Eloide

Two days later, Gavin asked me to join him for swim practice at the training center. Once the pool cleared out, he pulled me into the water to teach me how to swim. I had to admit—this side of him, the attentive one, still had a place in my heart.

I’d always hated the water ever since I nearly drowned in the Lynn River as a child. But Gavin knew that. He made it his mission to help me overcome that fear. He even bought me a pair of sleek swim goggles to cheer me on.

That moment of peace shattered when Catherine showed up, decked out in a designer swimsuit, and made a beeline straight for me. Her eyes zeroed in on the goggles I was wearing like they were her next trophy.

“Gavin,” she said sweetly, “I want those goggles. I looked them up online, but they’ve been discontinued. Can I have them? You can always get Eloide a newer, fancier pair.”

She knew exactly what she was doing—those goggles were a gift from him. She pouted just enough to look cute, her voice syrupy sweet. I shook my head slightly, silently begging him not to give in.

But Gavin hesitated. And that was all she needed.

He gently took the goggles off my face without saying a word. No protest escaped my lips. What would be the point? His heart had already been enchanted by that manipulative she-wolf.

“I’ll get you a brand-new pair,” he said, brushing a hand down my arm like it meant something. “Let’s not make a big deal. Catherine gets anxious if she doesn’t get what she wants.”

Doesn’t get what she wants?

How ridiculous. She's always sickly, always needy, and still acts like the center of the damn universe.

Gavin cupped my face—something that used to bring me comfort. Now it just felt like second-rate acting.

“Thanks, Eloide. You’re such a good sister-in-law,” Catherine chirped. “Gavin, teach me to swim like you taught her!”

She wedged herself between us, gripping my shoulder playfully. I was afraid if I resisted, I’d lose my balance and slip. So I quietly stepped away, distancing myself.

Just as I reached the pool’s edge, Gavin called after me, “That’s enough training for today. You should get some rest, babe.”

I didn’t respond. Why bother? A second later, they were laughing together. I already knew what would follow: another disgusting, soul-crushing scene I refused to witness. I’d had enough poison for one day.

**

The next day, I sat waiting at the human hospital where Dr. Calder practiced. I had asked her to keep my abortion procedure secret from Gavin.

Then came the message—another blow. A fifteen-minute video clip landed in my inbox, showing Gavin and Catherine swimming... then having sex in the pool.

My chest tightened, my heart clenched painfully in my ribcage. I struggled to breathe, willing myself to stay calm among the oblivious humans around me.

Then, out of nowhere, I heard a name being called from the pharmacy counter.

Catherine LeBlanc.

I sank lower into my seat, hoping she wouldn’t notice me. No such luck. She strolled to the counter, collected a slip of paper, then turned and walked right up to me.

“You finally understand where you stand, huh, Eloide?” she said with a victorious smirk. “Gavin Jr. doesn’t need to be born just to realize his daddy loves another she-wolf. Gavin will only take pride in his real heir.”

“You’re pregnant?” I asked, stunned.

“Yup. We were going to wait.” She looked around casually. “But I figured I’d speed things up. Just to watch you break a little faster.”

“You manipulative bitch.”

My hand flew up, ready to slap her, but she caught it easily.

“Shh, keep your voice down. We’re in a hospital.” She leaned in close, her whisper cold and sharp. “I plan to destroy you slowly, Eloide.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“I thought your therapist brain would be smarter than this. You’re just like my old rehab friend in Winnipeg.” She inched closer to my ear. “She died after I set her hair on fire.”

A chill ran through me. I scrambled to my feet and left the waiting area, my heart pounding in my chest. I headed toward the elevator, but the numbers were crawling. Impatient, I pushed through the door to the emergency stairwell.

That’s when I heard footsteps echoing behind me.

I looked up. Catherine was coming down the stairs—fast. Her smaller body moved easily. She caught up, grabbed me, and shoved me hard against the wall. I stumbled down a few steps, clutching my belly.

She kicked me hard. I hit the floor.

“Please—stop! It hurts,” I cried out.

“You think Gavin cares about you?” she hissed. “You’re just a pawn. He needs you to get the Alpha title.”

“Please… Catherine…”

She yanked my hair, forcing our faces inches apart. Her eyes burned with malice. There wasn’t a shred of mercy in them. In that moment, I begged the Moon Goddess to end this nightmare.

[Gavin, help me!]

I called to him through our mind link. He had to be nearby. He had to feel it—my pain, my desperation. I was sure he was in the hospital too, probably here to “support” Catherine.

Then Gavin showed up.

But not for me.

Catherine dropped to the floor beside me, feigning a panic attack. The performance was flawless.

“Gavin! I-I can’t breathe!” she gasped. “Eloide fell on the stairs. There’s blood… I—I didn’t know what to do!”

Gavin rushed to her side. “Hang on, I’ve got you. Don’t worry, Catherine.”

Then, finally, he looked at me. “I’ll call someone to help you, Eloide. Just hold on.”

“But I’m bleeding,” I whimpered, pain surging through my stomach.

