PROLOGUE

MILLIE'S POV

“How do I tell him?” I asked myself for the up tenth time, finally sitting at the edge of our bed with the folder in my lap.

“I could wait until he walks through the door tonight and just say it. Varex, I’m pregnant. Happy anniversary… Shish..”

I shook my head.

“Too fast. He’ll think I planned a speech. He hates speeches now and gets easily irritated too.”

I stood up and walked to the window.

“I could cook his favorite food and leave the papers beside his plate. When he asks what they are, I’ll smile and tell him. That could work… or I could go to the office now, walk in, close the door, and say it before he has time to look at his laptop again.”

None of those felt right for real… it sounded desperate and he has been calling me such for a while now Gosh!!.

Our anniversary used to mean something. Three years ago he carried me into this room and whispered that he would never let anything come between us. These last months he had been different.. distance and lack of communication was all I could see but I kept telling myself it was work. Alpha work and company work….Anything except the thought that he was tired of me.

A baby would change that and I believed it because we both love children and believed the moon goddess was looking for a perfect timing because we are both perfectly fine.

“Today is the day,” I whispered. “If I give him this news today, It will feel like a gift… the best gift he could ever ask for at the moment.”

I paced the room, still talking to myself and where and how to spend my anniversary with the good news.

“Not the house… Definitely not a restaurant.. where where where!!!.”

Then my feet stopped as I remembered over favorite place.

The cabin we used to go when we were still shy teenagers running away from our responsibilities.

“Yes,” I said quietly. “The cabin. I’ll make it nice. I’ll send him the reports so he already knows before he arrives, then when he walks in, I won’t have to search for the words but just enjoy the aftermath.”

I sat down again and opened my phone but my hands weren't steady.

I attached the pregnancy reports, I added the location, then I typed but deleted the message three times before I settled on something simple.

*Happy anniversary Baby. I prepared something at the old cabin, please come. I sent the papers so you would understand my gift before coming to the location.*

I pressed send and watched the screen…

Delivered and opened within a few minutes but no reply.

I stared at it until my eyes blurred.

“He saw it….He opened it. Why isn’t he saying anything? Maybe he’s driving… maybe he's too excited and don't know what to type or maybe he wants to surprise me.”

I packed while I kept talking, hopping into my car and driving with a smile, knowing we'll be coming back together and our lives would change for a better.

The drive felt longer than normal due to traffic but I kept checking the phone at every red light. Still opened without a word… I sure hope this goes well.

By the time I reached the cabin, I had already told myself ten different stories about why he had not answered.

I unlocked the door and got to work.

I set the table, lit the candles and I put the stew on low heat by the small kitchen. I placed the folder in the middle of the table where he would see it the moment he walked in. I changed into the dress he once liked and stood in front of the small mirror talking to my own reflection.

“When he comes in, don’t rush. Let him look around, Let him sit. Then tell him properly. Don’t cry Millie, Just tell him with a smile and he might even carry you out of excitement, but I'll tell him to be careful because of the baby.” I said, laughing at my last statement.

The sun went down in no time, while I kept checking my phone to see if there is a response but nothing and time was really passing in a flash.

After a few more minutes, headlights finally crossed the trees and I immediately felt butterflies in my belly.

I opened the door before he even parked properly but Varex stepped in looking tired and angry already… that shouldn't be.. or maybe I want the reason… even still. Gosh please this should go well.

“Millie, what is this?”

“Happy anniversary,” I said. “I wanted us to…”

“You made it sound like something had happened to you.” He shut the cabin door hard. “I left a meeting because your message looked urgent. And this is what I find? Candles? Food? Happy anniversary ? Couldn't you have waited for me to return home for all these?.”

I blinked.

“I… I just wanted tonight to be special.”

“Special.” He walked past me into the room. “You always do this. You always turn a normal day into a problem Millie.”

“It’s not a normal day Varex... It’s our anniversary.”

“I know what day it is. That doesn’t mean you had to drag me out here like the world was ending.”

“Did you see what I sent?”

“I opened it...” He said with an irritated face and confusion filled my entire body. Maybe he wanted me to say it myself.

“Varex, I need to tell you something. That’s why I asked you to come.”

“If this is another speech about how I’m never home or never really giving you attention anymore, I don’t want to hear it.”

