The shrill laughter crashed against my ears like a pack siren. Something inside me—the last thread of restraint—broke. I stepped forward and struck her across the face.
Sabrina reeled back, then threw herself dramatically to the ground with a piercing cry.
“Vivienne!” she wailed, clutching her stomach. “I didn’t want you to find out this way! I’m pregnant—how could you hit me?!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks in exaggerated, theatrical rivers. I barely had time to process her performance before a force slammed into my back.
I lost my balance completely, crashing belly-first onto the cold, unforgiving floor.
Lucian’s hand clamped around my arm, yanking me upright. My head spun, the shock disorienting, but his roar cut through the haze.
“Are you insane?!” he shouted in my face. “How could you push Sabrina? She’s carrying a pup!”
I stared at him in disbelief, still catching my breath. Before I could utter a word, Sabrina whimpered pitifully from the floor.
“Lucian, please…” she sniffed. “Don’t fight with Vivienne because of me. I shouldn’t have asked you to come to my appointment. This is my fault. As long as the baby is fine, she can slap me if it makes her feel better.”
Her trembling-lip routine made her look like the moon goddess’ tragic martyr.
Lucian’s jaw clenched with fury. When he faced me again, his voice was low, harsh—sharper than claws.
“You’ve crossed a boundary you can’t take back, Vivienne,” he said coldly. “Apologize to her.”
I let out a hollow laugh, stunned even by the sound of it.
“You want me to apologize?” My voice cracked, thick with disbelief. “Lucian, do you even know what this is?”
My hands trembled as I shoved the medical report into his chest. My throat burned with unshed tears.
He didn’t glance at it.
He tore it in half—the entire diagnosis—without hesitation. The shredded paper fluttered to the floor like snow.
“I don’t care what your report says!” he snapped. “All I know is that you’ve gone too far this time. Spirits, Vivienne—you’re pregnant! How could you harm another expecting wolf?”
Hot tears escaped down my cheeks, unbidden and silent. My whole body shook—not from injury, but from a fury so deep it felt ancient.
Lucian saw the tears and, for a brief moment, his anger dulled. His tone shifted, trying to soften.