Novel-novel oleh aladumpeter

No. No.This isn't happening.Except it was. It was happening and I was standing in the middle of it completely alone, with no one standing up for me and everyone lying against me, out to destroy what's left of my sanity.“The council has heard sufficient testimony,” the elder said.“No,” I cut in quickly. “You haven’t heard mine.”Nobody responded, and that was when I stopped fighting. I finally understood that this room had never been about the truth. It had been about the story, and someone else had written it long before I walked through that door.I pressed my hand against my stomach.They weren’t listening because they never intended to.The elder continued. "Reylap Stark, the council finds sufficient grounds for —""I'm pregnant."The room froze.Even Farida stopped breathing for half a second. But, she recovered immediately, not looking surprised as she grabbed a glass of water.I kept my eyes on Malik. Only Malik. "Three months pregnant. I found out three weeks ago, but.. Mal

“No." Farida’s smile thinned slightly. “I said, kneel.”I looked at her slowly, exhaustion twisting inside me so violently I almost started laughing again. “You stole my ceremony, my mate, my title, and now you want my dignity too?” I tilted my head. “Greedy.”A sharp murmur spread through the room.Farida’s eyes hardened. “Mind your tongue.”“Oh, now we care about manners?” I asked softly. “I've set bones without anesthesia," I said pleasantly. "Delivered breech pups at midnight. Sat with dying men so they wouldn't cross alone." I tilted my head exactly the way she had. "I don't kneel for people who've never bled for anything in their lives.""Bold words," Farida said softly, "for someone standing in a puddle.""Bold seat," I shot back, "for someone who didn't earn it."An elder cleared his throat sharply. "Luna Farida, we apologize for —"I laughed out loud at that. "You're apologizing to her?" I looked around the room in disbelief. "I'm the one standing here soaking wet being accu

Reylap’s POVI heard the music before I even reached the gates, and I knew it was a celebration. I could hear drums and voices and that particular kind of joy that carries across pack grounds when there's good news, and for one foolish, breathless second my heart lifted, because I thought it was for me. I thought Malik had started without me, that he'd been so impatient to begin our night that he hadn't waited, and I was already smiling as I quickened my pace and called out to the guards."Open the gate. I'm late enough as it is, and if Malik starts complaining, I’m blaming both of you.” I grinned.Neither of them moved.The smile on my face faltered slightly.I slowed. “...Cute. Now open the gate.”Nothing.I stopped walking. "Did you hear me?""We heard you," the first one said. "You're not cleared to enter."The smile died. "I'm sorry — what?""No entry." He didn't even have the decency to look uncomfortable about it. "Those are our orders."I looked at him for a long moment, then

Reylap's POV“State your business!”The guard’s voice rang out through the drizzle just as I stepped up to the gates of Dark Moors Pack, and for a second, I genuinely thought he was joking.I stood there dripping from a miserable six-hour ride, mud clinging to the hem of my coat while my medical bag dug into my shoulder, and stared at him in disbelief. Then I lifted the folded summons from my coat pocket and waved it once. “I came to decorate your gate. What does it look like?”His expression flattened.The second guard snorted under his breath, quickly covering it with a cough.“I’m Reylap Stark,” I said, slipping the paper back into my pocket. “Your Alpha requested a healer. Unless someone suddenly learned surgery overnight, I suggest you let me through.”The first guard’s jaw tightened slightly at my tone.“We were told a healer was coming,” he said carefully. “No one mentioned your name.”“You summoned me.”Neither guard moved.A chill settled in my stomach. Healers were supposed