~ Elara’s POV I groaned in pain as my stomach began to hurt badly and then I yelled out for help hoping someone would hear my cry and help me out. Groaning, I doubled over, the pain in my stomach twisting into a barbed fist. It wasn't a familiar ache, the kind that came with hunger, I was familiar with those. This was something else, a sharp, insistent demon clawing at my insides. I should not have been too hasty, I should have been careful and checked the fruits properly before eating, I thought to myself, still in pain. "Hello? Anyone there? Please, I need help," I managed to gasp out. At that point, I was no longer worried about Alpha Rayel or someone from his pack finding me. All I was worried about was pain gnawing my insides and the fear that something terrible could be happening to my baby. And it would be all my fault. I curled up, wrapping one arm around my belly and apologizing to my baby. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Your mom did not mean to harm you on purpose. I'm so
~Rayel’s POV I was so scared that something bad might have happened to Elara when Beta Boris told me that the only place we have not searched was the Lake’s forest. Taking down the wild animals and the rogues in the Lake’s forest was not a problem for me but it had been a tradition in our pack not to always go to the forest without a tangible reason. Before the demise of my father, he had promised to tell me the reason behind that but he was unable to do so and also Boris explained to me that I shouldn’t let the member of the council know that I wasn’t aware of the situation or else they would make an issue out of it. There was a time that I even planned to wipe out the rogues and other things in the forest but I had a lot of resistance from the members of the council and I had no choice but to stay put and do nothing about the forest. Everyone stared at me waiting for me to give out the orders and I thought to myself that it was probably the best moment to take care of the forest an
Rayel's POV Beta Boris stared at me in consternation. I returned his gaze unflinchingly, but his steady gaze soon made me drop mine. I let out a heavy sigh and looked up towards the sky. I stared at the dark clouds, unable to push away my worry for Elara, despite the uncomfortable situation I was in. "Alpha Rayel?" He prompted, causing me to take my gaze off the sky and look back towards him. "Are you in love with Elara?" He asked again. I debated telling him the truth. I trusted Beta Boris with my life, he had been my Beta, supporting me right from the moment I was crowned as Alpha of the Silvercrest pack. We had just been teenagers, not ready for the huge responsibility when we received the news that our parents had died in a fatal car crash on the way to a council meeting. Even when a few territories wolves and members of the council had tried to take the throne, using the excuse of me being too young. Beta Boris' father had been my own dad's Beta when he had been alive and r
Rayel's POV Boris stared at me without saying anything and I knew that I had allowed my emotions to get the best out of me. I kept quiet as well and waited for the guards to return back to me with good news. After some minutes, Boris turned to me and then he looked a bit unrest, probably trying to choose his words carefully. "What do you plan to do, Alpha?" Boris asked, breaking the silence. I didn't have an answer. I was still grappling with the situation, torn between my love and my duty. "I... I don't know yet," I admitted, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over me. "But I will protect her, Boris. I swear it. Even if it means sacrificing everything." Boris placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch a source of comfort in the midst of my turmoil. "We will figure this out together, Alpha," he said with unwavering loyalty. "Just remember, you're not alone in this." From his words, I had a feeling Boris knew more than he was letting on. And although I was not ready to ask him and
Elara's POV "Hmm…" At the mention of my name, Rufus' face turned pensive and to be honest, a little bit scary. I scooted back a little, putting a protective arm around my belly. It was then that I remembered that I basically had no idea where I was. I could clearly remember running into the forest to get away from Alpha Rayel's pack, but after losing consciousness, I had no idea how Rufus had found me and the route that might have led to his abode. “What’s wrong?” I asked him, feeling a bit offended with the way he looked at me. “Nothing, El….” he seemed to have forgotten my name and then I reminded him that it was Elara. He smiled at me and then promised not to forget my name. After taking the bitter potion, I returned the cup to him and then thanked him properly for saving me and my baby. “It’s my pleasure, Elara,” he said. Just when I was about to stand up to leave his place, he pulled me back, explaining to me that I still needed some rest. “When you have rested well
Rayel's POV "Hazel…" I was lost for words at Hazel's sudden change in behavior. Just a few minutes ago, she was crying and sobbing about what had happened to Elara. And now, she was saying words that I found hard to understand. "Hazel, she died. Elara died today and it was all our fault." There was a hitch in my voice that prevented me from being able to continue. "It was not our fault, Rayel," she replied softly, looking up at me through her lashes. Before Elara, I would have melted the very moment she looked at me that way. But this time around, I was enraged. I felt like I was dying inside, but no one felt the same way, which made me want to scream and shout and throw things. My hands curled into fists, coaching tightly as Hazel continued, oblivious to the intense emotions raging within me. "She left. No one forced her to. She was taken well care of here…" "She was in a literal prison!!!" I could not stop myself from yelling out those words. It had been eating at me ever si
~ Hazel’s POVI mulled over the events of the past few hours. I could not believe that Elara had actually summoned up the courage to try and escape. I would have never thought she would have the guts to do something like that. That stupid girl nearly ruined my plans with the stunt she just pulled. I pondered over it and remembering the blood soaked piece of cloth, I wondered if she was truly dead. The thought sobered me a little bit, but I had to shake it off. I was so pained when Rayel asked me when I was going to go through the pain of getting pregnant. After instructing Beta Boris to get me a new breeder as soon as possible, I tried talking to Rayel but he wasn’t ready to talk to me and then I exited his room and returned back to my room.I laid back on my bed lazily and wondered why Rayel got so worked up over Elara’s death. I was a bit sad when I heard the news about her death but then she ran away from home and her death doesn’t have anything to do with anyone. I brought out
Elara's POVRufus stared at me with a bewildered expression on his face, one that seemed so funny yet adorable at the same time that I could not stop myself from bursting into laughter. “Are you okay, Elara?” He asked again.“I’m fine, Rufus,” I replied to him as I wiped off some tears off my face.“You know you can confide in me, Elara,” he said, sounding like an elder brother I never had. I nodded my head and then he asked me to continue eating my food. I glanced at him occasionally and saw that his attention was on me. He watched what I was eating, telling me the food to eat and not to eat.I stuffed everything he gave me into my mouth and then I told him to eat as well.“I will stop eating if you keep staring at me, Rufus,” I said.He smiled at me and told me that he wanted to be sure that I was fine.“I’m fine, Rufus,” I said curtly and then motioned for him to eat. I watched as he dug into his food and continued eating his food as well. I stopped eating when I was full and then