What Happened Jane?

Aria’s POV

I tried to wipe away the sweat on my face but the pain I was going through did not allow me. “Push…” the Valemont pack midwife called while slapping my lap.

Another contraction ripped through me, stealing the air from my lungs. My fingers clenched the sheets so tightly my knuckles turned white. Sweat dampened my hairline despite the cool autumn breeze drifting through the open window.

My God! Labor is this painful; no one told me. I had no one to tell me; I was an orphan with no records of who my parents were.

I tried my best once more as I pushed harder; the midwife smiled at me. “I can see your baby’s head; just one more push, my Lady.”

I am their lady and would soon become Luna; by law, a human wife who bears the Alpha’s heir earns the title of Luna. 

Oh how I needed that title.

I gave one final push with my eyes shut and my mouth screaming. When I heard the cry of my baby, I opened my eyes and shut them almost immediately in relief.

"Congratulations, Milady, he is a boy and he looks just like Alpha Kael.”

I looked at him and smiled. I am just happy he came out fine; I did not care who he looked like.

The midwife’s assistant came up with a hand towel to clean the beads of sweat rolling down my face while the midwife herself went to clean up my baby.

The assistant was nicer than the midwife. I was already used to that though; I know not everyone likes me in this pack. I am human and still happen to be the wife of the Alpha, so I get it.

They might think a human is not worthy of being the luna of their pack, but I am here to stay.

The midwife returned with my baby to place him on my chest for that bond they all talked about; I for one know I do not need that special effect because right from the moment I learned I was pregnant, I had started bonding with my baby.

I needed someone that would be my family. Kael was my family; true, he saw me when no one else did, he cared for me, protected me, and gave me a position way better than the maid I was by marrying me.

So yes, he was my family but I knew that the family wouldn’t be complete unless we started making babies.

I glanced at my baby’s sleeping face; I was too tired to even kiss his face like I would love to. I just held him tighter; I would have lots of time to kiss his face as long as I live.

Just as I was about to close my eyes to rest, I heard a distinct voice from the window behind me. I wasn’t one to pay attention to gossip but I heard my husband’s name so I paid attention.

“Now that the heir is born, Alpha Kael can now go back to the love of his life and real mate.” Was what I heard.

No way that can be true, I thought.

“What’s annoying is the fact that she actually thinks she deserves to be our luna…” the other person said, as if she were speaking out my thoughts.

My eyes began to flutter in tiredness; I just needed sleep was my last thought as I finally gave in to the tiredness.

When I woke up, my baby wasn’t lying on my chest anymore; he was in his crib close to me, sleeping soundly.

My husband was nowhere around; at the thought of him, I remembered what I had heard earlier.

"My God, this better not be true," I said a silent prayer as I tried to get up, I needed water; I called my maid and I could not even hear my own voice as I called out to her.

I walked gently to the kitchen so as to get water and ask for my husband; I needed to see him.

I know he would be the happiest right now.

He had always wanted our first to be a boy; he did not explicitly say that but we have been married for two years so I know.

Just as I was approaching the kitchen, I heard the kitchen maids talking.

“The Alpha must be rejoicing right now.” One said.

“Of course, to think the first child is a boy, he has his future Alpha already he can marry Lady Serena now.”

I paused, what’s going on here, why does everyone know about this besides me? I heard my personal maid’s voice.

“I just hope Alpha Kael would not be too selfish as to be looking for another child; he should just let my lady go.”

“I think he will…” the first maid said, “after all, we all know he misses lady Serena. did I tell you someone at the Mystic bar told me that Lady Serena has given him an ultimatum, she would leave him if he doesn’t come to marry her this year.”

“No way!” The second maid exclaimed.

I held on to the doorpost; my legs were going to give way. they were barely holding me; I would fall any moment from now, but I feel I need this information more than anything else right now.

“Yes…” the first maid continued, “we both know he would have married lady serena if not for the curse placed on her about childbirth and the Alpha needs an heir, and the alpha is forbidden to marry two wives, what do you think would happen?”

I had heard enough. I walked into the kitchen; they all stood up, glancing down.

They all respect me of course, I am the lady of the house; giving birth to an heir now makes me a Luna, my husband had promised me that.

I walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. Helen, my personal maid, would have naturally asked me what I wanted but the guilt she was feeling did not even make her look up, not to talk of saying something.

I took the bottle of water and turned to return to my room. At the door post, I said, “Helen, please come with me.”

I was always polite.

She walked quietly behind me.

As we got to my room, I asked her to lock the door. I drank from the bottle of water while going to check on my baby before returning to my bed.

“Is it true?” I asked her.

Her hands were folded, her eyes looking downward; she refused to say anything.

What did they talk about in silence again?

“Helen, I need you to tell me what you know.” I said pleadingly.

“Milady, you just gave birth and you need rest, not unnecessary drama.” 

"Helen," I raised my voice.

She was shocked; I had never raised my voice at her within the two years of her serving me.

“It is true that Lady Serena and Alpha Kael are together, they are childhood lo,lo,lovers…”She stammered for a bit. 

Maids are always willing to divulge information, they just needed a little push, after all I came here to be a maid.

Helen continued, “Just before you arrived at our pack, we heard that Lady Serena was cursed by a witch her mum offended and that the curse was that she would not be able to bare a child, for the Alpha to remain Alpha, he needed an heir or the title would be passed down to his cousin…”

“That is where I come in,” I cut in.

The words tasted bitter on my tongue.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The rushed marriage. The kindness I cringed at. The way Kael had always treated me well but never quite loved me the way a husband should. I wasn’t chosen because he wanted me. I was chosen because he needed me.

My chest tightened painfully. It felt as though invisible claws were digging into my heart, tearing apart every happy memory and hope I had clung to over the years. The promises, the gentle touches, the way he made love to me like nothing else mattered. Has any of it been real?

I lowered my gaze to my sleeping son and swallowed hard. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

I had thought I was his wife, I was going to be his Luna, I had thought I was going to get the respect I deserved.

Now I was beginning to realize I had only ever been a solution to a problem. I knew about Serena, I just didn’t know she was involved with my husband.

I thought they were just friends.

They must have kept their relationship really hidden, or the whole pack knows of it and they just didn’t gossip about it since it wasn’t news.

I had thought today would be my best day on earth and the beginning of my best days; little did I know I was wrong.

The worst pain wasn’t childbirth. It was hearing the truth while giving birth.

Just as I was about to fish for more information, the door opened and my maid quickly cowered away.