Chapter 3

[Elara POV]

"Don't think about it too much, Lina," Lucian said, staring at her like she was the only person in the room. "I know it is my fault Alaric is dead. He was brave, and now it is my responsibility to take care of you."

Lina sniffled, wiping her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. "Thank you, Lucian."

I swallowed the bitter lump rising in my throat and lowered my eyes. The warriors at the nearby tables pretended not to look, but I could feel their heavy, pitying glances on me.

I looked at Lina. "Lina, if you truly want to have a child someday, why don't you open your heart to one of the single warriors in our pack? Give someone a chance to care for you."

Lucian's head snapped toward me, his eyes wide and shocked, as if I had struck him across the face. "How can you be so heartless?" he snapped. "Suggesting such a thing to Lina after everything her mate did to protect us? Have you no sympathy at all?"

I shrank back into my seat, fighting the sting behind my eyelids. "Lucian, I didn't mean it like that—"

"I'm so sorry, Luna Elara," Lina sobbed, her whole body shaking. "It just gets so hard to go on without Alaric. I never meant to make you angry."

"What?" I whispered, staring at her in disbelief.

"Enough, Elara," Lucian said, his voice cold in a way I had never heard before. "Why couldn't you just wait for me at home? Now you're here, causing a scene in front of everyone."

"I'm causing a scene?" The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. "I am your mate, Lucian. I am your Luna. And you're sitting here holding another woman while I sit right next to you like I don't exist."

"Stop overreacting," Lucian said, pressing two fingers between his eyes. "Just go home. I'll be back later."

The last bit of hope inside me snapped. I looked around the dimly lit room. Every pair of eyes in the bar was fixed on us, waiting to see what the wolfless Luna would do. I wasn't wanted here.

I made a move to stand up, but before I could step away, Lina pushed herself up from the table. She wiped her face and shook her head.

"No, Lucian, please don't do this to your Luna," she cried. "You've done more than enough for me. Please go home with her. I'll find my way back alone."

"I'm not letting you walk home alone in the dark," Lucian said, standing up right beside her. "It isn't safe. I will take you."

Lina hesitated for a second, but Lucian reached down and wrapped his fingers tightly around hers, intertwining them. He didn't try to hide it. He didn't care who saw.

My eyes fell to their joined hands, and a sharp pain stabbed through my chest. I opened my mouth to say his name, but Lucian didn't look at me.

"I'll be home after I drop her off," he said coldly.

He didn't wait for my response. He turned around and led Lina out of the bar, holding her hand the entire way.

The room stayed completely silent after the door swung shut. I sat back down on the bench, staring at the empty space in front of me. Just an hour ago, I had believed that telling Lucian about the baby would fix everything.

Now the truth was plain as day. Lucian didn't care if I drove home alone in the dark, but he worried about Lina's safety.

I forced myself to stand up and walk toward the exit.

"Luna, are you alright?" Cane asked, stepping into my path near the door. "I can drive you back. I'm done drinking anyway."

I stopped and looked at him. "Thank you, Cane, but I can manage."

He lowered his head, but I could still see the deep sympathy in his eyes. I couldn't stand being looked at like that for another second, so I walked out into the chilly night air.

The cold wind bit into my skin. I reached my car, opened the door, and sank into the driver's seat. The moment I closed the door, I placed my hand over my stomach.

Tears finally overflowed, spilling down my cheeks as I remembered the warm way Lucian looked at Lina, and the harsh way he spoke to me.

I started the engine, backed out of the space, and drove down the dark border road. I kept wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, but the tears kept coming, making the road ahead a blurry mess.

I pressed my hands tight against the steering wheel, trying to focus on the lines on the road.

Suddenly, a large gray wolf stepped out from the shadows of the trees and stood directly in the middle of the road, staring right at my headlights.

My heart jumped into my throat. I slammed my foot on the brake and jerked the wheel hard to the right to avoid hitting the beast.

The tires lost their grip on the wet dirt road. The car skidded out of control, smashing through the low guardrail and flying off the edge of the steep drop.

A sharp scream tore from my throat as the car plunged into the freezing river below.

Water slammed against the windows, crashing through the glass in an instant. Cold river water flooded the car, filling my mouth and nose. I fought with the seatbelt, pulling at the strap as the car sank deeper into the dark water.

"My baby," I thought wildly, pressing my hand over my stomach as air bubbles rushed past my face. "Moon Goddess, please save my baby." 

My lungs burned for air. Darkness started creeping into the edges of my vision. Just before my eyes closed completely, I saw the dim outline of a shadow diving into the water above me, swimming down fast toward the car door.

Then everything went black.

~~~~

"Push another dose! Come on!" a voice shouted from somewhere far away.

A sharp, electric heat slammed into my chest, making my body jump off the bed. A terrible screeching sound echoed in my ears.

"Come on, we are losing her!"

My chest slammed down again. Darkness pulled at me, heavy and cold, dragging me under.

"Lucian..." I whimpered from deep inside my chest, my voice faint and fading. "Please... save our pup..." 

A third time, the sharp burst of heat hit my body.

A loud gasp tore from my throat as my lungs suddenly inflated. Water and air mixed in my throat, making me cough violently as my heart kicked back into a steady, heavy beat.

I slowly forced my eyelids open. My vision was blurry, seeing only faint shapes and white light.

"Lucian?" I whispered, my voice dry and raspy.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, the blur cleared away. The man standing at the side of my hospital bed was not Lucian.

He was broad shouldered and tall, dressed in a sleek black Alpha jacket. His dark eyes were fixed on mine, full of an intense, strange power that made my skin prickle.

A sharp pain throbbed behind my temples, and I blinked, staring at the stranger in complete confusion.