Four

Chapter Four

Nia’s POV

“You are pregnant,” the healer said.

I stared at her, completely frozen, because even though I had secretly hoped for those words the moment I walked into her cottage, hearing them out loud felt completely differaent.

Pregnant? After three years of being called barren, I was finally pregnant.

My hand slowly moved to my stomach, and for a moment, I could only stare at the place where my child was growing.

My child but there was no happiness in my heart.

There was only fear because I knew exactly who the father was, Kadox.

Azrael had not touched me in almost a year.

There was no way I could mistake the father of my child, and that realization made it impossible for me to celebrate the miracle I had prayed for every night.

I was carrying the child of my husband's stepbrother.

The man who had returned to the Black Moon Pack and thrown the entire pack into confusion.

The man who was now fighting to reclaim the Alpha position that had once belonged to him.

The same man I had spent the last two months desperately avoiding.

I lowered my eyes. “How far along am I?”

The healer gave me a gentle smile. “It is still very early, Luna, but you are definitely pregnant, and everything appears normal so far.”

I swallowed hard. For three years, I had imagined hearing those words.

I had imagined running into Azrael's arms and telling him that he would finally be a father.

I had imagined the pack celebrating.

I had imagined carrying his pup beneath my heart and finally proving that there had never been anything wrong with me but the Moon Goddess had given me the one thing I wanted in the worst possible way.

I pressed my palm against my stomach “What am I going to do?”

The healer looked at me with concern “You should be happy, Luna, because this is the blessing you have been waiting for.”

I forced a smile “Yes.”

But my voice sounded empty.

I stood from the chair and adjusted my dress. “I need to go.”

The healer nodded. “Rest as much as you can, and please come back for another examination soon because the pregnancy is still very early.”

I nodded before walking away from there.

The moment I stepped outside, the cold wind touched my face, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me.

I walked slowly through the forest path toward the pack house, my hand still resting against my stomach.

Pregnant. I was really pregnant, the thought terrified me.

I had spent years praying for a child, yet now that I finally had one, I was thinking about ending it but what choice did I have?

If Azrael discovered the truth, he would never forgive me.

If the pack discovered that their Luna had slept with the returning Alpha, I would lose everything.

And Kadox… I didn't even want to think about what Kadox would do if he discovered that I was carrying his child.

I had already spent two months avoiding him, I had avoided his eyes, I had avoided his presence, I had avoided every place I knew he might be, I wanted to forget that night, I wanted to forget his face, I wanted to forget the way I had believed he was Azrael.

Most of all, I wanted to forget that the child inside me belonged to him.

I stopped walking and closed my eyes.

Maybe I should return to the healer, maybe there was something she could give me.

Something that would end this before it became a problem, but she can't know, I need to do it secretly.

My fingers tightened against my stomach.

I couldn't do it, not yet.

I needed time, I needed to think, I continued toward the pack house, telling myself that I would make a decision before anyone discovered the truth but the moment I entered the gates, I knew something had changed.

The entire pack house was filled with wolves.

Servants were carrying trays of food, warriors were gathered in groups, mmbers of the council were smiling and speaking excitedly.

I slowed down. My heart began beating faster.

What had happened?

Then I heard Azrael's voice. “Where is my Luna?”

I froze, his voice sounded different, there was excitement in it, real excitement.

I followed the sound into the main hall, and the moment Azrael saw me, his face lit up.

He immediately walked toward me before I could ask what was happening, he took both my hands.

His eyes were shining. “So it was you that night.”

My heart stopped. I stared at him. “What?”

He smiled. “I was drunk that night, and I couldn't remember everything clearly, but now I finally understand what happened because I thought I was with Hailey.”

My stomach tightened, I don't even know the night he was talking about.

He squeezed my hands. “But it was you, wasn't it?”

I couldn't breathe. My mind went completely blank. Azrael believed he had been drunk one night and slept with me.

He believed the child growing inside me was his and I couldn't tell him the truth, not here, not in front of the council, not in front of the entire pack.

