Chapter 3 The unborn

"Clara, don't make a sound. They're right behind you." "If they catch me, I'm dead," I whispered to myself, my voice nearly lost in the wind. "And so is my child." The moment they passed, my lungs released the air I had held hostage for too long. My pulse thundered in my ears as I crouched low, slipping into the line of bushes that bordered the path to the rear estate wall. Every move was deliberate. Every sound of rustling leaves sent my nerves alight. I had planned this for a week. Ever since the Alpha's last punishment had left me nearly frozen, I had waited in silence for my chance.

He hadn't touched me since that night. Not with words. Not with hands. Not even with his eyes. "Maybe he finally grew tired of you," one of the maids whispered behind a closed door. But I knew better. Alpha Lucas was the eye of a storm, calm before chaos. I crawled deeper through the underbrush. My body ached from moving in such unnatural angles, but the pain was irrelevant. I thought only of survival. Of my baby. Of distance, distance from him. The secret exit wasn't far. Only a few more meters and I'd reach the servant tunnel beneath the greenhouse. It was a passage only a handful of us knew. A forgotten relic from the old estate before security was tightened. "Almost there," I muttered, trying to will away the fear in my bones. But then a voice cut through the shadows like a knife. "Where do you think you're going, Clara?" I stopped so fast my breath caught in my throat. A chill far worse than the night air spread across my skin. Slowly, I turned, and my gaze collided with hers. "Veronica," I breathed. She stood beneath a branch-heavy tree, arms crossed, lips curled in triumph. Her dark cloak rippled in the wind like wings of a vulture, and her gaze roamed me like prey. "Why are you here?" I asked, my voice trembling as I wiped sweat from my brow. "This part of the grounds is off-limits unless you're, " "Escaping?" she offered, raising an eyebrow. "Funny, I was just thinking the same about you." I stepped backward slowly, instinct bracing for what came next. "Veronica, listen. You don't have to do this. Just... pretend you didn't see me." She laughed, a soft, venomous sound. "Why should I? You're the Alpha's golden pet. The one who gets the bed, the room, the attention. While the rest of us rot." "I never asked for it." "But you have it," she snapped. "And you don't even appreciate it." "I never wanted him," I said through clenched teeth. "You want my life so badly? Take it. Take the beatings, the cold, the silence. Take the terror that grips me every time I hear his footsteps down the hall." "Don't you dare lecture me," she hissed. "I've waited years for his attention. Years! And then you show up, half-dead, an omega slave, and suddenly you're all he sees. You don't deserve it." "Then let me go," I pleaded. "If I'm gone, you'll have him all to yourself." Veronica narrowed her eyes. "Is that why you're running?" She pulled something from her pocket. Something familiar. My stomach dropped. It was the pregnancy test. "Where did you get that?" I asked, barely above a whisper. "Found it tucked behind the dresser. Not exactly clever of you," she said, eyes glowing with wicked delight. "So it's true. You're carrying the Alpha's heir." "Veronica," I breathed, "please. This baby, it's not safe. He said he'd, he promised he'd kill it." "And I believe him," she said with a shrug. "But you know what? I think I'd enjoy watching." "You're sick," I said, my fists curling. "You're weak," she returned. "And if I scream right now, the guards will be here in less than a minute." "Don't," I begged, stepping closer. "Don't do this." "Give me one good reason why not." "Because if you report me... you'll never see him look at you again. Not even with pity." "Maybe," she said. "But watching you get torn apart might be worth it." Her hand moved toward her mouth, her jaw opened, but I was already moving. I lunged forward and tackled her to the ground. Her gasp was muffled beneath my hand as we rolled in the dirt. She kicked and clawed, but desperation gave me strength I didn't know I had. "Stop!" she screamed under her breath. "Let me go!" "No!" I snarled. "You want me dead. You want this baby dead. I can't let that happen." She bit down hard on my wrist and I yelped, but didn't let go. My hand fumbled in the darkness, desperate for anything, anything at all. Then I saw it. A rock. Heavy. Close. My fingers closed around it, and without thinking, I brought it down hard. Once. Twice. Veronica's body went limp beneath me. My chest heaved as I stared at her motionless form. Blood stained the edge of the stone in my hand, and her breath, if there was any, was shallow. I dropped the rock, stumbling back with shaking legs. "What did I do?" I whispered, tears burning in my eyes. "God, what have I done?" There was no time to think. No time to feel. I had to move. I grabbed the edge of the tunnel gate, pulled it open, and crawled inside. My elbows scraped stone, my knees throbbed, but I pushed forward. Every breath hurt. Every sound made me flinch. When I emerged into the woods, I felt no relief. The trees stretched like prison bars under the black sky. I ran. Branches tore at my arms. Roots snatched at my ankles. But I didn't stop. Behind me, somewhere far off, a howl pierced the air. Not a wolf. A warning. The pack had been alerted. "They know," I panted. "They're coming." Another howl. Closer. Then more, many more. I sprinted faster, lungs burning. My muscles screamed, but I didn't listen. I was nothing but motion. A shadow among shadows. A branch caught my cheek and sliced it open, but I barely noticed. Blood warmed the skin, a reminder that I was still alive. I pushed deeper into the woods, veering off the worn trail, hoping, praying, it would throw them off. But the howls didn't stop. They multiplied. One in front. Two behind. Another to the left. They were surrounding me. "No," I choked. "Not yet. Not now." I tried to run again, but the ground gave beneath my foot. I stumbled down a slope, rolled twice, and landed hard on my shoulder. I lay there, gasping, clutching my side. The forest held its breath. Then I heard them. Not just howls. Footsteps. Voices. Torches flickered between the trees like demons with fire in their hands. And then, from somewhere ahead, closer than I could have imagined, I heard him. Lucas. "Bring her back alive."