Chapter 5

Kate’s P.O.V.

“No!”

My hand flew to my belly, instantly shielding the life inside me.

But Jennifer didn’t look at me. She turned sharply, her voice ringing with authority.

“Guards. Bring her outside.”

Before I could react, rough hands seized my arms and dragged me out of the hospital building. The world blurred as panic clawed up my throat.

No!

Not like this!

The visiting hours weren’t over, and the crowd was thick enough for a spectacle.

The guards shoved me forward. I stumbled but managed to stay upright, now standing in the open space like a criminal on display.

My instincts screamed to run. But there was nowhere to go.

“Since everyone is already here,” she said smoothly, her voice carrying effortlessly across the crowd, “we might as well address something important.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Jace arrived moments later, irritation clear on his face.

“What is this about, Jenny?”

Jennifer turned to him, her expression softening instantly into the perfect, gentle Luna.

“It’s about Kate,” she said quietly. “And something that the pack deserves to know.”

“Kate!” Jace spoke sharply. “What did you do now?”

“I didn’t…”

Jennifer’s cold voice cut through my statement.

“She is pregnant! An unmarried omega carrying a child!”

Silence followed her deadly announcement, heavy and absolute.

A chorus of startled whispers echoed in the surroundings. My pulse roared in my ears as every eye turned to me, judgment settling like a weight I couldn’t escape.

Jace’s expressions darkened in a heartbeat.

“Is that true?” His voice dropped, cold and deadly. “Whose is it?”

There was no point denying it.

I swallowed hard, forcing my spine straight.

“Yes, I am pregnant.”

I lifted my chin. “Alpha Osiris marked me.”

As I mentioned Osiris, Jennifer’s eyes burned with fury.

“Oh, really?” She said, her tone laced with mockery. “Then where is he?”

Her voice rose, sharp and deliberate, as she turned to the crowd.

“No ceremony. No acknowledgment. No witness.

How can she claim a mating?”

Her lips curled.

“This isn’t a bond. It's a sin!”

The whispers rose sharply, the crowd’s fury rising like the temperature in Texas’s summer. My throat tightened, but I forced the words.

“A mating mark isn’t a joke. It’s a commitment.”

“Is it?”

Jennifer laughed softly.

“Because from where I stand, it looks like a one-night mistake.”

My fists clenched at my sides.

“It doesn’t matter how it happened.” I shot back. “The mark is valid.”

With my trembling fingers, I pulled down the collar of my dress, exposing the massive alpha’s mark on my neck.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

For a moment, I thought that would be enough.

But Jennifer stepped forward, her voice turning cold.

“It means nothing. Not in a respectable pack.”

Her gaze swept over the people, igniting them.

“What message does that send? That any woman can sleep around and call it legitimacy?”

Then she delivered the final blow.

“As Luna, I can’t allow this kind of behavior to go unpunished.”

My heart began to pound harder.

“If we tolerate it this time,” she continued, “we encourage it. Young wolves will believe actions have no consequences.”

She spoke after a pause.

“Banish her!”

The word ‘banish’ hit me like a death sentence!

My breath caught as the terrifying stories I had heard since childhood revolved in my mind, scaring the hell out of me.

Banishment meant becoming a rogue without any protection. Women didn’t survive long out there. They were hunted, taken, and sold as slaves.

My hand pressed tighter against my belly.

I stepped forward, desperation breaking through.

“Please, Alpha!”

My voice trembled, but I didn’t stop.

“My parents gave their lives for this pack. They died protecting your family!”

The crowd shifted, my parents’ good name immediately garnering their attention.

Jace hesitated, his voice solemn with respect.

“Denson Alpha family is indeed indebted to Wilson warriors.”

Jennifer’s face turned crimson, her first gaze snapped up at Jace.

“This isn’t about Kate’s past!”

She said, her voice sharp.

“This issue concerns pack’s image and stability. No one can commit adultery and then use her family history to avoid punishment.”

A cold realization settled in my chest as that speck of softness disappeared from Jace’s eyes, his stern face way too familiar.

In one glance, I could tell he had reached a conclusion.

“No!”

The fear in my heart hardened into courage as survival instinct kicked in.

“This… this isn’t about me.”

I stepped up for myself, my voice steadier than before.

“It’s about you, Jennifer.”

A ripple of shock spread. Jennifer froze as I stepped forward, meeting her gaze.

“You are doing this because you are jealous.”

Her composure cracked.

“What nonsense…”

“He rejected you!” I continued, my voice unwavering. “You were offered to Alpha Osiris, but he refused to marry you.

Now, he has marked me. That’s why you can’t stand me!”

Jennifer’s face went pale, her smile vanishing completely.

“You! You are lying…”

“Enough!”

Jace’s voice thundered across the courtyard.

He stepped forward as his calculating gaze moved between us, tense and assessing.

“There will be an investigation.”

He declared, his voice authoritative. “I will contact Alpha Osiris. The truth will be verified.”

His cold gaze landed on me.

“Until then… Kate will be held in confinement!”

…

As banishment would stir down a negative impact on the pack, Jace avoided immediate punishment. He couldn’t just kick out the daughter of the martyrs without any solid evidence.

So, I was locked in a cold cell, silver lining the walls. The chains didn’t bind me, but they were close enough to drain the strength.

Time stretched endlessly, minutes blurring into hours, but no one came near my cell. My stomach rumbled with hunger as dinnertime passed, then night slowly turned into morning.

When I finally asked, the guard didn’t even look at me.

“No food. Alpha’s orders.”

Of course!

I leaned back against the cold wall, my hand resting over my stomach as horrifying realization crept in slowly.

Jace wasn’t waiting for proof.

He just bought the time for the problem to resolve... itself.

My heart stumbled over its rhythm.

“Jace… You're trying to kill my baby.”

I was a weak, wolf-less omega, so bearing an alpha’s child was already a big matter for me. Starvation and silver torture were a convenient method to kill my innocent baby without any blame.

Anger burned in my veins, then faded into something heavier with the passage of time.

By the end of the second day, the hunger became unbearable. My body trembled, every breath feeling heavier than the last. The safety of the tiny life growing inside me terrified me more than anything else.

I curled on the floor, arms wrapped around myself.

“I am sorry…”

I whispered, tears slipping down my temples.

“I am so sorry…”

My voice broke.

“Mom… I need a miracle right now.”

It seemed that my silent plea was answered by my mom in heaven, as after a few hours, the cell clicked open and Bella slipped inside, carrying a small bundle in her hands.

“Kate!”

I pushed myself up, relief washing over me to see a familiar face here. Bella helped me sit and unwrapped the bundle quickly.

“Here. Eat.”

The sight of the real food brought tears to my eyes. Without a word, I picked up the spoon and ate desperately, each bite dragging me back from the edge.

Halfway through, I looked up, breath uneven.

“They let you bring this?”

Bella smirked.

“I am an anesthesiologist, Kate. I don’t ask for permission.”

A weak laugh escaped me.

“Remind me to never underestimate you.”

“Too late!”

I paused and managed to smile.

“I owe you big, Bella.”

She nodded once. “Finish your meal first.”

I focused on my meal again, scarfing it down in seconds. When I lifted the bowl to drink the remaining soup, a faint metallic sound echoed softly.

I looked under the bowl and found the master key, shining under the dim light. My heart raced as I met Bella’s firm gaze.

She said, “The decision is yours, Kate.”