Chapter 4 COULD BE THE LAST

Keren's POV

It is a week now, and I remain doomed. I have no idea why life continues to throw crap my way. I mean, this pregnancy might be something I did want, as it's my ticket out of here, but Alpha King Aarav isn't even here to validate our agreement, which means I'd give birth to this child by myself.

Throughout the past few days, I have been sober. I wasn't even allowed to talk with Alsie, and I cannot see a valid reason, of course. They say it is the kingdom's custom.

Currently, it is night, and I am standing in front of Alsie. She is to leave tonight, so I can be fully taken care of. The custom requires that I be checked by just the royal accomplices. I have no idea what that means.

Dustfang, on the other hand, is literally my shadow now.

I sniffle. "You saw the torture I am passing through, did you not, sis?" I say to her, and she shares with me a pitiful look. I look away because, it hurts. I grab her by her hands.

The carriage has arrived.

"I am so sorry." She tells me softly.

I smile and am about to pull her into a hug when Dustfang appears next to me. "My Luna, I cannot allow you to embrace another except it is the Alpha King. It endangers..."

I scoff. "Say one more word there, and I might just bounce on you, totally forgetting that I am with a child." I have only had a baby bump, and they are saying this. Let's give it a few more weeks, and I won't even be allowed to touch my own body.

Alsie's lips twitched up, and I pulled her into a tight hug. "No issues. Just let Father know I have my own plans to get myself out of here, hopefully, but if it does not work, he must find a way to get me out of here. At least, having given the royalty a child should give me peace." I say this to her, and she shakes her head.

"Keren, no..." I frown at her tone, "Father has no plan to get you out of here." The moment I hear it, I step back from her, breaking body contact.

"What?"

She is kidding. She must be.

"I'm sorry. It's what I wanted to discuss with you the other day. I had come here because of that. I wanted to let you know my own plans." She stops all of a sudden, seeing the look of betrayal in my eyes.

Even though I had no choice, my stepfather had promised to get me back into the pack after I had given the Alpha King what he wanted, which was a child. I know that now, and that is why I made that agreement with him, too. This was all supposed to be my escape, not my entrapment.

"Sis."

I raise my gaze to meet hers. She is begging me inwardly. "Get her back safely." I say to the footman: And following, I turn my back and head into my prison, except this one is titled a castle and built with these huge fancy rocks.

As I take my steps, I breathe in and out because I might fall. I feel broken and exhausted all of a sudden. Dustfang follows me closely. He doesn't keep his presence hidden. I hear Alsie's call from behind, but I won't pull back.

There is one more thing I can do for myself, and it will involve the Alpha King's enemies-hunters. They would be my savior. I just have to reach out to them. If I am not protected by my own species or by the ones I have left as a family, there's no reason why I won't try this option.

Out of the blue, Alpha Arley appears in front of me. I am not as shocked as I used to be. He has a serious look in his eyes.

"Keren, I shall like to converse, please. Would the rooftop do?" The night is freezing, but that's a lesser punishment than being in that mad king's room. I hate him so much. I shouldn't have accepted carrying his child.

I nod my head and follow Alpha Arley. My next words stopped him. "No, let's take the elevator." I say, and he raises his brows.

"Of course." He is quite surprised, I did say.

"Dustfang, do us a favor. Wheel us up." I command, and he stutters, wanting to say a word but, alas, not.

"Yes, my Luna."

As he wheels us, Alpha Arley chuckles all of a sudden. "There is a guard there who could have done the job you gave to Dustfang, but of course, something tells me you don't like him at all."

I look to his side and shake my head. "He acts like he rules over me, just like the Alpha King."

Alpha Arley looks at me with total disbelief and amusement. "Keep this bravery up, and your voice will reach out someday." He says it with a smile on his fine face.

On my side, I am sober.

We get to the rooftop, and Alpha Arley leads to the rails. I close my eyes at the cold, sharp prickling of my skin. It isn't hurtful, though.

There's a moment of silence. "I saw the fight between you and Alsie." Of course, he knows her name. Why am I not surprised?

"Okay?"

"All right, I don't know what is going on in your head, but Keren, I shall like to tell you that my stepbrother isn't as bad as you think."

I stop him from any further wording: "Do you pity me, or are you saving your brother in my eyes?"

He smiles. "Neither, actually." I shake my head. I do not trust his words right now.

"I'm being honest." That calls for my attention. "I don't pity you, but I could only relate. I didn't become your friend to sympathize with you. I don't have that time." Oh, it's honesty time. "Rather, I am in a similar situation as you, here, except mine is different though, so I understand how the ones you see as family could make you feel bad."

"I see," I say, and he chuckles.

"Do you not believe?"

"I just cannot ascertain," I reply.

"And speaking of my stepbrother,"

"Oops," I say, rolling my eyes. I thought we would not talk about it.

"He's not as bad as he wants everyone to think." Repeating his statement earlier.

"Well, when you do not talk or work on how you wish to be seen, then you become an assumption. It is through people's thinking that they define you, and they do not care whether or not you can relate to it." I say with a frown, and he cracks up as he appraises me.

"Ah, I see you giving us a smart speech. I see you're growing on me," he said, sounding so sure that I cracked up a laugh as well. Then, when we stopped, I ask. "I want honesty. Is he truly cold-hearted and barbaric?"

