Chapter 3 - Kelly

I don’t know how long I had been locked up in this cold, dark cell. All I know is that they gave me only one meal a day, composed of stale food I could barely swallow. But for the sake of my little angel in my belly, I forced myself to eat. 

I heard the doors of the entrance being unlocked. Was it time for my meal? I was not sure since there was no set time for my meal, which made it hard for me to know the time. 

I waited for the guard to shout and throw my tray on the ground, but instead of him, I was surprised to see my father standing in front of my cell with several people accompanying him. 

Hope slowly filled my chest as he called me to come closer.  Maybe he was going to get me out of prison. Maybe he begged Leo to set me free in exchange for all the times we had spent together. 

But as I got near, instead of a warm embrace, I received a slap on my face. 

“I told you to go and take care of her. But instead, you pushed her down the stairs?” My father’s voice was filled with fury. His painful words cut deep within my soul.

“I didn’t push her,” I whispered. 

“You’re still making excuses at a time like this?” The coldness in his words was enough to send chills down my spine, “And because of you, she cha never have children again. How did I end up with such a cruel, disgraceful daughter? You've brought shame to our entire family!”

My hand automatically went to my belly as the fear of losing my unborn child scared me. 

The guards opened my cell, and they dragged me to where Merry was, and I didn’t even try to resist because I was afraid of what they might do to me. I needed to protect my baby. 

As I stood in front of Leo, I could see Merry smiling smugly at me behind Leo’s back. 

Rage filled my whole being, and I lost control as I started blabbering. 

“Merry isn’t pregnant!” I told Leo, who looked down at me like I was the filthiest and most disgusting person he had ever met. “It had been part of her plan. She wanted to take everything from me. My family, and you. Why can’t you see it, Leo?”

Leo nodded at the guards, and the two guards beside me forced me to go down on my knees. 

“How could you do this to me, Kelly? How could you do it to my innocent child? What did my child ever do to you?” Leo’s voice was filled with anguish.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was taking her side, Merry, the woman he barely even knew, over me. The betrayal I was feeling cut so deep, like I was being shredded into a million pieces. 

I am the woman who knows him best, who knows his deepest, darkest secrets, and still loves him. I am the mother of his child, and he doesn’t even know that because we wouldn’t let me tell him. 

“Beg for Merry’s forgiveness,” Leo commanded as his brown eyes went dark with authority. This isn’t a request–no, he was using his Alpha powers to make me submit. Forcing me to give in and apologize to the woman who took everything away from me.

“I don’t want her apology, my love,” Merry said, crying as she held onto Leo’s arms. “I will never forgive her for killing our child. I will never forgive her for making me like this, not being able to give you an heir.” 

Merry turned to face me. 

“I can’t believe you could let your jealousy make you a killer. It’s not my fault, Leo is my Mate. How could you make me this way? I was so good to you!”

“Leo,” I said as I moved closer to him and reached for his hand, “You know I would never do such a thing. Merry is just making it up. She is not really pregnant. In fact, while we were in that store, she told me her great plan of taking everything that’s important to me away.” 

But instead of hearing me out, Leo pulled my hand away from his arm.

“Someone as vicious as you doesn’t deserve to be part of my pack.” The coldness of his voice made the hairs in my arms stand, while sending chills down my spine. “From this day forward, you are no longer part of the Mystic Moon pack.” Leo stood, “Kelly Winters, I banished you from Mystic Moon!”

I felt the chill become colder as the guards dragged me out of the hospital towards the exit of the pack. 

As they drove me to the farthest point from the entrance of the pack, I suddenly remembered my brother. 

If only he were here, none of this would have happened. Leo might have still punished me, but he would never let Leo banish me this way. 

“Get out!” the guards ordered, and I did. Once I was out of the truck, they showed me what seemed to be an entrance to the forest. 

“Don’t ever come near Mystic Moon or you will be killed,” the other guard said before they all turned back towards the truck and left. 

I started walking towards the forest. I don’t know a lot about anything outside the pack. I had never been out this far. But now, I have no choice. I need to find a safe place, but not too far. So that when my brother comes home, he could find me. 

As I was trying to find a place to spend the night, loud snickers surrounded me. 

“Is that her?” 

“I think it’s her,” another man replied.

“Yeah, Merry said she would look filthy.” 

Merry? What do these men have to do with Merry? 

“All we have to do is kill her baby, right?”

“It would be easier if we killed her, because once we do, the baby would die too.” 

“That’s a good idea.”

Merry knew I was pregnant. 

If she ordered these people to kill my child, it only means that she knew who the father of my child was. 

She didn’t just want my child gone, she wanted me gone.