Ch.2~Jodie

Jodie

I swear the Moon Goddess must be messing with me. First, she gives me a mate who doesn’t love or want me… and now, just when I finally decide to give up on this bond that’s been choking me for years, she gives me a child.

Your timing is cruel, dear Goddess.

I’ve wanted a baby for five years, prayed for it, dreamed of it, imagined holding someone who would love me without needing a reason. But this… this is the worst timing imaginable. I can deal with my pain, even my health, but what about this baby?

I can’t even see the possibility of Calden loving this child, not when I’m the mother. All his attention and love have been for Enid… I never mattered in any way.

The only moments I ever felt happiness were the times he came to me for his own pleasures, or his rut—which, of course, is to quench his thirst and lust. I cherished those little moments even though they weren’t completely about me but his needs, because he smiled and treated me so tenderly in those moments.

I take a deep breath, but I can still feel the huge lump in my chest. My hand gently rests on my flat stomach. What the fuck am I going to do, huh?

Evelyn’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “Jodie, you look really pale. Are you okay?” Her brows draw tight. “I’ll do another check-up on you immediately. Your previous test results already showed your pregnancy was unstable.” She wraps her hand around my wrist to pull me closer.

I watch Evelyn blankly, barely registering the things she's muttering about the test results.

“Jodie,” she finally drags my attention back to her face. “You’re not in good shape. The anemia’s getting worse, and we still haven’t identified the cause of your blood vomiting. If you keep pushing yourself like this, it’s going to affect the baby.”

I give a faint smile. Knowing someone cares is enough to lift the weight a little. Evelyn has always cared. Her worry itself brings me comfort.

Evelyn puts down her clipboard and folds her arms.“You need to stop donating blood. I’ll talk to Alpha Calden if I have to.”

I quickly shake my head, looking up at her, “No, don’t. There's no need, Evelyn.”

Her brows knit together. “Why not? You’ve been doing this for years, Jodie. You’re not a damn blood bank, and Enid doesn’t need another drop from you.”

I force a small smile, though my chest feels heavy. “I won't be donating to Enid anymore. Calden and I are getting a divorce.” I finally drop the bomb, but Evelyn’s eyes pop out, her mouth makes a silent ah.

She sets her clipboard down like it suddenly weighs a ton. “Wait—what? Divorce? Are you out of your mind?”

I shrug, pretending to be calm. “Maybe. But it’s decided, I came here so we can finalize it, then I can finally leave this pack to find my own peace.”

Evelyn stares at me, speechless, then frowns deeply. “And you plan to still go ahead with the divorce after learning you're pregnant?”

I avert my gaze. “Yes… It's not like the news will change my situation.”

“Jodie!” she snaps, slamming her hand on the counter. “You can’t just leave without telling him. Do you even realize how hard being a single mother will be?” Her voice cracks halfway, “And your condition is really bad…” 

I laugh softly. “I’ve thought about it. But Calden… he’s never loved me, Evelyn. Whatever we had—it was just me forcing myself on him. A deal, not a marriage.”

She glares. “That’s bullshit. He’s your mate, Jodie. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”

I shake my head, my voice dropping to a whisper. “No, there isn’t. He was just doing his duty as Alpha. He did all that to keep face in front of everyone.”

I can’t tell her how cozy he was back there with Enid, minutes ago. 

Evelyn opens her mouth to argue, but I cut her off, my voice trembling slightly. “I just want my own peace now, Evelyn. Please.”

Her expression softens. “Oh, Jodie…”

I force a laugh that sounds more like a sigh. “It’s fine. It’s actually a relief. Now I don’t have to keep pretending I’m enough for him. I already got everything ready, got a plane ticket. I'll be leaving the pack tomorrow.”

Evelyn blinks at me, her brows knitting together. “Wait… where exactly are you going?”

I look down at my hands, fidgeting with the strap of my bag. “I… I’ll travel first, see a few places I’ve never been before. Then… I’ll find a pack where I can settle, somewhere I can belong without anyone expecting anything from me. Somewhere quiet, far away from all this chaos.”