“I’ll send the medical staff right away. You’re strong—you’ll be okay,” he said.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as the pain tore through me. He didn’t choose me—not even now. Not even when his child was at risk.

He chose her, 99 times.

I waited for help that never came. The blood kept coming. The pain became unbearable.

Then everything went black.

And Gavin… never came back.

Eloide

I woke up in a hospital bed, the harsh glow of fluorescent lights stabbing into my eyes. My head throbbed, and my body felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Next to me, Mom sat slumped in a chair, looking exhausted. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying all night. But the second she saw I was awake, she grabbed my hand with quiet urgency.

“How’s the baby, Mom?” I asked, my voice raw and barely a whisper.

She paused, looking at me for a long moment before shaking her head slowly. “The Moon Goddess has taken him back.”

The world just… stopped. My heart didn’t break—it went numb. That tiny life growing inside me, the last thing tethering me to Gavin, was gone. I stared up at the sterile, white ceiling. Cold. Empty.

“Where’s Gavin?” I asked, even though deep down I already knew the answer.

Mom shook her head again, slowly, and the tears started streaming down my face. Of course he wasn’t here. He was probably with Catherine. I’d known from the beginning where his heart truly was.

“May the Moon Goddess give you strength, Eloide,” Mom whispered, her voice trembling. “I won’t let you suffer like this forever, sweetheart.”

“Does Dad know?”

She nodded. “He’s... disappointed. He needs time to accept this.”

But I knew better. My father didn’t process loss with sadness—he met it with anger. That baby had never stood a chance in his world of rules and betrayal. Maybe the Moon Goddess had spared them the same fate I was suffering.

“Eloide,” Mom said, pulling a small black velvet box from her bag. “Luna Livia called me. She said you agreed to the arranged bond with her son. I’m relieved, sweetheart. This is your way out of all this toxicity.”

She opened the box to reveal a glowing yellow amulet nestled inside. A folded note sat beside it.

[I want you to wear this. It will protect you.]

I picked up the pendant, my fingers trembling. The moment it touched my skin, I felt something shift in my chest. Lighter. Calmer. Like I could finally breathe.

“I’m going to arrange the engagement quietly,” Mom said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Your father doesn’t need to know until everything is in place. You’ll go to Winnipeg for a ‘recovery retreat.’ I’ll handle the details.”

I gave her a slow nod. This was the only way out of the pain. I was lucky to have Mom on my side.

My eyes drifted to a bouquet of soft pink carnations on the nightstand.

“They’re from Luna Livia,” Mom said. “She’s been so thoughtful.”

Meanwhile, the one who was supposed to be my mate didn’t even bother to check on me. The man who should’ve cared about me more than anyone didn’t even know he’d just lost a piece of me. And yet, someone I barely knew, from across the country, sent me flowers. The irony stung.

“Aren’t they pretty?” Mom smiled faintly. “She really knows how to make someone feel seen.”

Before I could say anything, the door swung open. Dad walked in. His face was unreadable. He looked straight at my stomach—not at me.

“You need to recover fast. Alpha Malcolm and Gavin are heading to Revelstoke Mountain. It’s your chance to fix your bond. Don’t disappoint me, Eloide.”

My throat tightened. “But... Mom said Luna Livia is waiting for me. For the ceremony with her son.”

Dad’s expression hardened. “You’ll do as I say. Or you’re out of Frost Mountain.”

“Holden, that’s enough!” Mom snapped. “She just woke up.”

He didn’t reply. He just walked out, leaving silence—and the crushing weight of his expectations—behind.

An hour later, I asked Mom to take me for a walk around the hospital. I needed to get out of that room, even for a few minutes. To see the sky, to hear something other than beeping machines and IV drips.

She gently pushed my wheelchair through the hallway. The air smelled like disinfectant, but it still felt fresher than the stale room we left behind.

As we passed the children’s ward, I overheard two nurses talking by the window.

“Did you see him yesterday?” one said. “Gavin was here, holding his sister after she had a panic attack.”

“Yeah, he was so sweet! You could tell she felt safe with him. Guys like that… they’re rare.”

My chest clenched. Something cracked inside me, but didn’t explode. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. It was just... silence.

I kept my eyes forward, pretending I hadn’t heard a thing. But I could feel their eyes on me—part surprised, part sorry.

“Isn’t that Gavin’s fiancée?” one of them whispered.

“Yeah… why is she alone?”

I didn’t want to hear any of it. It would’ve hurt less if I hadn’t heard a word. Let them gossip. Let them pity me.

I stared at the ceiling tiles above, their dull color blending into the emptiness I felt inside. I didn’t want to feel angry anymore. There was no room left for rage. No space for hate. Just numbness.

This was betrayal—but I wasn’t going to fight it. I didn’t have the strength. I just wanted to live without this constant ache.

Then, Mom’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and smiled softly as she looked down at me.

“Luna Livia just sent your plane ticket,” she said gently. “I’ll help you get everything ready, so your father won’t suspect a thing.”

Eloide

The next day, I was checked up on over and over again. Dad stayed by my side the whole time, making sure I’d recover fast. He even pressured Dr. Calder to give me the best medication available.

