CHAPTER ONE
1643 Words
—KATHERINE—
“Two hours,” his cold, emotionless voice sent shivers down my spine.
“Kai,” My voice broke, my eyes burning with tears as I crawled towards him. “Please believe me.” I begged, choking on my tears. “I didn’t do it.”
“Two hours for the two years you spent warming my bed.” He took a step back, away from me, and it felt like I was back to being that 9-year-old girl begging to be trusted.
“Run, Katherine, because when they find you, I won’t help you.” He looked down at the wristwatch on his hand. The same one I’d gifted him. “Your time starts now.”
He turned to walk away, but I rushed to him, hugging his leg even though it hurt my arms after all the time I’d spent being locked up and tortured.
“Ma—Malakai, please. Why would I do it? We’re mates and—“
“And I reject you.” His words sliced through my already shattering heart. “I, Alpha Malakai Hawthorne of the Silvermoon pack, reject you, Katherine Emberfall, as my mate. I want nothing to do with a traitor like you,” He continued, still in that unfeeling voice.
“Please believe me. I had no reason to do it. I really didn’t. Why won’t you believe me?” I shook his leg as I let my desperation bleed through my words, but it didn’t matter because he pushed me away, walking back into the mansion.
“Two hours.” He called sternly over his shoulder.
I watched as his body moved into the house, only realizing then that I was surrounded by three men. Three men who, like him, thought I was a traitor who’d betrayed the pack.
I felt my throat dry up at the disgusted looks they threw my way. Two hours. I knew they couldn’t wait for the two hours to be up so they could tear me to pieces for something I didn’t do.
I staggered up to my feet, a part of my 20-year-old heart hoping he would come back to say he believed me. It was all I ever wanted in life— someone who’d trust and stand by me.
But when one of the predator-like men uttered, “Hundred and fifteen minutes left," I knew that like everyone who’d come before him, like everyone I’d loved and bared my soul to, he also didn’t love me.
The realization hurt more than the physical wounds I’d gotten from being tortured in prison, but back then, I had something—someone— to look forward to. Him.
Malakai will come for me, I’d continuously uttered to myself.
My stomach hurt as I took a step backward, away from the three men who, like him, thought I’d betrayed their kingdom.
And then I did what I’d learned to do best in the last 11 years of my life.
I ran.
“f**k two hours. Get her! Now! We might as well have fun with a traitor!” I heard one of the men yell, but I didn’t bother turning.
I ran like my life depended on it— because it did.
My legs cramped, my eyes burned, my stomach churned, and my arms felt like they would fall off with how often I needed to push leaves out of my path, but I didn’t stop.
I had to run. For me. And for my baby.
I held on to my stomach, not slowing down even though I had no idea where I was headed. I had nowhere to go. No family of my own and I had a child that was coming.
A child I’d planned to tell him about when he returned from the alliance only to have been locked up before I got the chance to.
“Get her!” I heard their voices, so close I felt the fear in my bones.
Two hours. That was all I’d deserved, according to him. I spent a good number of my years loving him and two years hoping he’d feel the same towards me and all I’d gotten in the end were two hours.
And not because he’d loved me. But because I’d warmed his bed.
I held on to my stomach, afraid that something would happen to my child. Regardless of what happened, I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to my baby. He/she was my lifeline. I would do my best to make sure she lived the best. Not the best I could offer, but the best they deserved.
I’d dreamt of living that life with him but then….. I sniffled, shaking my head.
“Mummy will fight for you, baby.” I muttered to my stomach, never once slowing down even though I was dying to stop and catch my breath.
This child was all I had now, and I’d be damned if I didn’t fight for myself for once.
I felt energy coursing through my veins as I increased my pace. Where the energy came from, I didn’t know, only recalling that there’d been times like these over the years— I’d know because I’d done my fair share of running— but I didn’t pay attention to it. Only grateful to be given another chance at running.
“You little b***h,” I heard someone hiss from behind me, and next I knew, something hard came in contact with my head.
I stumbled, a tree branch pulling at my dress before I fell face first, my stomach cramping as I screamed in pain.
“So there you are.” A light-skinned man licked his lips lustfully, taking slow steps towards me while two others joined him.
My mouth fell open, my hands clenched into fists beside me as I moved backwards on my ass even though every single movement increased the pain I felt in my stomach.
“How does it feel to be thrown aside after being his exclusive w***e for years?” He asked.
I expected to have felt the blow of his words, but somehow, I didn’t. I caressed my stomach with my thumb, looking around for a weapon, but the trees blocking the moon didn’t do much to help.
“You know he didn’t like p***y till you?” He asked, his gaze narrowing to between my legs, the side of lips rising. “I’d like to have a taste of it. See what was so good about your cunt that he kept f*****g you for two years.”
He reached for my leg, but I was quick to pull it back, kneeling and then grabbing a branch and moving backwards.
“Do not come close to me,” I warned, holding the branch out. I could see the mockery on their faces but I didn’t care. I would do absolutely anything to not be touched one more time by someone I didn’t like.
My hands shook from weakness and he laughed.
“You think you can be like that when you’re nothing but a mere traitor, Katherine? You filthy—“
“Don’t touch me!” I yelled at him, grabbing his hand that would have come in contact with my face before pushing him away with force.
My stomach cramped even more, and I crouched, my mouth coming open as I shook my head in fear.
‘It’s already a high risk pregnancy, Katherine. I'd advise you to stay away from stressful things until you’re stable. Then you can tell him.’ The doctor had said.
I’d done my best to avoid being stressed without raising alarms… at least until I was thrown in prison for something I didn’t do.
“Argh.” I gasped in pain at the contractions in my stomach, my eyes burning with more tears. I couldn’t even decipher how I still had tears to shed.
“You little w***e,” I heard a man hiss before he grabbed my hair and slammed my head into the tree behind me.
I cried out in pain, my hands not leaving my stomach. Suddenly, I felt something sticky in my thighs.
Sweat. It was just sweat. I told myself.
I held on to my stomach while they tossed me around, ripping pieces of my clothing till I was down to nothing but my underwear.
I didn’t let go of my stomach. Not even when I confirmed that it was blood trickling down my thighs.
“I bet you—“
“Don’t. f*****g. Touch. Me!” I screamed, feeling the world around me tremble before my body gave out.
I couldn’t tell if it’d been the night or just my world, but darkness surrounded me, my eyes coming shut as I fell to the ground with my hands still holding on to my stomach.
******
“But she’s bleeding.” I heard a woman whisper while my body felt like it was in motion.
It hurt. Every goddamn thing did.
“Take. Her.” A man’s firm voice ordered.
I slowly tried to open my eyes to see where I was, but I couldn’t, so I settled for asking for the most important thing in my life.
“My baby,” I whispered even though my throat hurt with the words. “Is my baby—”
I felt a woman’s hand on mine before a man warned, “Don’t coddle her. It’s not like she’ll be getting any of that where she’s going.”
Where was I going? Where was that?
It didn’t matter. Only my baby did. So I asked about my baby again.
“There’s no baby.” The woman said softly. “Not anymore.”
I reached for my stomach and let myself cry one last time because after now, nothing would be worth living or crying for.
- Writer
