Chapter 6

ELARA

My heart was beating so fast as I stared outside the window. I heard what Lucius said earlier. So, he would kill me if he finds out. 

What should I do?

I stood up and ran out of the room into the hallway. I placed my hand on my stomach, my head started to throb and my legs were shaking.

I looked around and everything felt like they were spinning.

"No, I can't let Lucius harm me or my babies." I struggled to wrap my head around what he would do to me.

I was running towards the kitchen when I ran into Lilith.

"Oh you bitch..." She cursed me while looking around. With one glance, I could tell she's in search of Lucius.

Maybe he went for the Alpha's affairs meeting. That's a relief.

"Lilith, I beg of you." I muttered taking steady and calculated steps towards her.

"Don't you dare take another step towards me." She warned, pointing a finger towards me as she stepped back.

Is she scared? Oh, someone tell me I'm not dreaming.

"I would, I would in fact hug you if you dare to run without listening to me." Her eyes widened a little and I used the chance I had to step even more closer to her.

"Lilith, listen, please don't tell Lucius about this. I would leave, I would go forever if that's what it means. " I begged hoping she would at least give me a listening ear.

"Don't you get it?" She let out a very awkward laugh. "Do you think this is about Lucius?" She asked, her eyes were turning into a shade of black red.

"It's about me. You have the prophecy in you and it would ruin my whole existence. I can't let that happen." Lilith looked at me like something came to her mind.

"Then what are you gonna do?" I asked her like I didn't know the answer to that already.

"I would let Lucius know that you're the one he's been searching for so he wouldn't waste any time to kill you before you make the prophecy manifest." She spat out and I didn't miss the anger that painted her face.

Before I could say another word, she used her magic to disappear.

What do I do now?

I ran to Lucius office just to check if he was there, but when I got there, the office was empty.

Where the hell was he?

"What are you doing here?" I heard a thick male voice which I didn't recognize and I turned around only to see a guard. He wasn't frowning and he sure as hell wasn't smiling.

"Nothing." I answered in a very low voice. My body was fighting to give into the darkness but I can't let that happen.

"Mara...." I muttered as I turned around to leave while the guard was still staring at me with so much intensity of hatred in his eyes.

I walked out of the royal pack house and made my way to Mara's house. Her building was a little bit far from the royal pack house. 

Mara...

I could see her from the faint moonlight that shone towards me.

"What's she doing out this time?" I said in my head and clutched my stomach again as I began feeling pains.

"Mara." I called out but my voice wasn't loud enough compared to the distance of where I'm standing and where her house is.

"Mara..."I called out again but in a more audible tune. She didn't turn around, she didn't look back but instead, she started walking inside her house.

Help me moon goddess. 

And suddenly, just as if the moon goddess had heard my silent plea, Mara looked back and put eyes locked together. I could see the shock in her face when she placed down whatever she was holding and started walking towards me.

“Elara, what happened?” She asked me as she got close to me. I felt safe with her around and then, I gave in and let the darkness swallow me whole.

I could hear her shouting my name but it grew fainter and fainter as my eyes twitched.

~

I didn’t know how long I was out for. The room was dim, lit by a single candle flickering on the wooden table beside the bed. My eyes fluttered open slowly, and it took me a moment to realize where I was. The familiar scent of herbs and smoke told me this was Mara’s house. My body ached, especially my lower back, and my stomach still felt tight with tension.

But that wasn’t what made my heart race.

Mara was sitting beside me, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her eyes glued to mine the moment I stirred. She didn’t even blink. Her shoulders were tense, her mouth pressed in a line like she was holding something back. She looked… scared. Not just worried. Scared.

I tried to sit up, but she gently pushed my shoulder back down, shaking her head.

“Don’t try to move too fast,” she whispered, voice low, but there was urgency in it. “Just… just breathe.”

Something was wrong. I could feel it, crawling up my spine like cold water.

“Mara,” I croaked, my throat dry. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

She looked away for a moment, like she didn’t want to answer, like she was trying to find the right words. But there were no right words, and I could see the panic crawling just behind her calm face.

“Mara,” I said again, sitting up anyway, despite her warning. My chest tightened. “Tell me.”

She hesitated. Then her eyes moved to the door, and she leaned in closer to me, whispering so softly I almost didn’t hear her.

“Lucius and Lilith… they’re outside.”

I froze.

Outside?

Here?

“Outside?” I repeated, barely able to say the word. “Why? What do they want?”

Mara swallowed hard. Her eyes flicked to the door again. “They’re waiting for you to wake up.”

No. No, no, no.

My vision swam for a moment, and I grabbed the edge of the bed to keep myself grounded.

“They’re waiting?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Why? Why would they…?”

Mara gripped my hand tightly then, her own shaking slightly.

“Elara… Lucius… he told the council something.”

“What did he say?” I breathed, already knowing it couldn’t be good.

She paused again, then finally said it.

“He told them… you slept with another man.”

I felt everything in me collapse at once. My lungs refused to work. My heart skipped a beat and then pounded so hard I thought it might crack through my chest.

“He what?” I whispered, barely able to speak through the rush of blood in my ears.

“He told the council that you were unfaithful. That the child or children you’re carrying might not be his. He’s using that as a reason to punish you publicly, Elara. In front of the council, in front of the pack. That’s why he’s here. That’s why Lilith is here too. They want to make it official.”

I covered my mouth with my hands, trying to stop the gasp that escaped, but it was too late. The pain, it was too loud in my chest to keep it hidden.

“But I think…how…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. It felt ridiculous to even say it. Of course I did. But it didn’t matter, did it? Lucius didn’t care about the truth. He was creating his own. And he clearly doesn't want me.

Mara nodded slowly. “I know, Elara. He’s trying to turn this whole thing around. He thinks if the pack believes you betrayed him, then no one will question what he does next. No one will question why he punishes you. Or worse.”

I shook my head slowly, unable to accept it. “But why?He knows those babies—”

“He doesn’t care,” Mara cut in softly. “He only cares about the prophecy. And now, he’s scared of you.”

The room felt smaller, like the walls were closing in. I felt

like I couldn’t breathe.

While we were still talking, Lucius barged into the room and raised a knife to my neck.

“Who's the father?”