"Can she go back to the pack house now, Dr. Calder?" Dad asked, his voice tight with urgency.

"I need to monitor her progress," Dr. Calder replied, flipping through my chart. "If there are no complications after half a day, I’ll give the green light for her to go home."

"Make it quick, Dr. Calder," Dad said firmly. "She needs to be by Gavin’s side once she's better."

"Understood, Gamma Holden," the doctor responded with a respectful nod.

By late afternoon, the doctor finally said I was healthy enough for a short trip. Dad insisted on taking me home himself.

That night, he posted a guard outside my bedroom door. He didn’t want me stepping out even for a second. It’s like he already knew Mom was planning to have Luna Livia come pick me up.

Mom came to see me right after Dad was called in by Alpha Malcolm to prep for their holiday plans. She used the excuse of bringing me a glass of milk, but she had something much riskier—and way more interesting—in mind.

“Luna Livia just sent word,” she said, her voice low. “One of her Elite Guardians is coming to pick you up with a ski sleigh. The amulet…” Her eyes dropped to the necklace around my neck. “That’s their beacon. It’s how they’ll find you.”

My fingers instinctively brushed the cool surface of the amulet. “How do I use it?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

“It’ll react when you’re in danger,” she said. “You just need to bait someone into hurting you. Once that happens, grab it tight. Don’t let go.”

I nodded slowly, her plan finally starting to make some sense. It was risky. Wild, even. But for the first time in days, I saw a sliver of hope.

Still, when Dad came back to check on me at the start of his night watch, the weight on my chest didn’t lift. He acted like everything was normal—like I wasn’t falling apart inside.

He only cared about his status. Never about how I felt. What kind of father treats his daughter like this?

"Gavin is a good brother, don’t think negatively.”

"You’re always so emotional. Gavin would never do something like that."

"Just focus on your position—and the pup. That’s our insurance, Eloide."

I stopped telling Dad about Gavin’s betrayals after that. Only Mom truly understood. She was the only one who supported me through this arranged bond.

When I first saw Callum’s photo, he looked... distant. A brooding soul. A hockey athlete on a break. Luna Livia thought my skills as a therapist might help him.

“He needs a mate who can warm his soul. You're the right one, Eloide”.

My heart was torn. I knew this wasn’t about love, and I had accepted that ever since Mom brought up the idea after Gavin’s 90th betrayal.

Still, the Moon Goddess must have a plan. I couldn't keep hurting myself holding on to a mate that never loved me back.

**

Dad forced me to join the group trip to Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Alpha Malcolm had the whole place “cleared” for Gavin’s privacy.

I moved like a ghost the entire way there. My body was on autopilot. I didn’t know if this trip was about healing or just another stage in whatever game my father was playing.

I saw Gavin again at breakfast. He looked tired, somber.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “When we lost the baby…”

I didn’t answer. His voice sounded rehearsed. Like he was reading lines off a script.

Gavin led me to a nearby bench. We sat together, and he started explaining why he hadn’t shown up yesterday.

I almost laughed to myself as he tried to convince me he was just being a responsible big brother to his “fragile little sister.”

He said Catherine didn’t want to be left alone and had refused medical treatment, so he took her back to the pack house. Did he seriously think I was dumb enough to believe that?

Catherine’s performance was award-worthy—like, truly epic.

“We can try again, Eloide. I’m sure the Moon Goddess hasn’t abandoned us.”

What a joke. He wanted a future with me while planting his seed in that other woman’s belly. I didn’t care anymore. I was leaving him soon anyway.

Later, he turned to me. “Want to ride the ski lift? Maybe the fresh air will help clear your head.”

I nodded slightly. Anything to feel something. But as we headed toward the lift, Catherine appeared out of nowhere, all fake sweetness and sugary smiles.

“Gavin, I’m scared to go alone. Can I ride with you?” she cooed.

He hesitated, looking between us. His father stood nearby, watching. Gavin gave in with a tense nod.

“No, Catherine,” he said. “Dad wants me to ride with him.”

“Then I’ll ride with Eloide,” she said quickly, grabbing my arm.

[Don’t make a scene, Eloide. Just go along with it.] Dad’s voice echoed in my head through our mind link.

Just as I predicted. Catherine made her move—closing in, weaving her manipulation the moment we were alone.

I ended up taking the next lift with her, exactly as planned.

I pretended to admire the snowy mountain peaks, acting like I was caught up in the view while she smugly ran her hand over her baby bump, like it was some kind of twisted trophy.

My job? Just piss her off enough to get hurt. That’s all it would take.

“You’re not even listening to me, are you, Eloide? I’m talking to you.”

“Oh, sorry,” I said, keeping my tone light. “The view’s just... breathtaking. I can’t wait to fly down that slope.”

“Well, then let it be your last wish, you stupid bitch. Go ahead and die!”

Then it happened.

Catherine reached for my safety strap.

“What are you—”

“You’ve always been in the way,” she hissed, her voice low and venomous. “You should’ve died with that little brat of yours.”

She unlatched the belt with a sharp click.