Chapter 4

After sunset, the isolation room grew damp and freezing.

The cold seeped right into my bones.

I curled up in the corner, holding back the agonizing pain of the pup draining my life.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Tessa's hateful face appeared.

Seeing no one else around, she dropped her innocent act. She gave me a wicked smirk.

"Oh, Gwen. Look at you now!"

"I told you Rowan was mine. But you just had to shamelessly steal him. Did you really think you could bind him forever?"

"You should know by now. I'm the most important person in his heart. He gave me the heir title. His mother only accepts my pup. And you? You're just a mate in name!"

Seeing that blinding smirk on Tessa's face, pure rage ignited inside me.

I ignored my cramps, snapped my head up, and flared my Luna aura.

Tessa immediately let out a terrified scream. She threw herself backward, crashing into a metal rack. Blood trickled down her forehead.

It was only then I realized she threw herself down on purpose.

Rushed footsteps echoed in the hallway. A blood-soaked Rowan and his mother burst in.

Tessa grabbed her belly and wailed loudly. She lay on the floor, crying about stomach pain.

"Rowan, my tummy hurts so much! Did it hurt our baby?"

"I was just trying to be nice. I wanted to bring Gwen a blanket. I didn't know she would attack me!"

Tessa rambled on and whimpered about her pain.

It was such bad acting, but somehow, everyone believed her.

"This vicious mutt! Throw her in the pack dungeon!" The former Luna shrieked. She pointed at me, ordering the guards.

"Enough, Mother!" Rowan raised his voice sharply, blocking the guards.

He frowned deeply. He first ordered the medical team to take Tessa away for a check-up.

Then he turned back to me. He looked exhausted, his eyes full of disappointment.

"Gwen, you've disappointed me so much! How could you attack her?"

"I was planning to explain everything to Mother and bring you back to the master bedroom. But looking at you right now, you're in no state to be out there!"

I closed my eyes in deep sorrow. I looked exhausted, completely broken.

I stared straight at the mate I loved so much—the mate who had pushed me to a dead end.

"And?"

"Everyone knows Tessa is carrying the pup you're dying to protect. But me? In your mother's eyes, I'm just carrying a bastard with no Alpha scent."

"What right do I even have to stand beside you?"

His eyes tightened. A mix of impatience and hidden pain flashed across his face.

He took a step forward to hug me, but stopped himself.

He forced his emotions down and lowered his voice.

"I told you, that was all just a show for the Elders! Just be good, okay? Mother is furious right now. Staying here is actually the safest thing for you!"

"Once the pup is born, everything will be fine. Why do you always have to go against Tessa?"

I said nothing. I just gave him a mocking smile and scoffed coldly.

Rowan completely lost his temper. He slammed the door and left.

"You're going to stay here and reflect on what you did! For your own safety, I'm locking the door. I'll have someone bring you food every day!"

The lock clicked sharply.

He thought he was protecting me from his mother's wrath.

He had no idea that by completely cutting off his Alpha scent, he was personally signing our pup's death warrant.

Over the next few days, I was locked in that freezing room. Just me and the cold walls.

Tessa must have been warned by Rowan. Even though we were in the same building, she rarely came to provoke me.

Until one day, a month later, when I knew I couldn't last any longer, I used the last of my strength to bribe a sympathetic nurse and get a message to Dr. Thorne.

That night, I acted very obedient.

When Rowan brought me food, I calmly talked to him about my check-up.

"It's been another month. Our pup needs a new round of check-ups."

Rowan was very pleased with my new attitude. His voice held excitement and relief.

"Gwen, if you had acted like this sooner, you wouldn't have suffered so much. Once Mother calms down, I'll let you out."

"Don't worry. I'll go with you to the clinic tomorrow."

But the next day, Rowan broke his promise again.

He took a complaining Tessa to the clinic first.

I was allowed out briefly. I avoided Rowan and went straight to Dr. Thorne alone.

"That pup's Alpha blood is too strong. Your Omega body is at its breaking point. Without its father here to anchor you, the pup is literally consuming you. If we don't take it now... you won't survive the night."

Dr. Thorne looked at me with deep pity.

I closed my eyes. A single tear of sheer despair slid down my temple.

"Take it out. Since he didn't choose us, I have to survive on my own."

The hallway outside was dead quiet.

Everyone was busy worrying about Tessa's pureblood pup. No one knew what was happening in here.

In the dim operating room, the doctor prepped me for surgery.

Along with the agonizing pain of losing my flesh and blood, I personally severed my very last tie to Rowan.

At that moment, Rowan finally arrived, having safely settled Tessa.

"Gwen, are you done? Why are you in a hospital bed?"

He pushed open the door to my room.

He saw me lying on the bed, pale as a ghost.

My lower half was soaked in dark red. Beside the bed sat a surgical tray, heavy with blood.

Rowan's face instantly went dead white. His lips trembled uncontrollably.

He fell to his knees in front of the pool of blood.

"Gwen... Gwen, what did you do?!"