Chapter 3
1142 Words
Maya Pov
I want to scratch her face. I want to scream and yell and make her tell the truth. But I'm too weak. I just had surgery. My body feels like it weighs a thousand pounds.
"I want to see my baby," I tell her. "At least let me see my son."
"Adrian took him already," Stella says. She walks toward the door. "Oh, and Adrian ordered that when you're done resting here, you need to go back to the servant quarters. You're not Luna anymore, remember? You're just a servant now. Maybe even less than that."
"No!" I cry out. "I didn't do anything wrong! And I'm not giving my baby to anyone!"
Stella shrugs. "Suit yourself. But you don't have a choice."
She leaves the room and I'm alone again.
I fall back on the bed as tears pour down my face. My whole body shakes with sobs. In just two days, I lost everything. My position as Luna. My husband. My best friend. Alpha Marcus. And now one of my babies is dead and the other one was taken from me.
I didn't even get to hold them. I didn't get to see their faces or count their fingers or kiss their tiny heads. They took my sons away before I could even say hello.
The door opens again and a doctor walks in. It's the same woman from before, the one who helped me give birth. She checks some machines next to my bed and writes things on a clipboard.
"How are you feeling?" she asks gently.
"When can I see my baby?" I ask her.
"Soon," she promises. "He's doing well for a premature baby. You don't need to worry."
"What about my other son? The one who..." I can't even say it.
The doctor's face becomes sad. "I'm very sorry for your loss. We did everything we could."
I close my eyes as more tears fall. "Can I at least see him? Can I say goodbye?"
"Let me check with the Alpha," she says quietly. "He gave orders that..."
"He gave orders about my own son?" My voice rises. "He can't do that! I'm their mother!"
"Please calm down," the doctor says. "Your blood pressure is already high. You need to rest."
She gives me some pills and leaves. I lie there staring at the ceiling, feeling like my heart has been ripped out of my chest.
How did this happen? Two days ago, I was preparing an anniversary dinner. Now I'm in a hospital bed, accused of murder, demoted to a servant, and separated from my newborn babies.
One is dead. The other is with Adrian, who hates me.
I touch my empty stomach and cry harder.
Hours pass. Maybe a whole day. I'm not sure. They bring me food but I can't eat. Every time I close my eyes, I see Alpha Marcus lying in all that blood. I see Stella lying about me. I see Adrian's angry face.
The door opens late at night. I expect another doctor or nurse. Instead, a man walks in. He looks about fifty years old, wearing nice clothes. His hair is starting to turn grey and he has glasses.
I've never seen him before in my life.
"Who are you?" I ask, scared. "How did you get in here?"
The man walks closer and smiles. It's a warm smile that reminds me of Alpha Marcus.
"Hello, Maya," he says softly. "I'm your father."
I blink at him. "What? My father is dead. Both my parents died when I was a baby."
"No," the man says. He sits in the chair next to my bed. "Your mother and I were mates. We had you when we were very young. She died when you were just one year old. I was so poor back then. I couldn't take care of a baby. So I had to give you to an orphanage."
My mind spins. "But the couple who adopted me said my parents were dead."
"I told them to say that," he admits. "I was ashamed that I couldn't keep you. But I promised myself that one day, when I had money, I would come back for you. And here I am."
I stare at this stranger claiming to be my father. Part of me wants to tell him to leave. But another part, the broken part, wants to believe him. Because right now I have nobody.
"I heard what happened," he continues. "About Alpha Marcus dying. About you being accused. About your babies."
Fresh tears fill my eyes. "One of them died."
His face shows real pain. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. But I'm here now. And I have money. Lots of money. I can help you."
"How?"
"Come with me," he says. "Leave this pack. Start over somewhere new. Bring your surviving son with us."
"They won't let me take him," I whisper. "Adrian already took him away."
"I can arrange it," my father says confidently. "I know people. I can get your baby back and we can disappear before anyone notices."
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"But what about the murder charge? Won't they come after me?"
He shakes his head. "Not if we're careful. Maya, listen to me. You have no future here. They've already decided you're guilty. If you stay, they'll either kill you or lock you up forever. Is that what you want?"
I think about Adrian's cold face. Stella's lies. The pack warriors dragging me away. The empty feeling in my arms where my babies should be.
"No," I say quietly. "I don't want to stay here."
"Then come with me," my father urges. "We'll leave tonight. Secretly. No one will know until we're far away. I'll help you build a new life. You can raise your son in peace. And one day, when you're strong enough, you can come back and prove your innocence."
It sounds too good to be true. But what choice do I have?
"Okay," I whisper. "Let's go. But we have to get my baby first. I won't leave without him."
My father smiles and squeezes my hand. "Don't worry, daughter. I'll take care of everything."
He leaves the room and I'm alone again with my thoughts. Is this really happening? Do I really have a father who wants to help me?
Or am I just so desperate that I'll believe anything?
Two hours later, my father comes back. He's carrying a small bundle wrapped in blue blankets. My heart stops.
"Is that..."
"Your son," he says, bringing the bundle to me. "I told the nurses I was your family and that the Alpha approved the transfer. They didn't question it."
With trembling hands, I take my baby. He's so tiny. So perfect. He has a little bit of dark hair and when he opens his eyes, they're grey. Like Adrian's.
- Writer
