Chapter 4 The Dark Tunnel

The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Dr. Lucy sat across from me, her expression unreadable, yet something flickered in her eyes-hesitation, perhaps pity. My fingers dug into the armrest of the chair, knuckles whitening as I waited for her to say something.

Then, softly, carefully, she spoke.

"Jo, you're pregnant."

The words hung in the air like a blade poised above my head.

I stared at her, my mind blank.

Pregnant?

The word didn't register at first. It was like she had spoken in a foreign language, something I couldn't quite grasp. The sterile scent of the medical room, the cold touch of the metal table beneath my fingers, the distant hum of machines-it all became background noise to the deafening roar inside my head.

I was pregnant.

I felt detached, as though my body had ceased to belong to me. As though I were floating above myself, watching someone else receive the news.

Dr. Lucy exhaled, studying my face, giving me time to process. When I said nothing, when I didn't even blink, she continued, her tone measured.

"The blood test confirmed it. You're four weeks along."

Four weeks.

A lifetime ago.

The night with Ezra came rushing back-his lips on mine, the way his body molded against me, the way I lost myself in the heat of the moment, consumed by passion so overwhelming that nothing else had mattered.

We hadn't used protection.

The realization struck like a slap.

I should have known. I should have been more careful. But I had been reckless, desperate for something real, something that wasn't chains or orders barked at me in the darkness.

I closed my eyes, inhaling shakily.

But Dr. Lucy wasn't finished.

"There was something else in your bloodwork," she said, and I knew-knew-that whatever came next was going to rip the floor out from under me.

"Traces of werewolf blood."

I snapped my gaze to hers, my pulse pounding. "That's not surprising," I said stiffly. "I'm half-werewolf."

She shook her head. "No, Jo. This is different. Stronger. This blood isn't yours. It belongs to the baby."

My heart stuttered.

"Your child is fully werewolf," she said.

The words crashed into me, each one slamming into my chest like a sledgehammer.

Ezra.

He was a werewolf.

I felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. The intensity in his gaze, the way he moved with effortless grace, the raw power in his touch-it had all been there, right in front of me. And I had spent my entire life around werewolves. How did I not see it?

I swallowed, my throat dry. "Are you sure?"

Dr. Lucy gave me a small, sad smile. "I'm sure."

I felt sick. Not because of the pregnancy, not because I was carrying a werewolf's child, but because of where I was.

What would Viper do when he found out?

My body locked up at the thought. He was ruthless. Cruel. A monster in human skin. And now, I was carrying something he could use.

Dr. Lucy must have seen the fear in my eyes because she reached for my hand-soft, warm, human. A stark contrast to the cold chains I was used to.

"You'll have another appointment soon," she said gently. "We'll check on the baby's development then. You'll also find out your estimated due date."

A date. A future. Something I could barely comprehend in a place like The Obsidian Order.

A place where futures were stolen.

I barely noticed when the guards grabbed me, dragging me away from the medical room.

As the door shut behind me, I felt the weight of my reality crush me, squeezing the breath from my lungs.

Back in my cell, the darkness pressed down on me.

I sat curled in the corner, knees drawn to my chest, my mind spinning.

I was pregnant.

Viper would find out.

I had no way to protect my child.

The thought clawed at me, twisting my insides until I felt like I would shatter. I couldn't let Viper get his hands on my baby. I would die first.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Crying wouldn't help. Fear wouldn't save me. But I had to think.

I needed a plan.

But sleep never came.

Only the crushing weight of what was to come.

---

The next morning, I was dragged from my cell once more, my body weak from lack of rest.

I barely resisted as they led me back to Dr. Lucy's office.

She took one look at me and sighed. "You didn't sleep."

I glared at her. "What do you think?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she gestured to the chair. "Sit."

I did, too tired to fight.

She checked my vitals, her brows furrowing when she saw the dark circles under my eyes.

"Your due date is estimated to be March 10th," she said.

Eight months away.

It felt like a lifetime. It felt impossible.

I barely nodded.

Dr. Lucy hesitated before placing something on the table in front of me-a bottle of small, pale pills.

"Prenatal vitamins," she explained. "They'll help with the nausea and keep both you and the baby healthy."

I stared at them.

Something about it felt wrong. Like preparing for a future I wasn't even sure I would have.

But I took them anyway.

Then, the door opened.

And he walked in.

Viper.

The room froze.

I went rigid as his gaze settled on me, dark amusement flickering in his sharp, predatory eyes.

Dr. Lucy tensed beside me, but she didn't speak.

Viper took slow, deliberate steps toward me, stopping just close enough that I could feel his presence, a suffocating, oppressive force.

Then, he smirked.

"Congratulations," he said mockingly. "You've managed to kill two birds with one stone."

My stomach twisted.

His eyes gleamed with something sinister. "I must admit, Jo, I didn't expect this turn of events. But fate has a funny way of delivering exactly what I need."

My breath hitched.

"And what exactly is that?" I forced out, voice hoarse.

Viper crouched slightly, his gaze burning into mine.

"You," he said. "And the experiment growing inside you."

A cold wave of nausea rolled through me.

"You're insane," I whispered.

His smirk widened. "Am I? You have no idea what kind of miracle you're carrying, Jo. A halfling giving birth to a full-blooded werewolf? The possibilities are endless."

I recoiled, my hands instinctively moving to my stomach.

"You'll never touch my baby."

Viper laughed. A slow, dark, terrifying laugh.

"Sweetheart," he said, his voice laced with cruel amusement, "I already have."

