007: I WANT A DIVORCE

~Kael~

The smell of antiseptic wafts into my nostrils as I pace the corridor outside Celeste’s ward. Corvin stands before me, hands clasped together, head bowed like that of a child awaiting punishment. 

“You went straight to the elders,” I bellow in frustration. “What made you think you could tell the elders about my pup before me? When did I ever give you the permission to discuss something like that with them?”

My chest is knotted in fury. I can feel the heat rising up my spine, my wolf prowling beneath my skin.

Corvin's head dips further. “Al…Alpha Kael,” he stutters. “I thought it was was urgent. The elders had to know the truth in such a–”

“No,” I cut in curtly. “You were supposed to tell me first.” I slam my hand against my chest, unable to stem my rage. “I am your Alpha, the father of that child. You had to tell me first.”

Corvin swallows, beads of perspiration appearing on his forehead. “I sincerely apologise, Alpha. I believed the issue with the pregnancy was a matter of pack concern. Besides, I thought the Luna told you already. Given the accusation against her–”

“Get out!” 

Hastily, he nods and scurries away. My fingers thread through my hair. This is all my fault. If I had accompanied Elara to the hospital just as she had asked me to, this would never have happened. I married her and brought her to this pack. Despite the objections and ridicule she got from the members, she stuck it out with me. I was supposed to be there for her.

Elara’s face flashes in my mind. The tremble in her voice, the fear in her eyes when she discovered that everyone had turned against her. I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting the urge to send my fist slamming into the wall. Elara has always been compassionate. It was what drew me to her, her kindness and ability to be good to everyone. Hearing that she poisoned Celeste doesn't sit well with me, but the evidence against her is too damning for me to turn a blind eye to the possibility. After all, she didn't take Celeste's return to the pack lightly.

The door beside me opens. A nurse pokes her head out. “Alpha, the patient is awake.” 

Subconsciously, I heave a sigh of relief  and give the nurse a nod, striding into the  ward. Celeste is sitting on the bed, her fingers curled into the covers as she stares into space. She looks fragile than she did earlier, pale and weak. A result of the poison. For a moment, I hesitate in the doorway.

Celeste has always been someone I was meant to protect. Since we were kids, that role fell naturally to me. It never occurred to me to refuse it, even when she chose someone else over me.

She twists in the bed, her eyes widening as they land on me. “Kael…” her voice cracks. A violent cough ripples through her. I rush towards the bed, my hands stretched out instinctively.

“How do you feel? The doctors pumped your stomach and removed all traces of the poison.”

“I don't feel great.” Her lashes flutter. She rubs her chest absently, her other hand gripping mine. “I was so scared, Kael. I thought I was going to die.” Batting her lashes at me, she adds. “I thought… I'd never see you again.”

The ache in my chest eases. When our eyes meet, relief flickers in her expression. Her return disrupted my life in ways I didn't expect, but that doesn't erase what she has endured. Dealing with a broken bond isn't rosy. Sometimes, she writhes in unbearable pain, and no one can calm her down except me. If only Elara can understand this.

“You’re safe now.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” she huffs. “I feel better knowing that you’re here.”

“Kael,” she calls softly, her tone honeyed. “Did she do this to me? Elara?”

I pull myself away from her, raking my fingers through my hair. “What makes you think Elara is responsible for your poisoning, Celeste?” 

“I haven't eaten anything else all day,” Celeste says. “If she isn't behind it, then who can it be? You and Elara were the only ones who had access to the meal I ate.”

I let out an exasperated breath. Celeste's words make sense. Besides, wolfsbane isn't something werewolves like to come in contact with. Elara is the only human in the pack, the only one who could have…

“You don't think she's guilty?” Celeste’s voice breaks into my thoughts, filled with hurt. “Kael, I know you feel responsible for her, but you can't let that cloud your judgement.”

“I can't just make make a judgment without hearing what she has to say.”

“Is that necessary? She's obviously going to lie. She has never liked me. What other motive do you need for her crime?”

It's hard to believe that Elara would do something this risky when she has just a few weeks to deliver our baby. She's supposed to be careful, especially because of the thousands of eyes always watching and waiting for her to make a mistake. How could she do something like this?

“Well, at least the elders are logical,” Celeste blurts averting her gaze. “I heard Elara has been exiled. I know how much you care about her, but it has to be done.”

The severity of the elders decision weighs on me. I press my lips into a thin line, my gaze trained to the floor. Exile. That's too heavy a sentence for her. The pack needs an heir. The elders have made that clear since the day Elara conceived. Whether she remains Luna or not, the child is a symbol of stability, proof that my bloodline continues unbroken. Moreover, we have been married for three years. I can't just banish her because of a suspicion that's not even confirmed.

“She’s carrying my child,” I say at last. “That complicates things.”

Celeste’s fingers tighten in the sheets. “So the baby matters more than justice?”

“That’s not what I said.”

But it isn’t entirely untrue either.

I glance back at Celeste. She’s watching me closely now, her brows knit together in disappointment.

“You have to make a decision, Kael. I can't be in the same pack with someone who tried to kill me. It's either I leave, or she leaves.”

I exhale and turn away from her, tongue tied. Something is wrong somewhere. I just have to get to the root of things, and I can make a better decision.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and scan the screen. Dread washes over me.

Please don’t let me lose our child.

Without another glance at Celeste, I dash out of the ward and out of the hospital, straight to my car. My house is ten minutes drive away. I don’t wait to stop the engine before rushing into the house, straight to Elara’s room. The guards in front of it give me a quick bow. Nothing prepares me for the sight I see when I enter.

Elara is on the floor, unconscious and tied to a chair. There’s a small pool of blood beside her, tracing all the way to a trail on her thigh. A guard stands above her, kicking her legs rudely.

“Is she dead?” he whispers mockingly. “Wake up, Luna. You can’t die yet.”

Something inside me snaps. 

I bolt to the guard and wrap my hand around his neck, squeezing hard. As soon as he sees me, his eyes round in horror. “Al…Alpha Kael, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”

“What the hell did you do to her?”

“What the hell have you done!” My roar bounces off the wall of the room. The guard claws at my wrist, choking. I throw him against the wall. He collapses against it with a dull thud.

“Elara,” I whisper as I drop to my knees before her, untying the ropes. Her dress is soaked with her blood. “I’m so sorry. I’m so… so sorry.”

But she doesn’t hear me. She’s unconscious. I scoop her into my arms and dash to my car. Her head bobs against me. Her scent, usually calming, is faint and lacking now. 

The journey back to the hospital is shorter than normal. A medical team is on standby to receive her when I get there. She is taken into a ward and examined, and I spend the next hour pacing restlessly right in a corner of the room.

“She’s stable,” Corvin finally says after an eternity passes. “Her and the baby are safe. She had a scare, but that’s all.”

My knees buckle with relief. I don’t know what I'd have done if anything happened to her. I’m not ready to lose her. Not yet.

Elara stirs awake, an IV connected to her hand. She scans the ceiling in confusion, then heaves softly, relaxing. I frame her hand with mine, raising it to my lips. Her  gaze finds mine.

“You’re in the hospital,” I assure her. “Nothing happened to you or the baby.”

Her eyes harden. Inching away from me, she averts her gaze. Then the words leave her lips, shattering my world.

“Kael, I want a divorce.”