Chapter 3

"It will be," I said, recalling the arrangements I had already made last night when he sneaked out of our home after a phone call with Lyra.

He sensed the sarcasm in my tone and immediately pulled me into his arms. "Is it about last night? Lyra was going for a night patrol and as the beta of the pack, it's my duty to accompany her."

I break through his hug. Looking straight into his eyes, I said, "It's okay. I don't mind. She needs you more than I."

After throwing out these words coldly, I turned to empty more stuff from the wardrobe. He frowned.

"What does that mean, Elara?" He walked up to me and snatched the piece of cloth I was holding, "She is your stepmother who is widowed recently. She needs a man to help her run the pack and I'm doing my part of duty in helping her."

"Can you be a bit more compassionate?" He asked, his voice sounding agitated.

"Okay, I'll be more compassionate from now on." I said lazily and busied myself in packing my luggage.

However, my ignorance drove him crazy. He was used of my objection and naiveness when he arrived late at night after duty.

But now, I was not angry at him even despite him not returning home the whole night. I was not crying as arguing him.

I was simply uneffected!

"Where are you taking your clothes?" He asked, his tone had shifted from shock, worry to utter coldness.

"To donate." I replied. "They are outdated. I need new ones."

With that I grabbed my luggage and walked past him. However, I had just reached the doorstep when I bumped into someone.

It was Lyra. Just what was needed.

"Elara..." She whispered, her voce laced with maliciousness, "Sweetheart, where are you leaving? I thought you would be happy to see me."

"Of course, she is." Isaac walked up to us, "She is just tired. She is going to prepare lunch for all of us, right Elara?" He added, giving me a meaningful glance.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you, Elara. Your Dad would be so happy to see you this excited for your baby brother." Lyra said, her voice asusual laced with the facade of sweetness.

"Why don't you rest in the guest room for a while, Lyra?" Isaac suggested, his eyes fixed at her belly and he looked genuinely concerned. "You must be tired standing up for so long."

After Lyra walked out of our bed room in her high heels, I turned to look at Isaac.

"What is she doing at our home?" I asked, my voice cold and distant.

"Lyra is shifting to our home. I forgot to mention it to you last night. I hope you don't mind." Isaac replied casually, as if it was not a big deal.

I turned back to land a cold glance over him. He quickly added, "She is pregnant and need our help. As her only relatives we should stay with her."

"Good. Should I clean a room for her?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm.

I saw him clenching his fists minorily, an indication of his patience running out. I was aware of all his body language and I knew how mad he had been driven into. But, I didn't care at all.

"No." He replied, his tone shifting to provocative, "Since you have emptied our bedroom from your necessities. Let Lyra live in our bedroom. It's more comfortable for pregnant ladies."

"You can shift your belongings to upstairs. This way Lyra don't have to go through the stairs." He added.

He was asking his pregnant wife to shift upstairs so that his mistress don't have to climb the stairs. I could sense his intention of getting my reaction over his reticulous demand.

However, I remained calm. I had stopped feeling anything for him, let alone being hurt by his ignorance towards me.

I did not cry, scream or make a scene out of it. I simply replied, "okay."

And, that was enough.

He walked past me, held my hands tightly and asked, his voice shivering in anger,"Elara... Do you really not care?"

"Do you have nothing to say at all?"

I paused for a moment before I replied. "Actually there is..."

With that, I took a document out of my luggage and waved it before his eyes. "I need your blood Mark on these documents?"

"What kind of documents are they?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Just a normal perental checkup report. It's for testing blood of both the parents." I replied, my voice confident.

"Let me read it." He said, his gaze skinning my expression. My breathing hitched for a moment as he grabbed the documents from my hands.

Just then, his phone buzzed with a notification of message. Lyra's name popped up on the screen.

"The air conditioner in the guest room is not working. I need to go." He said, his voice urgent.

"Go wherever you want... after signing this." There was something in my voice that made him hesitate for a moment. But, the next second his phone began ringing and his attention quickly shifted.

"Fine," he said, "Here it is."

He signed the documents, scratched his thumb with his teeth and dropped his blood at the last page.

