Chapter 1: The Woman in His Arms

୨୧ Shanna Reed ୨୧

​“You’ve lost a lot of blood, and I’m afraid the baby may not survive. We need to wait until your condition stabilizes before we can conduct further examinations.”

​The doctor's voice reached me in fragments, her words struggling to penetrate the fog clouding my mind.

​I blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital room, my limbs feeling heavy and lifeless. The sterile smell of antiseptic stung my nostrils, mingling with the metallic tang of my own blood.

​Earlier that morning, I had been driving, when the world suddenly exploded in a shower of shattering glass and screeching metal.

Now, with a white bandage wrapped around my head and painful scrapes covering my skin, I could barely recognize my own reflection in the dark hospital window. Yet none of those injuries frightened me as much as the terrifying reality of what the doctor had just said.

​I hadn't even known I was pregnant. I only realized something was terribly wrong when I woke up trapped in the wreckage and saw the dark stain of blood soaking into the car seat beneath me.

Weak and exhausted, I lay in the stiff hospital bed, a hollow grief echoing in my chest as I mourned the child I never even got to hold. My thoughts immediately drifted to my husband. Alpha Ashton Knight had always wanted a family, a true heir to anchor his legacy. I had failed to protect our baby, and I knew deep down that Ashton would surely be heartbroken.

​Despite the emotional distance between us, I truly loved him. And I had always believed that beneath his cold, guarded exterior, the bond we shared would eventually bring us closer.

How was I supposed to look into his ice-blue eyes and tell him that our child was gone?

​With a shaky hand, I reached for my phone on the bedside table and dialed Ashton's private number.

​Ring.

Ring.

Voicemail.

​I tried his number again. And again. Not a single answer. It felt strange for him not to pick up, though I assumed he was simply caught up in pack duties.

Still, a quiet unease settled in my stomach.

​The door creaked open, pulling me from my thoughts. A traffic officer stepped inside, holding a small notepad.

​“Luna Shanna? I have the preliminary accident report for you,” the officer said gently, taking in my battered appearance. “We've identified the vehicle involved in your accident. Based on the preliminary evidence, it appears that you were deliberately run off the road. It wasn't a random collision.”

​My throat tightened. “Who was it?”

​“A woman,” he replied, glancing down at his notes. “The vehicle is registered under the name Vivian Reed. The driver has been identified as your stepsister.”

​Vivian.

​My entire body went still.

Vivian? The woman I had foolishly believed was out of our lives forever?

​The woman Ashton had loved before our arranged pack marriage tore them apart?

​“Are you sure?” .

​“Positive,” the officer replied with a nod before excusing himself to allow the medical staff back in.

A nurse rushed into the room, looking flustered. “Luna, Dr. Porting needs additional blood work and your signatures on the administrative forms immediately. And we need a family member to authorize the next steps.”

“I'll handle it,” I murmured.

Before the nurse could respond, I pushed the blanket aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed.

“Luna Shanna, you can't get up yet!” she protested, rushing toward me. “You've lost a significant amount of blood. You need to remain in bed until the doctor clears you.”

But I barely heard her. My mind was fixed on one thing: Ashton.

I gripped the edge of the mattress and slowly forced myself upright. The room tilted violently, and black spots danced across my vision. My knees weakened, forcing me to sink back onto the bed as I clutched the sheets tightly, struggling to steady myself.

​I took my phone and tried his private number again, but it went unanswered. Not a single word from him. Not even a flicker of warmth from the mate bond to ease the panic gripping my spine.

Surely, he would answer eventually. Surely, he would sense that something was wrong. But the screen remained dark.

I knew I should have stayed in bed, but I couldn't afford to delay the medical procedures any longer. If Ashton wouldn't answer his phone, I would have to handle things myself.

With a shaky sigh, I tried to get up.

“Luna, you really can't get up yet!” the nurse protested again.

“I understand, but I need to get this sorted out. The doctor needs my signatures, and I can't keep waiting.”

I gripped her arm and slowly forced myself upright, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, making the room spin.

“Please, just help me get there.”

The nurse hesitated before reluctantly supporting me. My torn, dirt-stained dress clung to my frame as I leaned heavily against her, struggling to put one foot in front of the other, forcing myself toward the door, determined to get the necessary paperwork signed.

As we rounded the corner near the private VIP wing, a tall, broad-shouldered figure emerged from an adjacent room.

Jet-black hair. A commanding posture. An unmistakable scent.

My breath caught.

Ashton.

Relief flared in my chest for a split second. He had come. He had felt my distress through the bond and rushed to my side.

I started toward him, the nurse following closely behind me, my bare feet cold against the linoleum. But I stopped dead in my tracks when the door beside him opened wider.

​There, wrapped in a plush hospital robe and wearing a soft, helpless smile, stood Vivian.

​Before I could even choke out his name, Vivian let out a gasp and stepped toward him.

​“Ashton!”

She threw herself into his arms, and he caught her effortlessly, wrapping both arms around her as though he had been searching for her.

​I stopped breathing.

​For a moment, I simply stood there, staring at them. The man I had desperately tried to reach all morning was standing only a few feet away, holding another woman as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

Then Vivian glanced over his shoulder.

Her eyes met mine, and the faintest smile touched her lips before she buried her face against his chest again.

I stared at Ashton, silently waiting for him to notice me, to sense my pain through the mate bond or at least acknowledge my presence. But his attention remained fixed on Vivian, his arms still wrapped around her.

My hand instinctively moved to my stomach as the reality of the day settled over me. I had lost his child, yet he didn't even know I was standing there, barely able to keep myself upright.