Ella’s POV.

“Jason…” I choked out through tears, my voice breaking. “The pups… please… I can't…”

“You're… pregnant?”

Dahlia snatched the paper from his hand before I could answer. She stared at it, and for a moment, something flickered across her face… before it suddenly hardened. She let out a short laugh.

“Seriously…?”

She turned to face Jason. “You can't possibly believe this,” she said sharply. “You know she's been infertile for years. And now she suddenly turns up pregnant?” Her laugh rang through the room. “She probably slept with someone else. Maybe even fabricated this just to trap you.”

She threw the paper back onto the bloodstained floor and immediately grabbed Jason's arm.

“Don't fall for this. I know her. She's pretending.”

I stared at her in disbelief.

“That's a lie!” I screamed, my voice trembling with pain and rage. “The pups… they’re yours, Jason!”

I looked at him, desperately searching his face for any sign that he still cared.

“How… how can you just stand there and let her say all this about me…?”

He said nothing. He just looked at Dahlia, then back at me. His gaze flickered with doubt and hesitation… but it didn't last. He straightened, his face now holding nothing but a cold stare.

“Dee is right. There’s no proof that they’re mine,” he said flatly.

Those words shattered me more than the fall ever could. I stared up at him, my vision blurring with tears I couldn't hold back anymore.

Was this really the man I had fallen in love with? How could he watch me, his fated mate, bleed out right in front of him and still choose her?

Another wave of pain tore through me as the cramps twisted into something more savage. I screamed, clutching my stomach as more blood spread beneath me. Dahlia stepped back, wrinkling her nose.

“Well, you brought this on yourself,” she said coldly. “You attacked me first. Jason was only trying to protect me.”

Through the haze of pain, I clenched my teeth. I knew I needed to save my babies, but I wasn't going to beg them. I wouldn’t give either of them the satisfaction of watching me crawl for mercy.

Using the edge of the bed, I forced myself onto my knees, then slowly to my feet. Fire shot through my abdomen with every movement, but I didn't stop. I picked up the bloodstained sonogram from the floor, pressing it tightly against my chest. Cold sweats trickled down my face as I stood there, trying not to fall.

Jason reached for me, and just for one brief second, I thought he was going to help me. Then he glanced at Dahlia, who was watching him with narrowed eyes, and just like that, his hand slowly fell back to his side.

A weak, bitter laugh slipped out of me.

“You…” I swallowed against the pain. “You don't deserve to be a father.”

I tightened my grip around the sonogram.

“And I swear by the Moon Goddess, if anything happens to my babies… because of what you did…” My voice shook, but I forced myself to look straight at him. “I’ll spend whatever life I have left making both of your lives miserable!”

My gaze shifted to Dahlia.

“You wanted my life so badly? Fine. Just pray nothing happens to my pups.”

Neither of them said a word. I turned away from them and staggered toward the door. Every step sent a wave of pain through my body. Blood dripped from the hem of my gown, leaving small red stains across the polished tiles behind me.

I stumbled down the stairs, one hand pressed against my stomach, the other clutching the sonogram like it was the only thing holding me together. The front doors swung open just as the workers started filing in through the gates. They were carrying the bags and packages from their errands and chatting amongst themselves.

The moment they all saw me, the chatter died instantly. Everyone froze with widened eyes.

One of the maids dropped the basket in her hands and rushed toward me.

“Luna!”

Jason's chauffeur hurried over as well.

“What happened to you?” he asked, reaching for my arm.

I pressed my car key into his palm. “Please…” My voice shook. “Help me. I need to get to the hospital.”

His fingers closed around the key. But before he could move, every servant in the villa suddenly went still. Their eyes glazed over, and a second later, Jason's voice echoed through the mind of everyone in the compound, including mine.

“Everyone, stand down!”

My heart sank.

“Let her leave on her own.”

The chauffeur’s hand slowly dropped. The maids exchanged helpless glances. They stared at me with frightened eyes. But nobody moved. Of course, they couldn't dare disobey the Alpha, not even for me.

