I tried to ignore it.
The tension.
The stares.
The growing hostility that seemed to follow me everywhere.
But that day…
It was different.
I was walking through the training grounds again, careful, alert. Ever since the last incident, I had been more cautious.
Still…
I didn’t see it coming.
A sudden force slammed into my shoulder.
Hard.
Too hard.
I stumbled, my body losing balance as panic rushed through me.
My hand flew instantly to my stomach.
The baby—
I tried to steady myself, but my foot slipped against the uneven ground.
This time, I couldn’t catch myself.
I hit the ground.
Pain shot through my side, sharp and immediate.
A gasp escaped my lips.
For a moment, everything went silent.
Then—
Laughter.
Low.
Cruel.
“Maybe she should learn how to walk properly,” someone said.
My chest tightened as I pushed myself up slowly, my body trembling slightly.
“You did that on purpose,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay calm.
The wolf shrugged.
“Prove it.”
Before I could respond—
A powerful presence cut through the air.
Kael.
“What is going on here?”
The laughter died instantly.
I didn’t even need to look to know his expression had changed.
Dangerous.
Cold.
I stayed where I was, still on the ground, my hand protectively resting on my stomach.
Kael’s gaze landed on me.
And something in his eyes snapped.