CHAPTER 3

CHARLENE’S POV

 

I massaged the temple of my head when I felt dizzy at the exact moment that I opened my eyes, only to realize that I was inside an unfamiliar room. 

 

"Where am I?" I murmured to myself, unable to recall who owned this place or how I even got here.

 

Despite my vision being hazy, I knew that I was inside a certain hospital ward. There were various flower petals that were scattered on the ground, particularly near the bed. Scented candles were lit up in the same area, as if I were about to be placed under a spell. It was the only source of illumination, but it was enough for me to see the walls that were as white as snow.

 

Glancing at the surroundings within my line of sight, I thought of roaming around. However, when I attempted to arise from the bed, I was instantly pulled back to my earlier position. I hissed when I sensed the pain that came from my forearms. It was only then that I noticed that I was chained to the walls. It was useless to try to pull my arm away from it, since I’d only be the one suffering in the end, so I stayed still.

 

My heart shattered into fragments as I remembered how my childhood friend betrayed me. Chandler was the only one who I actually thought of as a sibling of mine. I was such a fool to believe her. If only I knew that she merely used me to get close to Jaxton, then I wouldn’t have bothered to interact with her.

 

The doors opened and revealed Chandler and her father, Calix. After a few seconds, I heard some footsteps approaching.

 

"You're finally awake." Chandler's grin almost reached her eyes, which freaked me out; she looked like she was already prepared to devour me into bits.

 

"Why are you doing this?" I asked her seriously.

 

Chandler moved to the same bed. She raised one of her feet above, then rested her left arm on her front thigh. The tips of her index and thumb fingers reached my chin to force me to face her.

 

"Doing what? I’m just helping Jaxton with what he wants to happen."

 

"Stop acting so selfish!"

 

Chandler had the guts to slam her palm against my left cheek, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to strike back. "Then you shouldn’t have acted like a bitch in the first place!"

 

My lips trembled in utter despair, refusing to believe what I just heard. Chandler knew the truth pretty well, but she’s pretending like she had no idea about it.

 

"Just… do what you want already," I whispered at the same time that I sighed.

 

I’ve already given up, even though I still haven’t done anything spectacular. I have the option to mind-link with either Jaxton or Xavier to come and save me, but I’m afraid that neither of them would come to my aid.

 

"Charlene," Calix finally said to steal my attention.

 

I don’t quite understand why Chandler hurriedly stepped away from the bed when her father called me. The tension within the atmosphere between the two of them seemed new to me.

 

"You do know that my precious daughter isn’t ranked that high, right?" Calix asked, which I answered with a nod of my head. "I do believe that she’d be a better match for Jaxton. And based on the rumors in his pack, he’s looking for his second mate."

 

Before Calix finished his statement, I already had a guess of what he desired—that I should give up on Jaxton and the child and let Chandler mate with him. In that case, Chandler’s rank would skyrocket as the Vicious Shadow Pack’s Luna. And when my parents get to hear that, they will surely make Calix and Crystal work for them.

 

I have to give Jaxton any type of sign that he's about to get used by Chandler and her family. I firmly shut my eyes to perform a mind link with him, but a minute has already passed, and I still haven't reached him.

 

"What's the matter?" Calix questioned me with a slight change in his tone. No matter how hard he tried to hide his laughter, I still heard him snickering. "Can't get in touch with a specific someone?" he added.

 

I clicked my tongue in irritation at how he was right.

 

There can’t be any other explanation as to how I lost the capability to mind link with Jaxton or anyone else—wolfsbane. I’m sure that they placed it on the chains that hindered my movements.

 

"I suggest you refrain from moving too much," he said.

 

Calix held my shoulders as he pinned me to the headboard. His strength was a hundred times stronger than that of the alpha of this pack. Or maybe I’m just that fragile at this moment to think that he’s worthy of being compared to my own father.

 

I pressed my knees together to block him from taking my child’s life. I gritted my teeth in anger as I thought about how I’d be able to witness the child’s death right in front of me, believing that Calix has no plan to put me to sleep.

 

From this point of view, I couldn’t deny how his features almost made me have the urge to obey him. His masculine and firm build was the result of his consistent training since a long time ago, before he even got Chandler as her daughter.

 

I took a glance at Chandler in hopes that she’d object to what her father was about to do to me, but she seemed to be entertained. She had crossed her arms just below her chest while she leaned on the wall with the right side of her body.

 

Tears crawled freely out of my eyes when I realized that there was no other way out. I should have brought Xavier along with me, but his life might’ve been at risk too.

 

So I guess...

 

This was better after all.

 

Once my child is gone from this world, I’ll soon perish as well. I swore to the moon goddess that I’d decapitate myself once my child was taken away from me. And even if I regained my will to live by then, I’m certain that the moon goddess wouldn’t allow herself to let a promise slip by.

 

She’d most likely be the one to take my breath away by the next full moon.

 

"F-fuck… It hurts, it hurts!" With a wince, I tried to elude his up-and-coming attacks. It was too late for me to notice how Calix slashed through the left side of my waist. My blood flowed from it and stained the bedsheet in less than a minute.

 

"I told you not to move, Charlene." The way that he spoke sent shivers down my spine. He was dead serious right now, and those blank stares were the proof of it.

 

I let my body relax as I finally decided to stop resisting. It was the signal for Calix to start the process of abortion by whatever means he had. Calix roamed his hand around my pierced belly, which got me clenching my fists tight as I felt something inside splashing like the waves of the sea at a fast pace.

 

It wasn’t Calix...

 

It was my child.