Something inside me snapped.

I launched at him, blind with fury, my nails aiming for his throat-

But before I could reach him, the guards grabbed me, yanking me back, forcing me down.

I thrashed against them, my rage boiling over. "I'll die before I let you lay a hand on my child!"

Viper tilted his head, watching me like I was a fascinating experiment already underway.

Then, he turned and walked out, his voice floating behind him.

"Let's see how long that fight lasts, shall we?"

The door slammed shut.

And for the first time since I had been captured, I was truly terrified.

Viper's presence was like an iron cage around me-stifling, oppressive, inescapable. He sat across from me in a dimly lit room, the walls bare, the air thick with the scent of disinfectant and something darker, something wrong.

His lips curled into a smirk as he tapped his fingers against the table, the sound eerily rhythmic. Like a countdown.

"You have no idea how valuable you are, do you?" he murmured.

I kept my expression blank, though my heart pounded in my chest.

"Let me educate you, Jo," he continued, his voice dangerously smooth. "Werewolves aren't just one breed. There are different kinds, scattered across the world. Some more... superior than others."

He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach. "You've lived with them, haven't you? The ordinary packs-the ones who thrive in the forests of North America. They're the most common, the ones humans whisper about in legends but never truly fear. Lesser wolves, really. Then, there are the Eastern Shadow Wolves, found deep within the mountains of Asia, elusive and nearly impossible to track. Dangerous, but predictable."

He paused, watching me closely, gauging my reaction.

"And then there are the Arctic Bloodwolves-true beasts, thriving in the ice-covered wastelands of the North. Their packs are small, but their brutality is unmatched. Ruthless, efficient killers."

A chill ran down my spine.

"But Ezra," Viper said, his eyes gleaming, "Ezra is different."

I swallowed, my throat dry.

"His kind-**the Celestial Wolves-are extinct. Or so we thought."

Something in my stomach twisted violently.

Celestial Wolves?

The name sounded ancient, powerful. And yet, I had never heard of them before.

Viper's smirk widened. "They were once the strongest of all werewolves. Larger, faster, nearly impossible to kill. They didn't just hunt under the moonlight-they controlled it. Their connection to the lunar cycle was deeper than any other werewolf breed, making them almost god-like."

I shook my head slightly, trying to process the information. Ezra was... one of them?

"Of course, they were wiped out centuries ago." Viper sighed, feigning disappointment. "Or so we believed. But it seems one managed to slip through history's grasp. And now, thanks to you, their bloodline will live on."

His eyes flickered to my stomach, and I instinctively curled my arms around it, a protective gesture I hadn't even realized I was making.

He noticed. And he laughed.

"Oh, Jo," he mused. "You should be honored. You're carrying something that shouldn't even exist."

Horror pooled in my chest.

"You're lying," I whispered.

Viper simply shrugged. "Am I?"

I wanted to argue. I wanted to deny everything. But deep down, I knew-this was real.

Ezra wasn't just a werewolf. He was something more. Something legendary.

And now... I was carrying his child.

---

Weeks Later

I had spent days wrestling with the revelation, but no matter how much I tried to push it away, it clung to me, a shadow that wouldn't fade.

The guards dragged me through the cold hallways of The Obsidian Order, my body weak, my mind drowning in exhaustion.

But today, I didn't resist.

Because today, I was going to see Dr. Lucy.

I had no idea why, but the thought of seeing another human being-someone who didn't look at me like a science experiment-sent a flicker of relief through me.

The moment I stepped into her office, the tension in my shoulders loosened. Just a little.

Dr. Lucy offered me a small smile as I sat across from her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

I stared at her. "Like a prisoner," I said bluntly.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I see."

She reached for a file on her desk and slid it toward me.

"I need you to go through this," she said. "Just to verify that your family history is accurate. It's important for your medical records and-" she hesitated, "-for a safe delivery."

My brows furrowed as I hesitantly pulled the file closer.

Safe delivery?

As if I was going to be given the luxury of something as normal as that.

I flipped it open.

And froze.

A small note was tucked between the pages.

I forced myself to stay still, to keep my expression neutral as my eyes skimmed over the words.

Be ready to escape tonight.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Blood roared in my ears.

For a split second, the room tilted around me.

I blinked rapidly, my fingers tightening around the edge of the file as my mind struggled to catch up.

Escape?

Someone was helping me escape?

I flicked my gaze up at Dr. Lucy, but she was already watching me, her face calm, unreadable.

"Any errors?" she asked, her voice steady.

She was acting like she didn't know. Like she had nothing to do with the note tucked between these pages.

I swallowed hard.

She's risking everything.

The realization hit me like a tidal wave.

This wasn't a trick. This wasn't Viper playing mind games with me. Dr. Lucy was helping me.

I had no idea why.

But I knew one thing for certain-this was my only chance.

For the first time in weeks, hope slithered into my chest.

I forced myself to breathe, to calm the storm raging inside me. Then, I looked up, meeting her gaze head-on.

I smiled. "No. Everything looks perfect."

Her lips twitched slightly, the closest thing to an acknowledgment I was going to get.

"Good," she said, standing. "You'll be called in again soon. Take care, Jo."

The guards wasted no time grabbing my arms, yanking me up and dragging me back toward my cell.

But this time...

This time, I wasn't afraid.

This time, I had a way out.

And as the cell door slammed shut behind me, I clutched that knowledge to my chest like a lifeline.

Because tonight...

Tonight, I was getting out of this hell.