LUNA ELARA

Chapter 4

One week later...

Elara had settled into a routine in her new quarters, if you could call it that. Her days were filled with loneliness, broken only by visits from the pack doctor and the occasional servant bringing meals. The whispers and stares had only intensified since the announcement of her pregnancy.

Today, she decided to take a walk in the gardens. The fresh air might do her good, and she was tired of feeling like a prisoner in her own home.

As she rounded a corner, she came face to face with Lyra. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Elara.

"Well, well," she sneered. "If it isn't the pack's little secret."

Elara tried to step around her. "I don't want any trouble, Lyra."

Lyra blocked her path. "Too bad. You've been nothing but trouble since you arrived."

"Please," Elara said, trying to keep her voice level. "Think of the baby."

Lyra's eyes flashed dangerously. "That's all anyone can think about. Your precious heir."

Before Elara could react, Lyra shoved her hard. She stumbled backward, losing her balance on the uneven garden path. Time seemed to slow as she fell, her hands instinctively moving to protect her stomach.

She hit the ground hard, pain exploding through her lower back and abdomen. She cried out, curling into herself.

Lyra's face paled as she realized what she'd done. For a moment, Elara saw a flicker of the friend she once knew. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a mask of indifference.

"Help!" she screamed, her voice filled with false concern. "Someone help! Luna Elara has fallen!"

Guards and pack members came running. Through a haze of pain, Elara heard Lyra's voice:

"I don't know what happened! She just... she attacked me! I tried to defend myself, and she fell..."

"No," Elara gasped, but her voice was weak. "That's not... she pushed me..."

But no one was listening to her. As they lifted her onto a stretcher, she saw Kaelen arriving, his face a storm of anger and concern.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Lyra burst into tears. "She came at me, Kaelen. I didn't mean for her to fall. I was just protecting myself!"

Elara tried to speak, to tell the truth, but another wave of pain washed over her. As they rushed her to the infirmary, she heard the murmurs:

"Always causing trouble..."

"Jealous of the new Luna..."

"Probably trying to get attention..."

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Dr. Alaric's worried face leaning over her.

Hours later, she woke up in a hospital bed. The pain in her abdomen had dulled to an ache, but there was a new, hollow feeling inside her. She knew before Dr. Alaric even spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Luna," he said softly. "We couldn't save the baby."

The world crumbled around her. She'd lost everything - her position, her mate, and now her child. And to make it worse, everyone believed it was her fault.

As she lay there, tears streaming silently down her face, the door to her room burst open. Alpha Kaelen stormed in, his face a mask of fury and grief.

"How could you?" he roared, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Was your jealousy so great that you'd risk our child's life?"

Elara tried to speak, to defend herself, but he cut her off.

"I don't want to hear your excuses," he snarled. "You've lost the right to any special treatment. As soon as Dr. Alaric clears you, you're to return to the servants' quarters. You're lucky I don't banish you from the pack entirely."

His words cut deep, each one a fresh wound on her already battered heart. She opened her mouth to protest, to tell him the truth about what happened with Lyra, but the look in his eyes stopped her cold. He wouldn't believe her even if she told him.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Lyra appeared in the doorway. Her face was a perfect mask of sorrow, but Elara could see the triumph gleaming in her eyes.

"Oh, Kaelen," she cooed, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "Don't be too hard on her. She's suffered enough, losing the baby and all."

Kaelen shrugged off her touch, his eyes never leaving Elara's face. "She brought this on herself. And on our pack."

With that, he turned and stormed out of the room. Lyra lingered for a moment, her lips curving into a cruel smile.

"Well, well," she said softly. "Looks like you've lost everything now, haven't you? Maybe you'll finally learn your place."

She laughed, the sound like shards of glass in Elara's ears, before following Kaelen out.

Elara was left alone, the weight of everything that had happened crushing down on her. She'd lost her child, her position, and any shred of respect she might have had left in this pack. And worst of all, everyone believed it was her fault.

Hours later, when she was back in the tiny room in the servants' quarters, the full impact of her situation hit her. She couldn't stay here. Not like this. Not with everyone's hateful stares and whispered accusations following her everywhere.

With shaking hands, she sought out Mira, the only person who'd shown her any kindness lately.

"Mira," she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "I can't... I can't stay here anymore. Everyone hates me. They all think I... that I..."

She broke down, unable to even say the words. Mira looked at her, pity and something else - fear? - in her eyes.

"What do you want me to do, Luna?" she asked hesitantly.

"Help me," Elara pleaded. "Help me leave this place. I have to get away from here, from them. I can't bear it anymore."

Mira bit her lip, clearly torn. "Luna, I... I don't know if I can..."

As Elara looked at her, desperate for any sign of hope, finally, Mira spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Luna, I... I'm sorry. I can't help you leave. The Alpha would never forgive me. But..." She paused, glancing nervously over her shoulder. "There's a supply run to the neighboring Willowpeak Pack tomorrow. If someone were to slip away during that time, it might be hours before anyone noticed."

Elara nodded, understanding her unspoken message. This was all the help she was willing to offer. "Thank you, Mira," she said softly.

As night fell, Elara packed a small bag with what little she could call her own. Her heart raced with each sound outside her door, terrified that someone would discover her plan. But no one came.

In the pre-dawn light, she slipped out of the pack house. The supply trucks were being loaded near the edge of their territory. She kept to the shadows, waiting for her moment.

Just as she was about to make a run for one of the trucks, a hand grabbed her arm. She whirled around, her heart in her throat, to find herself face to face with Dr. Alaric.

"Luna," he said urgently, "I know what you're planning. But there's something you need to know first."

Elara tried to pull away, panic rising in her chest. "Please, Dr. Alaric, I can't stay here any longer."

His grip tightened. "Listen to me. The night you lost the baby... I ran some tests. There was something unusual about your bloodwork. Something I've never seen before."

She froze, his words catching her off guard. "What do you mean?"

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Your DNA... it's not entirely werewolf. There's something else there, something... ancient. I think this might be why you had trouble conceiving, and why..." He trailed off, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and excitement.

Before Elara could process what he was saying, shouts erupted from the pack house. Her absence had been discovered.

Dr. Alaric released her arm. "Go," he urged. "Find out the truth about who you are. It might be the key to everything."

Without another word, she turned and ran for the trucks. As she clambered into the back of one, hiding behind crates of supplies, her heart beat increasingly at the thought of Dr. Alaric's words. Not entirely werewolf? What could that mean?