Hunted Before Birth
1199 Words
Nobody spoke for several seconds after Jessica mentioned Logan’s father.
The silence inside Damien’s mansion felt heavy enough to crush me completely.
My mind kept replaying the same horrifying sentence over and over again.
Some elders inside Black River Pack don’t want the baby born.
Fear crawled violently through my chest while my hands remained protectively over my stomach.
No.
No one was touching my child.
I didn’t care who they were.
Elders.
Alphas.
Pack leaders.
Nobody.
“This is insane,” I whispered shakily.
Jessica looked genuinely uncomfortable now.
“I knew you’d react like this.”
“How exactly was I supposed to react?” My voice rose instantly. “You just told me people are discussing my baby like it’s some kind of threat.”
Damien stepped closer beside me again.
Protective.
Steady.
Dangerous.
And somehow his presence stopped me from completely falling apart.
“Tell me everything you heard,” Damien said coldly.
Jessica nodded slowly before speaking again.
“I wasn’t supposed to hear the conversation. Logan and his father were arguing privately after the party.”
My chest tightened painfully at Logan’s name.
Even now, hearing it still hurt.
Jessica continued carefully.
“His father kept talking about the bloodline mutation and how dangerous it became the last time it appeared.”
I frowned immediately.
“The last time?”
Damien’s jaw tightened.
Interesting.
Because once again…
He already knew something I didn’t.
I looked toward him quickly.
“What does that mean?”
For a second, Damien remained silent.
Like he was deciding how much truth I could handle tonight.
Then finally, he sighed quietly.
“Years ago, one of Logan’s ancestors lost control of the mutation.”
A chill immediately ran down my spine.
“What happened?”
Jessica swallowed nervously before answering instead.
“He killed dozens of wolves.”
The room spun slightly around me.
I stared at her in horror.
“No.”
“It started slowly,” Jessica explained quietly. “Enhanced strength. Aggression. Unstable emotions. Then eventually…” She hesitated. “Nobody could stop him.”
Fear slammed violently into my chest again.
I instinctively stepped backward.
My baby.
They were talking about my baby like some future monster.
“No.” My voice cracked painfully. “That doesn’t mean my child will become dangerous.”
“It doesn’t,” Damien said immediately.
His answer came fast.
Firm.
Confident.
And somehow that mattered.
Jessica nodded quickly.
“Not every child inherits it.”
I looked between both of them desperately.
“But they still want to hurt my baby anyway?”
Nobody answered immediately.
And honestly?
That silence terrified me more than anything else tonight.
Rage suddenly exploded inside me.
“Logan knew about this?”
Jessica looked away.
That was answer enough.
A bitter laugh escaped my throat.
Of course he knew.
He knew everything.
The pregnancy.
The mutation.
The danger.
And somehow he still said nothing to me.
Humiliation burned through my chest again.
Three years together.
And I still knew nothing about the people I loved.
Damien noticed my expression immediately.
“Ava.”
I shook my head quickly before tears could fall again.
“No.” My voice trembled slightly. “I’m so tired of everybody hiding things from me.”
Damien’s eyes softened slightly.
“I know.”
And somehow those two simple words nearly broke me completely.
Because unlike everyone else tonight…
He wasn’t denying it.
He wasn’t making excuses.
He simply understood.
Jessica suddenly glanced nervously toward the front door.
“I shouldn’t stay here long.”
Damien’s expression darkened instantly.
“You’re leaving after dropping this information on her?”
Jessica crossed her arms defensively.
“I came here to help.”
“Did you?” Damien asked coldly.
The tension between them immediately sharpened again.
I rubbed my forehead tiredly while trying to think clearly.
Everything felt overwhelming.
Cheating.
Pregnancy.
Mutations.
Threats.
Secrets.
It was too much for one night.
Then suddenly a terrifying thought hit me.
“Does Logan agree with them?”
The room became silent again.
Jessica hesitated.
And that hesitation shattered something inside me instantly.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“Ava—”
“No.” I backed away immediately. “Tell me the truth.”
Jessica sighed softly before answering.
“He doesn’t want anything to happen to the baby.”
Relief flooded my chest for exactly two seconds.
Then she continued.
“But he’s terrified.”
Pain twisted sharply through me again.
Terrified.
Not happy.
Not excited.
Terrified.
I laughed bitterly while wiping at my eyes angrily.
“This just keeps getting worse.”
Damien suddenly stepped in front of me slightly, blocking Jessica from view.
“You’ve done enough for tonight.”
Jessica frowned. “She deserves the truth.”
“She deserves peace,” Damien corrected coldly.
The room fell silent again.
Because somehow…
That sentence affected me deeply.
Peace.
Damien kept saying that word around me like it mattered.
Like I mattered.
Jessica looked at me one final time before speaking quietly.
“Be careful who you trust.”
Then she turned and walked out into the night.
The door closed softly behind her.
And suddenly the mansion felt too quiet again.
I wrapped my arms around myself tightly while staring at the floor.
Everything inside me felt broken.
Damien stayed silent for several seconds before finally speaking.
“She won’t touch you.”
I looked up weakly.
“What if she’s right?”
“She’s scared.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Damien walked closer slowly until he stood directly in front of me again.
Close enough for me to feel his warmth.
Close enough to make my heartbeat nervous all over again.
Then he spoke quietly.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you or your child.”
My breath caught instantly.
The promise in his voice felt real.
Dangerously real.
And suddenly tears burned behind my eyes again.
Because nobody had protected me like this before.
Not Logan.
Not my own pack.
Nobody.
Damien reached toward me carefully before wiping one tear from my cheek with his thumb.
The gentle movement completely destroyed my remaining control.
A soft sob escaped my throat before I could stop it.
Immediately Damien pulled me against his chest.
Warm.
Safe.
Solid.
For one shocked second, I froze completely.
Then exhaustion finally won.
I broke.
Quiet tears slipped down my face while Damien held me silently against him.
No pressure.
No questions.
Just quiet comfort.
His hand moved slowly against my back while my breathing struggled to steady itself.
And somehow…
That simple touch felt more dangerous than anything else tonight.
Because deep down, I realized something terrifying.
I was starting to trust him.
Far too much.
Then suddenly—
A loud crash echoed from outside the mansion.
Both of us froze instantly.
Damien’s entire body tensed around me.
Dangerous energy filled the room immediately.
“What was that?” I whispered fearfully.
Before Damien could answer, another crash sounded outside.
This time closer.
Much closer.
Then every light inside the mansion suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room instantly.
And somewhere outside…
A wolf growled.
- Writer
