—AVERY— She stood there like a goddess. Her long red dress hugging her curves, sparkling under the chandelier. Her wavy dark hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, and her lips curved into a calm smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.Every woman around me stepped back immediately. Even the one who had just poured wine on me looked terrified.Jessica walked slowly toward us, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Every step was graceful, like she owned this entire world. Maybe she did.“Miss Summers…” One of the women tried to speak, but Jessica’s eyes moved to her, sharp and cold.“I don’t remember asking anyone to entertain out guests with this… behavior.” Her voice was sweet, but there was steel underneath.I stood there with the wine dripping from my hair and down my dress, feeling small and humiliated. Everyone was staring. I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole.Jessica’s gaze finally shifted to me. For a second, I saw something in her eyes—pity? Or maybe curio
—AVERY POV— Morning came like a heavy stone on my chest.I woke up feeling numb. My mind had been full of the same thought over and over again: Run away before it’s too late.Every time I touched my belly, fear crawled up my spine. This pup… my pup… was all I had. And if what Benita said was true—that once the baby was born, Damon would throw me out—then I couldn’t stay here.By now, the big pack house was already buzzing. Maids ran up and down, carrying flowers and ribbons. I heard them whispering, giggling about the big party for Jessica Summers.Jessica Summers… the name was everywhere. I heard it so many times I felt like it was carved into my head. The party was thrown in her honour to celebrate her success after becoming a famous designer abroad.I went for a morning walk to clear my head. The air was cold, but not as cold as the stares I received from the pack members. They didn’t even bother to hide it. Their whispers followed me."Look at her, the Red Stone whore, walking li
— AVERY POV — I stayed in my room all day. The curtains were closed, and the sunlight couldn’t come in. I didn’t want it to. I didn’t want anything bright or warm. I just lay there, curled up on the bed like a child, hugging the pillow so tight as if it could fill the emptiness inside me.My pup…That was all I had now. My little baby. My only family. My reason to keep breathing.I placed my palm over my stomach and whispered, “It’s just you and me now, little one. Only you.” My voice cracked, but I bit down on the sob threatening to escape.The door suddenly opened. I didn’t even look up. “Maya, I wish to be alone,” I said, my voice soft, tired.There was a pause. “It’s me.”The deep voice froze me in place. My heart stopped, then thudded so loudly it felt like he could hear it from where he stood.I turned sharply. Damon.He was back.He stood by the doorframe, his tall figure almost filling the space. His hair was messy, his shirt slightly unbuttoned like he hadn’t cared how he l
— AVERY POV — The clinic doors clicked shut behind me, the sterile scent of antiseptic still clinging to my clothes. The check-up had gone well—the pup was healthy, growing strong. The healer’s words echoed faintly in my head. “Everything is fine. You need to rest more, Miss Avery. Your pup needs strength.”I gave a small nod, pretending I believed her when she said everything was fine. But deep down, I was exhausted. Tired of pretending I was strong when every part of me just wanted to curl up and disappear.The evening air brushed my face as I stepped outside. The sky was slowly bleeding into shades of orange and purple, the sun dipping low behind the trees. A black Sedan was waiting near the clinic steps. The door swung open and James, the butler, stood there in his crisp suit like always. His face was crinkled as he bowed slightly.“Miss Avery.” His voice was polite.I forced a faint smile, even though I knew he didn’t really see me as the alpha’s woman. None of them did. I was
— DAMON POV — The cold shower didn’t help. Not one damn bit.I gripped the edge of the marble sink, water dripping down my chest as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The beast in me wasn’t calm—he was wide awake, prowling, clawing for the little omega who had locked herself in that room all day.Avery. Even saying her name in my head made my chest tighten and my cock twitch with hunger I couldn’t tame.I tried. I truly fucking tried to stay away, to leave her be, to let her process whatever foolish idea had crawled into her stubborn little head. But every second she refused to eat, every minute she shut me out, it burned through my veins like fire.I didn’t want to admit what I did next, but hell… I’m not some saint. I yanked the towel from my hips and slumped onto the chair in my private lounge. My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms as the image of her flashed behind my eyelids—her soft lips trembling when she looked at me earlier, those wide innocent eyes, the defi
— AVERY POV — I stayed in my room all day.I didn’t eat. I didn’t drink. I didn’t even open the curtains. The room was dark, and I loved it that way because it matched what I felt inside. Empty, heavy, broken.My mind kept replaying everything I overheard at the store. Jessica. The name wouldn’t leave my head. Damon had a fiancée. A woman who was elegant, beautiful, and loved by everyone in this pack.So that was why they all hated me… That was why Penelope looked at me like I was trash bin. That was why those maids mocked me. That was why the pack didnt welcome me. They already had their Luna… and it wasn’t me.My chest hurt like someone had taken a blade and carved a hole through my heart. I should have known. Why would someone like Damon, an Alpha, a man with so much power, ever choose someone like me? A wolfless omega. A mistake of fate.He never promised me anything. He never said he loved me. So why… why does it hurt so much?A soft knock came at the door.“Miss Avery?” Maya