She exhales slowly, studying me with those steady, warm eyes. “You really thought this through, huh?”

“As much as I can. " I lean back, staring at the ceiling for a moment. “I just want peace, Eve. Just a tiny piece of it. Somewhere quiet, where I wake up and I’m not immediately bracing myself for someone else’s disappointment. Somewhere I’m not constantly trying to prove I’m not a burden. A place where my baby…” 

My throat tightens, but I push through it. “Where my baby can grow without feeling unwanted.”

Evelyn exhales shakily. “Jodie…”

She sighs and pulls me into a hug. It’s strange how this woman—who scolds like a mother and nags like a sister—is the only one who’s ever truly cared whether I lived or died.

Evelyn grips my shoulders. “You can’t keep running away every time he hurts you. At least tell him. He deserves to know about the baby.”

When she lets go, I manage a small smile. “I’ve already decided. Enid’s surgery worked. She doesn’t need me anymore. Calden can finally have his happy ending with his true love, and I can have mine and be free of them.”

Evelyn gives me a skeptical look. “And what exactly is your happy ending, huh? Sitting alone in some strange city with a little money and a baby on the way?”

I chuckle softly, brushing a tear before it falls. “Maybe. But at least it’ll be my life this time. I’ll do things for myself, not anyone else.”

She looks unconvinced. “Jodie, please, just—talk to him once. See how he reacts. If he doesn’t care, fine. Walk away. But don’t make this decision for both of you.”

I want to argue, but the words die in my throat. If I tell him about the pup, will he scold me for wrecking his picture-perfect future, or will he swallow his pride and stitch our broken family back together? Nah—he’ll skin me alive for this. I’ve dared to hope a thousand times, and every single fucking time the pieces cut my hands.

“Jodie,” she sighs, handing me the text result. “At least send him a message. One last chance—for him, and for your baby.”

I grip the paper tightly and sigh. “You think he’d even care?”

“You won’t know unless you try.” Evelyn’s hand brushed against my belly. “Even if you don’t think about yourself, think about your pup. Give it the chance to have a father.”

My hand instinctively moved to my belly, feeling a certain warmth wrap around me. My child—Evelyn’s right... I should give this baby the chance to have a father. I sighed and looked at Evelyn. 

"Please, just give it a try!"

Fine...try once more—just for the baby’s sake. I took out my phone. “I’ll send the message… but if he doesn’t answer, that will be my final call.” Evelyn nodded in agreement.

I stare at my phone for a long time, my thumb hovering over his name. My chest feels tight. Against all logic, I type a message.

*I’m Pregnant, Calden.* My thumb hovers over the send icon for a moment before I hit it.

*I’m in Evelyn's office, we should talk about this one more time before we make a final decision.* 

I show Evelyn the text. She nods, though her eyes glisten. “Good. Now wait. If he doesn’t reply, you go. Simple.”

I nod, but my pulse races as I hit send.

Minutes stretch into an hour. I decided to give him a call, maybe he didn't see the message, of course that's not true… because I can see the double ticks showing blue enough that he's read it.

It rings one, two and goes to say “Line busy” 

Hah! I glance at Evelyn whose expression is mirroring mine, it’s clear he’s intentionally ending my calls. I exit the messaging app and stuff my phone into my bag. “Guess that’s my answer.”

Evelyn’s face falls. “Jodie...”

“It’s fine,” I say, forcing a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. “I knew he wouldn’t come.” 

“Caldon doesn’t care about me, and he doesn’t care about you either, pup. I’m sorry, my darling child—I can’t give you a father.” My hand rubs my stomach gently, even though it doesn't look like there's actually a pup in there.

A shuffle sound at the door makes Evelyn and I turn sharply, she rushes to the door.

“Who’s there?” There's no response, she glances back at me and shrugs. I could swear I heard someone eavesdropping.