4. The News

A week after leaving the Beta House, I was walking back from the market carrying a small bag of supplies when I heard footsteps behind me.

At first, I ignored them.

I had learned that reacting to every stare and every whisper would destroy me but the footsteps continued.

My grip tightened around the bag.

"Are you following me?"

Laughter answered.

My stomach sank.

"I heard Alpha Remus got tired of you after one night."

I turned.

Three wolves stood behind me, I recognized two of them immediately, they had laughed when I passed them before.

The third was taller than the others, broad-shouldered with a cruel smile.

His gaze swept over me.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing."

His smile widened. “We were just talking."

I stared at him.

"Well I don’t have that time"

 I said as I turned to leave.

"Come back here.” He said as he grabbed my arm.

My body reacted before my mind did.

I jerked away.

"Don't touch me."

The wolf's expression darkened, for a second, nobody moved then he laughed.

"You still think you can give orders?"

The others joined in.

The tallest wolf shook his head.

"Someone should explain the situation to her."

I frowned.

"What situation?"

His smile disappeared. "The situation where nobody wants you."

The words landed like a punch.

"Your father threw you away."

My chest tightened.

"Your family disowned you. And now you're just another omega."

The others stepped closer.

"You know what's funny?" one of them asked.

"A few weeks ago nobody would have dared touch you."

The tallest wolf nodded.

"But now?"

His eyes glittered.

"Who's going to stop us?"

Silence stretched because we all knew the answer.

"If you're finished," I said quietly, "move."

The wolves laughed again, then the tallest one stepped directly into my path.

"Or what?"

I stared at him.

He knew I couldn't do anything.

"You should be grateful," another wolf said.

"Most packs would have exiled you completely."

The tallest one snorted.

"Honestly, I don't know why they let her stay."

His gaze swept over me. “Maybe they enjoy watching her suffer."

Something inside me snapped.

"I didn't choose any of this."

The words escaped before I could stop them and the laughter faded.

"I didn't ask for any of it." My voice trembled. “But none of you care."

The tallest wolf's jaw tightened, then he shoved me hard that I stumbled backward, pain shot through my shoulder as I slammed into the wall behind me.

The bag slipped from my hand, groceries spilled across the dirt as the wolves laughed.

One of them kicked an apple across the road another crushed a packet beneath his boot.

I stared at the ruined food.

Money I couldn't afford to waste, food I couldn't afford to replace. Something hot burned behind my eyes.

"Stop."

The word came out weak.

The tallest wolf looked amused. "Make me."

A second wave of laughter followed.

I bent down to gather what I could.

A boot landed on one of the packages, pinning it beneath the sole.

Slowly, I looked up, the wolf smiled then he ground it into the dirt.

My hands trembled, suddenly, nausea rolled through me. I pressed a hand against my stomach.

The world tilted as the laughter around me sounded distant now.

Someone said something but I couldn't hear it.

My vision blurred.

The ground swayed beneath my feet.

I took one step, then another. Darkness swallowed everything.

***

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a ceiling but it wasn’t mine

I blinked and tried to sit up but a sharp pain moved through my body.

“Don’t.”The healer’s voice stopped me.

An older woman approached. “You were lucky.”

I frowned. “What happened?”

“You collapsed.”

The memories of what happened returned.

My stomach twisted as I looked down.

“My injuries?”

“Bruising. Nothing serious.” She paused.

“But there’s something else.”

Something about her tone made my heart slow.

“What?”

She studied me carefully.

“When was your last transformation?”

I frowned.

“My first one was the night of the full moon.”

She nodded.

“Yes, but after that?”

I didn’t understand the question.

“Why?”

The healer hesitated, then asked gently,

“Have you been feeling tired lately?”

I opened my mouth to answer but nothing came out.

The dizziness, the nausea, the exhaustion that no amount of sleep seemed to fix.

My fingers tightened around the blanket.

No, the thought arrived suddenly.

Impossible.

The healer was watching me carefully now like someone deciding how much truth another person could survive.

"Just tell me."

She was quiet for a moment.

Then:

"Aria..."

My stomach dropped before she said the next words.

"You're carrying a child."

The room went silent, but not totally, I could still hear the healer breathing and few footsteps outside.

But the words seemed to swallow everything else.

My hand moved slowly to my stomach as if it belonged to someone else.S