chapter 3
1805 Words
Chapter 3
Iris
"Congratulations. You are a few weeks pregnant."
I sat on the edge of the hospital bed and did not move. I did not blink. I didn't even breathe for a few seconds. The doctor’s words felt like they were coming from a long way away. I looked around the small, white room, but everything looked blurry.
Pregnant? How could I be pregnant?
That night together—the night Grandpa had put us in the same room—was just one time. We were drunk and hurting. I didn’t think one mistake could lead to this.
My hands started to shake, and I quickly hid them in my lap.
I looked at the doctor and forced a small, tight smile. I didn't want him to see how scared I was. I reached out and took the test results from his hand. The paper felt heavy, like it was made of lead. Without saying another word, I stood up and walked out of the hospital.
Once I was outside in the fresh air, I stopped and stared at the paper again. The words were right there in black and white.
I was going to have a baby. Finn's baby.
My mind started to race. Should I go find Finn? Should I walk up to him and say, "Hey, congratulations. You are going to be a daddy"?
I could almost imagine his face. He wouldn't be happy. He would probably tell me I was lying or that I had planned this to trap him. I placed a hand on my head, feeling a dull ache starting behind my eyes. I felt so stupid. I didn't know if I should feel happy or if I should regret everything.
If Grandpa were still here, things would be so different. He would have bounced around the room in joy. He would have called the whole pack together and made a big announcement. He would have been so proud to say that a new heir was about to be born.
He would have protected me.
But Grandpa was gone, and now it felt like this baby was the biggest mistake I had ever made. I was alone, hated by the father of my child, and living in a maid's room.
As I took a step forward to walk toward the bus stop, a large black SUV drove over the curb and stopped right in front of me. The tires screeched on the pavement. I watched the door open at full speed, and Finn rushed out.
He didn't look happy to see me. He looked desperate and angry.
He marched over to me and grabbed my hands. He held them so tight it hurt.
"Good timing," he said, his voice loud and rough. "I thought I would have to look for you around the pack house like a madman. Fiona needs blood. You need to come back inside and transfer blood to her right now."
I looked at him, feeling a wave of coldness wash over me. I thought we were done with all this blood stuff.
Since we were children, the pack had used me. I had been supporting Fiona with blood transfers for years because my blood was a perfect match for her. It was the same way my kidney had been a perfect match for Finn. I had always hoped that by giving so much of myself, they would eventually love me. I thought they would accept me into the family.
But I was wrong. No matter how much I gave, they only cared about their precious Fiona.
He didn't even ask why I was at the hospital. He didn't look at my pale face or notice that I was shaking. He did not care to know if I was sick or if I was doing badly.
To him, I was just a medicine cabinet. I was a tool to be used whenever Fiona felt weak.
I watched as Fiona got out of the car. Mrs. Walker was holding her arm, helping her walk as if she were made of glass. I looked at Fiona’s face. She looked pale, but I saw the way she glanced at me when Finn wasn't looking. There was a tiny, sharp glint in her eyes.
She always knew how to play the victim perfectly. She knew exactly how to make sure I was always the one who had to suffer.
Finn didn't wait for me to agree. He dragged me back into the hospital toward the laboratory. As we walked down the hallway, the doctor who had just given me my pregnancy results saw us. He looked very confused.
"Ma'am, you just—" he started to say, looking at the charts in his hand.
I knew he was about to talk about the pregnancy. I couldn't let that happen. If Finn found out now, he would think I was using the baby to get out of helping Fiona. I shook my head quickly at the doctor, giving him a look that begged him to be quiet. He paused, looking unsure, but he finally nodded and stepped back.
I could not let them know. Not like this.
The blood transfer was long and exhausting. I sat in the chair and watched the red liquid leave my body through the tube. I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Because I was pregnant, my body was already under a lot of stress. Giving blood made everything feel ten times worse.
After the transfer was done, the nurse pulled the needle out. I stood up, but my legs felt like water. I almost fell to the floor, but I caught myself on the edge of the table.
Finn and Mrs. Walker didn't even notice. They were already gathered around Fiona’s bed in the next room. They were whispering sweet things to her and telling her she would be better soon.
I was left alone in the dark corner of the lab, feeling like I was fading away.
…
A few days later, I made my way to the rejection law border office. It was a small, quiet building where pack members went to handle legal matters and bond breaks. I walked inside and sat down at a wooden desk.
I looked at the lady sitting right in front of me. She was older and had kind eyes. she took out a thick stack of documents and placed them in front of me. She looked at me for a long moment, her expression serious.
"Are you sure you really want to do this, Iris?" she asked. "Once these papers are signed and the process starts, there is no going back."
I paused for a while. I looked at the pen in my hand. I thought about my life. Should I stay in a bond with a man who hated me? Should I stay in a place where I would suffer every single day? Or should I leave, take my baby, and start all over somewhere where no one knew my name?
"Yeah, I'm sure," I told her. I looked her right in the eyes so she could see I wasn't joking.
The lady took a deep breath. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Fine. Since you have made up your mind and are ready to move on, there is something you need to see. The late Alpha—your grandfather—left a message for you."
I felt a shock go through me. I was confused. I did not understand what she meant. Grandpa had died so suddenly. How could he have left a message?
The lady reached into a drawer and took out a bright yellow file. She handed it over the desk to me. I slowly took it, my hands shaking so much that the paper rattled. I opened the file and started to read the words on the first page.
My eyes widened.
"This... it can't be right," I whispered.
The lady smiled at me and nodded. "There is no mistake, dear. His signature is right there at the bottom, witnessed by the pack lawyers. The late Alpha left a secret will before he passed away."
"He was a very smart man. He knew that leaving you alone in that house without him might mean your death. He wrote in this letter that even though he wanted you to marry Finn, he knew things might not go as he planned."
She pointed to a specific paragraph in the document.
"He is leaving sixty percent of the Moon Claws pack to you," she explained. "Not to Finn. To you. You are the majority owner. You are in charge of the pack’s land, the money, and the businesses. You can even decide to be the Alpha yourself if you want to."
I sat there in silence. I felt hot tears sting my eyes and run down my face.
Grandpa, I miss you so much. Even when he was dying, he was still trying to protect me. He knew they would be mean to me. He gave me the power to save myself.
I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand. I felt a new kind of strength growing inside me. I wasn't just a maid anymore. I wasn't just a donor.
"Finn's ceremony is in a week," I said to the lady. My voice was steady now. "That is when he officially becomes the Alpha. I want you to come to the ceremony. I want you to announce Grandpa's will in front of the entire pack at that exact time."
I wanted them to see. I wanted to see the look on Mrs. Walker’s face and Fiona’s face when they realized that the girl they treated like trash was actually their boss.
I stood up, turned around, and walked out of the office. For the first time in months, I felt like I could win. I walked out to the main road to wait for a taxi. My mind was full of plans for the future.
Suddenly, I heard a loud noise. It was the sound of a car engine roaring and tires screaming on the asphalt. I turned my head and saw a car speeding toward me. It wasn't slowing down. It was heading straight for me, and I was trapped between the curb and the traffic.
I froze. I did not know how to react. I couldn't move my legs. I felt like I was watching my life end in slow motion.
Then, I felt a strong hand grab my arm. I was pulled back with a lot of force. I landed hard against a firm chest, and the car zoomed past, missing me by only an inch.
I was shaking, my heart hammering in my ears. A soft, calm voice spoke from right above me.
"Are you okay?"
- Writer
