A Pregnant Luna's Second Chance Mate

Playground

“Where do you think you are going this late?”

I stopped halfway through the staircase after I saw Dad with a stern look on his face. His mouth was in a straight line, and his brows met in deep creases as he looked at me from head to toe, not pleased about what I was wearing.

My father was a very conservative he-wolf. He was always strict with me and never wanted me to go to places without telling him first and for me, it was a bit suffocating that he wanted to control my life just because I was the weakest of his two daughters.

After sneaking into his study room to look for his schedules, I was one hundred percent sure he was supposed to be in one of the Alpha’s meetings together with the other allied packs. Still, I couldn’t believe seeing him standing in front of me as if he monitored every move I made inside this house.

“Dad…” I whispered, flinching. One of the scariest things for me was defying my dad’s orders. He was not a forgiving father. I knew he would imprison me again in my room for a whole week, making me miss most of my schoolwork. School was the only place I felt free and being grounded for a whole week would be a mental torture to me.

“She’s going with me.”

Dad and I turned to look at my sister Maia, who just stepped inside the sitting area and Dad’s reaction softened all at once, seeing his favorite daughter in front of him. I averted my eyes from them, hurt to see how much Dad adored and loved my little sister as if she were his only daughter.

“Maia!” Dad approached her with a smile and a hug and Maia caught my jealous eyes looking at them, “You didn't tell me you would go out tonight. I planned to bring you to the Justice Hall to introduce you to our Beta’s son. He told me you and he were schoolmates before.”

I saw the disinterest in Maia’s eyes as she looked at Dad with a smile. “Thanks, Dad. But I have plans with Astrid. We will go to one of my friend’s birthday parties, and I need her to go with me.”

“What—” I hissed and frowned, shaking my head at her, and I saw her eye me as if telling me to shut up.

“Fine,” Dad turned and gave me a threatening look, “Make sure you look out for your sister in that place. If something happens to her, you know what will happen to you!”

That’s when I got scared the most but Maia lovingly embraced Dad and said, “Nothing will happen to me there, okay? Just go to your meeting and we will be home before eleven.”

*****

"Look, Maia I can’t go with you at the—”

“I know. And there’s no party. I am just bluffing with Dad,” she said, giving me a wry smile and then turning her eyes back to the road. She was driving the car because I couldn’t drive. I didn't trust myself with wheels because I quickly panicked.

I chuckled, nudging her shoulders a little and then we found ourselves both laughing. “Oh, MaiaMaia, you made me so nervous!”

“Well, it’s the only way I can get you out of the house, you know? Dad is sometimes a control freak when it comes to you but you are a grown woman now and I would not let him make you feel miserable just like he did to Mom.”

Maia was just one year younger than me but she acted like she was the oldest between the two of us ever since mother died. She was always there to protect me. Anyway, she was the strongest she-wolf in her batch and Dad was always proud of her being one of the youngest Gamma soldiers. Maia and I were like opposite poles and we were always there for each other through good and bad. She was the only person I trusted my whole life.

“Are you meeting someone? Need me to go with you?” she asked, slightly concerned.

“No,” I answered, feeling nervous. I don’t want her to know it was Lawrence Wright I was going to see in the park. Maia didn’t like him. To be honest, she hates Lawrence and his company of rich kids dominating the whole campus. Lawrence had been acting like a king and he treated the place like his own territory.

But that made sense, though. Because the Alpha, his father, owned the whole campus and Lawrence was the youngest son, he could inherit the property someday. I had never seen his older brother, though but I heard the news that he always travelled because of their family business.

“Here. Just tell me if you need a ride home.” Maia gave me a warning look after she stopped me from going out of the car by grabbing my wrist. “And please be careful. Okay?”

I laughed at her, letting her know that there was nothing to worry about. “I will be okay, Maia. It’s not that I am meeting someone dangerous. It’s just someone from school.”

“Well, you can’t tell if the beast is just hiding under a sheep’s skin,” Her eyes were sharp but she released my hand. Her stare scared me a bit but I convinced myself that nothing would happen. I believe Lawrence just wanted to get to know me. That’s all.

I smiled at her and then got out of the car. As soon as Maia’s car was out of my sight, my attention went to that dark, abandoned playground in front of me, hoping that Lawrence was already there, waiting for me to come.

But why this abandoned spot in the neighborhood? My wolf and I were getting a little bit suspicious. I shrugged. Since I was already in the place, it was too late for me to change my mind. So, I decided to go down the playground and use my werewolf instinct to identify any presence around me.

To my disappointment, it was all empty, and no trace of Lawrence means I came too early.

I looked around and embraced myself as I felt something weird about the cold wind that brushed against my bare skin. There was a black van parked suspiciously on the other side of the playground. Then I heard a rustling sound of dried leaves behind the shadow of the trees.

There was something wrong in that place. My wolf senses suddenly felt multiple presences in every direction and I flinched. Fear made my heart and head panic and my stomach suddenly felt tight as I flinched, not knowing where to run. Would anyone hear me if I screamed? Or would these scary people hiding beneath the shadows cut my throat open before I could even make a sound?

I was too terrified to think.

“Goddes, no!” I gasped when I heard my phone notify me. I took it from my pocket with trembling hands and saw Lawrence’s message saying, “Welcome to the party, my little bunny mate.”

My eyes widened, confused at what he meant by it, until I felt that one sharp blow behind my head until the rest of my body went numb and I fainted.