The Alpha Chose His Heirs, So I Chose Myself

I called my advisor, Dr. Margaret Ellsworth.

"Dr. Ellsworth, is the Arctic research position still available?"

There was a pause on the other end. Then her surprised voice came through. "Lena? You finally changed your mind?"

"Yes," I said. My voice was eerily calm. "Five years. Cut off from the outside world. The farther away, the better."

"The position is still open." I could hear the relief in her voice. "I always thought you shouldn't have given up your career for that relationship."

"I understand. I need to leave in one week. And I need you to erase my identity completely. No records, no traces. I want no one to ever find me."

Dr. Ellsworth was silent for a moment. "One week is tight, but I can arrange it. Are you sure about this?"

"I have never been more sure."

"Then I will make the calls tonight. Seven days from now, Lena Foster will cease to exist.”

One week. Seven days until I disappeared forever.

I ended the call and stood at the door of our house, my fingertips trembling.

Inside the living room, Damon was playing with his daughter. Victoria leaned against his shoulder, smiling. The firelight cast their three shadows against the wall like a painting.

My heart felt like someone had stabbed me.

"Lena is back," Victoria said first. She sat up straight, suddenly tense.

Damon handed the child to a servant without thinking. "Take her upstairs."

His guarded look cut into me like a knife. He was afraid I would hurt his child.

The man who once said he would only accept a child born from my body now watched me like I was a rogue.

After the child was gone, Damon came over and reached out to check me for injuries. "You're back. Did the dungeon hurt you?"

I looked at the man who had once taken ninety nine lashes for me. My chest ached with bitterness. I turned my head away from his touch.

He frowned and started to explain. "Lena, last night if I had protected you, the elders would have punished you worse. We are about to leave soon. I didn't want any trouble. Besides, the child is innocent. Why would you—"

"I said it wasn't me," I snapped, my eyes burning red.

Damon seemed surprised by my reaction. After a moment, his voice softened. "Alright, alright. It doesn't matter anymore."

It doesn't matter anymore.

Those three words stabbed into my heart like icicles.

He still did not believe me.

Victoria touched her slightly swollen belly and walked over, her voice falsely sincere. "Lena, I apologize too. I was too worried at the time. You don't have children, so you might not understand how a mother feels."

I ignored her. My eyes were locked on her neck.

A pendant. A small oval disc with a simple engraving on its surface, strung on a thin leather cord. It hung around Victoria's neck.

It was the only thing my mother left me when she died when I was twelve. She said the pendant would protect me from the deepest evil in the world.

"Where did you get that pendant?" My voice shook.

"Victoria liked it, so I gave it to her." Damon walked over, his voice casual, as if he were talking about something trivial. "Consider it your apology to her. It's just a pendant. I'll find you another one."

I almost screamed. "It was my mother's. You know how important it is to me. You know."

Damon frowned. He seemed surprised by my reaction. " Lena, it's just a thing. Victoria is carrying my child. You hurt her and she is willing to let it go. Why can't you do the same?”

"I did not hurt her child."

"Enough." His voice turned cold. "Stop making a scene."

I reached for the pendant. Victoria stumbled backward, clutching her belly and crying out in pain.

"Lena." Damon shoved me away, his eyes icy cold. " She is carrying my child. Do you want the elders to delay our departure again?"

He pushed too hard. The back of my head struck the corner of the fireplace. My vision went dark for a moment. Warm liquid ran down the back of my neck.

But Damon did not look back. He had already lifted Victoria into his arms and was carrying her out the door.

"Damon," Victoria whimpered against his chest. "Will the child be alright?"

"Don't be afraid. I'm here." His voice was achingly gentle. "Neither you nor the child will be hurt."

I sat on the floor, watching his figure disappear into the night.