As soon as I woke up. I could already hear everyone in the pack out and about. I could hear chatters, growls, and grunts around me, telling me that our strongest warriors had already started training our recruits and younger pack members. Excited to start my day, I quickly got up and looked out the window and found that my mate and his ex were in deep conversation in the far-end corner of the training ground.
To anyone, it looked innocent enough, but not to me. Seeing this, I hurriedly got dressed to join them outside. The reaction I had wasn't because I was mainly jealous, but for months now, rumors about Aurora and Wyatt were spreading like wildfire through our not-so-modest land, making me want to get to the bottom of things.
At first, I didn't pay attention to what everyone was saying. However, Wyatt's actions toward me lately had been growing cold, planting seeds of doubt in my head. Wyatt and I were fated mates, destined to be together, and besides, we were about to have our first child. Nothing was supposed to shake our foundation, or so I thought. The truth was that Wyatt had been spending more time with Aurora than coming home to me.
Though he didn't mistreat me, the difference in how he acted between me and Aurora was obvious. The way he looked, talked, and acted around Aurora was a stark contrast to how he did all those things in front of me. I couldn't exactly fault anyone with that because Aurora was tall and graceful, with an ethereal beauty that seemed to captivate everyone around her.
At first, I tried to understand where they were coming from since they had been together for so long. I knew it wasn’t easy to let go of a relationship as they had, but it bothered me that his bond with her seemed stronger than ours. I confronted him once, hoping he would dispel the rumors and reassure me that those were nothing but useless noises. But his avoidance and evasiveness only fueled my uncertainty more.
“Stop all this nonsense, Raven. She's also mated, so stop being suspicious.” he accused. "Isn't it enough that I made you Luna and my mate?"
I stepped out of the massive cabin Wyatt and I shared and went directly to where they had been moments ago. Since I could no longer find Wyatt with her, I decided to observe Aurora and the rest of her group, making sure that I was hidden from the clearing but close enough for me to overhear what they were talking about.
Based on their hushed tones and serious faces, I knew they were discussing something significant, so my curiosity got the better of me. I listened intently, wondering what the fuss was all about.
“Congratulations, Aurora! Your wish finally came true. You're about to become a mother,” one of her friends happily greeted her.
“Have you told Archer about it yet?” another asked.
For a second, I didn't know whether I should continue listening or just leave. I even thought of congratulating Aurora and her mate, Archer, on their pregnancy, but as I started to walk away, Aurora's unexpected revelation stopped me dead in my tracks.
The news hit me like a ton of bricks. How could this be? For a minute, I stood there wide-eyed and unable to comprehend what had happened. I was devastated, heartbroken, and filled with betrayal so profound it shook me to my core.
“Archer isn’t the father of this child; it’s alpha Wyatt, but not everyone needs to know that, right?”
My heart thumped wildly in my chest and my fists clenched repeatedly as I contemplated what my next course of action would be. I wanted to break something so badly that I was starting to see black. My body shook, wanting to shift. I knew it was only a matter of time before my inner wolf went on a rampage.
Chapter 2It took me a while to control myself, and when I finally mustered the right state of mind I should be in, I marched to where Aurora and her group were. Her friends immediately looked frightened, bowed their heads, and acknowledged my presence, surprising Aurora.
For a moment, she was speechless. I knew she didn't notice that I was there because it was obvious that she wasn’t planning on making such an announcement in front of me, but because she couldn’t help but gloat, the news reached my ears faster than she could say Halloween.
“What’s this I heard about you and Wyatt?” I asked with a low and serious tone.
For a moment, she kept her mouth shut, but as she looked around her, her demeanor completely changed.
“And what was that you heard just now, oh Luna of ours?” she mocked, batting her eyelashes.
She was trying to test my authority, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to challenge her to a duel considering that we were both pregnant—that is, if what she said was true. Needing to set things straight, I got in her face and asked if she was pregnant and who the father was. As if gaining more confidence, Aurora stood taller and grinned menacingly.
Her smirk was like a knife cutting through my soul as she casually asked what I would do if Wyatt was indeed the father. It became apparent that she didn’t view me as her Luna, so I knew that we were going to have a problem.
