MasukAnastasia.
After I leave his house, I break down in the car. I could get pregnant. As the sister of the Alpha of one of the largest and wealthiest packs, I would bring shame to my family.
My brother and father adore me. I never want that to change. There is no way I would marry Crosswalk, even if I carry his child.
The car pulls up in front of our elegant park house. I'm sure my brother has been looking for me. He must think that I disappeared from the party. I warn the driver not to tell anyone where he picked me up from and slip some notes into his palm.
I walk to the door. The door is yanked open before I even get the opportunity to knock.
Arthur just stands there looking relieved that I'm safe. He pulls me into his arms and hugs me tightly.
When he releases me, I walk inside quietly.
He closes the door and rushes to my side.
"Are you alright, Ana?" He asks.
Tears pool in my eyes. I don't trust my voice, so I just nod.
"I heard you went into heat at the party". He says.
I know where he is going and I can't lie to him. We tell each other everything. He is the only person that knows about my rejection of Crosswalk. Not even my father knows.
I rub my eyes from sleep and exhaustion.
"So you heard? Everyone must have heard about it by now". I say and sit down to pull off my heels. He sits down across me.
"Do you know what else I heard?" He asks.
I know exactly what he is going to say. I just shrug.
"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. People saw you leave with Alpha Levi". He adds.
I shrug again. I don't want to cry.
"Why did you leave with him?" He asks.
I wipe my eyes.
"He offered to take me home since other males were coming to claim me. The pain was too much. I asked him to do it". I blurt out, unable to meet his gaze.
"I thought as much. The scent of your heat is no longer as strong". He says.
I cover my face and sob.
"I'm so stupid, Arthur. I just sold myself to the person I hate the most in this world".
He leans forward and rubs my knee.
"Someone else would have had to do it. Both of us are not getting any younger. We are not getting any more mates so don't be so hard on yourself".
I sniffle.
"Levi has ruined me". I say, still sobbing.
"No, he has not. We just have to make sure that he does not tell anyone else about it". He says.
"That's not the problem. I was too deep in my pain to realize that he had not used protection. He only told me after. He said it slipped his mind". I admit.
Arthur's jaw drops.
"That's messed up. What are you going to do if you get pregnant?" He asks.
I cover my face again.
"I don't know. I really don't know. The chances are very high. He has ruined me. He must be very proud of himself".
Arthur's balled his hands into fists.
"That asshole is going to pay".
I say nothing.
"You should get some rest". He says and stands up.
I stand up as well. He walks me to my bedroom door. Before I enter, I turn to him.
"Please don't tell dad". I plead.
He just nods.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about that. I won't". He says with a small smile.
Just then, Parfin, the Beta comes out of his bedroom.
He smiles at me. I don't smile back. My situation is way too grim to allow me to smile.
I enter my room and Arthur closes the door after me. As soon as I climb the bed, I dose off.
Two Weeks Later.
I wake up feeling dull and sick. I woke up the same way yesterday. I feel different. My body feels different. My wolf is very energetic.
I rush out of bed and into the toilet. I open the toilet lid and empty my entire gut. What the hell?
It can't be. It just can't be.
I tear out a paper towel and wipe my mouth with it. I wash my face and go to my brother's room.
He opens the door before I even knock.
He sniffs me in.
"You smell different". He comments.
"I do? I feel different too". I say and push past him into the room.
He mind-links with me. His eyes widen when he knows what I'm thinking.
"It can't be. You won't be able to hide it from dad and the other pack members". He says.
"I need to be sure." I mumble.
He runs his hands through his brown hair. His handsome face is filled with concern and worry for me.
I am lucky to have him.
"I can secretly get a pack nurse to look at you". He suggests.
I think for a moment.
"Pack nurses gossip a lot". I say.
He shrugs.
"Well, I'm running out of ideas here". He says.
"I know someone who can help. He will be coming to the party at the Red Moon Pack". I say.
"You still plan on going. Every one would notice your scent. They will know you're carrying". He says.
"Let them. We don't know for sure. My scent changed days ago". I say.
"What if that asshole is there? He definitely will be there".
"I can't care any less if he is there or not". I say.
"I do. He is sure going to get it from me". Arthur says through clenched teeth.
"Just don't do anything stupid". I say and leave his room.
We arrive at the party long after it had started.
His scent hit me hard as soon as I enter the room. I look around for him. When I finally see him, he is already looking at me. Arthur comes up to stand beside me. Our eyes lock for a couple of seconds before I tear them away. I feel a sharp pain in my womb.
Before I know what is happening, my bro
ther is already across the room pounding his fists into Levi's face.
God, no.