"Anything else?" He asked, his voice urgent.

"Nothing," I replied, curling my lips into a smile of satisfaction.

However, it was only a moment of peace as the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway. I turned back. There she was, crossing her arms against her chest and resting her right leg on the door of my bedroom like it was hers.

"Tsk tsk... Sometimes, I feel pity on you, my STEPDAUGHTER." She began, her voice laced with venemous mockery, "Your mother lost his man to me and now her poor little girl is suffering with the same fate."

"Lyra!" I screamed, my voice trembled in anger. "Don't mention my mother with your dirty lips."

But, she smiled shamelessly. "Let's talk about your husband then."

"I have wrapped your husband around my fingers, Elara, just like your father. Why don't you die like your mother and leave us alone?" She smirked.

"Shutup!" I clenched my fists tightly before the words escaped through my lips, cold and distant. "Do you think I care? You can have him all you want. He is all yours."

Lyra's eyes narrowed. She didn't believe. Instead, she tilted her head and asked, "You think I'm lying? Don't tell me all those nights when he didn't return home you actually believed he was patrolling with me?"

"Well, those nights when you were lonely at home, he was actually devouring every inch of me."

"He told me how boring you are on bed, make him feel like he was having sex with an old lady."

"But, with me, he felt content. And, the result is inside my belly." She said, "To tell you a secret, I'm pregnant with Isaac's child."

"Do you know how happy he was when I told him I'm pregnant? He said he can sacrifice dozen of his children with you if I want, just for having just one child from me."

"That much he love me, Elara. Has he ever done such a outrageous things for you?"

"Lyra..." I screamed with tears in my eyes, each and every word she spoke felt like a knife cutting deep through my heart.

"You are shameless! Even after ruining my whole life and murdering my children, you have the audacity of standing before me and saying these?" I groaned in anger,

"Elara..." I don't know what happened in those split seconds. Isaac's voice echoed loud and cold. Tears were streaming down Lyra's cheeks and my hand was raised in mid-air.

"If you don't like me, I'll just move out. But, please don't hurt my child." She sobbed.

Isaac rushed to Lyra's side and pulled her in his arms. He then turned to me and barked, "Apologize!"

"For what?" I spat, speechless.

"You were going to harm Lyra!" He screamed. "You should apologise to her instantly or else-"

"Or else what, Isaac?" I cut him off, my eyes scanning his expression. He clenched his fists tightly and walked up to me.

He held my hands and lead me out of our home.

"You can't come inside until you think straight and apologize to Luna." He commanded.

Lyra quickly rushed outside. Standing beside Isaac, she said in a pitiful voice, "Don't do this to her, Isaac. If she doesn't like me, I'll just move out. After all, she is your wife."

"And you are my Luna!" Isaac's voice fell loud and cold. He grabbed Lyra's waist and pulled her closer. He didn't hesitate showing their obscene posture in front of me as he groaned, "You own this whole pack, including me and this house. It's all yours, Lyra."

After throwing out these words, he led Lyra inside and slammed the door on my face. As soon as the door was shut, the obsensitive voice of kisses and smootches filled my ears.

When he threw me out of my own house that I had bought with my own money, he did not even care I was pregnant too.

The first thing that I did after Isaac kicked me out of my own house, was not to cry, or scream, or collapse onto the greenish ground.

Such raw, animalistic reactions were for the weak, the naive Elara I had buried beneath the ashes of his memories.

I did not waste any second and headed to meet the head of Elders' Committee-To nullify my mate bond with Isaac and file a case against him–of our child's murder.

"Are you sure about this? Because it's... it's a crime to go against the Beta of the pack, especially when there is no Alpha in the pack. He is second in command right now."

"More importantly, he is your husband, your true mate! Are you really want to do this, Elara?"

"Are you really sure he... he murdered his own child?" I could sense the disbelief in his voice as he questioned my conscience repeatedly.

"I wouldn't be here if I was not sure, Elder Victor." I replied, my voice firm and confident.

"You swore to obey my command in front of my father. It's time to fulfill your duty."

He sighed, "That was when he had announced you his heir. But, everything changed after Lyra's arrival in his life, especially now that she is pregnant with his son."

