Maeve's POV
I threw up for the third time that morning, holding the edge of the wooden bucket. My stomach twisted and turned like angry dogs fighting inside me. When I finished, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and leaned against the wall of my bathroom.
"Not again," I whispered, closing my eyes as the room spun around me.
For five days straight, I'd woken up feeling like this. At first, I thought it was something I ate. Maybe bad berries from the bush or spoiled meat. But deep down, I knew this was different.
A soft knock came at my door.
"Maeve? Are you okay in there?" It was Evelyn, my boyhood friend.
I quickly splashed water on my face and opened the door. "I'm fine," I lied.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "You don't look fine. You're pale as the moon."
I pushed past her and sat on my bed, trying to act normal. But my hands were shaking, and my heart raced like a scared rabbit's.
"This is the fifth morning," Evelyn said, sitting beside me. "You know what that means, don't you?"
I nodded slowly, afraid to say the words out loud. But I had to face the truth.
"I think I'm pregnant," I whispered.
The moment I said it, everything became real. A baby. Raiden's baby. Growing inside me right now.
Evelyn took my hands in hers. "Are you sure? Have you checked?"
"Not yet. But I've helped the pack doctor enough times to know the signs. The sickness in the morning. The tiredness. The way certain smells make me want to throw up."
My hand moved to my stomach. It was still flat, but I pictured the tiny life forming there. A mix of me and Raiden. A future Alpha, maybe.
"What will you do?" Evelyn asked.
"Tell Raiden, of course!" I jumped up, suddenly excited. "He'll be so happy!"
Evelyn frowned. "Maeve, wait—" "He broke his rule for me, remember? Twenty-three nights! He must feel something special for me."
"But the alliance with the Northern Pack—"
"That doesn't matter," I said, grabbing my blanket. "Once he knows about the baby, everything will change."
Hope bubbled up inside me like a spring. This was why he kept coming back to me night after night. Deep down, he must have known we were meant to be together.
"I'm going to tell him right now," I said, headed for the door.
Evelyn grabbed my arm. "Maeve, please think about this. Raiden is the Alpha. And Ariana is here now. Things are complicated."
"A baby changes everything," I maintained. "This is his child. Our child."
I pulled away from her and rushed outside. The morning air was cool against my face as I rushed toward the pack house. Birds sang in the trees, and dogs in human form nodded respectfully as I passed. None of them knew that their future pack member was growing inside me.
As I approached the pack house, I slowed down. What would I say to him? How would I tell him? Maybe I should wait until we were alone tonight.
I was about to turn back when I heard voices coming from the side of the building. One of them was Raiden's. My heart jumped at the sound of his deep voice. But then I heard another voice—a female voice. Ariana.
I shouldn't listen. I should walk away. But my feet moved on their own, bringing me closer to the sounds. I hid behind a big oak tree, peering around to see Raiden and Ariana standing in the garden.
"The preparations for the mating ceremony are almost complete," Ariana was saying. "My father is pleased."
"Good," Raiden replied. "The alliance will make both our packs stronger."
"And what about your little omega?" Ariana asked, her voice sharp like a knife. "The pack talks, you know. They say you've been visiting her every night."
My heart stopped. She knew about us!
Raiden's face hardened. "That's none of your concern."
"It is if she thinks she means something to you," Ariana said. "You need to end it. Tonight."
"I'll handle it my way," Raiden growled.
"Will you?" Ariana stepped closer to him. "Because I heard something interesting today. About a special moon coming in two weeks. A blood moon." She ran a finger down his chest. "The perfect night for our mating ceremony, don't you think?"
A red moon. The same thing Luca had warned me about.
"The blood moon has power," Raiden agreed. "It will strengthen our bond."
"And seal our packs together forever," Ariana smiled. "Nothing will stand in our way then. Not even your little plaything."
My hands went to my stomach, guarding the tiny life inside. Plaything? Is that all I was to him?
"I told you I'll handle it," Raiden repeated.
"See that you do," Ariana said. "Or I will."
She turned and went back into the pack house, leaving Raiden alone in the yard. I should have left then, but my feet wouldn't move. Raiden looked worried, running a hand through his dark hair.
Then Marcus, one of his guards, appeared beside him.
"Alpha, there's something you should know," Marcus said in a low voice. "About the omega."
"What about her?" Raiden asked.
"I overheard her friend talking to the pack doctor. They think she might be pregnant."
The world stopped spinning. How did Marcus know? Had Evelyn gone to the doctor after I left?
Raiden's face changed. Something flashed in his eyes—shock, fear, anger? I couldn't tell.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"The signs are there," Marcus said. "Morning sickness. Changes in her smell."
Raiden turned away, his fists clenched. "This complicates things."
"What will you do?" Marcus asked.
"What I have to," Raiden said, his voice cold. "For the pack."
My heart broke into a thousand pieces. There was no joy in his voice. No happiness about our baby. Only anger at the "complication."
I backed away slowly, tears blurring my vision. My foot snapped a twig, and Raiden's head whipped around.
"Who's there?" he called out.
I didn't wait to be found. I turned and ran, my hand still pressed against my stomach.
"I'll protect you," I mumbled to my baby as tears streamed down my face. "No matter what."
I ran all the way back to my house, slamming the door behind me. Evelyn was still there, waiting.
"Maeve! What happened?" she asked, running to my side.
"He knows," I gasped through my tears. "And he doesn't want us."
Evelyn helped me to the bed. "What are you going to do?"
Before I could answer, another knock came at my door. Harder this time. Demanding.
"Omega Maeve," a deep voice called. "The Alpha wants your presence. Immediately."
I looked at Evelyn, fear rising in my chest. "He's going to take my baby away," I whispered. "I know it."
The knocking grew louder. "Open up! By order of Alpha Raiden!"
Evelyn squeezed my hand. "Go out the back. I'll stall them."
"Where would I go?"
"To Luca," she said firmly. "He'll help you."
As the beating on the door continued, I slipped out the back window of my cottage. The forest loomed dark and scary before me. I had nowhere else to go.
With one hand on my stomach, I ran into the woods, the Alpha's angry calls fading behind me.
My baby and I were on our own now.
Or so I thought, until a shadow stepped out from behind a tree, blocking my way.
"Going somewhere, little omega?" Ariana asked, her blue eyes sparkling in the dim forest light.