chapter 4
1046 Words
Chapter Four
Ava's POV
The tiny cutie in my arms whimpered, his small face scrunching up like the cold air was getting to him. I rocked him gently, my arms shaking from exhaustion. The abandoned house we were in barely kept the wind out, holes in the walls allowing sharp drafts in that made it impossible to feel warm.
My gaze rested upon him, my son, tears filling my eyes. His cheeks were rounded and soft, his little hands curled around the hem of the blanket I'd wrapped him in. His name was Than, a word I'd whispered to myself many a time over, when the nights seemed dark, when nobody would speak to me.
I stroked a finger across his forehead, as though to comfort him. But the tears would not stop.
It wasn't the life that I had envisioned for him.
---
The memories of the last months now cut like a shard of glass.
I'd been wandering ever since he'd cast me out, hoping—praying—someone would take me in. No one ever had. Every time I entered a pack's territory, I was met with suspicion and hostility. They looked at me like I was dirt, not a former Alpha's daughter.
"w***e.
That word had followed me everywhere I went. People spat it at me in disgust, their eyes filled with judgment as if they could see right through me to the mistakes I had made.
They didn’t care that I was pregnant, that I was carrying a child who hadn’t done anything wrong. All they saw was someone unworthy of their kindness.
And when my son was born, it only got worse.
The first time I held him in my arms, I felt a dazing love and fear all at once. He was beautiful-so small and fragile. The world around us was cruel.
People called me a disgrace, a rogue who was clearly not fit to raise a child. Some even had threatened to take him away from me.
"Someone like you has absolutely no right to be a mother.
Those words cut the deepest.
---
I glanced around the small room I had called home for months. It was barely standing, but it was the only place I had been able to find where I wouldn't get chased off. The nights were the worst-the cold crept in no matter how tightly I held Than.
Food was another challenge I had to face. I didn't have any money, nor did I have any resource. Most days, I made do with scrounging for scraps from garbage behind restaurants. Sometimes, I got really lucky, and someone would leave food on a table. I'd sneak in and take it before restaurant staff could get to me.
But more often than that, I received glares and harsh words.
"Get out!"
"You don't belong here."
"Go back to wherever you came from!
I had lost count of the number of people who had thrown things at me-half-eaten food, trash, even rocks. Every insult, every slur, was another reminder that I was no longer welcome in the world I had once belonged to.
---
I looked down at Than, who had managed to fall asleep in my arms despite the cold. His small chest rose and fell with each breath, and for a moment, I let myself hope.
But that didn't last long.
I knew I couldn't keep him safe. I couldn't give him the life he deserved. He needed more than what I could offer. And every day that passed, I felt the weight of that reality crushing me.
I had tried to be strong, but I was breaking.
Even now, ten months after, my father hadn't called me. Not once. I had clung to the foolish hope he would change his mind and come searching for me, but he didn't.
And then there was Alpha Keal…
The anger flared in my chest, hot and sharp. He had thrown me out like I was nothing, told me never to return, even when I had begged him for help. The memory of his cold eyes and the way his hand had gripped my neck still haunted me.
He had left me to suffer, and now my son was paying the price.
---
My hands tightened on Than as I whispered, "I'm sorry."
I couldn't do this anymore.
Standing up, I grabbed the only bag I owned, stuffing a small blanket inside. My legs felt like lead as I made my way toward the door. I knew what I had to do, and it broke me.
Than stirred in my arms, his tiny fists waving in the air as if he could sense my turmoil. "It's okay," I whispered, kissing his forehead. "You'll be safe. I promise."
---
The orphanage wasn't far, but every step felt like a thousand. The building loomed ahead, its worn brick exterior almost as tired as I was.
I stood outside for a long time, staring at the door. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, but I couldn't turn back now. This was the only way.
I sat on the cold steps, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. My hands shook as I wrote the words, tears blurring my vision.
"His name is Than. Please take care of him. One day, I'll come back for him."
I folded the note carefully, tucking it into the blanket wrapped around him.
"I love you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "More than anything."
Than's eyes opened, his little face scrunching up as he began to cry. His wails cut through the night, piercing my heart.
But I couldn't stay.
I placed him gently on the steps, my hands lingering a moment. Then I turned and walked away, tears streaming down my face.
---
I didn't look back. I couldn't.
My chest heaved with sobs as I walked into the darkness, each step feeling like it might be my last. But even as my heart shattered, a new resolve began to form.
I would come back for him.
One day, I would return stronger. I would prove my father wrong. I would make Keal pay for everything he had done.
And I would give my son the life he deserved.
- Writer
