Chapter 3 The weight of a secret

The next morning,

I got up, taking a deep breath, and headed to the bathroom to wash my face. As I looked into the mirror, I saw a different reflection staring back at me. I was no longer the naive girl who had been sold off to the Alpha King. I was Felicity Blackwood, Maximus' wife, and I had to start acting like it.

I put on a brave face and made my way down to the dining hall, where the rest of the pack had already gathered. Marcus greeted me with a "Good morning, Mrs. Blackwood."

"Good morning, Marcus," I replied, trying to be polite.

As I sat down at the table, I could feel the eyes of the other pack members on me. They were all waiting for me to produce an heir, to secure Maximus' place as the Alpha King.

"What's on the agenda for today?" I asked, trying to distract myself from my thoughts.

Maximus looked up from his plate. "We have some pack business to attend to. You'll be accompanying me."

I tried to hide my fear, but it must have shown on my face because Maximus frowned.

"Is there a problem, Mrs. Blackwood?" he asked, his voice laced with annoyance.

"No, your Highness," I replied quickly, hoping that he wouldn't push the issue.

As we left the dining hall, I could feel Maximus' eyes on me. I wished I could just disappear, that I could escape from this nightmare.

The corridors were busy with pack members going about their day. I tried to keep up with Maximus, but he seemed to be moving at an impossible pace.

"Is something the matter, your Highness?" I asked, struggling to keep up.

"I have work to do," Maximus said curtly. "And so do you."

I swallowed hard, trying not to let his words get to me. I felt like a prisoner in my own home.

As we made our way to the throne room, I could feel the tension rising. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew that something big was happening.

The other pack members were gathered around, whispering amongst themselves. I tried to make myself as small as possible, hoping that no one would notice me.

Maximus took his place on the throne, and the room fell silent.

"As you all know, we have been expanding our territory," he began. "But there have been some complications."

I listened intently, trying to pick up any clues about what was going on. I didn't like feeling left out of the loop.

"We've come into contact with some rival packs," Maximus continued, "And they're not willing to back down."

The room erupted into murmurs, and I could feel the tension mounting. I didn't know much about the politics of the pack, but I knew that this wasn't good.

"What do we do?" one of the pack members asked.

"We fight," Maximus said firmly. "We show them that we are the strongest pack and that we will not be intimidated."

I tried to shrink back even further, feeling like I was in over my head. This was not what I had signed up for.

As the meeting ended, I made my way back to my chambers. I needed to clear my head and think about my options.

But as soon as I entered my room, I was met with a surprise.

Maximus was waiting for me.

I couldn't hide the surprise on my face as I saw Maximus waiting for me in my chambers.

"Your Highness, what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. U try to keep the surprise out of my voice.

"I wanted to speak with you in private," he said, his expression serious.

I felt a knot form in my stomach. What could he want to talk to me about? Was it about the rival packs he had mentioned earlier?

Maximus took a step closer to me, and I could feel his breath on my skin. My heart was pounding in my chest.

"I know this is not what you expected when you entered into this marriage," he said, his voice softening. "But I need you to trust me. We are facing some difficult times, and I need you by my side."

I felt a pang of guilt at my earlier thoughts. Maybe Maximus wasn't as bad as I had thought.

"I appreciate that, Your Highness," I replied, trying to sound grateful.

I tried to keep my emotions in check, but I couldn't help feeling a little relieved. Maybe he wasn't going to ask me to do something dangerous after all.

"I do trust you, Your Highness," I replied, trying to sound convincing.

"Good," he said, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from my face. "Because we have a lot of work to do."

As he leaned in to kiss me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. I knew there was more to this than just a simple conversation.

Just then, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I stumbled back, my hand going to my stomach.

"Are you okay?" Maximus asked, his face etched with concern.

"I don't know," I replied, feeling more confused than ever.

As I made my way to the bathroom, I felt a sense of dread wash over me. Could it be possible that I was pregnant?

I waited anxiously for the results of the test, my mind racing with possibilities. What would happen if Maximus found out? Would he be happy or angry?

As the minutes ticked by, I felt my anxiety mounting. Finally, the test was ready.

Positive.

I stared at the test in disbelief. I was pregnant. I was going to have a baby.

But the news was bittersweet. Maximus didn't know, and I didn't know how he would react.

I tried to keep my emotions in check, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of panic. What would happen to me and my baby if Maximus found out?

As I made my way back to my chambers, I couldn't help but feel like I was living in a nightmare. I had no idea what the future held, but I knew that I had to protect my unborn child at all costs.

The end... or is it?