Alyssa
The world seems to stop as I hear what she said. I am… pregnant?
"What?" I gasp.
The woman nods, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Yes, Luna. I ran a USG scan, and it shows that you are pregnant."
Sydney shrieks, "Oh my Goddess! That's wonderful news." She grins at me and hugs Emma, who is taken aback by her sister's excitement.
The doctor looks at my confused expression and asks, "Is everything alright?"
I stare at my lap. How can I be pregnant? Emma senses my confusion and turns to the doctor, "Can we have some time alone with her? We'll call you if we need anything. Thank you for the news, doc."
"Um, alright," she says hesitantly, giving me one last glance before walking out of the room.
Sydney senses the change in mood and asks me, "What's wrong, Luna?"
"I think I understand why she is confused," Emma answers, and Sydney looks at him. "We all know that Luna does not have a wolf."
Sydney's brows shoot up in realization. "Oh my, that's right. Then, how?" She looks at me, the colors of excitement on her face completely gone.
A she-wolf who did not shift can't bear another male wolf's child, let alone that of an Alpha's child. Our genetics act like that of a normal human, and we are not compatible with carrying a shifter's child. So how can I be pregnant?
"We should get the result checked or ask them to run another test on you. The result could be wrong," Emma says in a calm voice. He's always calm in situations like this and looks at everything from a logical perspective.
As advised by Emma, I undergo another USG scan to confirm if the report is accurate or not. Sydney insists that I get some rest, so I return to the packhouse after the test is over. She promises to bring the test result, so I anxiously wait for her in one of my spare rooms.
When the second result arrives, my eyes stay glued to the file, my hands trembling.
Test Result – Positive
Sweet tears blur my vision. I can't believe this. I am really pregnant.
"It's really true, Luna. You're with child," Sydney remarks with a huge smile on her face.
My hand reaches to my belly. There's a life growing inside me. When I had not shifted after my 18th birthday, I had lost hope of conceiving. Damien was unhappy about my barren state, and it was one of the reasons why he acted cold toward me at the initial stage of our marriage. An Alpha needs an heir and I was incapable of providing one.
"But how is this possible? I never shifted," I mutter.
"I have a theory in my mind," Sydney replies as she stands before me with her hands crossed. I look up from the file, and a thoughtful look darkens her eyes. "There have been a few cases where a shapeshifter did not transform at the right age because their wolf was still in the developmental phase."
I raise a brow, "Developmental phase?"
She hums, "Most wolves start to develop in their body from the time of birth. The average age for any healthy transformation is from eigheen to nineteen. Usually, after that time, no shapeshifter ever transforms, meaning their wolf couldn't grow properly due to lack of strength in the person's body. But there was this one case study in the Sarim Pack, where the Alpha got his wolf at the age of twenty-six. Rumor has it his predecessors also got their wolves late."
"So, it's in my bloodline?" I ask, rubbing my belly. "Isn't the Sarim Pack Alpha a powerful one who has magical powers?"
She nods, "That's what everyone says. But recently, no one has seen the Alpha around, and some say it's just a baseless rumor. If he truly had magical powers, then he would have shown them, but there's no incident of such. He's been a mystery for the past ten years."
I hum in agreement. It's hard to tell what my condition is, but I don't care. If Damien hears about this, I'm sure he'll annul the divorce. He can't reject me after knowing I'm carrying his child. It'll put the child's life at risk.
I need to tell him. He has to change his mind after this. He can't get separated from me, not when I'm carrying his future heir.
I get up from the bed and tell Sydney, "I'll show this to the Alpha." Not wasting another second, I rush out of the guestroom.
Thanks to the Moon Goddess for blessing me with a child. She believes Damien and I are meant to be together. A smile curves my lips.
The moment I reach his office, I knock on the door twice with my knuckles while excitement bubbles through me.
I hear his deep voice through the door, "Come in."
I step in, feeling a little nervous as I find him sitting on his office chair, wearing his blue-light glasses with a white rim. They frame his golden eyes that scrutinize me. He looks so handsome in them.
But then my gaze falls on Elowen, whose arm rests on his shoulder. She is way too close to him and frowns when she notices me. It's not hard to see the malicious look in her eyes. Once I settle things with Damien, I'll make sure she never gets a chance to come close to him.
"What brings you here, Lyssa?" Damien asks, shifting his gaze to his computer screen. I am about to respond when he says, "I hope it's not 'nothing' like last time. You should know that I am a busy person, and my time has value." He speaks in a frosty demeanor that reminds me of winter.
