CHAPTER 2: ELORA'S POV
1113 Words
The ache in my chest hadn't eased. It throbbed with every breath, raw and relentless, as though Zeus's rejection had carved a void where my heart used to be.
I was curled up on the creaking bed in my small cabin, the only thing my parents had left me. The reassuring scent of aging wood and lavender did nothing to ease the ache rending my soul.
My hand found its way to my stomach, a soft, unconscious gesture. "You're all I have now," I whispered, my voice breaking. "And I swear, I'll protect you."
But how?
I bit my lip until I could taste blood, my mind a whirlwind of hurt and confusion. Should I run from the pack, disappear before they learn my secret? Or should I go to Zeus, force him to confront the truth he so callously turned his back on?
The answer seethed inside me. He deserved to know.
I took a sharp, determined breath. I could not remain in the shadows while Zeus proceeded with his mating ceremony to her. He had to hear it from me, I was carrying his child. Let him mock me, let him deny it, but he had to know.
I forced my trembling legs off the bed, my fists tight at my sides. My heart pounding, I stormed out of the cabin, my mind determined. The sound of revelry drifted through the night air, their laughter, their joy, while I was drowning.
The mansion loomed in front of me, its vast walls lit up in celebration. My steps were rushed but heavy with fear. I ignored the curious glances of the pack members outside. Let them look. Let them gossip. None of it mattered.
As I reached the door, a broad figure moved into my path. Simone.
His lips curled into a smirk, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Well, well, the little omega," he drawled sarcastically. "Did you come to cause a scene at the Alpha's mating ceremony?"
I gave him a glare, my heart racing with anger. "Please, move away. I need to speak to Zeus." I spat, trying to push past him.
But he didn't budge. His hand closed around my arm, tightly enough to cause pain. "I don't think so," he sneered, his tone condescending. "Go back to the little hole your parents left you. Nobody desires you here."
My voice trembled, but I didn't back down. "I need to see Zeus. It's urgent."
Simone's eyes narrowed. "And what could be so urgent that you'd risk interrupting his ceremony?"
The words burst from me, sharp and desperate. “I’m pregnant. With his child.”
For a moment, the air seemed to still. The smug expression on Simone’s face flickered, just briefly, before twisting into disbelief. “You?” He scoffed, his voice full of mockery. “Pregnant with the Alpha’s pup? That’s the most pathetic lie I’ve heard.”
I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms, my anger warming up. "I'm telling the truth! Let me through!"
His grip on my arm tightened, his face cold and unbending. "I don't believe you," he sneered. "But even if it were true. it would make no difference."
I froze. "What… what do you mean?"
Simone's lips curled into a sadistic grin, his next words hitting me like a blow. "If Zeus knows. His decision would be to terminate that thing in your womb.”
I gasped. "No… he…"
"He would never want his pup from your womb," Simone spat, his voice oozing with cruel enjoyment. "It should be removed."
The world reeled, and a wave of nausea swept through me. "How dare you old bastard?!" I breathed, my voice barely audible.
Simone grimly laughed, his eyes glinting with twisted humor. "And Oh, I know a place. We'll take care of it. Can't have a bastard pup sullying the Alpha's reputation, now can we?"
My body tensed, every cell yelling to fight or flee. "You'll have to kill me first!" I spat, attempting to struggle out of his grip.
"I figured you'd say that," he snarled, motioning with a sharp nod.
Two guards stepped out of the shadows, their hands locking onto my arms. I kicked and fought, but their grasp was unforgiving. "No! Let me go!" I screamed, my voice rasping with terror.
Simone stepped into my face, his face inches from my own. "You should've kept your mouth shut, little omega," he sneered.
I was going to curse him when something solid struck the side of my head. Stars exploded in my eyes, and I dropped, the darkness claiming me whole.
The rhythmic pounding of hooves jarred me awake. My body swayed unsteadily, the wind cold on my face. I was on a horse, my hands bound, my head aching from the blow.
I blinked, my vision blurry but clearing to see Simone riding ahead, his posture easy, as though he were out on a Sunday hunt. His men rode on horseback beside us behind me, their eyes cold and watchful.
Panic once more surged up. My heart is racing in my chest. I knew where they were going. And I knew what they were going to do.
Not my baby.
Desperation flared to life inside me, and my gaze darted to the side. The woods. Dark and near, their shadows promising. My wrists burned against the restraints, but I fought, twisted…
And jumped.
Pain ripped through my body as I hit the ground hard, rolling over roots and stones. My shoulder screamed from the impact, but I was already struggling to my feet.
"Get her!" Simone yelled behind me.
I ran.
Branches whipped against my face, thorns tearing at my legs as I rented through the underbrush. Hooves thundered behind me, shouts echoing through the trees. My lungs burned, every breath a raw prayer for life.
My body was strained from the blow and the tension, but my instincts, fueled by something far greater than myself, urged me onward. For the pup. I would not allow them to win.
The pounding grew louder. They were gaining on me.
Suddenly… The earth was gone from beneath me.
I screamed, my body plummeting into cold darkness.
The fall was quick, my body crashing into damp earth at the bottom of a pit. My limbs burned with pain, but I was alive. Barely.
Above, the sounds of the pursuit hesitated.
"Alpha!" A voice shouted, rough and unfamiliar. "The pit got someone. It's a woman."
A shadow loomed over the rim, and fighting against the blackness that was overwhelming me, I heard a voice, low, commanding, unfamiliar.
"Well," said the voice. "Who do we have here?"
And then I passed out.
- Writer
