Chapter 2

After I hung up the call with Clark, I could feel the violent cramp from my lower abdomen again. I curled up on the couch, shaking in pain as cold sweat began to appear and drench my clothes.

Outside, the thunder was growing louder. The lightning looked like it wanted to tear the night sky apart. Adrian came out in a hurry, phone in hand.

"Adrian... I'm scared." The woman's voice on the other end had a faint sob. Every word came through clearly in the silent living room. "The thunder is so loud, and the cub in my belly won't stop moving. I'm scared I won't be able to protect him... Can you please come stay with me?"

"Adrian." I endured the pain that coursed through my abdomen, my fingers digging into the couch's armrest so hard my nails nearly went through the leather. "Don't go."

He paused and looked back at me, impatience clear in his eyes. "Selena, I already told you. Evelyn's situation is unique right now."

"I don't feel well either." My voice trembled, and a cold sweat covered my forehead. "My stomach... It really hurts. Can you stay? Even just to call a doctor for me?"

I was already quite weak after the miscarriage, and the sudden rainstorm was making the cramp even worse. I felt like I was drifting in an icy sea, and the only piece of driftwood I could see was the man standing in front of me.

Adrian was somewhat hesitant.

"Is Selena trying to steal the Saint-Tier Healer again, just like last time?" Evelyn's voice came through the phone, and Adrian's expression instantly turned cold.

He walked over and bent down before gripping my chin, his voice filled with a sneer. "You ran to the elders and complained to them that I moved the Saint-Tier Healer without permission a few days ago, and that got me scolded by the Elders' Council. Now that something has happened to Evelyn, you're putting on this act to pretend your stomach hurts. Your jealousy has made you ugly, Selena."

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come out.

My skirt was already soaked with cold sweat and something more. I could feel my strength draining away slowly from my legs, but he saw none of it. His entire attention was on his first love, who was afraid of the sounds of thunder.

"I'm not pretending, Adrian. I really..." I started.

"Enough!" he cut me off as he shoved me away. "Evelyn just lost her mate. I'm the only one she has now. And you—can't you learn to be more generous as the Pack's Luna instead of doing all of these petty tricks out of jealousy? I won't be back tonight. Don't wait for me."

Adrian then left without a second thought. The moment the front door slammed shut, my heart sank.

He did not know I had been ambushed by Rogues. He did not know that a large piece of flesh had been torn from my back just so I could protect the pup in my womb. He knew even less that if the Saint-Tier Healer he was so proud of had been there that day, we might have been able to save our cub.

He had indirectly killed his own first cub, yet he was already rushing off to comfort a woman who was carrying another man's baby.

I touched my now-flat belly, and tears fell silently to the floor.

Back then, Adrian used to stroke my stomach with gentle eyes. "Selena, when will you carry my cub inside? If it's a boy, I'll teach him how to rule our Pack's territory. If it's a girl, I'll give her the prettiest gems in the whole Wilderness."

I had planned to tell Adrian about the pregnancy as a birthday gift, but everything was ruined now.

Outside, the thunder kept rolling, and lightning split the night sky above. I picked up the phone from the table, and the screen lit up. A new post from one of the people I followed popped up.

It was from Evelyn.

The photo showed a lavish bedroom. The man had his back to the camera and was kneeling beside the bed, holding a cup of hot milk. I recognized him at once, even from his back.

Her caption was full of smugness: [I said I was scared of thunder, and he rushed right over to comfort me. He even warmed the milk up for me himself. He really is my obedient little dog.]

Obedient little dog.

Those three words struck deep into my heart, twisting and crushing me.

When I begged him to stay after my miscarriage, he simply treated me like a burden who was starting trouble for him. But all it took was one complaint about thunder for him to throw everything and even his pride aside and run to her, just to be her "good little dog".