SERENITY KELLER
The blood in my veins froze solid.
I thought I'd misheard. "What did you say?"
Divorce. The word seemed to come from far away before slamming into my reality, leaving my ears ringing.
"You heard me clearly," Elias repeated. "I said I want a divorce."
"You're insane. You can't do this!" I was babbling, barely aware of what I was saying, grasping at anything, like a drowning person clutching at straws. "We're fated mates! Elias, our bond was arranged by the Moon Goddess!"
"The Moon Goddess made a mistake." Elias wouldn't look at me. "She led me to you, but the one who truly belongs to me is Liv. Now that she's back, I'm going to correct that mistake."
He was calling us a mistake?
I had treasured every beautiful moment we'd shared, carving them into my memory as unforgettable. But Elias didn't see it that way at all. If our meeting was a mistake, did that mean every word he'd spoken to save me was also a mistake?
At that moment, Novella whimpered inside me. My heart hurt so much it went numb, and the tears finally stopped.
A more practical concern surfaced. My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach.
If Elias really divorced me, what would happen to our child?
Everyone knew that once fated mates bonded, they stayed together forever.
If they wanted to separate, there was usually only one path: rejection.
Right now, Elias was only talking about divorce. But what about later?
What if, after the divorce, he decided to sever our mate bond entirely… The thought sent me into a panic. Rejection between wolves caused excruciating pain. I could endure it, but the baby inside me was only three weeks old. So fragile. So easily lost. If the worst happened, could such a tiny life survive the trauma of rejection?
Was I willing to gamble my child's safety on such an uncertain possibility?
My throat felt painfully dry, and I knew I couldn't afford to back down here.
I forced myself to speak.
"Elias, are you really going to do this?" I asked. "Even if you never loved me, we were mates for over a year. Are you telling me you don't feel anything for me at all?"
"Stop playing the victim, Serenity. I won't fall for your act twice." He had clearly made up his mind, turning to face me with cold resolve.
"What right do you have to talk about feelings? From the moment you deceived me, from the day you pushed Liv into the sea, all I've felt for you is hatred! Traitors deserve punishment. That's pack law!"
My hands and feet went ice cold.
His words echoed in my mind.
Deceived.
Hatred.
Traitor.
Every word, crystal clear.
I had wanted to tell Elias about the pregnancy, but now I kept my mouth shut.
I was afraid. His hatred and suspicion were so absolute. If he found out about this child, he would do everything he could to make me get rid of it.
That was exactly the kind of person he'd become.
But I refused to give up. I had struggled so hard to conceive this baby. No matter what, I had to protect him.
"Your father won't agree to this," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.
"Think it through. The Vernal pack needs an heir!"
"I don't need his approval. He's not the Alpha anymore. He can't control me.
And without you, Liv can give me an heir."
I had never hated the words coming out of Elias's mouth more than I did now. "I'll mark her and make her my Luna. Even if it takes a year or two to conceive, or ten, or eight, it'll happen eventually. I'll protect Liv for the rest of my life. I promised her."
What about me?
I opened my mouth, but the question wouldn't come out.
I searched his face, trying to see if he really meant what he said. But he avoided my gaze, leaving me with nothing but the cold profile of his face.
I closed my eyes and finally accepted the truth. Our marriage, our relationship—everything I'd so carefully tried to protect meant nothing to Elias. The love and trust I had fought so hard to earn were things others received without lifting a finger.
It had taken me this long to finally understand what Liv meant when she called me a "loser" before she fell.
"Elias?" Liv suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. Her soft footsteps interrupted us, and we both turned to look.
"Liv, why did you come out of your room?" Elias's voice instantly softened.
The coldness he'd shown me vanished without a trace. "I told you to rest."
"I was scared." Liv gripped the stair railing with both hands. In her white nightgown, she looked delicate and pitiful—pure and innocent. "You were gone so long. I thought you'd left me."
She bowed her graceful neck in distress. "You're the only thing I remember.