And in that moment, I knew no one was coming to save me. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and forced myself to breathe. When I opened them again, I reached for the key in the chauffeur's trembling hand and took it back. Immediately, I unlocked my car, climbed in while struggling against the pain, and then slammed the door shut.

The engine roared to life, and I drove through the gates without looking back.

– – – –

The streets rushed past me in a blur. My vision kept swimming in and out of focus, and the pain in my stomach was getting worse. I slammed my palm against the steering wheel, screaming through my tears.

“Please…” My voice broke. “Please… my babies… just hold on a little longer…”

I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach. “Mommy's taking you to the hospital. Just hold on, okay? Please…”

I didn't care that I was crying like a child. I didn't care that blood was soaking into the driver's seat or dripping onto the floor. All I could think about were my babies. I had prayed for them for years, and I couldn't afford to lose them now.

My head dropped forward, but I jerked it back up.

“No. Stay awake, Ella.”

I blinked furiously, trying to clear my vision, but the road kept shifting in front of me.

Out of nowhere… a deafening horn blasted through my ears. I looked up and saw headlights. A car was speeding toward me from the opposite lane. My heart jumped, and I immediately yanked the steering wheel to the side. The tires screamed against the road, and the car swerved violently.

My vision went dark again, and I felt my body slump forward. My forehead slammed into the steering wheel, and my car horn blared continuously.

Through my fading vision, I saw a tall figure running toward my car. The sound of his hurried footsteps reached me a second before my door was ripped open.

“Easy… I've got you.”

His deep voice cut through the ringing in my ears, and his strong hands slipped around me, one behind my back and the other beneath my knees. He lifted me out of the driver's seat like I weighed nothing.

“Stay with me!”

I tried. I really tried to, but my eyes were already closing. I forced them open one last time and caught a blurry glimpse of his face… dark hair, a sharp jaw and eyes I couldn't quite make out.

As he adjusted me in his arms, the collar of his shirt pulled open, and something caught my eye.

There was a mark on his left chest. A crescent-shaped moon. I knew that symbol. I'd seen it before, years ago, in old books and stories everyone said were nothing more than legends. The mark of a Lycan. But that was impossible. Lycans didn't exist in packs like Stormwolf. At least, that's what I'd always been told.

My mind was spinning, but the pain crashed over me again, and my eyelids grew heavy. The last thing I felt was his cool hand brushing against my forehead as he laid me in the back seat of the waiting SUV.

I gripped his wrist with what little strength I had left.

“Please… just… save my pups.”

Ella's POV.

The next thing I woke up to was the steady beep of machines around me, a rhythm that reminded me that I was still alive. I slowly forced my lashes apart, blinking against the harsh white light. My arm felt heavy. I lifted it weakly and saw the cannula taped to the back of my hand, a thin tube feeding a clear bag of liquid into my veins.

The hospital.

“Thank Goddess!” Sylvie's voice jerked me toward her. “You're finally awake!”

She shifted on her chair, and I could see the panic in her eyes. They were red and swollen, with dark circles carved beneath them like she hadn't slept properly in days. Her black curls were tied in a messy knot.

Sylvie was one of the few honest friends I had. The only one who never cared that I was an Omega, despite her being a Beta. Others only tried to get close after learning our pack's Alpha, Jason, was my fated mate. But Sylvie… She was there long before that.

“Do you know how scared I've been?” Her voice cracked. “I’ve been sitting here for four days, watching you sleep… talking to myself like some crazy person…”

“Four days?” My throat was dry, so my voice was barely a whisper. “How... how did I get here? Who brought me in?”

Sylvie grabbed a cup of water from the dispenser and held it to my lips. I drank slowly, letting the cool liquid soothe my throat.

“Some guy found you,” she said, setting the cup down. “You'd crashed your car. And thank Goddess he rushed you to the hospital just in time. The doctors said if he'd been even a few minutes later…” She shook her head, not finishing the sentence. “But nobody knows who he is. He just dropped you off and vanished. Didn't leave a name, nothing.”

I blinked, trying to remember. The memories came back in several pieces, and then... I remembered the mark I had seen on his chest. But that couldn't be right. I was probably hallucinating from the blood loss.

