EPISODE 14
Daniel said nothing.
I watched as his expression shifted, surprise flickering across his face before being replaced with something else. Maybe guilt, or maybe something I couldn’t quite name.
It was brief, almost imperceptible, but I caught it. He hadn’t expected me to say those words, hadn’t expected me to challenge him so directly. His golden eyes darkened, his lips parted as it to respond, but no sound came.
For the first time, Daniel, my so–called mate and husband, had no words.
I should have felt satisfied, knowing I had struck a nerve. Instead, I felt nothing but exhaustion.
A part of me wondered if there was more to this than what I already knew. Becoming the Alpha of the pack had always been his mission in life, a force pushing him in directions he never dared to resist. Maybe it wasn’t just his own desires that had led him to betray me. Maybe there was something deeper, something I had yet to uncover.
But I did know one thing for certain.
Daniel had always favored Helen.
I had seen it in the way he looked at her, the way his entire presence seemed to soften around her. Whether it was because she was beautiful and full of life or because she was simply a better candidate for his mate than me, the deaf girl who had been nothing but a burden…
I didn’t know.
I had never known what they whispered in front of me when I couldn’t hear, but I could guess. I could piece together the truth from their glances, their smirks, their pitiful expressions.
And in the end, Daniel did what he always did when faced with something he didn’t want to deal
with.
He left.
Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out of the den, his shoulders rigid, his fists clenched. I didn’t call after him. I didn’t move to stop him. I had expected this reaction, and I
wasn’t disappointed.
Let him go. It didn’t matter anymore.
What mattered now was my next move.
I had already begun planning my escape. But unlike before, I had no potion left to mask my scent. And looking down at my swollen belly, I knew that running now would be even more dangerous than before. I couldn’t risk my child’s life by venturing into the wilderness again, not in my condition. The best option was to wait.
Stay hidden.
Give birth.
And then leave this wretched place behind for good.
For now, I had no choice but to endure.
The next day, after a restless night of fitful sleep, I made my way to the healer’s hut.
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8:45 pm DDDD.
I ignored the stares, the hushed whispers that followed me like an unwanted shadow. They didn’t even try to be discreet. Even though they all knew I had regained my hearing, their habit of speaking freely around me had yet to change.
“She shouldn’t have come back.”
“She was selfish to run away in the first place.”
“Serves her right, thinking she could defy the Alpha.”
I gritted my teeth and kept walking, refusing to let their words get to me. I had heard worse. I had survived worse.
But then-
“She’s carrying a filthy child. She should just get rid of it.”
I stopped.
Slowly, I turned my head toward the group of women who had spoken. Their laughter died in their throats when I met their gazes, my eyes burning with fury. A heavy silence settled between us. I didn’t need to say anything. The weight of my glare was enough to make them shrink back.
Without another word, I continued on my way.
The healer’s hut was warm, the scent of herbs filling the air. The old woman who greeted me had kind eyes, the only one in this pack who had ever shown me a shred of sympathy. She gestured for me to sit before beginning her examination.
“You’re doing well,” she said after a moment, pressing her hand gently against my stomach. “The baby is strong.”
Relief washed over me. Despite everything, my child was healthy. That was all that mattered.
The healer hesitated, then sighed. “Maurice… this will likely be your only pregnancy.”
I nodded simply. Adam had already told me about my condition, and I had long accepted it.
“That’s fine,” I murmured. “One is enough.”
She studied me carefully. “Who is the father?”
I stiffened.
I had kept the truth to myself for so long, knowing that it didn’t matter. But now… now I know that once my baby was born, there would be no hiding it. The truth would reveal itself soon enough.
“It’s Daniel’s,” I said quietly.
The healer frowned.
“Maurice…” Her voice was gentle but doubtful. “You know that’s not possible.”
She had been there when it happened. When I had fallen and bled, she had been the one to check on me and try to save what was lost. Hell, maybe she had even been the one to take away the piece of me that had been washed away in my blood.
But I held her gaze, unwavering.
“Test it,” I said.
She hesitated, then nodded. She reached for a small vial of blessed water, whispered a prayer to the Moon Goddess, and let a single drop fall onto my skin. A faint glow appeared where it
EPISODE 14
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touched, and through it, the symbol of a wolf, the mark of Daniel’s bloodline, emerged alongside
my own.
It meant that the child was the product of both of us.
The healer inhaled sharply. “The Goddess… she has blessed you.”
placed a protective hand over my belly. My child was a miracle, a gift. And I would do whatever t took to keep them safe.
Jnknown to us, hidden just beyond the doorway, Helen listened in silence.
8.45pm
