CHAPTER 4

Maya

My sister’s voice is soothing, I finally sleep through the night — the first real sleep I’ve had in so long. No tossing, no crying into my pillow, no waiting for a phone call that never comes.

When I wake up, the ache is still deep, but I feel a little more grounded, as if the world isn’t spinning out of control anymore.

I place a hand over my stomach and close my eyes.

No matter what happens between Ethan and me… the children are innocent. They deserve a mother who fights for them, not one who breaks apart.

So I force myself to eat. The first bite tastes like nothing, and for a moment I think I’ll throw up again. But I swallow.

Slowly the dizziness fades. I feel warmth again, even if I'm still bleeding on the inside.

I called Ethan several times, but he didn’t answer. He didn’t even call back.I need to see Ethan, to finally end this marriage properly. 

I make my way toward the hospital. The pack members glance at me, their eyes cold and distant, as if I no longer belong here. I can tell the news has already spread. Everyone knows Ethan has found his fated mate.

The hall is quiet, and I spot Lucas his beta near the nurse’s station.

He freezes when he sees me, his eyes dart toward the hospital rooms. He’s clearly uneasy, his hands fidgeting with the papers in his grasp.

“Lucas,” I say, with a sharp voice. “Where’s Ethan?”

He swallows, avoiding my gaze. “Uh… he’s… busy, I think.”

Something in his hesitation makes my stomach twist. I step closer. “Lucas. Don’t lie to me. I can smell her, Chloe. She’s here, isn’t she?Take me to Ethan. I know he is with her. ”

He can’t meet my eyes, and that’s all the confirmation I need. My fists clench at my sides, and I feel Lily whining in my head, my nails digging into my palms, but I force myself to stay calm. 

I stop in my tracks when I realize where he’s taking me. It’s a ward reserved only for me. My chest twists painfully when I see Chloe lying in the Luna Suite, my suite.

My steps grow heavy with dread. I’m terrified of what I might find if I take another step, but I force myself forward. When I do, I find Ethan sitting beside her bed.

Our eyes meet and my heart skips a bit. They are hollow from sleepless nights, his hair disheveled and unkempt.

The divorce papers feel impossibly heavy in my hand as I step closer and hold them out to him.

Victoria prepared them three years ago. She hated the idea of me being his wife. And Ethan… he said he couldn’t go against her, so he kept them. 

I told myself it didn’t matter. I convinced myself that he chose me, that love was enough.

But now… after everything I’ve sacrificed… Those same papers have finally become useful.

“Sign them,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I don’t want your money or your pity. Just end this.”

His eyes widen, shock flickers across his face. We promised each other forever, but standing here now, I know this is the end of our road.

“Maya, no,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “I can’t sign that. You can’t just walk away.”

I let out a bitter laugh, my throat tight with pain. “What the hell, Ethan? You want to have your mate and me by your side, no Ethan it's not done, you can’t eat your cake and have it too.” 

“You’re my wife, and I love you, Maya,” he says, desperation bleeding through his voice. “You can’t just walk away from what we have, from everything we’ve shared.”

I swallow hard, forcing the lump in my throat down. A part of me still wants him to choose me over Chloe. The ache of hope in my heart burns. 

“Then prove it,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “If you still love me, reject her. Reject Chloe now.”

He freezes. His jaw tightens, and the air between us turns heavy. My heart races as I look at him, with hope desperate in my breath.

“Ethan, please… reject her,” I plead, my voice cracks . “I’ve asked Ava. She said she’s strong enough. She won’t die from the rejection.” The words tumble out all at once as I wait for him to move, to do something, anything.

For a heartbeat, I almost let out a sigh of relief when he steps closer to Chloe. Maybe he’s finally choosing me. Maybe this nightmare is about to end. His hands are trembling, and I know how hard this is for him.

Suddenly Chloe collapses to her knees, clutching his leg. Tears stream down her face as she sobs, “Please! Don’t reject me! I’m pregnant!”

It’s as if someone has poured a bucket of ice over me. I can’t move. I can’t even breathe.

“What?” Ethan’s eyes widened in shock.

Chloe lifts a shaking hand to her neck, revealing a faint mark. “That night… after the battle… you were drunk,” she whispers. “You marked me. You said you’d protect me.”

My fingers go numb. My heart, my entire world, shatters into pieces I’ll never be able to gather again. He didn’t just betray me emotionally; he chose her in the most sacred way.

I let out a bitter, broken laugh. “You slept with her?” My voice trembles, my chest tightening with pain that feels endless. “You betrayed me, Ethan.”

Chloe crawls closer, clutching my leg. “Please, Luna… let me stay. I’ll serve you. Just don’t send me away. My baby… it’s his blood.”

Her words cut through me like a knife. His baby. The one thing Ethan has always wanted.

My hand instinctively moves to my stomach. He doesn’t even know I’m carrying his twins. And now, I know he never will.

The door swings open, and Victoria steps in, her face glowing. “Oh, wonderful news,” she says, almost singing the words. She turns to Ethan with a firm, cold smile. “You will not reject her. From today onward, everyone will treat Chloe as their Luna. Understood?”

Ethan doesn’t even glance in my direction. This makes my chest tighten.

Victoria snaps her fingers at the nurse. “Give Maya her injection.”

I flinch. “What injection?”

She smirks, folding her arms as if she’s enjoying every second of this. “The maids told me you haven’t been taking your pregnancy medicine for several days. This will make up for it.”

The room tilts a bit when the nurse steps forward with the syringe.

“No!” I try to move back, but the nurse grips my arm. I struggle against their hold, but they are stronger than me, I’m too weak to fight.

The needle pierces my skin. The sting burns deep, and within seconds, the world around me begins to fade. My breath falters. My limbs grow heavy. 

“Ethan! It hurts!” Chloe’s scream cuts through the haze clouding my mind. Her voice trembles with panic. 

Through my blurry vision, I see her clutching her stomach. Ethan moves instantly. He rushes toward her, not even glancing my way, not caring what they’ve just injected into my system.

I stumble, my knees giving out beneath me as my body crashes against the cold floor. Pain tears through my abdomen, white-hot and merciless.

“Ethan…” My fingers reach out for him, desperate for anything, to hold on to. But he doesn’t turn.

All I see is him hovering over Chloe, as his voice breaks with fear. 

Just before everything fades, I see Ava, rushes toward me, her face etched with panic. She calls out my name, though it sounds distant. 

The world tilts, the edges of my vision darken, and then… everything goes black.