Calla's POV

Days passed in a suffocating haze. I stayed locked in my room, ignoring Jacob’s persistent knocks and attempts to speak. The ornate furnishings only emphasized my prison, and the mark on my neck was a constant reminder of the bond he had forced upon me. I needed to escape, but every plan I considered seemed hopeless.

The only glimmer of hope was Felix. In the fleeting moments our eyes had met, I felt it—an undeniable connection that made my wolf stir with certainty. He was my mate, the one person in this nightmare who might help me.

My thoughts were interrupted when the door burst open, and Hera strolled in, her expression sharp and malicious. She tossed a stack of photos onto the bed without a word. I froze as I recognized the faces: Heron and Vivien, smiling and radiant on their wedding day.

“They moved on fast,” Hera sneered, her tone dripping with false sympathy.

I glared at her. “Why are you showing me this?”

“To help you see the truth,” she said coldly. “You don’t belong anywhere—not in their world, not in ours. If you want peace, there’s only one way out.”

Her words chilled me. “What are you talking about?”

“You need to disappear, Calla. Permanently.” Her smile was cruel, and I recoiled, horrified.

Before I could respond, Jacob appeared in the doorway, his golden eyes narrowing. “What’s going on?”

“Just a friendly visit,” Hera said sweetly, snatching the photos and tucking them behind her back. “Oh, and to invite you and Calla to dinner at the Thorndusk Pack. Mother and Father insist.”

I wanted to refuse, but Jacob’s hand on my arm silenced any protest. “We’ll go,” he said firmly.

The dinner was unbearable. Hera flirted shamelessly with Jacob while I sat in silence, suffocated by the weight of the pack’s expectations. Alpha Garett’s booming voice broke through my numbness midway through the meal.

“Calla, you must bear Jacob’s child soon. The pack needs it.”

My breath caught, and my heart pounded as his words sank in. Jacob’s smooth reply—assuring them that their wishes would soon be fulfilled—felt like a noose tightening around my neck. My gaze flicked to Felix, but he remained silent, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable.

When dinner ended, Felix lingered near me, his voice a whisper meant only for me. “Meet me tonight,” he murmured.

Hope sparked faintly in my chest. I nodded, my resolve hardening. Whatever he had planned, I would seize the opportunity.

Later that evening, I stood on the balcony of my room, the cool night air brushing against my skin as I waited. My thoughts churned, tangled with fear and anticipation. A knock at the door startled me, but when I turned, it wasn’t Felix—it was Jacob.

“You’ve been quiet,” he said, stepping inside. His presence was suffocating, his tone laced with false concern. “You need to accept your place, Calla. The sooner you stop fighting, the easier it will be.”

“My place?” I snapped, my defiance flaring. “As your prisoner? Your pawn?”

His eyes darkened, his voice low. “You’re my Luna. You’ll act like it, whether you like it or not.”

When he moved closer, I backed away, panic rising as he reached for me. But before he could touch me, a voice cut through the tension.

“Is this how you treat your Luna, brother?”

Felix stepped out of the shadows, his presence steady and unyielding. Jacob turned, fury etched into his face. “What are you doing here?”

Felix’s gaze remained on me. “Calla, are you all right?”

Jacob’s growl deepened. “Stay out of this. She’s mine to control.”

Felix’s eyes flicked to his brother, his voice calm but firm. “If you keep treating her like property, you’ll lose her—and more than you realize.”

The tension crackled, but Jacob eventually stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The silence that followed was heavy, but Felix’s presence brought a sense of calm.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

I nodded, tears threatening to fall. “Thank you,” I whispered.

His expression was guarded, but his voice carried a note of urgency. “Calla, whatever you’re thinking—stop. You’re Jacob’s Luna now. Anything else will only make things worse.”

I hesitated, then confessed what I had been holding in. “Felix... my wolf says you’re my mate.”

His composure faltered for a moment before he looked away. “Don’t say that out loud. Do you understand? It’s dangerous.”

“But it’s the truth,” I pressed, my voice trembling.

He turned back, his face hard. “It doesn’t matter. You’re marked. The bond can’t be undone.”

Tears slid down my cheeks. “Felix, I can’t do this. I can’t bear his child. Please, help me escape.”

His gaze softened, but his reply was firm. “What’s supposed to happen will happen, Calla. We have to sever our bond—reject each other. It’s the only way to protect you.”

The words hit like a blow. “Reject each other?”

His pain was evident as he nodded. “It’s the only way.”

I wiped at my tears, my voice breaking. “Felix... I’m already pregnant. And it’s not Jacob’s.”

Shock flashed across his face, the silence between us unbearable. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft but steady. “I know.”

Calla's POV

“You knew I was pregnant?” My voice wavered as I stared at Felix, my heart pounding. Livi, my wolf, growled low in my mind, her agitation matching mine.

Felix’s expression didn’t change. “I knew the day I saved you.”

“What?” I took a step back, shaking my head. “How could you possibly know that?”

He sighed, the weight of his words evident. “After Alpha Garett and Luna Selina found out Hera wasn’t their daughter, they ordered me to find you. As Beta of Jacob’s pack, and your future husband, it was my duty. When I pulled you from the wreckage, you were unconscious—but before that, you were screaming. ‘My baby. No, my baby.’ That’s how I knew.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, the vulnerability of the moment making my skin crawl. “And you’ve known all this time?”

“Yes,” he admitted. “But if I told anyone, it would’ve put you—and your child—in danger. A human father’s bloodline mixed with royal werewolf lineage? They’d see it as a weakness, a threat. I thought it was your secret to tell, not mine.”

His words left me reeling, anger and gratitude warring within me. “Did you save me just because it was your duty or because you knew that I was your mate?”

His hesitation said everything. When he finally answered, his tone was flat. “Does it matter?”

I stepped closer, my voice shaking. “It matters to me.”

Instead of responding, Felix turned and walked away. “Calla, I can't...I can’t promise to help you,” he muttered before disappearing into the night.

I stood frozen, his words echoing in my mind. Was he protecting me, or had I misplaced my trust? That night, sleep was a distant memory.

The following morning, a loud knock shattered my restless haze.

“Get up,” Jacob’s voice growled through the door. “We’re seeing the pack doctor.”

Panic coiled in my stomach. What did he know?

The ride to the clinic was suffocating. Jacob’s jaw was tight, his golden eyes devoid of warmth. When the doctor finally entered the room, his nervous energy made my pulse race.

“Congratulations, Alpha,” the doctor said, his voice thin. “The Luna is pregnant.”

The air seemed to freeze. Jacob’s smirk vanished, replaced by an icy fury. “What did you just say?”

The doctor stammered. “She’s... she’s pregnant, Alpha.”

Jacob’s expression darkened. “We haven’t—” His words halted as realization dawned, his eyes narrowing into slits.

“Jacob, I—” I started, but his glare silenced me.

“This child isn’t mine,” he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. Turning to the doctor, he spoke with a finality that made my stomach drop. “Get rid of it.”

“No!” I cried, horror slamming into me. “You can’t do this!”

Jacob ignored me, his attention to the guards flanking him. “Take her to the procedure room. Make sure it’s done.”