“Syl…” My hand flew to my stomach. “My babies... Please… tell me they're okay.”

From the corner, a shadow shifted. Michael, Jason's cousin, was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking like he'd been there for hours.

“The doctor will be here soon,” he said, keeping his voice low, like it was an effort to keep me calm.

I turned to him, confused. “Michael? How… did you know I was here?”

He pushed himself off the wall and stepped closer, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I went by Jason's villa this morning. One of the staff told me you were in the hospital.” His jaw tightened. “I've been searching every room in this hospital since then. But I found Dr. Chloe, and she directed me here.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the door swung open and Dr. Chloe walked in. Her white coat was creased, and my chart was clutched tightly in her hands. She didn't meet my eyes at first, and that made my stomach tighten.

“Luna,” she began, her voice professional but gentle. “You're stable now, and your vitals are good. But I won't lie to you… the bleeding was severe.”

Sylvie wrapped both hands around mine, squeezing like she was afraid I'd vanish if she let go.

“Dr. Chloe,” I cut in, my voice trembling. “Please. Just... just tell me about my pups. They're okay, right?”

She hesitated a bit. Her eyes flickered to the chart, then back to me. “Rhaella... I'm so sorry. We did everything we could, but…”

“But what…?!” I snapped, panic bleeding into my voice. Sylvie squeezed my hand, but I barely felt it. I was already falling apart.

Dr. Chloe took a breath. “You had a miscarriage, Rhaella. We couldn't save them. I'm so sorry.”

Please, tell me I didn't just hear that.

“Mis… miscarriage?” I asked in a choked whisper, tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

“Ella…” Sylvie started.

I yanked my hand from hers, pushing myself up despite the sharp pain that tore through my abdomen. I could barely contain my emotions.

“No… no…” I shook my head repeatedly, refusing to be comforted. “No, Dr. Chloe, please... there must be something we can do. Please, I can't... I can't just let them go…”

I tried to get off the bed, but Sylvie's grip tightened around me, holding me in place. I was already broken, and tears slid down my cheeks uncontrollably.

“I’m so sorry, Ella.” Dr. Chloe's voice was gentle, but firm. “There's nothing we can do to bring them back. What matters now is you… you're safe. You're recovering well, and you should be discharged soon.”

Recovery? Hell!! That word meant nothing when the only thing worth recovering from was gone. My wolf was completely shattered inside me. The twins were not just babies. They were proof… a miracle in the face of every diagnosis and every unanswered prayer since I was eighteen. Proof that I wasn’t empty and that I could be a mother too.

But now they are gone. Because of Jason.

Hot tears streamed down my face as I clutched my stomach, desperate to feel something… anything… but there was only emptiness.

Sylvie finally let go of my arms, briefly pacing around the room like a caged wolf. “Why is Jason not here, Ella?” she demanded. “These are his pups too! Don’t tell me he’s behind this!”

She had always been able to read me too well. I had told her every time Jason acted up, so I knew it wouldn't take her long to connect the dots. But imagine her shock when she learns that the bitch he had been cheating with was Dahlia.

“Alpha or not,” she growled, “I swear to the Goddess, I’ll tear that bastard to shreds.”

“Sylvie!” Michael’s voice came quiet but sharp with warning.

She stopped and spun to face him, flaring her nostrils. “What?! You want to defend him? Tell me you don't know your precious cousin has got something to do with this!” she yelled, widening her eyes like she was going to snap his neck too if he wasn't careful.

“Can you freaking calm down?!” Michael yelled in frustration. “I know exactly what Jason is. But running your mouth like this won’t solve anything. If anything, it’ll only get you killed. He’s still the Alpha of this pack.”

She scoffed. “Fuck you both!” she spat, storming back to me. “Alpha my foot!”

I couldn’t speak. I just cried and cried until my eyes burned.

Michael uncrossed his arms and stepped closer to me. “Ella,” he said, his voice steady but sharp. “What exactly happened between you and Jason? How did you end up like this?”

