Chapter 2
"SERENA!" Kael's roar shook the walls.
He moved faster than I could blink—not toward me, but toward Mira, who had crumpled against the banister, clutching her cheek with theatrical precision.
"My stomach," she whimpered, doubling over. "Kael, the baby—she hit my baby—"
She hadn't touched her stomach. My slap landed on her face. But Kael was already cradling her, his hands running over her bump, his eyes blazing when they found mine.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled. The Alpha command in his voice pressed against my chest like a physical weight. My wolf—already weak from years of suppression in this pack—cowered.
"She called our children cursed," I said, my voice breaking despite my effort to keep it steady. "She called them abominations. And you just stood there."
"She's scared, Serena. She's traumatized." He lifted Mira into his arms as if she weighed nothing. "I need to take her to the healer. We'll talk about this later."
"We'll talk about it NOW." I stepped in front of him, blocking the door. "I'm carrying your pups, Kael. Twins. Your blood. And you're choosing—"
"I'm not choosing anyone!" His voice cracked, and for a moment I saw it—the guilt. The torn, wretched guilt of a man who knew he was destroying something. "Just... give me time, Serena. Please."
"Time to do what? Let the whole pack believe I'm carrying someone else's children? Let them call me a whore?"
Mira lifted her head from Kael's shoulder. Through the curtain of her hair, she shot me a look—a razor smile meant only for me—before burying her face back into his neck with a sob.
"Kael, please take me away from her. She's scaring me. The stress isn't good for our baby."
Our baby.
He carried her past me without another word. At the threshold, he paused. Without turning, he said, "Go to our room, Serena. Lock the door. Don't come out until I get back. I'll fix this."
Then he was gone, and I was standing alone in the foyer with my ultrasound crumpled in my fist.
I didn't go to our room.
I went to his mother.
If Kael wouldn't fight for my children, I would appeal to Vivian's obsession with bloodline. She wanted purebred heirs—and mine were exactly that.
I found her in the drawing room, sipping from a crystal glass of dark liquid—donated pack blood, warmed. She didn't look up when I entered.
"Mrs. Blackwood," I began, placing the ultrasound on the table before her. "I'm carrying Kael's pups. Twins. They are purebred heirs to this pack."
She set down her glass. Picked up the ultrasound. Studied it with cold, calculating eyes.
Then she laughed.
"You stupid girl," she said, sliding the paper back toward me. "Do you think a piece of paper changes anything? Mira's child is already registered with the council as Kael's firstborn. The Luna Ceremony is blessed. The Elders have spoken."
"But these are his REAL children—"
"Real?" She stood, towering over me despite being barely my height. Her wolf radiated dominance that crushed the air from my lungs. "Mira is the daughter of Alpha Gregor from Silverfang. Her bloodline traces back to the original pack founders. You? You're a human-raised mutt with no wolf heritage anyone can confirm."
"My wolf—"
"Is so weak it might as well not exist." She circled me slowly. "You've never shifted. Not once in three years. The council already questions whether you're truly a werewolf at all."
"Kael felt the mate bond," I whispered.
"And bonds can be broken." She snapped her fingers.
Two enforcers materialized from the shadows of the corridor. They were massive—easily twice my size.
"Escort this girl to the east wing cellar," Vivian commanded. "She's become hysterical and is a danger to Lady Mira's pregnancy. She is not to leave until the Alpha gives explicit permission."
"You can't do this." I backed away, my hands covering my stomach. "I'm carrying his—"
"You're carrying a stray's bastards, for all the pack knows." Vivian's smile was ice. "And strays belong in cages."
The enforcers seized my arms. I thrashed, kicked, screamed—but my wolf was silent, too weak to surface, and my human strength was nothing against two trained warriors.
As they dragged me from the drawing room, I heard Vivian call after me:
"Be grateful, girl. If it were up to me, I'd have had those things cut from your belly tonight."
He moved faster than I could blink—not toward me, but toward Mira, who had crumpled against the banister, clutching her cheek with theatrical precision.
"My stomach," she whimpered, doubling over. "Kael, the baby—she hit my baby—"
She hadn't touched her stomach. My slap landed on her face. But Kael was already cradling her, his hands running over her bump, his eyes blazing when they found mine.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled. The Alpha command in his voice pressed against my chest like a physical weight. My wolf—already weak from years of suppression in this pack—cowered.
"She called our children cursed," I said, my voice breaking despite my effort to keep it steady. "She called them abominations. And you just stood there."
"She's scared, Serena. She's traumatized." He lifted Mira into his arms as if she weighed nothing. "I need to take her to the healer. We'll talk about this later."
"We'll talk about it NOW." I stepped in front of him, blocking the door. "I'm carrying your pups, Kael. Twins. Your blood. And you're choosing—"
"I'm not choosing anyone!" His voice cracked, and for a moment I saw it—the guilt. The torn, wretched guilt of a man who knew he was destroying something. "Just... give me time, Serena. Please."
"Time to do what? Let the whole pack believe I'm carrying someone else's children? Let them call me a whore?"
Mira lifted her head from Kael's shoulder. Through the curtain of her hair, she shot me a look—a razor smile meant only for me—before burying her face back into his neck with a sob.
"Kael, please take me away from her. She's scaring me. The stress isn't good for our baby."
Our baby.
He carried her past me without another word. At the threshold, he paused. Without turning, he said, "Go to our room, Serena. Lock the door. Don't come out until I get back. I'll fix this."
Then he was gone, and I was standing alone in the foyer with my ultrasound crumpled in my fist.
I didn't go to our room.
I went to his mother.
If Kael wouldn't fight for my children, I would appeal to Vivian's obsession with bloodline. She wanted purebred heirs—and mine were exactly that.
I found her in the drawing room, sipping from a crystal glass of dark liquid—donated pack blood, warmed. She didn't look up when I entered.
"Mrs. Blackwood," I began, placing the ultrasound on the table before her. "I'm carrying Kael's pups. Twins. They are purebred heirs to this pack."
She set down her glass. Picked up the ultrasound. Studied it with cold, calculating eyes.
Then she laughed.
"You stupid girl," she said, sliding the paper back toward me. "Do you think a piece of paper changes anything? Mira's child is already registered with the council as Kael's firstborn. The Luna Ceremony is blessed. The Elders have spoken."
"But these are his REAL children—"
"Real?" She stood, towering over me despite being barely my height. Her wolf radiated dominance that crushed the air from my lungs. "Mira is the daughter of Alpha Gregor from Silverfang. Her bloodline traces back to the original pack founders. You? You're a human-raised mutt with no wolf heritage anyone can confirm."
"My wolf—"
"Is so weak it might as well not exist." She circled me slowly. "You've never shifted. Not once in three years. The council already questions whether you're truly a werewolf at all."
"Kael felt the mate bond," I whispered.
"And bonds can be broken." She snapped her fingers.
Two enforcers materialized from the shadows of the corridor. They were massive—easily twice my size.
"Escort this girl to the east wing cellar," Vivian commanded. "She's become hysterical and is a danger to Lady Mira's pregnancy. She is not to leave until the Alpha gives explicit permission."
"You can't do this." I backed away, my hands covering my stomach. "I'm carrying his—"
"You're carrying a stray's bastards, for all the pack knows." Vivian's smile was ice. "And strays belong in cages."
The enforcers seized my arms. I thrashed, kicked, screamed—but my wolf was silent, too weak to surface, and my human strength was nothing against two trained warriors.
As they dragged me from the drawing room, I heard Vivian call after me:
"Be grateful, girl. If it were up to me, I'd have had those things cut from your belly tonight."