As if that wasn’t enough, Aurora went on to disrespect me further by proudly walking around me while making fun of me. She told me that there was no doubt that Wyatt was still in love with her, and if it weren’t for the stupid rules werewolves had to follow, Wyatt wouldn’t even choose me. Her words stung like a thousand bees, and I felt my face flush with anger and humiliation. I wanted to lash out, to defend myself, but I knew that it would only make things worse.
Instead, I repeatedly told myself to calm down and tried to maintain my composure. I refused to give Aurora the satisfaction of seeing me crumble. At that moment, I realized that Aurora’s actions said more about her than they did about me, and knowing that I had to remind her who she was speaking to, I blocked her path and kept my gaze locked on her to assert my place as Luna and put Aurora in place.
“Aurora,” I began, my voice steady and firm, “I understand that you have your ambitions, but you must remember that I am the Luna of this pack. It’s best for everyone if we respect hierarchy.”
Aurora’s eyes flashed with defiance. Suddenly, without warning, she raised her hand to slap me. My instincts immediately took over, and I swiftly grabbed her wrist, stopping the slap before it even reached an inch of my face. Time seemed to stand still as we locked eyes; everything went silent except for our quickened breaths.
For a second, I debated throwing her to the ground, but just as I was about to decide, Wyatt angrily called out my name and demanded that I release Aurora’s hand. Seeing that I wasn’t following his order, he approached us with his beta, Talon, and gamma, Apollo, following his wake.
“Raven, let go, now!” he ordered.
Instead of doing what he asked, I continued to stare daggers at Aurora, tightening my hold on her. When she hissed in pain, Wyatt immediately yanked my hand away, stood between us, and led Aurora to his side protectively.
“What the hell are you doing?” he sneered.
I scanned the faces around us and noted how Talon and Apollo were both sniggering. So I angrily pulled my arm away from Wyatt’s hold. Our beta and gamma disliked me from the start because they were loyal to Aurora, and I could see it in their eyes all the time. The three of them, including Wyatt, grew up together, so I was obviously the outcast.
Without missing a beat, I jammed my point finger on Wyatt's chest and said, “Don’t reprimand me, Wyatt. I was only disciplining Aurora. She raised her hand on me first, and I was only stopping her."
"That's not what it looked like," Wyatt argued.
"What? Are you saying I started all of this?" I questioned in disbelief.
Chapter 3"Stop it, Raven! Aurora would never do such a thing, not to anyone, most especially you."
Wyatt's words rang inside my head over and over. I couldn't believe it. He refused to listen to me even though I had been explaining that Aurora had disrespected me and I was only defending myself. The worst part was he was scolding me as if I was a disobedient child in front of everyone.
I felt angry and frustrated with how he was reacting. How could he be so quick to judge without even hearing me out? I wanted to make him understand how hurt and betrayed I felt, but he wouldn't even look me in the eye. Instead, he just told me to go home as if I was only causing trouble and walked away with Aurora as if she was badly injured.
Irritated, I walked away and I couldn't shake off the feeling of injustice. It was like my voice didn't matter, and that I was irrelevant. My mate was supposed to be loyal to me, but that just wasn't happening at all.
That night, I sat alone in our room and I couldn't help but think about how my life had changed since Wyatt came into it. I remember the days when he was still with Aurora. I could see the love in his eyes whenever he looked at her. But then everything changed when the Moon goddess revealed that Wyatt and I were meant to be mates.
It was a shock to all of us, and I could see the conflict in Wyatt's eyes as he struggled to come to terms with this new reality. I knew that he had always loved Aurora, and now he was being forced to choose me as his Luna.
I felt guilty for coming between them, even though it wasn't my fault. I could see the pain in Aurora's eyes too, and it broke my heart to know that our fates had caused so much heartache. Despite all the turmoil and confusion, I couldn't deny the pull I felt towards Wyatt. There was something about him that made me feel like I belonged by his side as if I had finally found my purpose. And even though it wasn't the ideal situation, I knew that I had to embrace this new chapter in my life.
