CH 5 – Runway Pregnant

Ashley Harrison / Alyanna Hendricks

I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands shaking as I stared at the small plastic stick in my palms. Two clear lines. My chest squeezed so tightly I could hardly breathe.

Tears blurred my vision. “No… it can’t be,” I whispered. “We only… we only mated last night.”

But the truth stared back at me.

Carrie, my wolf, sighed softly in my mind. Ashley, don’t forget—we are not ordinary humans. Our kind can conceive quickly. And if this test shows two lines, then yes, you are carrying Jake’s pup.

I clutched the test kit against my chest and sobbed. “But how am I supposed to tell him? Especially now… with Marian here?”

So what if Marian is here? Carrie’s voice turned fierce. You are the Luna. You are his legal wife and mate. No one else can take that from you. This pup is proof of your bond. Fight for what is yours.

I wiped my tears with trembling hands. “What if he hates me even more? What if he says the pup will be as disgusting as me?”

Then let him say it. But he cannot deny his blood. With this child, you are tied to him forever.

I swallowed hard, gripping the test until my knuckles turned white. Maybe Carrie was right. Maybe I needed to be strong—for the tiny life growing inside me.

With a deep breath, I picked up my phone and dialed the one person I knew I could lean on.

“Dad?” My voice cracked as soon as I heard him answer.

“Ashley?” Alpha George’s voice immediately sharpened with concern. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Why are you crying?”

I choked back a sob. “Dad… I—I’m pregnant.”

There was a pause, then his sharp inhale filled the line. “What?”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “I took the test. Two lines. It’s Jake’s pup.”

His voice grew rough, protective. “Does Jake know?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. I was going to tell him later. Maybe then… maybe he’ll order Marian to leave.”

Silence. Then a growl rumbled through the phone. “Marian? What the hell do you mean Marian is there?”

Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. “She… she’s living here now. With us.”

“Over my dead body,” he snapped, his Alpha power seeping into every word. “Ashley, I warned you. That boy doesn’t love you. And now Marian—” His breath heaved. “He will not treat you like this. Not while you carry my grandchild.”

“Please, Dad,” I begged softly. “Don’t make things worse. Just… let me try. Maybe now, with the baby…”

He cut me off, voice trembling with both fury and worry. “If Jake dares hurt you again, I swear on the Moon Goddess, I’ll drag you out of that pack myself.”

I closed my eyes, pressing a hand to my stomach. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

But inside, I wasn’t sure if I was telling him the truth—or lying to myself.

*****

I tied the apron around my waist, inhaling the warm scent of garlic and herbs as the stew bubbled on the stove. Cooking had always calmed me. Maybe, just maybe, if I made Jake and his mother’s favorite dishes, they’d look at me differently.

“Could you tell me again what Alpha Jake and Luna Leonor like best?” I asked the maid beside me, trying to sound cheerful.

“Yes, Luna Ashley,” she said kindly, handing me a spoon. “This stew is perfect.”

The door creaked open, and I turned with a smile. “Mom, I cooked your favorite dish—”

Leonor sniffed the air, her expression souring the moment her eyes landed on me. “You?”

My smile faltered. “Yes. I wanted to make something you’d enjoy.”

Her frown deepened, arms crossing tightly.

I swallowed and asked softly, “If… if you ever had a choice, would you want a granddaughter or grandson?”

Her eyes narrowed like sharp blades. “Anything,” she said coldly, “as long as it isn’t ugly as you. And as long as you aren’t the mother. I lost my appetite. Amelia, bring me fruits to my room. It’s disgusting here.”

The words cut through me like claws. She turned on her heel and swept out of the kitchen.

I looked down, blinking away the sting in my eyes.

“Luna Ashley, please don’t be upset,” one maid whispered. “You’re kind. And pretty, just… chubby. We like you. Not like Miss Marian. She’s arrogant. Maybe that’s why Alpha Kurt never chose her, even if her father is the Beta.”

I forced a sad smile. “But she’s the one Jake loves.”

The maid gently stirred the soup. “Maybe first love. But think—if Alpha Jake truly loved Miss Marian, why he look at other women? “

My hand drifted to my stomach. I whispered, “Please… take the food to the dining hall. I’ll call Jake from his room.”

I climbed the stairs slowly, my hand pressed against my pocket where the pregnancy test rested. My heart beat wildly, a fragile mixture of fear and hope. Maybe… maybe if Jake saw the truth, if he knew about our pup, everything would change.

I whispered to Carrie, my wolf, Maybe he’ll finally be happy with me. Maybe we can start a real family.

Carrie’s voice came sharp and cautious. Don’t get your hopes too high, Ashley.

I ignored the warning and took a deep breath, stopping outside the guest room. The faint scent of Marian’s perfume hit me first, cloying and sweet. My stomach twisted, but I knocked softly anyway.

No answer.

Something inside told me to open the door. I gripped the handle and pushed.

The sight that met my eyes ripped the air from my lungs.

Marian—naked, straddling Jake. His body beneath hers, bare, moving with hers in a rhythm that broke me in half.

I stumbled back, my breath caught in my throat. But what shattered me completely were Marian’s words, her voice high and desperate.

“Jake, mark me! Make me pregnant now! I am willing to give you beautiful pups! Make me your real Luna!”

The walls caved in on me. My vision blurred with tears, hot and blinding. My heart tore apart, piece by piece.

Carrie howled in my mind, Leave! Now!

But I didn’t leave. My rage burned too hot, too deep.

I shoved the door open wider, my voice trembling but loud enough to pierce their lust-filled haze.

