Chapter One

Dakota’s POV

The last thing I remembered was a bang.

I groaned softly as my eyes fluttered open to the pristine white ceiling of the pack’s clinic. I winced as I struggled to sit upright on the bed but a raw gasp slipped from my sore throat as the memories slammed into me.

The screeching sound the tires of the car had made as it swerved dangerously off the road filled my ears.

My trembling hands flew to my stomach and rested on my protruding belly as my eyes widened in shock.

“No! My baby! My baby!” I whimpered.

A bandage stained with blood was wrapped around my arm and a throbbing ache exploded inside my head.

I glanced around in panic, my eyes darting around the room in search of my husband and the Alpha of our Pack, Lucian.

He was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, the curtain around my bed ripped back and Lucian stood there, his eyes wide open in horror and heaving like he had raced all the way to the clinic.

My entire body relaxed and I breathed a sight of relief, stretching my hands as tears welled up in my eyes, hoping he would wrap his arms around me but he simply looked right past me, frantically searching for something.

He glanced back at the female nurse that had just rushed in after him with her head bowed,

“Where is he? Where’s Jacob?” He yelled, a muscle ticked in his jaw like he was struggling to hold himself back.

“Beta Jacob is fine. Just a few scratches. He’s right behind this curtain.” The nurse responded as she pulled back the curtains beside my bed to reveal Jacob's bed.

He had a bandage around his leg but he didn’t look seriously hurt.

In the blink of an eye, Lucian, my husband on his knees by his side, taking his hands in his, tenderly.

My chest tightened at the scene before me. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought there was something more to this.

I swallowed the bitter taste that exploded in my mouth and clenched my fists tightly to stop the tears that were burning the back of my eyes.

It wasn’t jealousy, I had no reason to be jealous of my husband’s beta. It was just… I was his Luna, his mate and I was carrying his only child. I had just been in an accident and he barely even glanced at me.

Lucian and Jacob had been inseparable since they were kids. I knew it was natural for him to check on his best friend and Beta so why did I feel this tightness in my chest?

“Jacob. Look at me. Are you hurt? Tell me what’s broken.” He begged, his voice breaking so bad it almost sounded like he was in pain.

I’d never heard or seen him like this before, except when his father, the Old Alpha, died. I sat there, listening to my husband fuss over his Beta while I shifted uncomfortably on my bed.

After what felt like an eternity, Lucian rose to his feet and turned around to face me. His handsome face looked pale and his usually perfect dark hair was ruffled.

His eyes swept over me, “What the hell happened, Dakota?”

I could barely explain, I kept stumbling over my own words but I told him what had happened. I’d asked Jacob to drive me to my parents’ house. Out of nowhere, a child raced into the road, chasing after a ball.

Jacob barely turned the car off the road on time, we plunged into a ditch and the last thing I remember was the sound of the ambulance rushing us to the pack’s clinic.

“By the moons, Dakota! Why on earth were you going to your parents’ in your condition? You should be resting at home. Now look at what's happened. Jacob is hurt because of you!” He yelled.

The words landed like a slap. I blinked, the light dangling from the clinic’s ceiling suddenly becoming too bright.

Because of me?

He didn’t even ask if I was hurt! He didn’t thank the goddess I and his baby are alright, instead he blames me?

I glanced down at my bandaged arm, my eyes glistening with tears and my throat stung real bad.

“I’m hurt too.” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

I stared at him in confusion, wondering if this was really the man that had proposed to me under the full moon. He had looked at me as if I was the center of his world when he slid the silver Luna’s ring on my finger.

“Don’t say that, Dakota got hurt too.” Jacob's gentle voice snapped me out of my thoughts and Lucian’s jaw tightened as he ran a hand through his hair aggressively, as if Jacob had just reminded him of a tedious task he needed to do.

With a deep sigh, he stepped toward me, his hands coming up to cup my face. His thumbs lovingly caressed my cheeks,

“I’m so sorry my love. I was just… scared. You know how strong the bond is between an Alpha and his Beta. He’s my right hand man, Dakota. My best friend. I just couldn’t imagine losing him.”

His eyes, those deep blue eyes I’d fallen for a thousand times, searched mine. The rage them was gone, replaced by something warm and gentle.

This was the man I knew. The one I loved more than anything else in the world.

“I understand.” I murmured, because I did.

I’d always known Jacob was important. They’d grown up together, almost like brothers and their connection ran deeper than anything else.

I forced a smile, leaning into his touch, “it’s okay. I was scared too.”

He kissed my forehead and in that moment, the world felt right again.

The pack doctor arrived and after confirming that the baby and I were perfectly fine, we were discharged from the clinic.

“Thank the goddess.” Lucian said, his arm sliding around my shoulders. But his other hand was on Jacob's back, “let’s get you both home.”

The ride back home was silent and I sat in the back because of the baby while Jacob sat in the front seat with him.

I didn’t think about it, I knew he was just worried about me and the baby so I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes, hoping the banging ache in my head would die down.

Just as we pulled up in the driveway of the pack house, I opened my eyes on time to see Jacob reach for the door but Lucian quickly reached over and grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Are you sure you don’t need the healer again?” He asked and Jacob nodded, weakly.

The way his fingers slid down his arm and laced around Jacob's fingers, squeezing it gently, sent a cold trickle of unease down my spine.

It lasted less than a second before they broke apart as if nothing had happened.

Maybe I was just being paranoid but there was something about the intense look that lingered in their eyes as they stared at each other that didn’t sit well with me.

Lucian turned to me with a soft smile on his face,

“Come, darling, you need to rest.”

But just before I entered our bedroom, I glanced back, Jacob was still standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Watching Lucian and me.

And when Lucian’s eyes met his again, Jacob slowly smiled.

A strange chill crawled down my spine.