I took a deep breath, then forced myself to tell them everything, the horrible things Dahlia had said to me, and right up to Jason's order for everyone to let me leave on my own. By the time I finished talking, Sylvie’s jaw had dropped.

“Wait…” Sylvie’s voice snapped. “You’re telling me the bitch Jason’s been screwing is your half-sister?! The nerve of that asshole!” She laughed humorlessly. “Goddess, I’ll fucking twist that bitch’s neck till she begs for death!”

Michael turned gently toward her, giving her a quiet look. But Sylvie spun on him. “What? You're gonna tell me to calm down again? Can't you see what Jason is playing at?!”

“Actually,” Dr. Chloe said softly, “there's something else I’m yet to tell you…”

Ella's POV.

“We found traces of a substance in your system. Moonbane extract. It’s... known to cause miscarriage in pregnant she-wolves. Especially in the early stages.”

My blood ran cold.

“Moonbane?” Sylvie’s voice was sharp. “You’re telling me someone poisoned her?”

My mind spun back to the coffee Betty had given me earlier that day. The way she wouldn’t meet my eyes and the strange tightness I had felt in my stomach not long after.

Piece by piece, a thought I didn’t want started forming. If this had been planned… if Jason and Dahlia had been hiding something from me all along… then the coffee might not have been innocent.

And if it wasn’t… My hands moved instinctively to my stomach as the thought completed itself in my mind. One or both of them knew I was pregnant before I got there.

But how? I had gone straight to the villa from the hospital. And I hadn't told anyone yet that I was pregnant.

No one knew. Not even Sylvie.

“I told no one,” I whispered. “I was going to surprise Jason first. So how…?”

Michael’s brows furrowed. “Are you sure you didn't tell anyone?”

I shook my head slowly. The room went quiet. Michael's jaw tightened, and Sylvie looked like she was about to explode.

“Then how the hell did they know?” Sylvie's voice cut through the silence. “Because that can’t be a coincidence, Ella. Someone knew exactly what they were doing.” She turned away from me. “Dr. Chloe, when did that poison enter her system? Could you tell?”

Dr. Chloe hesitated, glancing at her chart. “Based on the levels we found, it was administered within a few hours before her arrival.”

Michael stepped forward, his voice tight. “But what exactly caused the miscarriage, Doctor? Was it the fall or the poison?”

Dr. Chloe let out a heavy sigh. “It's impossible to say for certain. Both were severe enough on their own. Together…” She trailed off. Her meaning was already clear.

Together, they had killed my babies.

“It was them,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “They knew I was coming. They were already waiting for me.”

Sylvie spun toward Michael, her eyes blazing. “You need to arrest them! Both of them! This is attempted murder!”

Michael's expression darkened. “I can’t. Jason is the Alpha. I can't just walk into his house and arrest him on suspicion. I need proof.”

“Proof?!” Sylvie's voice rose. “The poison in her system isn't proof enough?!”

“The poison confirms she was given something,” Michael said carefully. “But it doesn't prove Jason or Dahlia gave it to her. Betty could have been forced. It could have been anyone.”

Sylvie opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off.

“He's right.” My voice was hollow. “Jason will deny it. That's what he does.”

The words tasted bitter in my mouth. But I knew Jason better than anyone. He had already proven that he would do anything to destroy me.

Dr. Chloe cleared her throat softly, drawing our attention back to her. She looked uncomfortable, like she was intruding on something deeply personal.

“I’ve told you everything I can,” she said gently. “I'll leave you to... process things. If you need anything, just call for the nurse.”

She paused at the door and looked back at me. “Please try to rest, Rhaella. Your body needs time to heal.”

Then she quietly stepped out and closed the door behind her.

For a few seconds, I just stared at the door.

“I’m going to kill them.” The words barely came out at first. Then the anger hit me all over again. “I’m going to fucking kill them both!”

“Ella!”

Sylvie grabbed my shoulders as I ripped the cannula from my wrist and tried to swing my legs off the bed.

“Stop! What are you doing?!”

“Let go of me!”

I thrashed against her grip as tears ran down my face. “I don’t care anymore, Syl!”

“Ella, you're not thinking straight.”

