1-Till Death Do Us Part

Fallon:

"I don't want another woman pregnant right now," my alpha husband barked into the phone.

"Wait. Who else is pregnant?” I gasped.

“And I'm not just another woman. I'm your mate. Your wife," I pressed, my fingers tightening against the edge of the kitchen counter.

"Oh, fuck. I didn’t mean it like that. You don’t need a pregnancy test right now. The world is in chaos, and you want to put more on me," he snapped, his voice sharp enough to make me press the phone harder against my ear.

"That's not how it works. Taking the test won't make me pregnant—" I started, but he cut me off mid-sentence.

"My family is coming over. I'll be home in a few minutes too. We’re not discussing this in front of them," he muttered before ending the call.

I stood behind the kitchen counter, tears blurring my vision, until a scream from outside dragged my attention away.

I moved toward the window and spotted a woman shouting into her phone as she rushed back to her house.

She probably received bad news.

We lived in the higher-ranked corner of the pack, set apart from the Gamma and Omega sides, where the alpha and beta families lived.

But the danger closing in on us wasn’t going to stay contained.

People were rushing toward their loved ones.

Announcements echoed everywhere, warning us to stay alert and keep away from anyone infected.

The second the doorbell rang, I rushed forward.

I knew better than to keep them waiting.

The moment I opened the door, my mate’s mother swept inside in a striking Victorian dress.

Right behind her were her daughter and elder son.

"Welcome," I greeted, lowering into a courtesy bow, but none of them acknowledged me.

They kept their heads high and walked toward the living room.

I followed in silence.

"They are saying many werewolves have been affected by this disease. They lose their wolves and turn into the living dead, something they are calling zombies," my mother-in-law said, her hands trembling slightly.

This was the first time I had seen her hands shake.

Usually, she was strong and level-headed.

Seeing her like this made something tighten in my chest.

"Why is this happening right when I was about to have my mating ceremony?" Lydia cried, throwing her head back dramatically.

"Not now, Lydia. We need to focus on getting to the shelter," Alpha Welsh of the White Lotus Pearl pack, my mate’s elder brother, stated.

Why was he here instead of in his own pack?

He had inherited his pack from his mother, while my mate inherited his from his father.

They were privileged, but no one ever dared to say it to their faces.

"What are you standing here for? Did you pack everything I asked you to?"

Finally, my mother-in-law acknowledged me, her expression souring at the sight of me.

I came from the woods, fated to Alpha Nathan.

When I was accepted by my mate, not many were pleased.

His family made sure to remind me of my place every waking second.

We had been married for two years, and my relationship with them had only worsened.

"I did. I packed the food, first aid, my clothes, his clothes, and everything else," I began listing things out, just to feel included.

“The food will only last for a week, and then—I don’t even want to imagine how the world will survive without basic necessities,” Lydia let out a cry, even making my heart sink in my chest.

"Well, my son will be here any minute with an RV. Then we will head straight to the shelter," Lady Wilma remarked, gripping the cushion in her hand.

"I hope he arrives before the zombies," Lydia commented, rolling her eyes.

She scratched at the back of her skin to hide her anxiety, but every so often, the mask slipped.

"You are all powerful. I'm sure your wolves will be able to fight any zombies that—" I tried to butter them up like I always did, hoping they would treat me better.

Their noses wrinkled, and their eyes narrowed at me.

"Do you even know anything? You dumb bitch. If your wolf bites those things, their toxic blood will enter your system, and you’ll turn into a zombie too. God, she’s so annoying," Lydia groaned, getting up from the couch and bumping her shoulder into mine as she passed.

"I didn’t know that," I replied. "So me not having a wolf doesn’t make me any different now?" I tried to joke, but once again, I was met with harsh glares.

"Don’t even think about it. You and us will never be the same," Alpha Welsh remarked, his lips curling in clear disdain, “you are weak and dependent and we are royals.”

"Brother is here," Lydia announced, her voice shifting instantly.

Everyone suddenly looked hopeful.

I hurried to the door to welcome him.

He stormed inside, bumping into my shoulder.

Outside, the RV he had brought was parked out on the open road.

"Babe, what’s going on? Is the world really ending?" I asked, rushing after him.

"Let’s go. Grab the bags. We don’t have time," Nathan ordered, sending everyone scrambling to their feet.

"What should I do?" I asked, stepping closer.

