Chapter 4

Scarlett POV

Maybe it was a side effect of my heartache, but in the days that followed, I felt utterly exhausted, too tired to eat, and found myself throwing up again and again.

Lucien, his face full of concern, begged me to go to the hospital.

But I refused.

A trip to the emergency room would immediately expose the pup's existence, and I couldn't let that happen.

"It's probably just the shock from the champagne tower," I offered as an excuse. "It really scared me. All I see when I close my eyes are glass shards."

He looked at me for a long moment, then pulled me into a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Scarlett. I didn't take care of you that night."

I managed a faint smile.

I fixed his tie and buttoned his jacket, then gently nudged him out the door.

"You should go to the office. I can take care of myself."

He shook his head, a look of helplessness on his face, and pulled me into another hug, refusing to let go.

"You have to eat something, you're getting so thin. If you don't feel better, call me. I'll come right back."

"I'll be fine," I insisted with a smile, and closed the door.

Leaning against it, I felt a familiar wave of despair wash over me.

Lucien's care for me was genuine, but it was the same care he gave to Anika.

That was the part I couldn't accept.

A few days later, I went to the hospital for a check-up.

The doctor assured me the pup was healthy and handed me a prescription.

I was on my way out when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a familiar figure.

Lucien.

He was guiding Anita out of another exam room.

She was sobbing, clutching her stomach, while he soothed her with quiet words.

Our eyes met across the corridor. His shoulders stiffened, and within seconds he was at my side.

"Scarlett. You finally came. How are you? What did the doctors say?"

"Stomach flu," I said casually.

Relief flickered across his face.

"Then go home and rest. Don't overdo it. I'll come back soon."

I glanced at Anika's still-flat stomach. "What's wrong with her?"

He hesitated, his gaze darting nervously between me and her.

"It's...complicated. Please don't misunderstand. I'll handle it."

My breath hitched. Anika was clearly pregnant, and Lucien had no idea how to explain it to me.

A bitter smile crept onto my lips. "You look busy. I'll just go home."

Only two more days, I reminded myself, I'll be gone.

He won't have to lie to me anymore.

Back in my car, my phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.

It was a sonogram. The date on it was within a few days of my own.

My heart still ached, but it was a dull, numb pain.

It had been cut so many times that there was no more blood left to bleed.

A message jumped out:

[ He's tired of you, you boring woman. Lucien only loves me.]

I replied with a single message:

[ Congratulations. I'll be sending you a gift. ]

I threw the phone to the side, my vision blurred by tears.

I drove around for a long time, not wanting to go home.

When I finally arrived, Lucien pulled me into a tight embrace, his body radiating with worry.

"Scarlett, where were you?" he asked, his voice strained. "I called you a dozen times."

I glanced at my phone. "Sorry. It was on silent."

He stared at me, his brow furrowed.

"Don't you have anything to ask me about today?"

My mind went blank. "What should I be asking?"

He let out a long sigh.

"You're obviously upset. There's something on your mind. I only see Anika as a friend. I owe her my life, and I'm simply repaying her kindness. Please, don't overthink this. Just focus on our ceremony."

"If you still don't believe me, I'll let you hear every call she makes to me."

Right then, his phone rang. He put it on speaker.

"Lucien, I'm so sorry... I fell, and my stomach hurts so much..."

Lucien's face went rigid. He looked at me, his eyes full of anguish.

"You heard her," he said. "Anika needs me. I'll be back as soon as I can."

The door closed, and so did my heart.

I pulled out my suitcase and began to pack.

--

The marking ceremony was a magnificent affair. Everyone knew of our five-year love story, and they had come to celebrate.

But instead of wearing the white gown, I was in a wig and an oversized dress, lost in the crowd.

Romantic music filled the air as the new Luna of the pack walked toward her Alpha.

Lucien lifted the veil with tear-filled eyes, but his expression instantly froze.

"What are you doing here? Where's Scarlett?" he demanded, grabbing Anika by the arm. "Where did you hide her?"

His Alpha aura became commanding and cold.

The whole hall fell silent, no one daring to speak.

Anika trembled under his touch. "She... she left me a note," she stammered. "It said she wasn't coming, and that I should take her place."

"And you didn't tell me?" he roared. "Why would you go along with her plan?"

"Because...I wanted to be your Luna," she whimpered.

"That's impossible!" he growled, tightening his grip on her arm. "My mate is on one but Scarlett. I only love her."

The tension in the room was suffocating.

I turned and slipped away, unnoticed, into the night.

I got in a taxi and headed for the airport.

Under the streetlights, my tears finally came, an unstoppable flood.