“They’ve taken everything from me.” My voice broke. “My babies… my life… everything!”

I tried to pull away from her again, but she held on tighter.

“I'm going to tear them apart.” I sobbed. “They can fucking kill me too. I don't care anymore!”

I shoved Sylvie back hard enough to make her stumble. Michael stepped in before I could get past her, and I pushed him too.

“Don’t try to stop me!” I screamed. “Both of you… just leave me alone!”

“Ella!”

Michael caught both of my wrists and held them firm. “Listen to yourself. If you attack Jason, what do you think will happen next? He's going to come after you. And if he doesn't kill you, the Senate will. Is that what you want?”

“Let me go!”

“Ella, stop!”

Sylvie moved in front of me again, her eyes burning with anger and worry. “I get how you're feeling. I know you're angry. And… I swear I want to strangle that bastard as much as you want to.”

She grabbed my shoulders.

“But if you go after Jason, you're not the only one who's going to pay for it.”

I stared at her, still breathing hard.

“What about your mom? What about me?” Her voice cracked. “You think they'll leave us alone? You’ll be putting all of our lives in danger, including Michael’s.”

Her words hit me harder than I wanted to admit, and I stopped struggling.

My mom.

My eyes shifted past them, and there she was… standing in the doorway. She was in her wrinkled navy-blue uniform, with the Crestwood Villa insignia stitched above the breast pocket, her hair pulled into the same tight bun she wore to scrub marble floors for people like Jason.

I had begged her to quit, to let me take care of her, but she’d always refused. Work was her pride. To her, no degree meant no other options… despite the fact that her daughter was Luna. She happily continued the job, hard as it was.

“Baby…”

The anger drained out of me instantly. I became a scared little girl again… desperate for my mother's arms.

“Mom…” My voice cracked.

She rushed to me, and I collapsed into her embrace. Her hands smelled faintly of lemon polish and soap as she cradled my head and pulled me close, rocking me gently.

“Jason… killed my babies. What am I going to do?”

“Shhh... I know, sweetheart. Dr. Chloe told me everything,” she whispered. “I’ve got you. Mommy's here.”

I cried into her shoulder. And ugly sobs ripped out of me from somewhere deep inside. I couldn't stop them. I didn't want to. All I wanted was to disappear into her arms and never come out. She held me like she could stitch my broken pieces back together with her arms.

From the hallway, voices drifted in. Whispers, but loud enough for us to hear.

“Isn't that the Luna?”

“What happened to her?”

“And why’s Alpha Michael with her instead of her mate?”

Sylvie’s head snapped up. And before I could blink, she was already at the door, swinging it open so hard it banged against the wall.

“You've got something to say?” She rested an arm on the doorpost and placed the other on her hip, sweeping her eyes over the nurses who were lingering too close. “Oh, you think gossip's part of your job description?”

One nurse rolled her eyes and walked away. Another muttered about reporting her. Sylvie arched a brow, curling her lips. “Go ahead, sweetheart. HR is really going to love hearing how much time you spend gossiping about your patients instead of working.”

Then her eyes landed on a patient in a wheelchair who was blatantly staring. “And you,” she said, tilting her head toward him, “if you put half this energy into your own life, maybe you’d be walking past me like the others instead of rotting in that chair. Now go, before you sprain something else.”

Sylvie hissed and stormed back inside, shaking her head. “Idiots.”

“I think you should leave,” I whispered to Michael, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

His brow furrowed. “Why?”

“I don’t want you dragged into gossip because of me.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but my mother cut in gently. “Alpha, she’s right. We're deeply grateful to you for being by her side, but please understand… it won't help anyone if you get caught up in this. You know how fast rumors spread in this pack.”

He exhaled, then gave a small nod. “Alright. Please, call me if you need anything.”

Just as he turned for the door, his phone vibrated. He checked it… and his face went pale.

“What is it?” I asked, my heart suddenly pounding.

Michael stared at his screen and looked back at me in horror.

“Michael?” Sylvie moved toward him. “What’s wrong?”

She leaned closer to peek at his screen, and her hand flew to her mouth.

“Ella… there's trouble.”