The Pregnancy
Camilla's POV
Mira took me by the hand, her grip firm yet comforting as we walked through the stone pathway leading to the healer's den.
It was deep within the heart of the Silver Pack's territory—quiet, serene, and surrounded by thick, medicinal herbs. The moonflower floated in the air, and I inhaled it deeply, hoping it would calm my heart.
I hadn't told anyone about my suspicions. Not Mira, not Marcus. And definitely not myself, out loud.
Because if I admitted it… if I gave voice to the truth growing inside of me, it would become too real to hide from.
The healer, an older woman named Nara, greeted us with a small nod. Her silver hair fell in waves down her back, and her eyes gleamed with ageless wisdom.
"You've been unwell?" she asked as she motioned for me to sit on the wooden bench padded with fur.
I hesitated, Mira answered for me.
"She's been tired, weak… and her scents' changed."
I flinched slightly, but Nara gave a soft chuckle.
"The wolves always sense it before the body knows." She reached for a bowl of warm herbs and a tiny blade.
"I'll just need a few drops of blood, we'll know for certain in a moment."
I held out my hand, watching numbly as she made the small cut, collected my blood, and mixed it into the bowl of crushed petals and glowing liquid.
The mixture shimmered, then turned golden. Nara's eyes widened slightly, and she looked up at me.
"You're with child," she said softly, her tone reverent, as though she had just delivered a prophecy from the Moon Goddess herself.
I said nothing, the room spun.
Mira gasped beside me. "Oh my moon—Camilla… are you okay?"
I nodded slowly. My hands clutched my belly protectively. Three weeks, that night with Michael.
Michael.
His name tore through me like a blade.
"Please," I whispered, my voice tight with urgency. "Don't tell anyone. Not even Marcus.
Not yet. Please, I need time."
Nara studied me for a long moment before nodding. "Your secret is safe with us. But I suggest you decide soon.
Alpha Marcus… he's protective of his people. And of you, especially."
I swallowed hard. Marcus, he had saved me without question, sheltered me without knowing my truth.
Here I was—carrying another Alpha's child. The thought made me sick with guilt, but I knew this child was innocent. This child didn't ask for betrayal or pain.
This child was mine, and I would protect it with my life.
Back at the cabin, I sat by the fire, watching the flames against the walls. Mira had returned to the main pack house after extracting a promise from me to get rest.
But how could I rest?
Every moment, I thought of the life growing inside me. The heartbeat that had already begun to form.
A part of me and Michael, a product of betrayal, yes—but still… a child of the Moon.
I touched my stomach, my mind swimming with questions.
Would Marcus hate me if he knew?
Would he send me away?
Would the Silver Pack reject me the way my own had?
Tears threatened, but I forced them back. I wouldn't cry again, not tonight.
A knock on the door startled me. I jumped slightly, wiping at my eyes. The door opened, and Marcus stepped in.
His presence filled the cabin instantly. Strong, towering and confident. Yet his eyes softened when they met mine.
"I heard you visited the healer," he said gently, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.
My breath caught. Did Nara tell him? Did Mira—?
But Marcus smiled, pulling a pouch from behind his back. "I figured you needed these." He placed the bundle of dried fruits, nuts, and warm bread on the table.
"Mira said you've barely been eating."
I blinked, stunned by the gesture.
"Thank you," I said, not meeting his eyes.
He sat beside me, quiet for a moment. The fire cracked between us.
"Camilla," he said, with a kind voice. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to. But I can feel your pain, it runs deep.
And I just want you to know… whatever it is, you're safe here."
The tears I'd tried to hold back slipped out. I turned away quickly, but Marcus reached out and gently touched my hand.
"Hey," he said. "It's okay."
I looked up at him, trembling. "I didn't want this, Marcus. I didn't plan to come here with… with baggage. But something happened before I came here. Something terrible."
He nodded slowly, waiting for me to say something.
"I was supposed to be marked by Alpha Michael of the Moonlight Pack," I said, the words like lead on my tongue.
"But he… he made a mistake. A cruel mistake. He marked my twin sister instead.
He believed her lies about me, he rejected me in front of everyone."
Marcus's jaw clenched, but he said nothing, because he knew about it before now.
"I left that night, ran into the forest. I had no one. Not even my father believed me."
My voice broke. "Then you found me. You saved me, you gave me shelter, food and kindness. I've never had that before, not like this."
Marcus squeezed my hand. "You deserve it, Camilla. You deserve everything."
I looked at him, his dark hair, tousled from the wind. His strong jawline, dusted with stubble. The way his eyes—stormy gray—watched me with a tenderness I wasn't ready for.
"There's more," I whispered, my voice trembling.
"I'm pregnant."
His breath caught.
I expected him to pull away, to rise from the bench, to leave me there.
But he didn't.
Instead, he stayed calm
"Is it his?" he asked.
I nodded slowly, shame burning through my skin. "It happened before everything. Before the betrayal, it wasn't planned but the child is his."
Marcus was quiet for a moment. I couldn't read his expression.
"You said you didn't want this," he murmured. "But do you want the baby?"
I nodded. "With everything in me."
He stood then, and my heart clenched.
But instead of leaving, he knelt in front of me. His hands rested on my knees.
"Then we'll protect it together."
I stared at him, confused.
"But it's not yours…"
"That doesn't matter," he said firmly. "Camilla, I care about you. Not because of your past or what pack you came from, but because of who you are. And I see strength in you. I see something worth fighting for."
I blinked back tears. "Even if it causes trouble for you? For your pack?"
"My pack follows me," he said simply. "And I follow my heart."
For the first time, warmth bloomed inside me. Real warmth, hope.
I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to his. "Thank you, Marcus. I don't deserve your kindness…"
He chuckled. "Well, you've got it anyway."
Over the next few days, the weight of my secret began to lift, slowly. I found peace in the rhythms of Silver Pack life.
I helped Mira prepare herbs, I watched the pups train in the courtyard. I even smiled once or twice.
And through it all, Marcus was there.
He never pushed me in any way, he never pried. He just… stayed. A constant, quiet force beside me.
One evening, I stood at the edge of the Silver Pack border, looking out toward the world I had fled from.
Somewhere beyond those trees, Michael still ruled.
My father, Jack, still served him.
And Caroline… wherever she was, I hoped she felt even a sliver of the pain she had caused me.
But I wasn't going to dwell on them anymore.
I placed a hand on my belly.
"I'll give you a better life," I whispered. "A peaceful one. You won't suffer for your father's mistakes."
There's a sound behind me, it made me turn. Marcus stood there, watching me with those steady eyes.
"I believe you will," he said. "And I'll be here. Every step of the way."
And for the first time since I left the Moonlight Pack, I believed it too.