Chapter 3 - Revelation
1369 Words
Melissa’s POV.
I stayed at the side of the door outside Liam’s office while continuing to listen to their conversation from inside, especially now that I knew I was the one they were talking about.
Even now, Warren’s words still hadn’t fully sunk in. Until now, it still hadn’t registered with me.
I pressed myself closer to the wall beside the door, suddenly hyper-aware of everything. I was still here, stuck in the in-between, trying to catch up to a truth I wasn’t sure I was ready to accept.
“What about IVF?” Liam asked.
I heard the scrape of chairs move inside, followed by Warren’s voice.
“Alpha, we’ve already tried ovulation induction, but Luna doesn’t ovulate,” he replied.
I felt the blood drain from my face, leaving me dizzy and lightheaded. That couldn’t be right. Just earlier, he had looked me in the eye and told me that it wasn’t entirely impossible for me to conceive naturally. I had naively imagined that perhaps one day, against all odds, I could still carry Liam’s pup.
Why was Warren now saying he was certain I could no longer conceive? How could both things be true?
Was I misremembering? Had I misunderstood the less devastating version of his words because I wanted— needed— to believe there was still a chance? Or had I been lied to? I changed from hopeful to hopeless in a matter of minutes.
Then, Hall spoke, “Alpha, I brought Vicky here to address the succession issue. Don’t rely on Luna anymore.”
It felt like my entire being had been pierced by what I heard. Vicky? The name I had been thinking about earlier suddenly became the center of everything. I couldn’t understand it. I couldn’t think properly.
“This is the best way, Alpha,” Warren agreed. “Please don’t hesitate. We cannot afford delay. The pack needs an heir.”
My lips parted, stunned. So many questions filled my mind. Why Vicky? Why would they bring her here in secret? Why involve her in something I wasn’t even aware of? I couldn’t help but wonder why she was truly here.
Liam was silent for a long time, then said, “I understand…”
My entire body went rigid. He didn’t question it. He didn’t push back. He didn’t even argue. He simply accepted it.
My chest constricted painfully, like invisible hands were squeezing the air out of me little by little.
He agreed just like that?
I suddenly felt terrifyingly weak. For a moment, I genuinely thought I might collapse right there. And honestly, part of me wanted to.
“From now on, keep this conversation confidential, especially from Melissa.”
My thoughts fell eerily silent for a second, as if my mind had shut down, leaving me in a paralyzed state of disbelief as I struggled to process the cruelty in those few words.
I felt numb, unable to breathe properly. I wasn’t just being excluded… I was being hidden away from something that directly concerned me, as if my existence wasn’t even part of the equation. I couldn’t even form a protest in my mind.
Why am I the one being kept in the dark? Was I that unimportant to them?
Then, I also heard Amber’s voice. “Of course, Alpha,” she said without hesitation. “You can count on me.”
My stomach dropped. It felt like a hard slap to my face. The person I trusted the most was part of this? I shook my head, refusing to accept what I was hearing.
“No…” I mouthed.
I wanted to run away and stop listening, but I had no strength to step back, as if with every movement, I would sink into a deep abyss.
Liam spoke again. “Vicky…” he called.
I gasped when I heard him say her name. Why was she really there? My mind scrambled to make sense of it, clinging to the only explanation I had tried to accept earlier, that she was only here for the orphanage project.
But she wasn’t just part of the project for the new orphanage. She wasn’t just a helper being suddenly included in meetings she had no reason to be in. She was here for something else I hadn’t been told.
“You voluntarily agreed to be a surrogate mother, right?” he asked her.
Surrogate… mother?
My eyes enlarged in horror as I realized their intention. They were lowering my place in life and replacing me with someone else.
I clung to the doorframe in shock, my knees buckling so badly that I could barely stand.
“Yes, Alpha. I agree,” Vicky confirmed.
“Do you understand what is required of you? The terms of the arrangement?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I understand everything. I will carry the child and ensure the pregnancy is safe.”
“Would you keep the surrogacy undisclosed?” Liam asked next.
“Alpha, the Beta family will keep it confidential. No one outside this room will know. I swear it on our bloodline,” Hall assured.
“Good, then,” Liam agreed.
My vision blurred as tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. Before I even realized it, warm drops were already falling one by one uncontrollably. I bit down hard on my quivering lip to hold back a sob.
But the pain…
By the Moon, it hurt so much.
“Once Vicky gives birth, I will convince Melissa to accept the child as her own,” he added.
I covered my mouth, muffling the broken gasp. How could he speak of it so casually? How could the man I loved so deeply be so ruthless?
They wanted to make me believe that a child I never carried was mine. They expected me to play the role of a happy mother.
No, I couldn’t do that…
“I will oversee the entire surrogacy process,” Warren promised. “I’ll ensure all medical preparations will be properly coordinated in advance. The clinic will remain fully secured and operating under strict confidentiality protocols. Everything will be arranged before the next lunar cycle.”
“Amber, I entrust you to take care of Vicky during her pregnancy. Make sure Melissa does not find out,” Liam ordered.
My heart cracked at that sentence. With every word I heard from the people I had loved and trusted most, I felt betrayed. They had made this decision without including me or even telling me. It felt like everyone had turned against me.
How long had this been going on without me? How long had they been planning this? How long had they been manipulating me while I foolishly trusted them? Had they laughed at me when I wasn’t around? Pitied me? Or… Did they think I would be stupid enough to never discover the truth?
“Understood, Alpha,” Amber agreed. “Vicky will stay under my supervision. As for Melissa, I will tell her I am going on a trip.”
Lies… That was the moment my remaining strength finally shattered. It felt like all the last fragments of my sanity broke at once. I was nothing but someone they needed to keep the truth away from.
Why did they have to lie to me and hide this from me? Was I so worthless that I could simply be replaced?
My ears rang so loudly that I could no longer hear anything else, as if I had been submerged underwater. I didn’t know what else they said after that. I lost all strength, my breathing became erratic.
My wolf let out a heart-wrenching whimper inside me, her pain mirroring my own. The mate bond that I had once cherished with all my heart and made me the happiest she-wolf alive seemed to be mourning with me.
I couldn’t stand there listening to another word. I couldn’t endure another second of this humiliation. Tears streamed down my face and my whole body shuddered with overwhelming emotion.
Before I even realized what I was doing, my hand shot out. With a loud bang, I slammed the door open and burst into the room.
- Writer
