Chapter 2

My body was no longer my own.

My legs moved mechanically, standing up and following Ethan stiffly to the medical station in the corner.

“No… please…” My lips still trembled, but my body went limp, allowing Ethan to drag me along.

Deep inside, my wolf howled in agony, clawing at my mental walls, desperate to protect the fragile life in my womb.

It was useless.

Ethan’s power wasn’t just from his Alpha blood. He was also my Fated Mate.

The double bond left me helpless.

He threw me onto the cold medical table.

Bella coughed weakly, but I could see the pure malice in her eyes.

"Hurry, Ethan… am I going to die? If I die, who will be your Luna…?"

“You won’t die.” Ethan’s voice was sickeningly gentle. He turned around, holding a silver extraction device.

It was designed specifically to draw out a wolf’s Essence. The thick needle gleamed under the light.

My pupils shrank to pinpricks.

This procedure would drain my very life force.

Normally, I might have survived it. But I was pregnant!

My baby was still forming; he needed every ounce of my strength!

“Ethan! Look at me!” I screamed, my vision blurred with tears. “I am carrying your child! If you take my essence, he will die! Are you really going to kill your own heir?”

Ethan’s hand paused.

For a split second, I thought he’d listened.

But then Bella let out a series of violent coughs.

“Don’t listen to her… Ethan…” Bella reached out a weak hand. “She’s lying… she’s jealous… she wants me to die…”

The hesitation in Ethan’s eyes vanished, replaced by an even deeper disgust.

“Enough, Harper. Your jealousy is pathetic.”

He roughly ripped my collar down, baring the skin over my heart.

"Stop playing these pathetic games for attention. If you were carrying my pup, don’t you think I’d feel it? Bella warned me you might pull a stunt like this. She said you'd try to play for pity. And it looks like she was right, wasn't she?"

“Because my bloodline is too weak, you bastard!”

I struggled with everything I had, my nails scratching bloody marks into the edge of the table.

“Hold her down,” Ethan ordered coldly.

Fear drowned me.

Not for myself, but for the tiny life that had never had a chance to see the world.

“Ethan! I curse you!” I shrieked in despair. “You will regret this for the rest of your life!”

Schlick—

The needle pierced my skin and sank into a vein.

The world went silent.

Cold metal twisted inside me, followed by the searing pain of extraction.

I felt something being ripped from my very soul.

My power.

My life.

And… my baby.

Golden blood flowed through the tube—the precious Healing Essence of the white wolf clan.

Ethan didn’t flinch. He quickly turned and walked to Bella.

“Drink this.” He gently held the cup of my essence to her lips.

I lay on the table, my vision blurring, my body growing colder and colder.

Suddenly, a violent cramp tore through my abdomen.

A warm gush of blood streamed down my inner thigh.

My wolf let out one last, soul-shattering howl from within me, and then… silence.

Gone.

The faint, warm connection I’d felt was just… gone.

My baby… was gone.

“Feeling better?” Ethan asked Bella, completely ignoring me bleeding out in the corner.

Bella drank all of my blood, her cheeks instantly regaining their color.

She looked at me over Ethan’s shoulder, a cruel smirk on her lips.

Thanks for the gift, Harper, she mouthed silently.

Ethan helped Bella to her feet and finally spared me a glance.

His brow furrowed when he saw the bright red pool of blood on the floor.

But only for a second.

“Stop playing the victim,” he said, his voice cold. “A wolf’s healing will fix you. Clean this up yourself when you can move.”

He lifted Bella into his arms and walked out without a second glance.

The door slammed shut behind him.

I lay on the cold floor, letting my blood soak into my dress.

Slowly, I placed a hand on my flat stomach.

There was once a tiny heartbeat there. Now, there was only silence.

My phone slid out of my bag on the floor. The screen lit up, showing a picture of my sister, Lily.

She was smiling, bathed in sunlight.

I picked it up with a trembling hand, staining the screen with my blood.

"Lily… I’m so sorry…"

Tears mixed with blood, dripping onto her face.

I failed to get you justice.

I couldn’t even protect my own child.

The Mate Bond, which should have been a warm connection, now felt like a chain of ice, choking me.

I stared at the door. He wasn’t coming back.

"Ethan Blackwood," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You just killed your own heir."

Pain ripped through me, my wolf soul tearing apart.

I closed my eyes, my mind searching for the forbidden frequency.

"Lycan King Rogan," I projected, “this is Harper Moon. Tomorrow, I need your help. I want you to burn the Blackwood Pack to the ground. And that includes Alpha Ethan.”