Chapter 1 #2
But to me, it just felt ironic. Everyone desperately wanted me to carry Elias's child, yet I couldn't tell them the truth. Forget children—Elias hadn't even given me a permanent mark. We still weren't truly mated.
An unmarked Omega was like a flower planted in barren soil, starved of nutrients. How could I possibly bear fruit?
So I sat there like a lifeless statue, my thoughts drifting to the past.
I remembered the first time I met Elias. I had just turned eighteen, and my father had brought me to the Spring Gathering.
Honestly, I hated those kinds of events. My siblings never missed a chance to remind me how out of place I was at such elegant affairs. They poured wine over my hair and dress, mocking me for showing up in last year's gown.
They threw me into the garden fountain. Water rushed into my nose and mouth, bubbling up in clear streams.
So many people gathered around the fountain, laughing. I struggled to climb out, and their hands shoved me back under. I floated in the water, looking up, my lungs empty of air, no more bubbles to release. Just as I was on the verge of giving up, a man's tall shadow appeared on the surface above.
"Get out of my way!"
He knocked aside the wolves blocking the fountain's edge with a few punches. Strong arms plunged into the water and hauled me out with a splash. Countless droplets soaked his clothes, ruining his expensive tailored suit. But he didn't even flinch.
When his hands touched me, when our eyes met, I couldn't focus on my siblings anymore. I could only drink in the sight of him—his dark brown hair, his perfect physique, and those emerald eyes deep enough to drown in all over again.
Novella howled frantically inside me. Every cell screamed the same word—mate, mate, mate!
How ecstatic I was in that moment. I thought finding my fated mate meant I could finally escape the Keller pack. The Moon Goddess had finally shown me mercy. I would have a mate who truly loved me with all his heart.
After all, Elias himself had told me, "Don't let anyone else dictate how you live your life. You have every right to decide what you do." So I had every right to pursue the one I truly wanted.
So I gathered my courage and pursued him earnestly. After I became his mate, I held myself to the standards of the perfect wife every single day. I prepared delicious meals for him, organized everything he needed for work and travel, and racked my brain to plan romantic surprises for every holiday.
Even though I always knew Elias's heart wasn't with me, I believed that with enough effort, we could build a happy family and fulfill my lifelong dream.
For a while, I even thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Elias stopped rejecting me the way he had when we first married. He carefully ate every meal I brought him. He exposed his vulnerable throat in front of me, letting me tie his tie like a real partner.
These small, ordinary moments were so mundane, yet they filled me with happiness and hope for the future.
Until the day I saw disgust on Elias's face—the same look everyone else gave me. That was when I realized he had been lying all along.
Happiness and hope were just bubbles rising from that fountain, fragile and fleeting.
All those fairy-tale dreams had turned into nightmares.
I didn't notice when Alfred left.
When I came back to myself, tears had streamed down my face. I slid off the chair, cold sweat soaking through my clothes, too weak to even crawl up.
"Luna, are you all right?" Lizzie rushed in and held me, screaming, "Get Dr. Charles, quickly!"
I clutched her arm, trying to refuse, but the dizziness made it impossible to speak. The room spun around me, and the nausea intensified. Lizzie helped me onto the bed in my room. Twenty minutes later, the family doctor finally arrived.
He examined me carefully, and I nearly threw up several times during the process.
When he finally set down his stethoscope, his face held a strange mix of surprise, joy, and disbelief.
"Luna"—he cleared his throat—"congratulations."
I blinked in confusion. "What?"
"You're pregnant," Charles announced happily. "The baby is about three weeks along. Your symptoms are just normal pregnancy reactions."
Pregnant. Me?
I thought I must have heard wrong.
But werewolf hearing didn't make mistakes—especially when Lizzie started shrieking with excitement beside me.
Elias's child.
Our child.
My hand moved instinctively to my stomach. An intense tremor ran from my skin all the way to my scalp.
I looked out the window. Bright sunlight streamed in. I hadn't been outside in so long—not since my confinement began.
Suddenly, I realized this child could be my chance—a way out of here. Elias hated me, despised me, but he shouldn't hate his own child. I knew how desperately the Vernal pack wanted a new life. Maybe this baby could bridge the chasm between us.
Just imagining it made those old dream-bubbles rise to the surface again. All the memories of my time with Elias, all the kindness and protection he had once shown me—maybe I could find that Elias again.
We still had a chance to be a happy family.