“It’s not that.Please let me finish.”

“There is nothing to finish Mille. I'm tired of your stupid drama. I’m going back.”

“No. Wait.” My voice rose even though I tried to keep it soft. “Just sit… Please. Look at the table. Look at the papers.”

He glanced at the folder and looked away.

“If that's divorce papers just bring them home and I'll look at them, we could then speak of breaking the Nate bond afterwards.” He said and it sounded like a knife cut through my ears.

He turned toward the door.

“I can’t do this tonight.”

I followed him onto the porch.

“Varex, wait. Just five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I already gave you more than five minutes.”

“I’m begging you. Don’t go like this….Not today.”

But he kept walking till he got out of the Cabin.

“Please… I’ll stop talking. We can just sit, We don’t even have to eat. Just don’t walk away from me on our anniversary pleaseeee.” I cried now on the ground with my head buried on my lap.

I don’t know how long I sat there crying before I smelled smoke.

It was faint at first, making me think the smell was from outside, but then I saw real fire inside the cabin.

I stood up too fast and almost fell.

“No…”

I ran to the door but it would not open.

I pulled, kicked and slammed my shoulder against it.

“Varex! The door is locked! There’s smoke! Come back! Why would you lock me inside.”

I banged until my hands began to hurt.

“I know you can still hear me! Please! Something is wrong!”

I ran to the window immediately in fear whole sweat covered my face from the flames heat.

“Help! Somebody help me! Varex!”

I broke the glass with a chair to receive some air but the window was way too small to escape from.

I touched my belly, begging the moon goddess for a chance to escape and protect my baby.. at least for it's sake but now it felt like everything was becoming completely hopeless because this was an isolated area and people wouldn't just come here.

The fire moved fast and I kept screaming his name until my throat gave out.

“Don’t leave me here! Please!”

The flames caught my dress, pain tore through my arms, my chest, my face. I dropped to the floor, coughing, one hand on my stomach even as the heat ate through everything.

I kept screaming and wiggling on the ground as the fire consumed my entire body and face.

But then crash came from the front and the door flew open.

Someone came through the smoke. I could not see his face, but I wished it was Varex. Something dark and heavy wrapped around me but before I could speak, my eyes gave out and all I could see was darkness.

***********************************

I woke up to white light and the sound of a machine.

My face felt tight, only to realize bandages covered most of it. More bandages wrapped my body.

A doctor stood beside the bed with a file.

“You’re awake. Don’t try to sit up please.”

I swallowed. “My face… it's fine right.”

“We had to reconstruct it after the fire disfigured your entire face, your body as well. The surgery went as well as it could.”

I looked down at myself as pain struck my chest.

“The baby?”

The doctor’s voice softened as she lowered her face. “I’m sorry.”

Sorry???

What does that mean. No!!!!!.

The door opened before I could say anything else and a familiar face walker in but it wasn't Varex… but instead someone I met a few years ago before I got married to Varex.. though we haven't been in contact since that day.

Alpha Tyler.

Years ago I had judged a school wolf-race contest. His child had won and we had spoken for a short moment and that was all.

He stopped at the side of the bed.

“ Are you okey Millie ?.”

“ I'm better now.. I guess.” I said with a low voice.

“Do you remember me?” He asked with hope in his face.

“The contest,” I whispered. “Your son.”

“Yes.”

He placed a folder on the tray table and opened it to see Photos.

The cabin, smoke already rising and a man walking away with a can of petrol, Another picture of the door being locked from the outside by him.

I stared until the images stopped making sense.

“He did this?.” I asked, my hands slowly trembling.

Tyler did not look away. “Yes.”

“He left me there? He locked the door and He killed our baby ?.”

“ I'm sorry Millie… he is a monster and if I wasn't by the lake side fishing to calm myself, I wouldn't have seen all these and captured it. I wish I had arrived earlier, I had to get a few things from my car to wrap you up.”

I stared at him as anger filled my entire system. If Varex hated me this much, why would he vent it on our child?

He hated me to the point of burning me alive, and I definitely had to reason to love him anymore.

“ Listen Millie. If you continue with the name Millie it might be dangerous for you because Varex may look for you and try his best to kill you again, so I made sure to drop a body that looked like yours at the crime scene, and you'll be using a new name from now onwards for your safety… LORIA.”