I narrowed my eyes, waiting for him to continue talking because I knew he was going to.

"But, my loyalty lies with you, Elara. I'll do as you say. However, to nullify your mate bond with Isaac and hold a meeting of elders against him... it will take time."

"How much?" I asked, my voice desperate.

"A week." He replied.

"A week then," I replied before I stood on my heels and walked up to the door of his den.

"Elara..." He called me from behind, "I met your father the day before he died. Do you want to know what we talked about?"

I stayed silent. If I opened my mouth, I would have said something bad about my dead father-for betraying my mother and for bringing a wrench, Lyra, into our lives.

"He never changed his mind." Elder Victor continued, "He wanted to see you rule over the pack as the first ever female Alpha."

My hands clenched so tightly that the nails pieced my palm. I bit my lower lips. Tears streamed down my cheeks. But, I did not turn back. I just walked out.

'He never changed his mind.'

'He wanted to see you rule over the pack.'

His voice echoed through my mind.

It didn't matter what he wanted in his last moment. He had already announced Lyra as his Luna in front of everyone.

And, I had already paid its price with my four babies' life.

No one was going to buy what he told Elder Victor behind the walls.

***

I returned to the house under the cover of the late-night darkness, but the journey back felt longer than the trip to Elder Victor's den under the weight of my father's regret and his wish of seeing me as his heir.

Now that the die was cast—the documents signed, the Elder’s Committee process begun—I had to play the part of the meek, defeated wife for a full week.

I had to live under the same roof as the man who murdered my children and the woman for which it was done.

I let myself in quietly. The house was not as I left it in the morning.I noticed it immediately: a gaudy, floral-scented candle, one Lyra always favored, burning on the antique mahogany console.

It was the first sign that she hadn't waited for morning to claim her space.

I walked to the bedroom.The door was ajar, a sliver of warm, dim light leaking out.

I reached for the handle, intending to push it open, when I heard a soft, unfamiliar sound—a low, rhythmic groan, followed by a woman's breathless giggle.

Isaac and Lyra. Already.

The porcelain mask I had been wearing since the argument cracked, but only on the inside.

No tears, no scream. Just a sudden, paralyzing drop in temperature around my heart.

I pushed the door open, not with a bang, but with a slow, deliberate creak, forcing them to see me.

Isaac was half-dressed, his back to me, leaning over Lyra on our bed. Lyra, sprawled across the silk sheets I had hand-selected, gasped and covered herself with a sheet, her eyes wide with malicious triumph mixed with momentary fear.

Isaac whirled around, his Beta scent clouding the air, a scent now permanently mixed with Lyra’s heavy, sweet perfume.

"Elara..." He whispered, a moment of hesitation flickered through his eyes. Just then, Lyra got up. Seductively wrapping herself in a blanket, she said,

"I was feeling cold. Isaac was just giving me a body massage. I hope you don't misunderstand us, honey."

"Stop calling me honey. I'm not your daughter." I replied coldly, the mask of calmness slowly breaking up with the sight of her.

I turned to look at Isaac. "I didn't know you like giving body massage to other woman... while being naked."

"I was feeling cold. So, he was keeping me warm." Lyra replied quickly.

My eyes, devoid of any warmth, scanned Lyra’s mock-innocent pose and settled on Isaac’s nervous, half-covered form. I didn't need to argue their pathetic lie; I only needed to state the new reality.

"Save your breath. I don't care what you do to each other in this house. Just know this: the stench of your sin ends with you. You will never again do some disgusting act before my eyes, in case it effects the baby."

After throwing out these words, I walked out of the room, slamming the door on Isaac's face who quickly chased after me.

"Elara wait..." He called from behind. But, I did not stop.

I continued my walk toward the back staircase.

He reached me at the foot of the stairs, grabbing my arm—too rough for a simple touch, yet not aggressive enough to be a true threat.

"I asked you to apologise to Lyra." He barked, "You know I don't like it when you don't obey me."

I looked down at him, my eyes red in anger. I just caught this man who called himself my mate, having sex with my stepmom and he had the audacity of showing his authority on me.