When I can't see you, I panic. I wanted to come find you. Did I interrupt your conversation?"
"No," Elias said immediately. "She and I have nothing left to say."
Another stab straight through my heart.
I lifted my head and met Liv's eyes. She stood above me, looking down from her elevated position. A flash of mockery crossed her brown irises. I thought I'd imagined it when she suddenly lost her footing and pitched forward — "Ah!"
"Careful!"
Elias rushed up the stairs and caught her before she could fall. Then they clung to each other in a tight embrace.
"Are you hurt?" His voice trembled with panic.
Liv rested in his arms and shook her head gently. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. Thank you for catching me."
"Don't come downstairs alone anymore. If you need anything, just ask me."
His words sounded stern, but anyone could hear the tenderness underneath.
Liv nodded obediently. Her gaze drifted over his shoulder as if she'd only just noticed me. She blushed. "Elias, that lady is still here. You should let go of me."
"It's fine. She's leaving," Elias said. "Let me take you back to your room."
He bent down and swept Liv into his arms—a princess carry. How romantic.
I watched my mate hold another woman so intimately. I watched them climb the stairs and disappear, leaving me alone in the cold hallway.
I could even hear their quiet conversation as they walked away, soft as lovers' whispers.
I covered my ears, as if that could block my werewolf hearing. My shoulder hit the wall. I used it to support myself, step by step, until I made it out of the villa. When I saw Herman's startled expression, I realized my face was streaked with tears.
I wiped my cheeks. My voice came out strangely calm. "Take me back to the mansion."
Herman hesitated, clearly wanting to say something, but I ignored him and got into the car. He followed and took the driver's seat. As he started the engine, I looked through the rearview mirror at the second-floor window of the villa. Curtains hung behind the glass, and two silhouettes were outlined against them.
I looked away. The car pulled out slowly and farther away from that place.
Elias, I don't want you anymore.
"I'd like to meet the Elder in the parlor. Tell him I have important news regarding a new life that I need to discuss with him."
Back at the mansion, I told Herman this with a blank expression. Then, under the watchful eyes of the wolf guards, I walked into the only place where I could be alone—the bathroom.
I turned on the shower. Water thundered down. Under its cover, I released all pain I'd bottled up over the past year. I sobbed uncontrollably.
Elias wanted a divorce. His mind was made up. Nothing I said would change it. So what could I do?
Begging? Pleading? Groveling for scraps of his pity?
None of that would work. I had spent a year failing to melt his heart or earn his trust. Another year, or ten, wouldn't make a difference.
And I was exhausted. I didn't want to be Serenity Vernal anymore.
Maybe it was time to let go. Even if it meant carrying the false label of a traitor, I could still go back to being Serenity Keller.
After I'd cried myself out, I felt somewhat better—whether or not it helped, at least I'd released some of the emotions I'd been holding in. I turned off the shower and touched my bare stomach, trying to sense the tiny life inside me.
I had to plan for myself and for this child.
This baby was innocent. He shouldn't have to bear hatred and grudges that weren't his. He deserved to enter the world blessed and wanted. Not even Elias could be allowed to hurt him.
But what could I do?
My wet hair brought waves of coolness to my head, clearing my thoughts.
I had been a full-time housewife for too long. I was just an Omega with a weak bloodline, whose only skills were cooking and making coffee. I had always depended on the Vernal pack. Even now that I had something I desperately wanted to protect, I had no power to do it.
That left me with only one option.
When the idea occurred to me, a fierce reluctance gripped my heart.
Novella keened mournfully inside me.
I stepped out of the bathroom. Outside, the sky had grown dark. Lizzie waited by the door and handed me a dry towel. "Luna, Mr. Alfred has arrived."
"I know." I dried my hair slowly.
For the first time, I felt completely calm as I went to meet him.
In the parlor, Alfred stood by the window with his back to me. When I entered, he turned. His sharp gaze swept over me, and his brow furrowed— probably finding me unworthy of the Vernal name once again.
