Chapter 2
1291 Words
Dana's POV
Grant stood across from me, his arms folded tightly across his chest, and the expression on his face unclear. My heart was beating so loudly I could barely hear my own thoughts. I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands placed protectively over the small bump on my belly that was just starting to show.
Lena had told him about the pregnancy and he had seen Ivan and I together. Though Ivan didn’t know anything about the baby yet, I had dragged Grant from the room before the situation escalated further.
"You're not marrying Reed," Grant said firmly.
My head shot up. "What?"
He didn’t repeat himself. His eyes stayed fixed on mine, unflinching and serious. "The arrangement is off."
For a moment, relief washed over me. I never wanted to marry Reed. He was cold, arrogant, and I never saw a future with him. But that relief was quickly replaced with fear.
"Why? Because of the baby?" I whispered.
Grant nodded slowly. "Yes. This pregnancy will bring shame to our pack. People will talk, Dana. They already are."
"But... it wasn't supposed to happen this way," I said softly. "I didn't mean for any of this."
Grant ran a hand through his hair and looked away, his jaw clenched. "You should have told me sooner."
I swallowed hard, the words burning in my throat. "I was scared. I didn't know how you'd react."
He looked back at me, his expression a mixture of disappointment and pain. "You let me keep making plans with Reed's family, knowing you were already carrying another man's child."
I dropped my gaze, ashamed. "I'm sorry."
There was a long pause before he spoke again. "We're going to Ivan."
My eyes widened. "What? No, Grant, please."
"He deserves to answer for this and I want to hear the truth from him."
My heart knotted. I didn't want Ivan to get in trouble. I knew Grant. He wasn’t going to just let this slide. Ivan was his best friend, but he was also the man who crossed a line. I tried to protest, to explain that it wasn’t like that, but Grant had already made up his mind.
The drive to the packhouse was quiet. I sat in the passenger seat, my hands resting nervously in my lap. Every second that passed felt like a countdown to disaster. My stomach churned, and not just because of the baby.
Ivan was training in the field when we arrived. His bare chest glistened with sweat, his muscles rippling with every movement. He looked strong, fierce, and as beautiful as the first time I saw him. But this time, there was no thrill in seeing him. Only dread.
He noticed us and jogged over, wiping his face with a towel. "Hey, Grant. Dana," he greeted, smiling casually.
Grant didn’t return the smile. He stepped forward, his voice cold. "We need to talk. Now."
Ivan frowned but nodded. He led us inside, down the hall to his office. I followed behind silently, my throat tight.
Once the door shut, Grant got straight to the point. "Dana is pregnant."
Ivan's brows furrowed. He looked at me. "You're... what?"
"Three months," I whispered.
His eyes went to my stomach, then back to my face. He took a step back, shaking his head slightly. "And you think it's mine?"
The words hit me like a slap. I blinked, stunned. "Think? You know it is. You're the only one—"
"Dana," he interrupted, his voice low. "We were drunk. It shouldn't have happened."
"But it did," I said, my voice rising. "It wasn't a mistake to me."
Ivan looked away, jaw tight. "I'm sorry. But I can't take responsibility for this."
"Are you serious?" Grant growled. "You're my best friend. You slept with my sister, got her pregnant, and now you're walking away?"
"I didn't plan this," Ivan snapped. "It just happened."
"So, what now? You pretend like it didn't?" Grant stepped closer. "I trusted you. You were like a brother to me. And this is how you repay me?"
Ivan met his gaze, unflinching. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"Too late," Grant said, his voice filled with bitterness. "We're done. Whatever we had as friends, it's over."
I stood frozen as the words sank in. Ivan didn't say anything. He didn’t try to stop him. Didn’t deny it. He just stood there, silent.
Grant turned and stormed out of the office. I followed him, but my feet felt heavy. I paused at the door, turning back to Ivan. "I loved you," I whispered. "You were never just a mistake to me."
He looked at me with tired eyes. "I'm sorry, Dana."
I left with tears in my eyes and a pain in my chest that made it hard to breathe.
The days that followed were heavy. I barely left my room. Grant didn’t talk about Ivan again, and I didn’t dare bring it up. He was angry, disappointed, and I knew he blamed me just as much as Ivan. I blamed myself, too. If I had stayed away from Ivan, maybe none of this would have happened.
I avoided Ivan as much as I could. If he was in the training grounds, I walked the long way around. If he was at a meeting, I stayed home. But it didn’t stop my heart from aching.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. I missed the way he used to smile at me when no one was watching. The way his fingers felt against my skin. The warmth of his voice when he whispered my name but I also remembered how easily he rejected me. How he denied everything in front of Grant.
I knew I had to stay away. For the baby. For Grant. For my own sanity.
Yet, the nights were the hardest. I would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, my hands rubbing my belly. I would imagine a future where Ivan wanted us, where he was happy about the baby.
But it was just a dream.
Meanwhile, Reed and his father weren’t quiet about their disappointment. They came to the packhouse often, demanding answers from Grant.
"This union was promised for years," Reed's father said one afternoon, standing tall in Grant’s office. "We have made preparations. You owe us an explanation."
Grant stood firm, arms crossed. "The arrangement is off. Dana's life is her own."
"So, it’s true then," Reed sneered. "She’s carrying another man’s child."
Grant's eyes flashed, and I could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Watch your mouth."
Reed smirked. "Does she even know who the father is? Or did she get passed around like a toy?"
Grant lunged forward, but I stepped in quickly. "Enough!"
They both looked at me. I lifted my chin, my voice firm despite the tremble in my chest. "You don’t have the right to speak about me like that. The arrangement is off. It was never my choice to begin with."
Reed's father scoffed. "You will regret this. Our alliance is important."
"Then you should find someone else to marry your son," I said coldly.
They left, furious, and the door slammed behind them.
I turned to Grant, expecting him to be angry with me. But he just sighed and rubbed his face tiredly.
"Thank you," he muttered.
I nodded and left the office, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me.
The days turned into weeks. My belly grew. The whispers around the pack got louder. But I kept my head high, even when I wanted to disappear.
I had lost Ivan.
I had destroyed my brother's closest friendship and now, I was alone with a child growing inside of me.
- Writer
