming through the window casting shadows across the floor. He set her down, his hands lingering on her waist, his gaze locked on hers. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, her lips trembling. For a moment, she hesitated, and Zaid felt his own breath catch, the intensity of the moment almost overwhelming. Then, slowly, she reached up, her fingers brushing against his cheek, and he knew—knew that tonight would be theirs, that for this one night, they would forget everything else.~~~~T
Yasmin’s heart raced as she slipped out of the pack’s guesthouse, the weight of last night pressing down on her like a stone. Her cheeks flushed at the memory: waking up beside a powerful man with an aura so potent it made her feel like she was drowning. Panic had surged through her veins the moment she’d realized what had happened. The Red Moon Festival. The night when unmated wolves gathered, hoping fate would be kind enough to grant them their destined mate. And it had been. Ian—the pack’s gentle, kind-hearted soldier, the one she’d quietly admired for years. Her heart had skipped a beat when he’d been revealed as her mate, her deepest wish come true. But the memory of what happened next cut like a blade, raw and unforgiving. The rejection. She’d barely absorbed the thrill of finally having a mate before Ian had rejected her in front of the entire pack, his words echoing with an unexpected cruelty. The humiliation and heartbreak of that moment washed over her again now, like ic
Yasmin dragged her mop across the cold, stone floor, her arms weak and sore. Her back ached from bending over all day, and every muscle felt like it was on fire. The pack members had made sure to remind her of her place today, jeering and shoving as she passed by, calling her names like "wolfless wretch" and "omega scum." She kept her eyes down, scrubbing the floor with everything she had, hoping to make herself as small as possible. When she finished, Yasmin tried to push herself up, but a sudden wave of dizziness nearly toppled her. She pressed a hand to her mouth as nausea hit her, bile rising in her throat. Stumbling to her feet, she managed to make her way outside, rushing to the edge of a bushel where she sank to her knees and threw up. Her body shook with every heave, and she gripped the grass as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded. "Get it together," she muttered to herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. The nausea had been coming and going for days
For a moment, Yasmin felt like the air had been sucked from her lungs. She just stared, the words sinking in slowly, like they’d been spoken in another language. Pregnant? It couldn’t be. Her mind raced back to that one, unforgettable night with the mysterious man, a stranger who had seemed to appear from nowhere. She’d felt a strange pull toward him, an electric connection that made her lose all sense of control. But after that night, he was gone, like he’d never existed. And now… now she was— She looked at Kamira, mouth open, but no words came out. Her heart pounded, each beat louder than the last, until it felt like the only sound in the room. “I… I’m… pregnant?” she finally managed to stammer, her voice barely a whisper, laced with disbelief. Kamira nodded, a softness in her eyes. “Yes, child. I understand this must come as a shock. But we should do an ultrasound, just to be sure. It’s best to confirm it for you.”Yasmin could only nod, feeling as if her body were moving on its
Yasmin spent the next few weeks moving carefully, quietly, like a shadow in her own life. She avoided crowded areas, steering clear of anyone who might take notice of her. Most of the pack hardly spared her a second glance—an omega without a wolf was invisible, after all—but Yasmin couldn’t risk even the slightest slip. With her secret swelling inside her, every moment felt fragile, like a thin layer of glass separating her and her baby from disaster. Each day, she took on more work, gathering every scrap of income she could find. Her meager omega earnings were barely enough to cover her basic needs, so she began accepting odd jobs in secret, things no one else wanted to bother with. By dawn, she was scrubbing floors in the packhouses, and by afternoon, she was washing laundry and hanging it to dry in the biting wind. Late at night, after everyone else had gone to bed, she’d steal away to clean and organize storage rooms, her hands raw and red from hours of labor. On weekends, she
Yasmin’s heart raced, her mind filling with the possibility of escape. “You mean… I could leave with them?” Kamira’s grip tightened, grounding Yasmin as she continued, “It’s risky, but yes. You’ll stow away with the supplies. No one will know you’re there. They’ll drop you off at a checkpoint outside the territory, and from there, you’ll be on your own. It won’t be easy, Yasmin, but it’s a chance to start fresh.” The words sank in, and Yasmin felt tears pricking her eyes. It was a dangerous plan, but it was a plan—a way out, a chance for freedom. She squeezed Kamira’s hand, gratitude spilling over. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, Kamira. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Kamira smiled softly, brushing a tear from Yasmin’s cheek. “You’re stronger than you know, Yasmin. You may not feel it now, but I see it in you. And I’ll be here for you, every step of the way.” For the first time in a long while, Yasmin felt a glimmer of hope. She le
A little over a month had passed, days blurring together as Yasmin carefully stuck to the routine she'd created. With each sunrise, she counted herself one step closer to leaving the Moonbeam Pack behind. No one had noticed the secret she held close—her pregnancy was still hidden, thanks to her small frame. But every night, as she lay alone, she felt the faintest flutter, a reminder that it wasn’t just her anymore. Now, it was noon, and Yasmin sat cross-legged on the floor of her cramped little room in the omega quarters, her heart pounding as she counted out the crumpled bills she’d managed to save. The sunlight slanted through the dusty window, illuminating each worn note and coin she had scraped together from endless shifts and side jobs. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had, and tomorrow, she would need it to survive. She took a slow breath, biting her lip as she looked at the pile. Was this enough? Would it get her far enough away, to a place where the pack couldn’t reach her?
The days drifted by in a quiet, relentless rhythm as Raz drove from one territory to the next. For nearly two days at a time, they would travel through empty stretches of forest and winding roads, stopping only to refuel or for Raz to complete exchanges at allied packs. Yasmin stayed hidden during these stops, watching from the shadows as Raz oversaw the quiet transfers of crates and supplies. Each mile felt like another piece of her old life crumbling away, though a gnawing uncertainty still haunted her.At first, Raz had insisted she stay out of sight in the trunk, but as they ventured farther from Moonbeam Pack, he gestured for her to move to the back seat. She’d hesitated, almost surprised by the kindness of the offer, but the chance to sit upright in the warmth of the seat was too tempting to refuse. Now, Yasmin sat in the back while Raz drove, his silence a steady, familiar presence beside her.Throughout the days, he would share food without a word, passing her hunks of cheese