So I forced myself to smile “Az.. Azreal”

The word felt like a stone falling from my mouth.

Azrael's face immediately filled with happiness. “I knew it.”

He pulled me into his arms. “My Luna is carrying my heir.”

The entire hall erupted into cheers. I stood stiffly in his arms as the pack celebrated around us.

Someone shouted congratulations, another wolf raised a glass.

The council members smiled and Azrael held me like I was suddenly the most precious woman in the world.

I wanted to cry. For three years, I had wanted him to look at me this way.

For three years, I had wanted him to be proud of me.

Now I finally had it but it was all built on a lie.

Azrael pulled back and placed his hands gently on my shoulders. “Do you know what this means, Nia?”

I forced myself to look at him. “It means I finally have my heir.”

My heart twisted, be had no idea, he didn't know that the child he was celebrating belonged to another man.

He didn't know that the last time he had touched me had been almost a year ago.

He didn't know that the night he was remembering had never happened between us.

“I am so happy,” he continued, his voice filled with emotion. “You have no idea how long I have waited for this.”

I lowered my eyes. “I need to rest.”

His expression immediately softened. “Of course, pregnant women need to rest, especially when they are carrying the future Alpha.”

He smiled and gently touched my stomach.

I almost flinched. “I will send someone to prepare your room, and from now on, you are not allowed to worry about anything.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

I turned away before he could see the tears forming in my eyes.

I walked through the hallway, desperate to get somewhere private.

I had almost reached the staircase when someone suddenly grabbed my wrist.

A gasp escaped my lips as I was pulled into a quiet corner between two walls.

I turned around, and my heart stopped when I saw Kadox standing in front of me.

My first instinct was to pull away from him.

“Let me go.”

He released my wrist, but he didn't move away, and his eyes slowly dropped to my stomach before returning to my face.

“The pregnancy isn't Azrael's, is it?”

My blood ran cold.

I stared at him, suddenly realizing that he already knew but I have to try to deny it .

I looked toward the hallway, terrified that someone might see us together. “You shouldn't be talking to me.”

His jaw tightened as he stared at me. “You have been avoiding me for two months.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

His eyes remained fixed on mine. “You are carrying my child.”

My heart slammed against my chest. “ I am not… keep your voice down”

“No one is here.”

“Someone could come.”

He stepped closer, his voice becoming quieter. “Then answer me.”

I shook my head. “I don't want to have this conversation with you.”

His expression hardened. “You just stood in front of the entire pack and allowed my brother to claim my child as his heir.”

My eyes filled with tears. “Who told you that it is your child?” I whispered, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “Azrael is my husband, and you have no right to stand here and make such accusations.”

Kadox stared at me.

I glared back at him, trying desperately to hide the fear building inside me. “Whatever happened that night was a mistake, and I don't want it to happen again, so please stay away from me.”

He remained silent for several seconds.

Then his expression changed. “You think I'm going to expose you?”

I swallowed. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

A faint smile appeared on his face, but there was nothing warm about it. “Then perhaps I should show you something.”

My heart skipped. “What?”

He leaned closer. “Years ago, before I went to war, I had security cameras installed around the private areas of this mansion.”

My eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

“Only I have the access code.”

My stomach tightened.

I shook my head. “Kadox, can you stop this?”

“No.”

His eyes darkened. “If you are telling the truth that my brother is the father of your child, then the camera will prove it if he had ever come to your room”

I couldn't breathe.

He stepped closer. “But if Azrael never came to your room, then I will know exactly who did.”

I shook my head, tears finally slipping down my cheeks. “Kadox, please.”

His voice became softer, but somehow that made it more frightening. “Are you carrying my child or not?”

I looked away, I couldn't answer him because if I said yes, I would be admitting everything.

And if I said no, he would simply check the cameras and discover the truth himself.

For the first time since I discovered I was pregnant, I realized that keeping my secret might be much harder than I had imagined.