Levi.When she finally looks up, I heave a heavy sigh. I was almost afraid she’d have another episode.Her eyes are wide.“There’s nothing to be afraid of.” I say awkwardly.I can feel her thudding heartbeat against my arm, the heat of her skin.“We almost died.”We?“My baby.” She murmurs under her breath.Oh. The baby. Not me.“Are you afraid of cars or something?” I ask, trying to stop my voice from sounding rigid.“My mom died in a car accident.”My breath catches. It makes sense now. It's a trauma.“I didn’t know.”As if regaining her wits, she pulls away from me and wipes at her eyes.“That wasn’t supposed to happen.” She doesn’t meet my gaze.I look out the window to distract myself. Alphonsus is helping a blonde woman out of the car. Her pretty hair is streaked with blood at the edges.She’s lucky she’s alive.After helping her settle down and calling an ambulance, he returns to the car.“I hope I didn’t take too long.” He says, looking at Anastasia.She manages a smile at him
Levi I haven’t had much sleep. She’s leaving tomorrow. And I won’t get to see her for another month. It’s probably for the best, I keep telling myself? The time we spent fighting over pillows had reminded me of the time when we had been in high school. I remain hovered over the treadmill. Part of me doesn’t want to go out. If I do, she’ll leave soon enough. Yesterday, I had a glimpse of the woman beneath, the cheerful Anastasia whose biting sarcasm never waned but was capable of laughter. I had known that part of her once. But I won’t be fooled a second time. Staring at the meter, I increase the speed. Perspiration beads down my forehead by the time we are done. A glance at the wallclock tells me that it’s nearly nine. Shit! We were supposed to leave for her place at eight. Instead of feeling remorse, a crooked grin plays on my lips. She’d probably be pouting, preparing all the verbal ammunition she could come up with in the space of an hour. I pick a towel from my neatly a
AnastasiaI didn’t sleep well last night. There are dark circles under my eyes.Greta had arrived earlier than usual to help me with my preparations. There wasn’t much to pack - I didn’t use the closet space he offered, mostly because I didn’t want to get too comfortable.Levi was nowhere to be seen that morning. He was supposed to drop me off - he had insisted on doing it himself.One thing was certain, he hadn’t gone to work. In fact, no one had seen him leave the house.Then, where the hell was he?The sun is shining brightly ahead, making the water fountain look like falling crystals.The gardener is diligently at work, trimming the flowers as he listens to music using his headphones.Alphonsus stands by the door with me, whistling quietly.“Where do you think he is?” I ask for the third time that morning.“Let’s be patient. It’s not in his nature to keep people waiting. He must be held back by something important.”I heave a sigh, glancing down at my wristwatch.It’s a quarter pa
Anastasia“If you want me to kiss you, you have to lean forward, Crosswalk.”He arches a brow.“I’m not the one offering payment. If you want a pillow, you have to be willing to get it.”I pout at him. “You’re milking the situation! I’m pregnant, for crying out loud!”“That’s all the more reason you need a pillow.” He counters.I curse under my breath. “Fine. We’ll play your game.”I slid my legs off the bed slowly, exaggerating each movement. When I catch his gaze, he’s smirking smugly.Ugh! I want to punch him so hard that his teeth would fall out.His eyes are dark and intense as they look down at me. I suck in a deep breath.This is all for a pillow, I tell myself.I accidentally step on his feet in an effort to inch closer. A sigh escapes me when our bodies touch. Then, I stand on my tippy toes and touch my lips to his.He doesn’t respond, he just stands there struggling not to grin at my desperation.I grimace.“This isn’t funny.” I try to pull away.He holds me firmly in place,
AnastasiaMy voice vanishes at that point. The certainty in his gaze is unmistakable. How did he arrive at such an accurate conclusion? Was it because of what the doctor said?All I can do is shrug.“Don’t give me that, Purrey. Say the words and I’ll make sure you never have to cross paths with her again.”My throat tightens. His face is unreadable, his tone matter-of-fact. There was no hint of gentleness.“I’m not afraid of her.”“I never said you were.”I fold my arms across my chest. “I won’t dictate how you live your life, Crosswalk.”“And I won’t let you kill my son because of your pride, Purrey.”I wince - as if he just landed me a cold slap.Sighing, I pull the covers higher and turn away.His breath catches. Guilt.“I didn’t mean to offend-”“None taken.”The bed creaks as he settles down beside me. I glance over my shoulder, twisting myself uncomfortably. His hand moves to offer comfort but falls back to his side.“If it makes you feel better, Athelia and I are just friends.”
Eight years ago.Anastasia.He stood at the doorway, his bag slung over one shoulder. He never frequented the library, but somehow managed to always remain top of the class.The moment I glanced up, he beckoned me to join him. I packed up my books and ran across the distance.I had told my driver not to come today. It had cost me three hundred dollars - his fine for keeping his silence.And in the space of a week, I would lose 1500 dollars - money I wasn’t sure I had.“Were you busy?” He asked, genuinely concerned.A blush crept up my cheeks.“I was just trying to wrap my head around an essay I was asked to write.”His lips quirked up in the faintest hint of a smile. I could swear my stomach fluttered.“I’m pretty good at essays. I could show you while at my place.”I gulped. That would mean staying longer than I meant to.“I… I’m not sure.”“Essays don’t take time.”I rolled my eyes. “They do.”He shrugged and held out his hand. I hesitated before I accepted it. His palms felt warm i







