Episode4
932 Words
(Rose POV)
The guards released me at the pack borders, leaving me to stumble alone in my blood-stained dress. My legs trembled with each step, and the cramping in my abdomen had become unbearable. Through our mate bond, I could still feel Xavier's indifference – he didn't care that I was bleeding, didn't care that something was terribly wrong.
"Please, stop pretending," his cold words echoed in my mind. "You've always been good at acting, just like when you pretended to care about being my Luna."
I pressed my hand against a tree, trying to steady myself as another wave of pain hit. My wolf was unusually quiet, as if she too was in shock from Xavier's complete rejection. The hospital was at least two miles away, and in my condition, it felt like an impossible journey.
Gathering what little strength I had left, I pulled out my phone with shaking hands. The screen was cracked – it must have happened when Xavier slapped me. Still, it worked enough to call a rideshare. I couldn't risk calling anyone from the pack; they were all loyal to Xavier, and now, apparently, to Tara.
Tara. My twin sister. My mirror image.
As I waited for the car, leaning against the rough bark of the tree, memories flooded my mind unbidden. Us as children, where she always got the first choice of everything. In school, where teachers praised her charm while overlooking my academic achievements. At pack gatherings, where she was the shining star and I was the shadow. Even with Xavier – the Moon Goddess had chosen me as his mate, but he had chosen her.
"Why?" I whispered to the cold night air. "Why does everyone love you so much, Tara? What makes you so special that they can't see your lies?"
The car arrived fifteen minutes later, though it felt like hours. The beta female driver took one look at my condition and insisted on helping me into the backseat.
"The hospital," I managed to say before another cramp seized me. "Please, hurry."
"Oh, Moon Goddess," she gasped, noticing the blood. "Hold on, I'll get you there quickly."
The drive passed in a blur of street lights and pain. I kept my eyes closed, trying to focus on breathing through the agony. My wolf's distress was palpable – she knew we were losing something precious.
At the hospital, everything happened in a rush. Nurses whisked me away to the emergency room, their voices urgent but professional. I heard fragments of their conversations: "severe bleeding," "possible miscarriage," "needs immediate attention."
Dr. Sarah Martinez, a kind-faced wolf doctor I'd known since childhood, performed the ultrasound herself. The silence in the room as she moved the wand across my abdomen was deafening. I watched her face, seeing the moment her professional mask cracked slightly.
"Rose," she said gently, turning the screen toward me. "I'm so sorry, but I'm seeing twins. One..." she paused, swallowing hard. "One baby has already been lost. The other is still hanging on, but their heartbeat is weak."
The world seemed to stop. Twins. I had been carrying twins, and now one was gone. My free hand clutched at my stomach as tears streamed down my face.
"Can... can you save the other one?" I choked out.
Dr. Martinez nodded slowly. "We'll do everything we can. But Rose, you'll need complete bed rest. No stress, no pack duties, nothing that could upset you or the baby. Given the trauma you've experienced, it's crucial that you remain calm and protected."
I almost laughed at that. Calm and protected? In a pack where my own mate had just thrown me out? Where my twin sister had orchestrated my downfall? Where every wolf would now believe I was some kind of criminal who had tried to harm their precious Tara?
"Rose," Dr. Martinez's voice was soft but firm. "Where is Xavier? As your mate and the father, he should be here."
Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. "He doesn't know. He doesn't care. He..." I couldn't finish the sentence.
The doctor's face hardened with understanding. She had treated our pack for years – she must have seen the way Xavier treated me, the way everyone favored Tara.
"Then you need to think about what's best for you and your surviving baby," she said firmly. "This level of stress and trauma... it could kill both of you."
In that moment, looking at the tiny flickering heartbeat on the screen – my baby, fighting so hard to survive – I made my decision. I couldn't stay here. Not in this pack, not near Xavier and Tara, not where every day would bring fresh pain and rejection.
"How soon can I travel?" I asked, my voice stronger than I expected.
Dr. Martinez studied me carefully. "Give it at least twenty-four hours for the medications to take effect and for us to monitor the baby's stability. After that... just be very careful. Where will you go?"
I closed my eyes, one hand still protectively cradling my stomach. "Anywhere but here. Somewhere they can't find us. Somewhere my baby can grow up without living in anyone's shadow."
As if in response, I felt a tiny flutter in my abdomen – my surviving child, already so strong, so determined to live. In that moment, I made a silent vow: this baby would never know the pain of rejection, would never feel second-best, would never have to prove their worth to anyone.
Unlike their mother, this child would be loved completely, unconditionally, and above all else, they would be put first.
- Writer