“Cheaters!” I screamed, my tears spilling freely down my cheeks. “Jake Lewis, I reject you!”

They froze. Jake’s eyes snapped to me, wide and stunned, while Marian smirked behind him, her lips curling as if she had already won.

My hands shook as I yanked the wedding ring from my finger. “You want her? Then have her! I am rejecting you Jake Lewis! And out mate bind will end now!”

I threw the ring at them, the little band clattering onto the floor between their tangled bodies.

Then I quickly dragged my suitcase down the stairs, my tears blurring everything around me. My chest hurt so badly I could barely breathe. I threw my things into the car with shaking hands.

Out in the garden, Leonor sat sipping her tea. Her sharp eyes caught mine, her lips curling into a disapproving frown. She didn’t ask where I was going. She didn’t care.

Good. Because I didn’t care anymore either.

I drove away, sobbing until the gates of the Moon Crest Pack came into view. When I stepped inside, my father looked up from his desk. The moment he saw my face, he rushed to me.

“Dad…” I collapsed into his arms, my body trembling. “Please… let me leave. I need to go somewhere no one knows me.”

His jaw clenched. “What happened, Ashley?”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “Jake marked Marian. He chose her. I already rejected him. I was so foolish to think he could ever love me.”

Alpha George held me tighter. “But… you’re pregnant.”

I shook my head fiercely. “He’ll never know. Never.”

He sighed heavily, kissing my hair. “Then I’ll help you. You can leave tonight. Go abroad.”

“Thank you, Dad,” I whispered, hugging him tighter. “If Jake comes looking, tell him you don’t know either.”

His voice broke. “Take care of yourself, my little girl.”

And with that, I walked toward the plane, leaving behind not just Jake—but every broken dream I once held onto.

I cried silently the whole flight, my heart aching with every beat. By the time I landed in Westoria—a small but wealthy country near America—my tears had dried, leaving only the dull throb of pain.

Dragging my suitcase through the airport, I tried to steady my breathing. I had to start over. No one here knew Ashley Harrison.

Outside, the sound of screeching tires made me turn. An old woman stood frozen as a car swerved too close. Without thinking, I ran and pulled her back to safety.

The woman clutched me tightly, tears running down her wrinkled cheeks. “Thank you, dear. Thank you.”

I noticed an ID card hanging from her neck: Patient with dementia.

A black luxury car stopped sharply nearby, and a tall, handsome young man rushed out, panic in his eyes. “Mom!”

The old woman’s face lit up. She pointed at me. “She helped me.”

He looked at me with relief. “Thank you. You saved her.”

I glanced at the sleek car. The logo read Johnson Aesthetics. My heart skipped.

“By the way, I am Dr. Dwayne Johnson. Alpha of Green Eyes Pack.”

Five years later.

When I left Milton, I was heartbroken, crushed in a way I never thought I could survive. But I did. I left everything behind, moved far away, and chose a new life — for me, and for my pup.

I focused all my strength on raising Gary with the help of Alpha Dwayne. I trained hard in the ancient arts of healing, pushing myself until my hands became steady, my heart unshakable. Before long, I became one of the most respected werewolf doctors in the Western Territories.

Of course, some wolves still whispered about me, still mocked my fat body and ugly face whenever they saw me at the gym with Dwayne. The sting was there, but I kept going.

And then came the rogue attack.

They set the hospital on fire that night. I can still smell the smoke. I can still hear the screams. I ran into the flames over and over again, pulling out patients, even when my fur burned and my skin blistered. I saved dozens that night.

By the time Alpha Dwayne dragged me out of the collapsing building, eighty percent of my body was scorched. The pain was like nothing I had ever felt.

Alpha George and Alpha Dwayne made the decision — they would put me through extensive surgery. Skin grafts, reconstruction, everything. Months of agony followed.

When I finally looked in the mirror again, I barely recognized myself. The fat was gone. My face was different — slimmer, delicate. Beautiful, even.

But I was still me.

Carrie stood behind me, smiling. “You’re so pretty now.”

I touched the glass, looking into my own golden eyes. “Yes,” I said softly. “But I still love my original self. Even if I was fat and ugly… that was what the Moon Goddess made me first.”

Carrie’s expression softened. “You’re a good she-wolf, Ashley. That’s why the Moon Goddess blessed you. But why do you still refuse to accept Dwayne? He’s been so good to you. He’s like a father to Gary.”

I sighed deeply. “Because my heart isn’t ready yet. But… maybe soon.”

When Alpha George asked me to go back to Milton to establish a healer center there — with Alpha Dwayne as my partner — my heart sank. Even though my face and body were no longer the same, the thought of returning terrified me. Jake was still there. What if he saw Gary? What if he guessed the truth?

That night, staring at my reflection, I made a choice.

Ashley Harrison was gone.

From now on, I would be Alyanna Hendricks.

Tiny footsteps echoed behind me.

“Mommy!”

I turned just in time to catch Gary, my sweet five-year-old boy, as he threw himself into my arms. His giggles filled the room, his little arms warm against my neck.

“Good morning, Mommy,” he said with a grin.

“Good morning, my love.” I kissed his forehead, feeling my chest ache. His eyes… they were Jake’s eyes.

 “Alyanna,” he said quietly. “Are you really sure you want to go back to Milton?”

I looked up. Dwayne was leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed, concern in his expression.

“Yes. My father is weak now. He needs me. And the healing center could be a good expansion for our pack’s business.”

“But what if…” Dwayne hesitated.

I cut him off quickly. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”

But as I hugged Gary tighter, my heart squeezed painfully.

What if I saw Jake again?

What if he saw Gary — his son?