Chaos

Malia

Luna Brooke’s face flushed a dangerous red, her gaze narrowing in on me and Asher. She looked like she might lunge at me, and rip me apart with her fury alone. Her sharp eyes flicked from me to Asher, brimming with accusation.

“Is this some kind of sick joke?” Her voice, usually cool and composed, now sliced through the air like a blade. “You’re telling me that this girl—this werewolf—is carrying your child?”

I stood there, frozen, my thoughts a jumbled mess. I wasn’t pregnant. I wasn’t anything with Asher. How could he have said something so absurd, so reckless?

“Yes,” he replied smoothly as if stating a simple fact. For a moment, I thought his mother might lunge at him.

Luna Brooke’s expression twisted with fury. The other board members exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared to interrupt. Even my parents were stunned into silence, their expressions caught somewhere between disbelief and horror.

Luna Brooke’s eyes bore into me with thinly veiled disgust, and I braced myself for the inevitable. I expected her to demand my immediate expulsion. I was a werewolf, after all—someone lesser in her eyes.

But then something shifted in her face— Her expression softened, replaced by a look of calculation. The fury didn’t disappear entirely, but it was tempered by something else - something darker, more dangerous. She hesitated, and I could practically see the gears turning in her mind.

“Very well,” she said, her tone icy, though more controlled now. “Malia will remain enrolled at the Academy. But rest assured, we will be watching you very closely.”

I was still confused and unable to comprehend how Asher thought this was a good idea. This wasn’t some trivial matter that could blow over. His lie had just tied me to him in ways I couldn’t begin to unravel.

My parents looked shell-shocked, too stunned to protest. Luna Brooke turned on her heel and marched out of the room without another word, leaving the rest of us in a suffocating silence. Asher followed after her, his expression unreadable, and I stood there, numb.

Soon after, the other board members left, and I was alone with my parents, but the silence that followed was unbearable. I could feel my father’s gaze burning into me, his disappointment like a physical weight pressing down on my chest.

“Malia,” my mother said softly, breaking the tension. “I want to believe what he said isn’t true. Maybe he’s just trying to help—”

“Help? He's the Lycan King’s son! Why would he help her?” My father’s voice rose in anger, his brow furrowed with disappointment. “Why didn’t you stay away from him, Malia? What feelings drove you into his arms?”

“Dad, please—”

“No!” he barked, his voice sharp. “That boy has nothing to lose, but you? Your life will never be the same again!”

Without another word, my father stormed out, his anger echoing through the room. My mother followed, casting me one last disappointed look that cut deeper than any words.

After they left, I felt a hollowness in my chest, like a pit that was only growing deeper. I really wished I could go back and fix everything. But where's a time machine when you need one?!

With a sigh of defeat, I pulled out my phone and saw that I was already late for my first class. I didn't even know I'd still be attending this school by now. But as I walked to class, each step I took felt heavier, like I was walking underwater.

Thankfully, the hallways were empty. I wasn’t ready for the curious stares and whispered gossip that would follow me like a shadow after what happened between Asher and I at the party. If word got out that Asher said I am pregnant with his child then I'll be done for!

But then, a strange prickling sensation ran down my spine, making me stop in my tracks. I glanced over my shoulder. The hall was deserted, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched

I was about to move again when a voice broke through the silence.

“Pregnancy, huh? You really went for it.”

The voice was soft, yet it carried an unsettling weight. I turned, startled, to see a girl leaning against the lockers. Her deep brown skin contrasted sharply with her unsettling gray eyes.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice faltering as I looked at her.

She pushed off the lockers and walked toward me with unnerving grace. “I am Amara - and you’re Malia, the girl who managed to get tangled up with the Lycan King’s son. Now you’re pregnant.”

“How d-do you know that?” I stammered.

Amara smiled faintly, her gaze unnervingly calm. “Doesn’t matter. What matters is the mess you’re in.”

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” I said defensively, my hands clenching at my sides.

“Regardless, Asher just saved your life—or at least your place here.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you know why his statement worked?”

I shook my head, the unease settling deep in my chest.

“Because we Lycans value lineage above all else. Our bloodlines are sacred, but it’s not always so simple…” Her eyes darkened. “It’s getting harder for us to reproduce.”

“What?”

“Yup, and that’s why our families are small and exclusive. But the rumors that have been swirling about Asher before this weren't helping matters either.”

My pulse quickened. “What kind of rumors?”

Her gray eyes gleamed. “That he’s nearly impotent. That he might never produce an heir. And trust me, he’s not alone. Most Lycans these days face the same issue. Luckily for me, I don't really care much for kids.” she said nonchalantly.

I felt my stomach drop. “So that’s why I wasn’t expelled.”

Amara’s smile faded, and her expression turned serious, “Yeah. Your pregnancy proves that the Lycan King’s son is capable of producing an heir. It changes everything. His status is untouchable now! And yours…well, that’s complicated.”

I swallowed hard, looking at her as I asked, “And what happens to me?”

Her gaze softened, but only slightly. “You seem like a sweet girl, but you’re not one of us. You’ll never be fully accepted, especially not by the Lycans. But as long as they believe you’re carrying Asher’s child, you’re safe. For now.”

Her words left me cold. “For now” hung in the air, heavy with unspoken threats. This lie wouldn’t protect me forever. And when it crumbled, so would I.

Before I could respond, Amara turned and walked away, her footsteps eerily silent. She glanced back one more time, her gray eyes locking onto mine. “Word of advice? Don’t let anyone else find out about your pregnancy.”

*******

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn’t focus on my classes. My mind spun with everything Amara had said— especially the fertility rumors about Asher, and now I was tangled up in this mess, with no way out.

By the time school ended, I was drained. I just wanted to escape the curious looks and whispers. But as I made my way to the exit, a group of girls blocked my path.

“Look who it is,” one of them sneered. She was tall, blonde, unmistakably Lycan. Her friends circled me like predators closing in on prey.

“So, you think you can steal Asher?” she spat, stepping closer.

I backed up, my heart racing as I asked, “What are you talking ab—”

“Save it,” she snapped. “We know what you are—a desperate little wolf trying to climb the ranks by latching onto the first Lycan you can.”

“That’s not true!” I protested, my voice shaking.

“Didn’t you seduce him?” she taunted. “Or did we all imagine the pictures we saw with our eyes?”

Before I could react, she shoved me against the lockers. Pain shot through my back, but I gritted my teeth, refusing to show weakness.

The girls laughed cruelly, but no one stepped in to help. The few students passing by pretended not to see.

She reached for my collar and pinned me against the locker, but just as she raised her hand to punch me, I shut my eyes in fright but I didn't feel anything. She didn't touch me.

The hallway fell silent. I looked up to see Asher standing in front of us. “Let go of her, Nina. Unless you have a death wish” Asher said sternly. His presence alone seemed to stop the air from moving.

Her eyes narrowed, disbelief flickering across her face. “You can’t be serious about her. She’s nothing,” she said, her hands still tight around my collar.

“SHE,” Asher said, his voice cutting through the silence, “is the mother of my child.”

The hallway fell silent for an instant, then burst into chaos with whispers racing through the crowd like wildfire.