Chapter 9
The Continental Council convened in neutral territory — a stone citadel that had hosted wolf disputes for centuries.
I walked in beside Dominic, my head high, my hand steady in his. But inside, my blood was ice.
Alaric was already there.
He sat at the opposing table with his legal counsel, his Beta, and Vanessa — who looked far too pleased to be at a custody tribunal.
His eyes found me the instant I entered. Golden. Burning. They dropped to my stomach — now visibly round at eighteen weeks — and something terrible crossed his face.
Recognition. Fury. *Want.*
Not want for me. Want for what I carried.
"Luna Selene Thornfield-Ashford," the Head Councilor began, "Alpha Alaric Blackwood has filed a reclamation claim under Article 12 of the Old Laws, stating that the child you carry was conceived during an active bond and therefore belongs to the Blackwood lineage."
"Objection," Dominic said calmly. "Selene is my wife. The child is mine by marriage law."
"Marriage law doesn't override blood claims!" Alaric's lawyer snapped.
"It does when the original bond was legally severed," Dominic's lawyer countered. "Article 7 rejection, validated and filed. The bond ended before Alpha Blackwood had any knowledge of the pregnancy."
The councilors murmured among themselves.
Alaric leaned forward, his voice cutting through the noise. "That child carries Blackwood Alpha blood. It belongs in my pack."
I'd been silent. But hearing him say *it* — like my baby was an object, a possession, a weapon — something in me snapped.
"No."
Every head turned to me.
I stood, ignoring the way my legs trembled.
"You don't get to claim this child. You didn't want it. You didn't know about it because you were too busy with *her*—" I didn't look at Vanessa, "—to notice your own wife was pregnant."
"I would have—" Alaric started.
"You would have *what*?" My voice rose. "Called a doctor? Been there? Held my hand? You didn't even notice I was *bleeding* when your precious Vanessa shoved me into a wall—"
I stopped. The room had gone deadly silent.
Dominic's hand was on my back — grounding, steady.
"What did you say?" Alaric's voice was strange. Thin.
I hadn't meant to reveal this. But the words were already out, and I was too tired to swallow them back.
"The night I left. Vanessa pushed me. I hit the wall. I bled for hours — alone, on your floor — and you never came."
I took a breath.
"This baby survived despite you. Not because of you."
Alaric's face had gone white. For the first time, I saw something crack behind his eyes — something that might have been horror.
"You were... pregnant? That night?"
"Twelve weeks." My voice was hollow. "I was twelve weeks pregnant, and you told me to clean my own blood off the floor."
The councilors exchanged glances. The Head Councilor's expression had turned grave.
"Alpha Blackwood," she said slowly, "was your then-mate denied medical care while carrying your child?"
Alaric opened his mouth. Closed it.
Vanessa shifted in her seat, her face losing color.
"That — that was an accident," she said quickly. "I never meant to—"
"The tribunal will recess," the Head Councilor announced. "We require additional testimony regarding the circumstances of Luna Selene's departure."
The gavel fell.
Alaric stared at me across the room, something broken in his expression.
But I turned away from him. Looked at Dominic instead.
His grey eyes were steady. Anchoring.
*I'm here,* they said. *You're not alone anymore.*
I believed him.
I walked in beside Dominic, my head high, my hand steady in his. But inside, my blood was ice.
Alaric was already there.
He sat at the opposing table with his legal counsel, his Beta, and Vanessa — who looked far too pleased to be at a custody tribunal.
His eyes found me the instant I entered. Golden. Burning. They dropped to my stomach — now visibly round at eighteen weeks — and something terrible crossed his face.
Recognition. Fury. *Want.*
Not want for me. Want for what I carried.
"Luna Selene Thornfield-Ashford," the Head Councilor began, "Alpha Alaric Blackwood has filed a reclamation claim under Article 12 of the Old Laws, stating that the child you carry was conceived during an active bond and therefore belongs to the Blackwood lineage."
"Objection," Dominic said calmly. "Selene is my wife. The child is mine by marriage law."
"Marriage law doesn't override blood claims!" Alaric's lawyer snapped.
"It does when the original bond was legally severed," Dominic's lawyer countered. "Article 7 rejection, validated and filed. The bond ended before Alpha Blackwood had any knowledge of the pregnancy."
The councilors murmured among themselves.
Alaric leaned forward, his voice cutting through the noise. "That child carries Blackwood Alpha blood. It belongs in my pack."
I'd been silent. But hearing him say *it* — like my baby was an object, a possession, a weapon — something in me snapped.
"No."
Every head turned to me.
I stood, ignoring the way my legs trembled.
"You don't get to claim this child. You didn't want it. You didn't know about it because you were too busy with *her*—" I didn't look at Vanessa, "—to notice your own wife was pregnant."
"I would have—" Alaric started.
"You would have *what*?" My voice rose. "Called a doctor? Been there? Held my hand? You didn't even notice I was *bleeding* when your precious Vanessa shoved me into a wall—"
I stopped. The room had gone deadly silent.
Dominic's hand was on my back — grounding, steady.
"What did you say?" Alaric's voice was strange. Thin.
I hadn't meant to reveal this. But the words were already out, and I was too tired to swallow them back.
"The night I left. Vanessa pushed me. I hit the wall. I bled for hours — alone, on your floor — and you never came."
I took a breath.
"This baby survived despite you. Not because of you."
Alaric's face had gone white. For the first time, I saw something crack behind his eyes — something that might have been horror.
"You were... pregnant? That night?"
"Twelve weeks." My voice was hollow. "I was twelve weeks pregnant, and you told me to clean my own blood off the floor."
The councilors exchanged glances. The Head Councilor's expression had turned grave.
"Alpha Blackwood," she said slowly, "was your then-mate denied medical care while carrying your child?"
Alaric opened his mouth. Closed it.
Vanessa shifted in her seat, her face losing color.
"That — that was an accident," she said quickly. "I never meant to—"
"The tribunal will recess," the Head Councilor announced. "We require additional testimony regarding the circumstances of Luna Selene's departure."
The gavel fell.
Alaric stared at me across the room, something broken in his expression.
But I turned away from him. Looked at Dominic instead.
His grey eyes were steady. Anchoring.
*I'm here,* they said. *You're not alone anymore.*
I believed him.