Natalie POV
The silence of the Alpha’s private wing was heavy, broken only by the crackle of log embers burning in the massive stone fireplace. Richard’s quarters were vast, dominated by deep mahogany furniture, heavy furs, and a scent of cinnamon and dark chocolate so potent it seemed to hum in the very air.
I stood by the window, watching the distant, faint torches of the Blackwood vanguard disappear into the dense pine forests. Richard was gone. He had marched toward my old home, intent on tearing Darren’s world apart.
A sharp, familiar knot of nausea twisted in my lower abdomen. I pressed my palm flat against my stomach, closing my eyes as I breathed through the dizziness. Six weeks. The little life inside me was a secret I had to guard with everything I had. In a pack this brutal,
