Chapter Two

“You are pregnant"

Pregnant

My eyes opened to see nothing but darkness. I relaxed once I remembered that I was in the living room, resting.

I was still reeling from the news when I returned back home and Derek was still gone. I layed on the couch and fell asleep in tears.

My exhaustion was so much that I fell asleep and woken up in the evening. My stomach growled in hunger, but I couldn't eat until Derek was present. The last time I did he almost forced a teaspoon down my throat in anger.

I had no idea what had changed in him since he got the alpha position. My childhood friend turned mate who treated me with kindness and love had become a monster.

And now?

My arms wrapped around my belly with his child. Our child.

What was I going to do?

All I hoped for was that the pack doctor hadn't told him the news yet. Just this one mercy would be enough.

So lost in thought, I slipped into sleep once more.

I was woken up by a loud sound. Alert, I opened my eyes to find darkness. It was already night time.

My heart stopped at the dark figure outlining the room.

He was here.

“Hello my dear wife.”  his words were spit out like venom.

My body trembled as I stood up from the couch. With the sound of a switch followed the entire place illuminated with light.

He was standing by the door, blue eyes glowering directly at me.

Despite that he looked completely normal. Calm even.

But I knew better, shaking more. It was when he was most calm that he was dangerous.

He took a step forward making me flinch.

“Interesting news I heard. People say that they saw their dear Luna walking around the pack house. Strange isn't it?” he said in a deceptively calm voice.

I swallowed. In truth, I knew that there was no reason for his anger. Even when I did nothing wrong, he always found something to use on me as an excuse to hit me. I was walking on eggshells, and there was nothing I could do about it.

The only times he restrained himself was the rare times I fell sick or was recovering. I could have spoken, but I held my tongue. If I told him I wasn’t feeling too well, he would force me to the pack doctor. I didn't want him to know of the pregnancy. Not now.

“Once I was done with my duties, I took a short walk through the pack.” I lied, shaking. It didn’t matter what excuses I made, lie or truth, the result was always going to be the same.

“Oh really?” his face morphed into a smile that chilled my bones.

I nodded, staying frozen in place.  I hadn’t realized when my hand began touching my belly in fear. Did he realize it?

“And who told you to go out?”his voice was always sickly sweet.

My throat felt heavy as I swallowed. This was it. There was no way  to avoid what he was going to do next.

Bowing my head slightly I spoke “I’m so-“

The first hit came as a shock. The second followed soon after.

His hand came immediately to my neck, pushing me until my head banged a hard surface.

I felt the tight grip of his hand , his nails pinching the skin of my neck as he strangled me. I couldn’t deny my instinct and scrambled against his hands.

I let out a choked cry as new pain bloomed from my scalp being held up in place.

“How dare you leave the house without my permission?” he roared, showing his true colors.

“S-s-s” ‘Sorry’ I tried to choke out, only to scream as he yanked my head again.

He sneered at me “Who are you? I am your alpha and you? You're nothing but  my useless toy.”

His grip tightened even more, making me even more frantic.

“You're nothing without me. Can't even act like a proper luna.”

I fought against his hold as black spots continued to fill my sight.

“Derek” I tried to say, only coming out as a gasp of air.

“You bitch!” the moment I was spun around, and pushed.

In an instant the cold floor was all I could feel. Harsh coughs wracked my body as I finally let in air. The relief wasn’t for long as a sharp hit pushed me down to the ground.

Soon after, it was everywhere. Sharp jabs began hitting  every single part of my back. He was kicking me.

I shut my eyes tightly, withstanding the pain. Despite the pain blooming from my body, only two words came to mind.

My baby.

I instantly curled in on myself, wrapping my arms around my belly. Despite the kicks I held close, tears streaming down my eyes.

‘im sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.’ I cried out in my head thinking of the invisible thing growing inside me.

The kicks stopped, but my reprieve wasn't for long as the pain from my hair sparked up again. using only my hair, he dragged me up to face him.

His face was a sneer, beautiful features arranged to create one I feared.

“None of the people you serve like you. I'm the only person that you have, so if you dare defy me, I will make your life hell understand?”

Tears flowed down freely as I whimpered, saying something I couldn't understand. His face morphed into a cruel smile.

“Learn your place. Stupid woman.”

The rest was a blur. I was pushed before somewhere above my eye collided with something hard. The pain was unbearable, as my ears rang continuously.

It felt like I was underwater, his voice so far away followed by a series of sounds that vaguely felt like a door slam.

My eyes shut as I succumbed to the darkness.

The next time I opened my eyes I found myself in the same place. The lights still shone above me in the living room.  the aches and bruises, both old and new pulsed around my body. My back hurts the most. But it was okay.

Stumbling as I stood, I looked down at my belly . Panic filled me. had the beating taken them away?

Thankfully I saw nothing, no blood stained my dress. The baby was still safe, still alive.

Warmth flowed down my face and I reached out to find that it was blood. The table I had collided with injured the top of my left eye.

‘It could have been worse’ I thought to myself, sighing in relief.

The thought made me sigh in relief.

The prickle of tears came immediately after as shame and disappointment filled me, all aimed at myself.

Was this how bad it had gotten? Tha I could be relieved just because his beatings weren’t as harsh? Didn’t take too long? Was this how low my expectations had become?

The sounds of sobs , I realized, came from me. I hugged myself, hands wrapped protectively around my belly.

If I told Derek about this baby, would he stop? If he was born, would he begin to regain his former self?

‘No’

When it started, I wondered what had made Derek the way he was now. whether it was his father’s death, becoming Alpha, anything.

After a year and a half, I stopped bothering.

Now, two years after I realized that maybe, this was his true nature all along.

I imagined how he would act when the baby was born. Would he beat me in front of him? would I have to use myself as a shield to protect them from whatever objects he decided to throw? Perhaps when they were older, would he throw his anger on them?

I visualized it clearly, each image stamping terror into my heart.

This life I was living, full of abuse and pain, all hidden. Was this the life I wanted my child to live?

Once again, my answer remained a unanimous no.

There was only one course of action.

I had to leave. I had to escape, because anywhere else was better than the hell I was living in.

I had to do this for myself, and my child.