The whole world came to a stop at that moment when his palm made contact with my face. My face stung, and my ears were ringing. I cradled my face as I stared up at him, flabbergasted.
I saw his mouth moving, but I could not hear what he was saying. An incessant ringing has filled my ears. He was shouting at me, I could tell.
Slowly my hearing came back and I finally heard him. "You should not have angered your Alpha," There was perverse pride in the way he spoke of a position that I acquired for him. Only for him to toss me away.
I needed to leave the Alpha's castle. I needed to run away. The thought of staying after everything I had been put through made my eyes sting with more tears. But my heart still longed for the man who had crushed it under his heel. Could not leave Kavriel. I still loved him. But…
"And don't you dare think of leaving me," his voice was rough and domineering. "You will stay as my mistress. What if the fever comes back, but you have already run off? Their demise will be on your neck."
He was just ensuring their pack would be strong with a great Luna by his side. What if I found my wolf, and he came to his senses, but I had been too impatient to weather the storm?
"You made a vow to me to stay by my side. Will you break your promise?" His eyes were softer, but something dark lurked in his azure gaze.
I shook my head. "No, I will be your mistress. I will stay."
His lips slammed against mine in a rough kiss. But for the first time, I knew that his kiss would leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
*****
A year later You are pregnant, Iris," My mother told me, her brown eyes glistening with tears. "You are with child."
I could not believe my ears. "Are you sure?"
"Of course, I am."
I knew she was sure. Mother always knew things like that.
"This could be what you need."
I understood my mother's words before she completed what she was saying.
"You got pregnant before your step-sister. This could help you solidify your place. You deserve it. You did so much for him and yet…"
I reached out and grasped my mother's hand both to silence her and assure her. "I will be fine. It will be fine." Thanks to my unknown sacrifice, the fever had been kept at bay longer than any newfound tincture has been able to.
For as long as I can remember, a curse cast by the sinister Lunaris pack has caused the spread of a nearly incurable sickness that ravaged multiple packs. It did not merely kill. It transformed the infected into cravens. Feral beasts that only killed and destroyed. Because killing the Cravens was almost impossible, families had to make the heartbreaking decision to end the lives of their infected loved ones before they fully transformed.
Tinctures, brews and concoctions only ever slowed down the process but never cured it. But my blood had been able to cure it. But it was something that only three people knew. Me, Kavriel and my mother. And by curing people using my blood, Kavriel became Alpha as the pack's savior.
I was still yet to find my wolf and Kavriel had grown more and more distant over the years. He never came to my room unless he wanted my body. I just hoped that an heir would be able to make him look at me the way he used to before everything changed.
"Tell at his birthday feast today. Announce it…"
"What should she announce, dear mother?" The voice made both of us freeze, instantly filled with dread.
Lyra walked into the room and towards my mother. "What is the big surprise?" She asked, her green eyes flashing with curiosity and a hint of malice. Lyra and I had anything but a cordial relationship. I tried to be peaceful, but she enjoyed making me suffer. It was as though she had something against me despite being the apple of father's eye. If it had been a random woman that Kavriel had chosen as his Luna, maybe it would not have broken me the way it did.
My mother hesitated, glancing at me with worry etched on her face. I could see the internal struggle in her eyes, torn between protecting me and obeying the luna, her step-daughter. The daughter of her husband's mistress Before my mother could reply, I spoke up, forcing a smile on my lips. "It's nothing, Lyra. Just a small announcement for later."
Lyra narrowed her eyes, clearly unsatisfied with my response, but she didn't press further. Instead, she turned to leave, shooting me one last scrutinizing look before she turned back again to look squarely at me.
"Why are you just lying around? The feast is not just going to organize itself, is it? What use do you have except as a bed warmer? Go out and work, bitch."
I nodded and followed her out to work preparing for the feast. Maybe it was high time I did something for myself. I would announce my pregnancy at the feast.
****
Everyone was seated at the long feast table, eating and engaging in hushed conversation. The atmosphere was light and festive, but my heart pounded with nervous anticipation as I waited for the right moment to make my announcement.
As the chatter began to die down, I stood up slowly, my hands trembling slightly at my sides. All eyes turned to me, including Kavriel's, his gaze flickering with curiosity, perhaps a hint of suspicion and an annoyance that I hated that I was getting used to.
I opened my mouth, threading my clammy hands in the faded gown that I usually wore for this type of occasion. I looked directly at Kavriel, the rest of the novels and guests fading away. "I am…"
Then out of nowhere, Lyra stood up from her seat, her hand on her stomach. "I am pregnant. I am with child." She announced gleefully. I watched as Kavriel stood up to cradle her face in his hands. Tears glistened in his azure depths. "Really, Lyra? An heir?"
She nodded and Kavriel pulled her in for a tender embrace. Before Lyra's eyes found mine, boring into me from across the table. There was a glint of sinister triumph in her expression. A cruel satisfaction that twisted her features into a mocking smirk.