Semua Bab The Alpha's Broken Pet: Bab 41 - Bab 50

AlecI sat in the brightly lit waiting room of the pack clinic. Maya sat beside me, her fingers twisting the fabric of her dress into a wrinkled mess. She was a bundle of nerves. Although she didn’t say it, I could guess why. She wanted the baby to be a boy. The thought of a male heir was the cornerstone of her entire strategy.In my heart, I wouldn’t have minded either way. A child was a child. I was still young. I could have more children. But because I so desperately wanted Maya out of my life and out of my future, I found myself silently praying that the child would be a girl.The specialist who attended to us greeted us with more warmth than she did the others. The waiting room was full of pregnant women and their partners, all waiting for weekly checkups. My gaze fell on a middle-aged couple sitting across from us. They were well into their fifties, the man’s hair streaked with silver. Still, they looked so in love. His hand rested gently on her swollen belly. I couldn’t help but

VanessaI was downstairs when a hush fell, followed by a flurry of anxious movement, signaling that Alec and Maya had returned. I ducked behind a stone pillar, using the shadows as my shield. They say a face never lies, and through Maya’s, I hoped to learn the gender of the baby they’d gone to confirm.A sick feeling churned in my stomach. I didn’t just want the baby to be a girl—I needed it. A daughter couldn’t inherit the Alpha title. A daughter wouldn’t be a threat. It was a selfish, ugly hope. But the idea of a son tightened like a noose around my future. I didn’t understand why I was so anxious about something that wasn’t mine to worry about. From the look on Maya’s face as they entered the main hall, all was not well. She looked like she’d cried for hours, her eyes puffy and her movements stiff. They were heading for the main staircase, climbing the first few steps, when Alec stopped. He’d scented me. His stillness trapped the air between us. His jaw shifted, just enough to

The moment the realization shattered my loyalty, she saw it.Olga’s face twisted. It was no longer measured or maternal. Something ugly and darker surfaced.Her hand moved before I could blink.CRACK.The slap sent my head snapping sideways, white light flashing behind my eyes. I staggered back a step as heat bloomed across my cheek.“How dare you!”Her eyes burned into mine. “How dare you look at me with defiance. As if you're above me now. As if I haven't fed you, clothed you, taught you, saved you.”I didn’t speak. I couldn’t.“You ungrateful girl,” she spat. “Your father would weep to see what you’ve become. Contaminated. Weak.”My lip trembled, but not from fear— from rage. “Don’t you dare speak of him.”Her laughter was hollow. “Oh? Touched a nerve, did I? You think you’re honoring him by playing house with your enemy’s son?”“You don’t know anything about it.”“I know everything,” she snapped. “I know what Alec is, what he did, what his bloodline has done. And I know what you’r

VanessaI double-checked the latch on the bathroom door. Old habit. Olga had taught me never to cry where someone could hear it. I didn’t just learn survival from her. I learned silence. Learned that grief was something to swallow, not spill.Weakness was always currency to be used.I was troubled by her threats. She had saved my life, taught me to be strong, and sharpened my hatred into a weapon. I owed her a debt I could never repay and felt the sharp sting of betraying her.But lately, the lessons felt more like chains. Even thinking that felt like betrayal. I hated myself for it, and hated her more for making me choose.Without Olga’s cause, who was I? I didn’t know. And maybe that was the real fear.Maybe she wasn't evil. Maybe she was blinded by her long-nurtured grief. Maybe she hated Alec so much that she couldn't see anything else.But I was tired.Because somewhere along the way, I’d stopped fantasizing about Alec’s death. I hadn’t even noticed it happening.That terrified m

AlecVanessa’s refusal to be my mistress left a sharp discomfort lodged in my chest, the kind that didn't fade with silence.I didn’t understand her.She had just carved the final answer, yet she still walked beside me like the night hadn’t shifted between us. If she meant it, why hadn’t she left? Why were we still pretending there was more to talk about?The question burned at the back of my throat as we passed more streets and corners. I kept glancing sideways, expecting her to turn around. She didn’t.We came to a mini-park tucked behind the baker’s row. A stone bench sat under a lantern. She slowed, then sat, taking off her scarf.I hesitated, then I sat, leaving distance between us, unsure if I was still wanted near her at all.Neither of us spoke.Then, without a word, she leaned sideways and placed her head on my shoulder.I froze.Her hair brushed my jaw. Her breath touched my collarbone. It wasn’t seductive or dramatic. It was gentle. Intimate. Completely at odds with everyth