Eventually, I fell in love with Wyatt. It was inevitable because we were mates. What hurt me the most though was I could tell that he didn't feel the same way. He kept me by his side to keep up with status and power, but deep inside, he never loved me like he loved Aurora. I didn't even think that it was possible for a mate to love someone else, but here we were.
I looked at the wall clock by the door and noticed how late it was; the patrolling of our border had ended about an hour ago, so I knew that Wyatt was supposed to be here by now. I stayed up for a while, waiting for him to come home, but he never did. As pitiful as it was, I cried myself to sleep, completely disappointed. A few hours later, I woke up sweating and writhing in discomfort.
In a second, I felt a sharp pain from my chest down to my stomach, and I struggled to find a way to get rid of the excruciating pain in my lower abdomen. It was far worse than my first time shifting into my wolf form, even with all my bones breaking over and over. I clutched at my stomach, feeling as though I were being torn apart from the inside. Each breath felt like I was drowning.
It was as if my body had turned against me, and I didn't know how to make it stop. I got up as fast as I could, hoping to find Wyatt, only to fall on the floor because of the shooting pain that was getting worse every time I tried to move.
"Arg!" I roared, rolling to my side and unable to breathe right.
Chapter 4I dragged myself out of our room, repeatedly calling for Wyatt but the silence that met me was deafening. I tried to link my thoughts with him, but it seemed that he had purposely shut off our connection. Panic set in as I realized that something was wrong. Wyatt and I had always been able to communicate through our thoughts, but now he was radio silent.
I stumbled through the hallway, frantically searching for anyone who could help me, but I was completely alone. Where was everybody? What was happening to me? I felt a sudden gush between my legs as I pulled myself up to stand, and when I looked down, an uncontrollable scream tore out of my mouth. I was bleeding profusely, so instantly, I knew something was wrong with my child.
Gathering every ounce of strength I had left, I continued to stagger toward the door, and as soon as I got out, I screamed at the top of my lungs begging for help. Not a second later, one of our pack members who happened to be passing by had seen me, and in an instant, he was running toward me.
"Luna Raven, are you alright? What is happening?" he worriedly asked.
"Doctor, I need the doctor right away," I groaned.
As I lay in the doctor's office, listening to the earth-shattering news about what I went through, I felt a mix of emotions swirling inside me, making it hard to focus on anything else. The room felt suffocating as the doctor explained the complications that had arisen.
As mentioned by the doctor, I may have been under so much stress and had been restless since I got pregnant. My mind struggled to process the information, and I felt a surge of wrath rising within me. I tried to hold back tears as I grappled with the overwhelming weight of the situation.
I looked at the ultrasound images on the screen, trying to make sense of what had happened, but I came up empty. As the doctor outlined the possible complications that occurred, I was already pulling away from reality. I was about to lose our precious baby.
The doctor’s voice seemed distant as I tried to come to terms with what this meant for me and Wyatt. When the doctor noticed that I wasn't paying much attention, he asked if I was still in pain, and instead of answering his question, I asked him to do what was necessary and for a change of clothes, which he luckily had.
Leaving the doctor's office, I felt lost. Hundreds of thoughts crossed through my mind, but the most prominent of all was Wyatt's absence in all of this. I had no choice but to make the most difficult decision of my life and that was to terminate the life growing inside my womb since it was inevitable. As if on cue, both he and Aurora appeared in front of me. At first, they didn't notice me as they were happily chatting.
"Our baby looks healthy," Aurora cheerfully told Wyatt, causing me to seethe with anger. How dare they? I thought, so I marched toward them, catching them by surprise.
"Raven, what are you doing here?" Wyatt immediately asked.
I glared at them, wanting to rip their heads off. This caused Aurora to feel uneasy, hiding behind Wyatt. All of a sudden, I was laughing hysterically, unable to control all the emotions plaguing me. I didn't give a damn whether I looked like a lunatic in front of everyone there. I was mourning and in denial, so it didn't matter what others thought of me.
"Raven, what has gotten into you?" Wyatt questioned.
I continued to laugh as I looked at him defiantly, and once I was able to calm myself down, I took a step closer to him and asked, "Where were you the entire time my dear mate?"