Estela’s POV
As I race back across the city, retracing the steps I took just hours ago to flee to Linda’s, my mind slips into the past. The throbbing pain in my lower abdomen is nearly unbearable now, and the only refuge left is the world inside my head. Memories swirl around me like a familiar fog, but one day stands out sharper than the rest.
I was eighteen, newly married, standing by Killian during one of the hardest moments of his life. The day after his father’s funeral, I genuinely thought I was about to get my period. Though Killian offered to stay home with me, I insisted he go to work. It was too important. He was the new Alpha, and he needed to look capable from day one.
“You sure?” he asked, leaning over my sprawled form on the bed, his brow creased with worry.
“Go, I’ll
