Chapter 1: The Pregnancy Test
785 Words
"I’m pregnant, Lucien."
Seraphina Blackthorne whispered the words to herself for what felt like the hundredth time.
A reluctant smile formed on her lips as she hurried through the pack house, holding the paper bag tightly against her chest as though it were something precious.
Inside was the positive pregnancy test.
Three years, three painful years of disappointment, tears, and unanswered prayers. And now, God had performed a miracle.
She found herself wondering how her husband would react when he learned the truth, and the thought brought a smile to her face.
The Alpha of the Blackthorne Pack had never blamed her for their inability to conceive. Even when the murmurs spread through the pack, he had stood beside her.
At least, that was what she believed. She had no idea that the man she loved most was about to become the reason everything she held dear was about to be taken away from her.
As she approached Lucien's office, she noticed several pack members staring at her strangely. Some looked sympathetic, while others quickly looked away.
Seraphina frowned.
Before she could make sense of it, a familiar female laugh drifted through the partially opened office door.
Her feet seemed glued to the floor.
No. It couldn't be.
Valeria Ashcroft.
The woman who had once owned Lucien's heart long before fate had placed her by his side, the woman who had left him years ago.
But all of a sudden this same woman is back. A wave of uneasiness came upon Seraphina, every instinct told her to leave before she heard something she was never meant to hear.
Instead, she decided to stand outside the door, eavesdropping on the conversation.
"You told everyone you and Seraphina couldn't conceive?" Valeria asked, though she already knew the answer. She was only using the question to amuse herself.
There was a brief silence.
Then Lucien answered, "You heard wrong."
The response left his lips almost instantly, sharp and cold, as though he had been waiting for the question. Seraphina's hopeful smile faded, a quiet disappointment settled in her chest.
Across from him, Valeria gave a small, knowing laugh, as if his reaction was exactly what she expected.
"Really? Then maybe you should tell them the truth." "I can't exactly tell people you got your tubes tied for me, can I?"
Everything seemed to stop for a moment. Seraphina's heart felt like it skipped a beat as she stared at the result in shock.
Her breathing became slow and uneven, and she struggled to take in what she was seeing.
The voices beyond the door faded into a distant murmur as she stood rooted to the spot, her mind struggling to comprehend the devastating truth unfolding before her.
The pregnancy test slipped from Seraphina's shaking fingers.Neither Lucien nor Valeria noticed inside the office, they continued talking.
Seraphina was unable to catch anything else that was said. A sharp murmur echoed in her ears, fading the conversation beyond the door. An emptiness spread through her chest, as if something deeply important had been torn away. She could not walk, paused in that spot, while shock and disbelief consumed her and the heartbreaking reality gradually settled in.
For three years, she had blamed herself. For three years, she had cried herself to sleep, believing she was the reason her mate couldn't have a child.
Lucien had known the truth all along. He knew she could have given him the family they both dreamed of, but he still chose another woman instead of their future together.
The realization hit Seraphina hard, that It felt like something deep inside her left. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. The weight of his betrayal settled heavily on her heart.
Silently, Seraphina stepped away from the office door. Her movements were slow and unsteady, as though the weight of everything she had just heard was pressing down on her shoulders. She walked away from the voices that had shattered her heart, away from the lies that had destroyed her trust, and away from the man she had loved with every piece of her soul.
As she moved down the hallway, one of her hands slowly moved to her stomach. The small life growing inside her was the only thing she had left now. A bitter laugh escaped her lips, filled with pain and disappointment.
"Looks like it's just you and me now," she whispered, fighting back another wave of tears.
With that, she continued walking. She did not look back at the office door. She did not stop to say goodbye. She simply walked away, unaware that the child she carried would one day become the most sought-after heir in the Blackthorne Pack.
- Writer