"I am pregnant, Damien," I say, hoping that the news will shock him. He has always been looking forward to having an heir. Now his wish has come true.
His gaze lifts from the display screen and darkens with disappointment. "Is this your new trick to get me back?" he retorts, and the corner of Elowen's lips curls into a smirk.
I blink in confusion. Trick? "Why—why would I trick you with something like this?"
His jaw clenches, and the air turns cold with his icy gaze. "You tell me, Lyssa. You want me to believe that without having a wolf, you can carry the child of an Alpha?" I flinch at his words. I am not proud of my condition. But it's out of my control.
"I know it's hard to believe. I did not believe it either. That's why I ran two tests to confirm the result. I really am pregnant."
I take a step toward his desk and hand him the file. He flips through it, his eyes going over the report. Elowen leans in to also check, and her face turns pale. It makes me a little happy. This child will be the one to save our relationship and this pack.
"I get it now," he says, staring at the table in thought, and I breathe in relief. "You went to Duskwatch Hollow after the divorce for this reason. To create a fake pregnancy result," he adds, and suddenly it feels like I have been punched in the gut.
"What?! What are you talking about?" I ask, my eyes wide in horror. Duskwatch Hollow is a shady place at the borders of the pack where all kinds of illegal activities take place, including creating fake documents. A dignified lady would never step into that place because it reeks of crime and rogue trafficking.
"I told my men to keep an eye on you, and they reported that you went to Duskwatch Hollow. At first, I couldn't believe it and punished them for lying to me. But now it seems that they were telling the truth." The look Damien gives me completely shatters my soul. It feels like the respect he had for me is broken now.
I shake my head frantically, "No! I did not go there, Damien. Please trust me!"
He scoffs, his eyes swirling with hurt. "How can I trust you when you are doing things behind my back? You know how much I have desired a child. It pains me to think you have gone this far."
"That's not true. I would never do something like this, you know that," the corners of my eyes prick. How can he believe that I would fake childbirth? "I can prove myself this time. Call the hospital and ask if I had done a test there or not." I raise my voice, holding my ground as much as I can.
Damien dials the number on his phone. He puts it on loudspeaker and places it on the desk for me to hear. With each ring, my heart beats with anticipation. This has to work. The clinic keeps records of their patients.
"Everwyn Medical Center speaking. How may I help you, Alpha?" the female receptionist's voice comes from the receiving end.
Damien places his hand on the desk and asks, "Is there any record of my wife, Alyssa Blackwood, getting a USG test done today at your clinic?"
"Give me a second, please, Alpha," the receptionist answers politely. Patient records are confidential, but since it's the Alpha asking for information, the hospital has to obey his orders. I fidget, waiting for her to confirm it. Each second feels like an hour, making me grow nervous. Her voice finally comes through, "There's no record of her checking in at our clinic today, Alpha."
My heart drops, and for a second I forget how to breathe. No, this can't be possible. I was there. They saw me. Then, why?
Damien hangs up the phone. Elowen's eyes glint with victory as she stares at me. The walls around the office feel like they are closing in on me. Why did the clinic lie? Is someone else behind this? My gaze shifts to Elowen, who has a smug look on her face. It is strange how she has been so silent and did not try to stop me from showing the reports.
He sighs and takes off his glasses. "Lyssa, look. Your excuses are not going to work on me. This rejection is going to happen because, as an Alpha, I have to be with my rightful mate." He rises from the chair and approaches me. Standing close to me, he adds, "And I am letting you stay here. I won't banish you from the pack, so you don't have to use these cheap tricks."
Cheap tricks? My hand goes to my belly. The man I have spent my life with for three years did not try to believe me for once. This proves that he never trusted me in all these years, and I thought that we had a good relationship—one built out of mutual love and respect. It was all in my head.
"This is the extent of my kindness, Lyssa," Damien adds, "Don't test my patience any further."
I don't need his kindness. The only thing I wanted from him was to take my side, to have faith in me. But he pushed it all away.
I decide to leave silently and walk toward the door. When I grab the doorknob with my shaking hands, his voice stops me. "Lyssa." I look over my shoulder and find him staring at me. There is something in his gaze.
"I hope you remember the time of the rejection ceremony tomorrow. Don't try to bail on me because then I'll have to force you to join me at the training grounds."
My chest tightens at the lack of empathy in his voice. "I won't," I say, holding back the tears that threaten to fall by clenching the doorknob tightly.
He wants to get rid of me badly, but I'm worried about my child. I can only pray to have the strength to protect my baby from his rejection.