CH. 2 ABORT IT!

Selena’s POV

I paced anxiously outside the clinic room, my mind consumed by worry for Madison. That young maid was like family to my husband—Dominic had taken her under his wing after the tragic passing of her mother, who had once been his own nursemaid. I had grown to see Madison as the sister I never had.

As the clinic door swung open, the doctor's sad expression sent a chill down my spine. Silently, he ushered me inside, the open window was letting in a gentle breeze. My gaze landed on Madison, her entire body covered beneath the crisp white sheets.

"Maddy?" I called, rushing to her bedside. "What's wrong, you have to tell me, I am here, not just as your guardian, but also your friend."

But instead of answering, she turned pleading eyes towards the pack doctor. "Please don’t tell her, it’s all my fault, I have been a bad girl." she begged, tears rushing down her pale cheeks.

Ignoring her, I grasped the sheets, pulling them down to reveal Madison's face. Her huge green eyes were red-rimmed, her usually lively locks dulled by pain.

"What's going on?" I pressed, grasping her hand. "What shouldn’t he tell me? You know you can tell me anything, if it’s bad I promise not to scold you."

The doctor cleared his throat, drawing my attention. "I'm afraid I can't keep this from you, Luna. As one of her guardians, you deserve to know."

Toughening myself, I nodded, bracing for his next words. "Please, tell me," I urged.

"Madison is pregnant."

The announcement hit me like a summer storm, sudden and violent, stealing the breath from my lungs. "Pregnant?" I echoed, disbelief, coloring my tone. "But she doesn't have a mate yet, let alone a boyfriend. How is this possible?"

The doctor's gaze was loaded with pity. "I asked her who the father was, after pestering her for a while, she came clean, the father is—" Madison cut in, before he could finish his speech.

"No, no, don’t tell her, please!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, but the doctor didn’t listen.

He shook his head, took a deep breath and dropped the bombshell. "I'm afraid the father is...your husband, the Alpha."

For a moment, the world seemed to spin, stealing my breath from my lungs. Surely, this was some twisted nightmare - Dominic would never betray me in such a way. He loved me, cherished me as his Luna.

But Madison's painful sobs told a different story, and as I turned to look at the doctor. "No, that can’t be true," I whispered, shaking my head in denial. "That is a really strong accusation, my Dominic would never do that. He loves me, he would never—"

But before I could finish, the sound of approaching footsteps cut me off. I turned to see my mate’s face, as he arrived in the clinic doorway, his Beta Luke standing behind him.

Dominic strode towards me, his strong arm encircling my waist, his lips brushing the top of my head. "Mrs. Cuddles, my love. What's going on? Is she alright now?"

The nickname I had so long adored now tasted like ash on my tongue. Pulling away, I met his gaze, my voice trembling. "Madison is pregnant. And she says that…that you are the father of her child."

Time seemed to stand still as Dominic let out a heavy sigh, his expression shifting to one of cold indifference. "Yes, it's true," he stated flatly. "If Madison is with child, then I am the father."

The words cycled my brain like the world’s most horrifying mantra, shattering the delicate surface of the life we had built together. "How could you do this to me? To us?" I cried, hot tears streaming down my cheeks.

Dominic's jaw tightened. "It's a necessity, my love," he declared, his tone brooking no argument. "I need to ensure my position as Alpha, to prevent my brother from taking my place, and also your father’s pack since we just merged it with mine. And Madison...she may be able to give me what you cannot."

The cruel implication of his words struck me like a knife to the heart. "What I cannot?" I echoed, my voice filled with pain. "You mean a son, an heir? What if I am also pregnant right now, what will you do about it?"

His gaze hardened. "If you are also pregnant, I will tell you to abort the child. I need a male heir to secure my bloodline. I cannot have you birthing only girls, we already have three."

A fresh tear slid down my cheek, the pain of his heartless dismissal of our daughters piercing me to the core. This was not the Dominic I had fallen madly in love with, the man who had sworn he cared not for an heir, only for our family's wellbeing.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked up at him, my heart shattering. "You are a different person now, Dominic," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "Everything you ever told me was a lie, you chose power over us, you stoop so low as to getting a she-wolf who was supposed to be like a sister to you, pregnant, you have absolutely no shame!"

Without a word, he tossed Madison a smile, then turned on his heel and strode from the room, accompanied by his beta. My wolf howled in pain and anguish inside me, I felt my legs buckle, and I crumpled to the floor beside Madison's bed, my tears coming faster now.

The doctor's pitying gaze burned into me, and I knew at that moment that my world had come crashing down. My mate, the man I trusted above all others, had betrayed me in the most heinous of ways. And now, I was left to pick up the shattered pieces of my shattered heart and my shattered life.

***

The night was pitch black as I tiptoed down the stairs, my luggage dragging behind me with muffled thumps. I needed to get out of this house, away from the man who no longer cherished me, as quickly and quietly as possible.

Reaching the living room, I set the bags down, tiptoeing to my daughters' room. Slowly, I pushed open the door, wincing at the soft creak. The warm spark of the moonlight illuminated their peaceful, sleeping faces.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I went to the closet, yanking it open. Grabbing one of their storage boxes from the top shelf, I began hastily packing their clothes, shoving them into the awaiting suitcases.

I couldn't - wouldn't - stay here and watch as Dominic entertained the idea of another woman bearing his child. The mere thought sent a fresh wave of pain running through me.

"Mommy?" a small voice called out, and I turned around in fear, only to find Anna, blinking seriously at me.

"What are you doing with our clothes so late at night?" she questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Swallowing nervously, I forced a smile. "We are going on that trip your father and I promised," I lied. "You need to wake your sisters, we have to leave quickly, your father will join us over there."

Anna's expression remained doubtful, but she obeyed, gently waking Lily and Rose from their sleep. As the sleepy girls joined us, I lifted the packed box, dragging it towards the door.

"Follow me," I commanded, my tone brooking no argument.

The girls hurried after me, their small feet slapping against the hardwood as we made our way to the living room. Peeking outside, I hardened my nerves, relief crashing over me at the sight of the empty room.

"Um, mommy, why are we sneaking around?" Rose whispered, her brow knit in confusion.

I shushed her, gripping the second suitcase and pulling it towards the main door. I tugged the door open a little and pushed out one of the bags, but as I reached for the other, a hand caught it from the other side.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I shoved the door open wider, finally seeing the owner of that hand. It was—it was Luke.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my mind racing. What was he doing here, at this hour? Had he caught wind of my plan to leave?