He paused, his gaze settling on me longer than it should have, as if trying to figure something out.

"Just stay out of our way. It’s not like you can carry anything above two kilos," Nathan remarked, drawing a few quiet scoffs.

Lydia started laughing. I stayed silent like a good Luna was supposed to do.

I should be used to the belittling now, but it’s never easy. There’s some part of me that still feels itchy like I’m wearing someone else’s skin.

Within minutes, the family emptied the mansion, taking everything valuable with them into the RV.

I stood by the window, watching the panic in the neighborhood.

Everyone was packing what they would need for the journey to the shelter.

Their omega families were dying, and it wouldn’t stop there, the zombies would reach the gammas next, and eventually the pack mansion.

The world had collapsed. Laws no longer existed.

For hours, TV channels had been flooded with reports of people fighting over aid.

Shops were being looted as people hoarded whatever they could for the days ahead.

Soon, food would expire, trees would rot, and basic aid would disappear.

Worst of all, there would be nothing to stop crime.

That’s when my eyes caught a man lingering in the distance.

"What is that?" I asked, my finger trembling as I pointed him out.

Everybody rushed over, their attention locking on the man as he limped forward.

He looked pale, his eyes empty.

His hair fell in clumps, parts missing.

His hands hung limp as he dragged himself forward, his neck tilted too far to one side.

"Fuck! They’ve come in. Everyone out now," Nathan shouted, his family immediately following his orders.

I reached for his hand, trying to hold onto the comfort he once gave me, but he pulled away.

One by one, they pushed past me, leaving me behind.

I kept running until I reached outside the mansion.

A few bags were already placed on the road, waiting to be loaded into the RV.

"Shit! I think I dropped my keys inside," Nathan cursed, checking his empty pockets.

His gaze shifted to me, finding me still near the mansion. "Babe, go get the keys. Quick."

I nodded, a small sense of relief settling in at finally being useful.

I rushed back inside and grabbed the keys from the ground, only to notice something else lying beside them.

For a moment, my body stiffened.

My eyes locked onto the pregnancy test.

It wasn’t just a test. It was used.

I had asked him for one, but he had refused.

So whose test was it?

And why the fuck was it positive?

I forced myself back to reality and ran out, my vision blurring.

"Throw it! By the time you reach us, we’ll have the RV started," Nathan shouted, gesturing for me to toss him the keys.

I stood there for a second in uncertainty.

I absentmindedly tossed the keys. He caught them and ran inside the van.

I ran after him, reaching the door, but I couldn’t get it open.

"It’s stuck!" I cried, keeping one eye on the zombie closing in.

Panic hit me harder this time.

Nathan was already seated inside, next to the window, his brother in the driver seat.

"Baby, it’s not opening," I banged my hand against the window until my husband finally looked at me.

"The new world is not for the weak," he said, making my chest tighten.

"What are you saying? Fucking open the door!" I screamed through tears, yanking at the handle.

"I cannot bear the responsibility of you anymore," Nathan continued.

I looked past him, ready to beg his family for help, when I saw a face that wasn’t supposed to be there.

"Dahlia?" I whispered, confusion cutting through my fear.

Dahlia was my sister.

When my parents divorced, I was left in the woods with my father, while Dahlia stayed with my mother in the pack.

But why was she here? When did she arrive?

Was she hiding in the van all this time?

I watched her rest her head on Nathan’s shoulder as the RV started.

That’s when the test in my hand made sense.

"No! You cannot leave me here. I'm your marked mate!" I screamed, pounding against the RV as it began to move.

"Well, if that's the only thing keeping us connected, then I, Alpha Nathan, reject you."

Nathan’s voice didn’t waver as he said it, one arm draped around Dahlia’s shoulder.

At that moment, I understood how easy it was to break a bond.

One sentence of rejection, and he was free of me.

"Nathan!" I pounded against the window, watching his mother and sister look at me like I was nothing.

"Wilma! Lydia! please—help me!" I cried, but they only flicked hand dismissively.

"You can’t do this to me! I’ve been with you for two fucking years!" I screamed, my voice breaking as the van started moving.

There had been more than enough space in that RV, yet they left me behind for this monster.

As I tried to catch up with the van, I tripped and fell onto the road.

The zombie closed in, and my heartbeat thundered in my ears, drowning out everything else.

Oh the fucking betrayal hit so hard.