“I saw you in my bed, Isaac, with the woman who now occupies the space my mother once held in this pack, and you think I will care what you like or not?" I screamed out.

Just then Lyra emerged from our bed room.

"Please don't fight your mate because of me, Elara. If you don't like me staying here. I'll just move out." She said, standing beside Isaac, her face pitiful.

However, the first thing that I noticed was the red sweater she had worn off her nighty. The sweater was too small to cover her body and was torn off because of forceful wearing.

My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth would crack. She was wearing the sweater my mother had gifted me before dying. It was her last gift to her future grandchildren, suitable for ten years old kids.

Blood ran cold to my head watching the woman responsible for my children's death, now ruining the blessings their grandmother had left for them.

This time, I could not stop myself. Anger driven, I rushed to her side and slapped her.

Just one slap was enough to get her on her knees, face swollen as she watched me, stunned.

"How dare you lay your hands over something that belonged to my child!" I spat, my voice shivering with rage.

"I... I was feeling cold. I couldn't find anything else other than... I did not know it was for your child. I really don't," she choked out, pointing her fingers at the suitcase.

"Elara..." Before I could add something, Isaac's voice echoed through the whole house, cold and furious.

His anger finally boiled over, his Beta aura flaring with heat."It was merely a piece of cloth. Just what the hell is wrong with you?"

He rushed to Lyra's side, helped her standing up and said, "She is pregnant. How could you do this to her? I thought you were mature than this."

"Merely a piece of cloth?" I choked. "It was for our first daughter, Isaac."

Of course, you wouldn't care. The man who killed his own children, would not flinch over a sweater who keep the memories of both my mother and daughter.

"Enough..." He spat, "Lyra is hurt. Go bring a herbal lotion and apply it on her cheeks."

I looked down at him, my expression utterly pitiless. "You care so much about her as if she isn't pregnant with my father's child, but yours."

I watched as my words hit him. It stripped his facade off before me. A moment of hesitation flickered through his eyes.

But, he still attempted to appear normal. His voice raising up, "Elara... Are you in your mind what you are saying?"

"My father died four months ago yet she is pregnant with three months old baby bump. Is it too hard to crack whose baby she is carrying?" I smirked.

"Elara..." Lyra choked, her expressions extremely pitiful."I get that you don't want any step siblings. But, please don't defame me like this."

"Your Alpha father wanted a son from me, a heir to the pack. So, he froze his sperm just so that I could get pregnant in future. This is his son, your brother, okay?" She said, trying to appear pitiful.

"Save it, Lyra." I cut her off, "Tell this to the pack members who believe your lies. Because I don't."

With that, I turned to walk past them. But, then Lyra's scream echoed through the whole house. I turned around only to find a scratch on Lyra's stomach.

"Elara, you heartless woman!" Isaac's roared, his beta rage fuming over me. He almost shifted to his wolf, shivering in rage.

I was stunned. I did not know how Lyra got injured but she kept staring at me, and just one glance from her was enough for Isaac to blame me.

"Elara... You have lost four of your babies. How can you still have the heart of trying to kill someone's baby?" She hummed in pain.

"Stop this pathetic act, Lyra." I snapped back. "I don't know how it happened. But, I didn't do it."

Before I could say something more, my eyes frowned as I watched Isaac shifting to his wolf and charged at me.

My subconscious mind immediately wrapped my hands around my belly, protecting my baby with all I could. However, even the thought of an innocent child breathing in my womb could not stop Isaac from his vengeance.

He grabbed my neck and slammed my head against the wall.

"Isaac... Stop, please!" I begged, "You will kill our child."

The world went white, then black, then swam into a sickening, dizzying gray. The impact of my skull against the solid stone wall was like a thunderclap inside my head, instantly shattering my focus.

But, Isaac's chilling response was the one that took all my breath at once.

"If it dies then let it be!" Isaac snarled, his voice a low, guttural growl that vibrated through my body. His eyes, now the fierce, gold-flecked yellow of his fully enraged wolf, bore into mine.

"The child you carry is a miracle you don't deserve after what you've done to Lyra. You wanted to kill her baby, so I’ll take yours!"