Before, that look would have hurt. Now, I didn't care at all.
"What's this 'important news regarding a new life'?" he asked impatiently.
"If you're here to cry about Elias and beg me to bring him back, don't bother."
So he knew Elias hadn't been home in ages.
But none of them cared.
I took a deep breath and shook my head. "That's not why I'm here. I've come to make a deal with you."
Alfred raised an eyebrow. "A deal? What makes an Omega under suspicion of treason think she can negotiate with me?"
"Because I'm pregnant."
Crack.
The parlor fell silent. Firewood popped in the hearth. Alfred's expression shifted from contempt to shock, then to elation. He strode toward me.
"What did you say? Say that again!"
"I'm carrying Elias's child. Three weeks along." I met his eyes directly. "Dr.
Charles can confirm it."
"Good! Excellent! You've finally conceived!" Alfred clapped his hands and laughed, pacing excitedly around the room. "The Vernal pack will finally have a new heir! This calls for a celebration —" "Don't celebrate yet, Father." I cut off his joy. "I'm not finished. Yes, I'm pregnant. But Elias probably doesn't want this child. He wants to divorce me."
"What?!" The laughter died instantly. Alfred looked ready to explode.
I stated the facts calmly. "You know about Liv, don't you? The pack member who supposedly drowned. She's not dead. She's back. Elias wants to make Liv his new Luna. Even though he hasn't made a final decision, to make Liv his Luna he'll have to sever our fated mate bond. The rejection would put enormous strain on my body. I can handle it, but the baby inside me probably can't."
"This is outrageous!" Alfred roared. "What is Elias thinking? He's never been this irresponsible!"
His outburst lasted only seconds before he regained his composure. He studied me with calculating eyes. "So this is your 'deal'? You want me to drive Liv away from Elias for the sake of this child?"
"No, that's not it." I quietly clenched my fists. "I want you to keep this child's existence from Elias for now—to stop him from forcing me to abort.
After I give birth..."
I paused. The rest of the words stuck in my throat.
My heart—Novella—was fighting desperately to stop me from finishing that sentence. But this was the only thing I could do for this child, for myself. I couldn't afford to be selfish anymore.
"...I'll give the baby to the Vernal pack." I forced the words out. My eyes stung inexplicably. I tilted my head back, preserving what little dignity I had left in front of Alfred.
If I could, I would have taken this child and disappeared far away.
Even without wealth, I could give him love. We could live ordinary lives. I could be there for him from birth until he grew into an adult. All the family love I never received—I would give it to him unconditionally.
But that was impossible.
My rational mind kept reminding me how desperately the Vernal pack wanted a new heir. If I tried to run, they would hunt me relentlessly until I surrendered the child. I couldn't take him with me.
"In exchange, you let me leave the Vernal pack. Set me free."
Alfred looked surprised for the second time, clearly not expecting this condition.
But I knew he wouldn't refuse. With my traitor status, I was like a discordant note within the pack. If I volunteered to leave and become a wanderer, Alfred would consider it a gift.
"Why would you do this?" Alfred didn't refuse, but he still doubted my motives. "You finally have a child. Don't you want to use this baby to hold onto Elias?"
I smiled bitterly. "The old me would have thought that way. But now I see clearly. He hates me. He won't suddenly love me because of a child. Rather than letting this baby grow up surrounded by hatred, it's better to let him remember only his father's love."
Half-truth, half-lie.
"Very well. Your proposal intrigues me." The old wolf's eyes narrowed.
"Deal. I'll handle everything and make sure he doesn't find out. But remember your promise—the moment the child is born, you disappear."
"I promise," I whispered.
After Alfred left, I collapsed into a chair, completely drained.
Finally, I'd bought time for myself and my child.
Ten months. I just had to survive ten months, and it would all be over. I would vanish, erasing every trace of myself from the Vernal pack, returning to who I was at the beginning.
And this child would stay. He would grow up safe within the pack, having everything he deserved… Except a mother.