"I cannot be sure, but in my thoughts, he is not. He is only confused and unsure of his feelings. He's been without a mate all his life, so what else could be thought of his personality?" He suggests. "Aarav would show a hard core of himself just so he remains that strong person his title demands, but on the inside..." Alpha Arley is interrupted by an interruption from behind us.

"I see we are talking about me as a whole subject here. How about the man of the hour be invited?" Chimes in the familiar voice of Alpha King Aarav.

For some reason, my heart begins beating faster, not out of fear but out of tension. I try to calm myself, or else he'd know it and think I feel anything for him. To be honest, I hate him just as much as I like seeing him, especially at this moment.

"Brother." Alpha Arley calls out. "I shall take my leave now. Whenever you're done, you'll contact me in my study." Is all he mutters and vanishes.

Funny enough, when he was around, I didn't feel much of the cold. Back at the Alpha King, he has his hands hooked behind him and his gaze on me.

Perhaps it's time to go back inside now. After taking a few steps, almost passing by him, he calls me back with his hand touching my arms. The effect causes heat to radiate throughout my skin. I couldn't tell if I was still outside anymore, except my sight, telling me I am.

"Stay, Keren. We need to talk."

I wanted to scoff, but I wouldn't. Tonight, of all nights, I would not be ordered. I have already been through a lot.

"Please," he adds, and something in me was strung enough to want to stay back. He walks to the rail and turns on his back so he can face me. "I just want to talk."

I frown. "Talk? Are you teasing? You just want to talk?" I hiss and aim to walk away, but he runs after me, disappearing in front of me. He raises his voice.

"What do you want?"

I laugh sarcastically, seeing this as a facade and a tease. "Is this a show? I cannot understand. You come here after having abandoned me. I felt unprotected. I carry your child. I heard the news alone. These were my firsts, ruined. I had my first sex with you, and yes, it was ruinous. Everything about my first relationship was ruined by you. And still, regardless, uncaring of my feelings still left me to do what? Something I do not deserve to know? And you show up, to talk with ...?." To my surprise, I could not finish that word. It irks my skin.

He furrows his brows so much that the folds on his forehead were visible.

"No, I do not want to talk to you. I do not wish; I do not want." I shout at him, but suddenly he hugs me tight.

"I'm sorry." At the same time, I inhale his beautiful scent of sandalwood, and it melts my heart along with his words.

I feel like crying. I really want to cry because I'm tired.

"Yes, I did you wrong, and that's why I wish to undo my mistake. Please." He challenges. I look away for a second before I agree.

"What do you wish to talk about?"

"I don't know. Tell me about you, about our child." When he says that, I giggle. I can't believe he has once again melted my heart so quickly.

"Well, since we can't tell the gender yet, I'd say the baby is growing fine. I can't explain much, except I think it is a total blessing even when I am hurt by it, too." I narrate, and he nods his head.

"I understand, and I would like to apologize for my wrongs. I didn't mean to." He leads me back to the rail of the balcony. I can't see anything beyond the tall trees, leading to a big forest. The darkness of the night makes it total nocturia, like a black brick.

"And about me, I have been surviving. Maybe. Can I ask a question?"

"Sure." He says quickly.

"Do you still plan on letting me go after I give birth to this child?"

He turns to look at me and gives me a long glance. "I doubt that is the question. What would you do if you were taken back there? Would you be accepted?" He pauses and continues, "That man literally sold you to the crown, so his pack can be protected. He's creating an alliance through you to protect his own. But his stupidity is thinking that now that you're Luna, you'd still wish to protect his pack and not demolish it."

"Wait, I have that power?"

"Excuse me? You did not know?" He laughs mildly. "As my Luna, you have the same rights as I do. At least, that's how I'd like to make you feel." He ends, and I gasp.

That's awesome. No wonder Dustfang becomes someone I can direct.

Minutes after, we are still talking. I feel like there's more to this than a contracted marriage. I think we actually have more in common than we think, at least in the part of chitchatting about hobbies, lifestyles, and foodies.

"I shall like to leave," he says all of a sudden. I am shaken by that. We are vibing, and suddenly he wants to leave and not come back again. His face is now stern, but remembering what Alpha Arley tells me, I think he's only trying to make me feel like he's supposed to be feared and, but all that is none of what he needs.

As he turned to leave, my sight caught the small book in his back pocket. I think it is important to him and wish to know what is written in it.

"Keren," his soft but dangerous voice warns, demanding I return the book.

"You want to act tough. I shall like to see more of it." I know I am not thinking right now because of what I am planning in my head would either ruin me or prove my thoughts. Either way, I do not think I have anything to lose.

I jump just to sit directly on the metal rail. I feel its coldness.

"What are you doing, Keren?" The urgency of his time does something weird to me. It is like a magnet whose forces pull me back, but I reject it.

I have to do this, and whatever happens, happens. He, too, knows what I am about to do.

"What have I got to lose, Aarav?" And for the first time in weeks, I went back to calling him by his name. I felt a drop of tears fall. "Nothing." And I jump down the rail.

Gravity takes its course, pulling me downward. I fall and fall and close my eyes. I could feel the cold from the wind pricking my skin, and this time around, it hurt, but I am at peace. Yes, I am. For the first time, I am not scared of what's about to happen next in my life.

I accept whatever is to come. I won't be scared. I am free just as the wind carries my trouble away, and then the one in expectancy picks me up.

"Keren!" I hear his voice, but this time it sounds inside my head.