Chapter 8

Amber

The night was endless. Every time I closed my eyes, the darkness stretched on, filled with the weight of my thoughts and the ache in my chest. I stared at the cracked ceiling of my room, the faint moonlight filtering through the broken blinds casting shadows on the walls. Tears slid silently down my cheeks as I lay there, clutching my stomach.

I didn’t sleep. How could I? The anxiety clawed at me, every thought spiraling back to the same terrifying conclusion. I had to tell Rayne.

For the past two weeks, I’d been drowning in fear and uncertainty, trying to pretend like everything was normal. But it wasn’t normal. My body was changing, and I couldn’t keep it a secret much longer. The other Omegas at the shelter had already started whispering about my constant use of scent patches. They weren’t stupid. Sooner or later, someone would notice the difference in my scent, the subtle shift brought on by the life growing inside me.

And then what?

Rayne had to know. I had no idea how he’d react, couldn’t imagine a scenario where this didn’t end badly. But Alphas were possessive, fiercely so, when it came to their mates and their pups. If he knew I was carrying his child, maybe—just maybe—he would give me his protection.

I needed him now more than ever.

Pregnancy for an Omega was unbearable without their Alpha. The instinct to build a nest was already gnawing at me, an incessant urge I couldn’t satisfy in the dilapidated shelter. My hormones were a mess, swinging wildly between despair and anger, and the insecurities… goddess, the insecurities were overwhelming. I was already starting to feel small and vulnerable, dreading the changes that would come as my body grew with his pup. Only an Alpha’s presence, their pheromones, could ease that ache, soothe that chaos.

I hated it. I hated needing him. But I couldn’t do this alone.

Thankfully, today was Saturday. No school. No excuses. No chance to change my mind.

I forced myself out of bed and went about my morning routine in a haze, scrubbing floors and wiping down tables as part of my chores at the shelter. My movements were mechanical, my mind consumed by what I had to do.

When I was finished, I returned to my room and changed into the only decent dress I owned. It was a faded blue thing that still managed to hold its shape, unlike the rest of my wardrobe, which consisted of clothes too torn or washed out to be presentable. I was going to see my Alpha, and as much as it shamed me to admit it, I wanted to look good for him.

Sitting in front of the broken mirror, I began braiding my hair, my fingers trembling slightly as they worked through the long, red strands. The reflection staring back at me was pale and drawn, dark circles under my eyes betraying my sleepless night.

My gaze shifted to the bond mark on my neck, half-hidden beneath my hair. I reached up and traced it with my fingers, and it pulsed faintly in response. A warm, soothing sensation spread through me, comforting in its own quiet way.

Rayne still hadn’t opened up the bond. I couldn’t feel him, couldn’t sense his emotions or hear his thoughts. But I could feel the faint thrum of his heartbeat, steady and reassuring, a reminder that he was there.

It wasn’t enough.

After braiding my hair into a fishtail, I slapped on a fresh scent patch, covering the mark and masking any hint of my pregnancy. Then, taking a deep breath, I left the shelter and began the long walk to the Alpha’s mansion.

The closer I got, the heavier the knot in my stomach grew. What was I supposed to say to the guards at the gate? “Hi, I’m a rejected Omega here to tell the future Alpha I’m pregnant with his pup”?

The mansion loomed ahead, its towering gates casting shadows across the path. I swallowed hard, my nerves threatening to get the better of me.

Alpha Xavier, the current Alpha of the Hunter Valley Pack, was known for his strict adherence to hierarchy. He wasn’t a bad leader—he’d overseen much of the Pack’s progress in recent years—but he wasn’t a kind man, either. He didn’t care about the discrimination Omegas faced, didn’t lift a finger to improve their conditions. The thought of facing someone like him made me shudder.

It reminded me of my father. The way he’d looked at me with disgust the moment I presented as an Omega, the way he’d thrown me out of his house like I was nothing.

What would Alpha Xavier think when he found out his only son—the future Alpha—had knocked up a rejected Omega?

I had no money, no status, no family name to hold onto. I was nothing.

When I reached the gates, my legs felt like lead. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the intercom button, my fingers trembling.

“Yes?” a deep voice crackled through.

“I-I need to see Rayne,” I stammered, barely able to get the words out.

There was silence.

“I need to see Rayne,” I repeated, a little louder this time, though my voice still wavered.

Another long pause. I could almost hear their disbelief. Just as I opened my mouth to speak again, the voice responded.

“He’s not available. Leave.”

Panic rose in my chest. “Please,” I said quickly, desperation creeping into my tone. “It’s important.”

The voice didn’t respond. My heart sank as I realized I was about to be turned away.

And then I heard the honk of a car horn.

I turned and saw a sleek black car approaching the gate. My breath hitched when I realized who it was.

Rayne.

He was wearing a black compression shirt that clung to his body, highlighting every line of muscle. His blonde hair was slightly messy, and sunglasses shielded his forest-green eyes, but his scowl was unmistakable.

My heart raced as his car pulled up beside me, but it wasn’t from excitement. The tension in his posture, the coldness in his expression—he wasn’t happy to see me.