All Chapters of The Alpha’s Hidden Heir: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

POV: Lyra Ashbourne By the fourth morning, I could no longer blame the strange changes in my body on exhaustion.For days, I had convinced myself that the stress surrounding Selene’s new position was responsible. The ceremony, the constant whispers throughout the pack, and the secret I had been forced to carry had left me barely sleeping. Feeling weak and unsettled seemed like a natural consequence of everything I had been through.But something about this morning felt different.I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor while one hand rested absently against my stomach. There was an strange heaviness beneath my ribs, accompanied by a warmth I could not explain. It was not painful, but it made me uncomfortable enough that I could no longer ignore it.The nausea had become more frequent. Certain smells that had never bothered me before suddenly made my stomach turn, and even after a full night’s sleep, I woke feeling as though I had barely rested.The thought of visiting the h

POV: Lyra Ashbourne When I opened my eyes again, the smell of herbs and medicine filled my senses.I blinked several times and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. White curtains surrounded the bed, and shelves filled with bottles and medical supplies lined the walls.The hospital???????My heart began racing.I tried to sit up, but weakness immediately pulled me back against the pillow.Then I turned my head and saw Mother standing beside the bed.Father was near the window with his arms folded across his chest.And Selene stood at the foot of the bed, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t understand.None of them looked relieved to see me awake.They looked furious.A chill moved through me.“Mother?” I whispered.She didn’t answer immediately.Before I could ask another question, Selene crossed the room and grabbed the front of my dress.“You lied to us!”I flinched.“S-Selene, what are you talking about?”Her eyes were filled with anger as she stared down at me.“Don’

A tear slipped down my cheek as I placed my trembling hand over my stomach. Alive. My baby was still alive. After everything they had done, the tiny life inside me had somehow held on. Selene stared at the healer in disbelief, her face paling as she struggled to process what she had just heard. “It survived?” The healer’s expression hardened. “Yes.” Mother looked horrified, while Father remained silent, his face giving nothing away. I closed my eyes as more tears slipped down my cheeks. For the first time since discovering my pregnancy, I felt something stronger than fear. Hope. I didn’t know what would happen next or how I would protect my child, but the heartbeat was still there, and so was mine. They had tried to take my child’s future away, but my baby was still fighting to stay. LYRA I knew something was wrong the moment my father entered my room without knocking. He rarely came to see me, especially not alone, and the seriousness in his expression ma

Several hours later, I began noticing strange marks along the ground. At first, I assumed they were animal tracks, but when I looked more closely, I realized they were footprints. They were too deep and deliberate to belong to someone simply passing through, and there were enough of them to suggest that several people had been moving through the forest.A knot formed in my stomach as I glanced behind me. The trees stood still beneath the afternoon light, their thick branches hiding whatever lay beyond them, and although I couldn’t see anyone, the footprints continued along the same path I had been following.I quickened my pace.The forest seemed different now that I knew I wasn’t alone. Every rustle of leaves caught my attention, and whenever something moved between the trees, I found myself wondering whether someone was watching me. I tried to dismiss the feeling as exhaustion, but when I noticed another set of tracks pressed into the damp earth, I could no longer convince myself th

When I opened my eyes the next morning, I had no idea where I was. For a few seconds, I simply stared at the ceiling above me, trying to understand why everything around me felt so strange. Then the memories from the night before slowly came back to me. The forest, the hunters, Cassian, and finally his territory.I slowly pushed myself upright, waiting for the weakness in my body to overwhelm me again. I still felt tired, but the exhaustion that had followed me for days was no longer as heavy as it had been before.I looked around the room again. It was simple, with a bed, a small table, a wooden wardrobe, and a window that overlooked a quiet garden. There was nothing extravagant about it, but everything was clean, warm, and comfortable.I pulled the blanket closer around myself as I thought about where I was.Honestly, I had expected something very different.After arriving in another Alpha’s territory as a complete stranger, I had prepared myself for humiliation. I knew what people