FATED QUEEN: MARKED BY DESIRE

Chapter 2 – Change of heart

Andrea



I cried the whole night, my face buried in the pillow, my chest hurting so bad I could barely breathe.

“He will not come back,” I whispered between sobs. “He chose her… he always chooses her.”

I curled into myself, shaking. “Dwayne… why does it hurt this much?”

Suddenly, a warm arm wrapped around my waist from behind.

I froze.

The scent hit me first. Him.

I turned fast. “D-Dwayne?”

He was there. Lying behind me. His face close, his eyes tired. He reached up and wiped my tears with his thumb.

“Stop crying,” he said quietly. “You look terrible.”

My voice broke. “You… you came back?”

He nodded once. “You said something earlier,” he said. “Is it true?”

My throat felt tight. “I’m pregnant,” I whispered. “I’m not lying. You can ask Dr. Grace Bolton.”

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “I believe you.”

My heart skipped. “You… do?”

“Yes,” he said. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to the hospital again. Together.”

He pulled me closer. “Sleep now. You need rest.”

He gently closed my eyes with his hand.

I stayed still, my heart beating so fast it scared me.

Could he… really be changing?

The next morning, I reached out—but the bed beside me was empty.

My heart dropped.

“He left again…” I murmured.

I washed up and went downstairs. I stopped at the last step.

Dwayne was there.

“Sit,” he said when he saw me. “You didn’t eat.”

He pulled the chair for me. He poured warm soup into a bowl.

“Eat slowly,” he said. “Don’t make yourself sick.”

I stared at him. “Why are you… like this?”

He did not answer. He just handed me a glass of water.

On the drive, he kept one hand on the wheel and one near me. When I felt dizzy, he slowed down at once.

“Tell me if you feel bad,” he said.

At the hospital, Dr. Grace smiled brightly. “Both of you came.”

“Yes,” Dwayne said. “Show me.”

Grace showed the report. “Andrea is pregnant. Two months.”

I held my breath and looked at him.

Dwayne stepped closer and pulled me into his arms.

“I can’t wait,” he said softly, his hand resting on my stomach. “I want to see our child soon.”

I cried again, this time against his chest.

On the way home, he said, “We will announce it later. On the day we take our positions.”

I nodded, smiling through tears.

Back in my room, he said, “I have a meeting. Rest.”

When he left, Lexy whispered in my mind, This feels strange… He was with Sasha yesterday.

“I know,” I whispered back. “But maybe… the baby changed him.”

I hope so, Lexy said. Because if not… this happiness will not last.

My smile slowly faded.

Over the next few days, Dwayne stayed by my side, making sure I took the pills for the baby. He never left me alone.

“Take these,” he’d say, handing me the small bottles with a serious look. “It’s for the baby. Don’t skip.”

I nodded, swallowing them like he told me. But as the days passed, I started feeling weaker. My tummy hurt more than before. One week after learning I was pregnant, the pain became almost unbearable.

“It’s normal,” Dwayne said, stroking my hair. “I already called Dr. Bolton. Keep taking the pills.”

I wanted to believe him, so I did. “Maybe… maybe I just need time to get used to it,” I whispered.

Andrea… this isn’t normal, Lexy hissed sharply in my mind. You need help. Call your parents.

“I can’t,” I murmured. “Dwayne wants to tell no one until we become Alpha King and Queen Luna. We just have to wait a month.”

Lexy growled softly but didn’t push further.

That night, Dwayne gave me three pills again. I held them in my hand, heart pounding.

Please… even now, pretend to take it, Lexy begged in my mind.

I swallowed them, nodding. “Okay…” I whispered, lying down on the bed.

“Rest now,” Dwayne said, tapping my hand gently.

I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. Then, just ten minutes later, I heard a car arrive. My heart skipped. I looked out the window.

Sasha.

And Dwayne… he hugged her and walked inside the mansion with her.

I knew it! Lexy screamed sharply in my mind, filled with fury and panic.

I froze, clutching my tummy. My heart raced. What was he doing? Why was she here?

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. The tension in the room felt like it was pressing on my chest, and I realized—everything I believed about Dwayne… could be a lie.

I gathered all my strength just to stand. My legs felt weak, but I forced them to move. One step… another step. I left the room quietly and walked to Dwayne’s study. My heart was beating so fast it hurt. I pressed my ear to the door.

Sasha’s voice came first. “Did Andrea not even think you were just acting, Dwayne?”

I froze.

Dwayne let out a short laugh. “It’s funny, isn’t it? She really thought I changed my mind. She really believed I finally chose her for that f*****g baby.”

My fingers trembled. I slowly tried to open the door, just a little, enough to peek.

Dwayne frowned the moment he noticed the sound. “What, did she really think I would fall in love with her?”

Sasha laughed softly and walked closer to him. I saw her sit on his lap like she owned him. “Why the hell is it taking so long?” she asked. “So Andrea can finally have a miscarriage? It’s almost a week since we changed the medicine.”

My chest felt tight.

“Don’t worry,” Dwayne said calmly. He kissed her cheek, slow and familiar. “That is the plan. Dr. Grace Bolton said Andrea has a risky pregnancy. If I stay close to her, take care of her, she will never think I caused it.”

Sasha crossed her arms. “And when she loses the baby?”

“We blame her,” he replied. “It will be her fault. Stress. Weak body. Anything.”

Sasha’s voice turned sharp. “Alpha Troy and Queen Isabel will pass the throne to you soon. I won’t accept Andrea as the new queen.”

Dwayne smiled. “She won’t be. I’ll double the dose now. When the baby is gone, I’ll reject her and cut the bond. Then you and I can be together again.”

I covered my mouth to stop my cry.

“No one will suspect a thing,” he added. “She will believe it was fate.”

My tears fell without sound. Suddenly, a sharp pain twisted inside my stomach.

I bent forward, shaking.

“Ah…” I whispered, pressing my hand to my belly as another wave of pain hit me hard.

Inside the room, they were laughing.

Outside the door, I felt something breaking inside me—my body, my heart, or maybe both.