THE SECRET GROWING INSIDE ME

Chapter Five

Elena’s POV

The kiss beneath the old oak tree changed something between Adrian and me.

After that night, I could no longer pretend my feelings were harmless. I had fallen for the Alpha of Silver Moon Pack, a man who stood above everyone else, while I was the wolfless girl most people barely noticed.

Yet, whenever Adrian looked at me, I sometimes forgot the difference between us.

For a while, I allowed myself to be happy.

Then came the night everything changed.

Adrian invited me to his private room. Rain tapped against the windows, filling the silence between us as I stood before him, nervous and uncertain.

“Are you afraid of me, Elena?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Then why are you looking at me as if you want to run away?”

I told him I was afraid that one day he would wake up and remember that I was wolfless.

He told me he didn't want to lose what we had found.

When he kissed me, I kissed him back.

That night, we chose to be together.

It was a private and intimate moment between two adults who believed they were beginning something real. I trusted him with a part of myself I had protected for years, and he promised that he would not treat my feelings carelessly.

I fell asleep beside him believing that, for once, I didn't have to face the world alone.

I had no idea how much that belief would cost me.

Several weeks later, I began feeling unwell.

At first, I blamed exhaustion.

I was constantly tired, and the smell of cooked meat made my stomach turn.

Some mornings, I woke with nausea so strong that I had to sit on the edge of my bed until it passed.

Then I missed my monthly bleeding.

I told myself it was stress.

I had been anxious about Adrian, about the way our relationship had to remain hidden, and about what the pack would say if they discovered us.

But when another week passed, I could no longer ignore the fear growing inside me.

I went to see the pack healer.

She was an elderly woman named Matilda, with silver hair and kind eyes. She listened as I described my symptoms, then asked me several questions.

When she finished examining me, she sat quietly for a moment.

"Elena, when was your last monthly bleeding?"

I told her.

She nodded slowly.

"And have you been with a man recently?"

My face burned.

"Yes."

"Was it consensual?"

I looked at her, surprised by the question.

"Yes."

She studied me carefully before placing a gentle hand over mine.

"Then I believe you should prepare yourself for some important news."

My heart began to pound.

"What news?"

She smiled softly.

"You are pregnant."

The room tilted.

I gripped the edge of the chair.

"No."

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean—are you certain?"

She nodded.

"The signs are clear. We will arrange further checks, but I have strong reason to believe you are carrying a child."

I pressed both hands against my stomach.

There was nothing to see yet.

No movement.

No visible change.

Just the terrifying knowledge that another life might be growing inside me.

Adrian's child.

My eyes filled with tears.

I was frightened.

I was confused.

But beneath the fear, something else began to emerge.

A fragile, unfamiliar love.

I thought of the tiny life that might one day open its eyes and look at me.

I thought of holding my baby against my chest, protecting them from every cruelty I had ever known.

And I made a promise.

Whatever happened between Adrian and me, I would love this child.

I would never allow my baby to believe they were worthless.

Not while I was alive.

I went to find Adrian that evening.

He was in his office, surrounded by council documents. When I entered, he looked up and smiled.

"Elena. I was about to send for you."

I closed the door behind me.

"I need to tell you something."

His smile faded when he saw my expression.

"What's wrong?"

I moved closer.

For a moment, the words refused to come.

Then I placed a trembling hand over my stomach.

My hands were shaking as I approached his desk. He looked up from his work, immediately noticing how nervous I was.

"I'm pregnant."

“I swallowed.

He stared at me.

For a moment, I couldn't read his expression. Then something that looked almost like joy crossed his face.

“Are you certain?” he asked.

I nodded. “Matilda confirmed it.”

He looked at my stomach, then back at me. I waited, my heart pounding, hoping he would say something that would reassure me that we would face this together.

Before he could speak, the office door opened.

Councilman Richard entered without knocking.

His gaze moved from Adrian to me. Then he noticed my hand resting protectively over my stomach.

“Is it true?” he demanded.

Neither of us answered immediately.

His expression hardened.

“Your father would never have allowed this.”

Adrian's jaw tightened. “My father is dead, Richard.”

“But his responsibilities remain!” Richard snapped. “You are the Alpha of Silver Moon Pack. Every decision you make affects the entire pack.”

He turned towards me, his eyes filled with disapproval.

“And now you intend to bring a child into this world with a woman who has no wolf?”

I felt my face grow hot.

I had heard people insult me before. I had endured their whispers and their cruel laughter. But hearing Richard speak about my unborn child as though the baby were a mistake was something I could barely bear.

Adrian stepped forward.

“That's enough.”

Richard didn't back down.

“The council will never accept a wolfless woman as Luna. The pack needs a powerful bloodline, Adrian. We cannot risk our future because of your feelings.”

My eyes moved to Adrian.

I waited for him to tell Richard that I mattered. I waited for him to say that our child was not a mistake, and that no councilman had the right to decide whether we deserved a future together.

But Adrian said nothing.

His silence hurt more than Richard's words.

I slowly lowered my hand from my stomach.

Perhaps I had been foolish to believe that love alone could protect me.

Perhaps, to Adrian, I was only someone he wanted when the world wasn't watching.

I turned and walked out before either man could see the tears gathering in my eyes.

Behind me, I heard Adrian speak.

“We will discuss this later.”

But I didn't know whether he meant he would discuss it with Richard or with me.

That night, I lay awake with one hand resting over my stomach.

“It's all right, little one,” I whispered into the darkness. “Whatever happens, I'll love you. I'll protect you. You will never have to wonder whether you are wanted.”

Thunder rumbled outside, and rain swept against my window.

Somewhere in the Alpha's quarters, Adrian Blackwood was facing a choice between the woman he had claimed as his mate and the crown he had been born to protect.

I didn't know what he would choose.

I only knew that I had never felt more alone.

And on my twenty-first birthday, he would make that choice in front of the entire pack.

Neither of us understood that the child growing inside me carried a secret powerful enough to bring an Alpha to his knees.

End of Chapter Five