Talia POV

One day passed, then two days, then three days, and by the fourth day, Damon finally arrived.

I should hate him- hate him so much that his thought itself made my teeth gnash.

But for the sake of the child, I still invited him over.

"Speak. Why did you want to see me?" He stood strong and powerful in front of me as his cold eyes bore down on me.

"Damon, I know no matter how much I explain, you won’t believe me. But I’ve something to ask from you.” I started, my voice shaky. Damon, I was your mate, and you have loved me once, right? So, If I die, can you please set up a trust fund for my child? Just give them enough to survive and get an education. That is all I want now., please.” I begged, sincere and humble.

Damon’s lips curled up. "Talia, it seems I have spoiled you so much in the past. You actually want me to take care of your and another man's bastard child! Why don’t you ask Carson?"

"The child isn’t Carson’s!"

"Are you still trying to say that the child is mine?" Damon sneered coldly.

I helplessly shook my head, my heart bleeding.

"I don’t want to prove anything, Damon! All I want is to secure my child’s future and for that I can do anything you ask for.”

"Oh is it?! Then please me," Damon said, grabbing my neck and leaning in close to whisper in my ear.

Then, he grabbed my hand and placed it over him. Through a layer of fabric, I could clearly feel his arousal.

Even though there was nothing left between us but hatred, my cheeks too flushed. Also, the scent and warmth from his body seemed to soothe the long-standing emptiness and loneliness inside me.

"If I please you, will you agree to take care of my child?" I asked, meeting his eyes.

"Yes," Damon whispered, biting my neck at the same spot where he had once marked me.

Old memories flooded my mind. He had once carried me up a cliff. In that secluded, far-away place, I had given myself completely to him. He marked me, and the sharp pain, along with strange warmth, had rippled through me. I couldn’t see the bond, but I knew that from that moment on, our fates were intertwined.

But why? Why did we end up like this?

I slowly unbuttoned his shirt and gently caressed his chiseled muscles. And as I was about to kiss his lips, he pulled away.

I snapped myself out of the old memories.

No, Talia, this is just a transaction. We are no longer the same as before.

I, at once, got down on my knees and unbuckled his belt, taking his hard out.

"Damon, you can't back out," I said, looking up at him.

"Say it, you're mine," Damon suddenly yanked my hair harshly and pulled me to his manhood.

"Damon, I’m yours."

"Say you're a slut."

"I... I am a slut." Tears slid down my cheeks.

"Talia, you used to pretend so well! Only now can I see clearly, you're nothing but a bitch."

I didn’t reply and put my mouth on the job.

As he released, Damon left without a word.

I had never seen this side of Damon before; it was more beastly than a wild animal.

In the past, because I was an ordinary human, Damon used to be very gentle and caring with me. Every time we made love, he would gently ask me, "Does this hurt? Is it comfortable?"

But today, he treated me as nothing more than an outlet for his release.

The only thing I liked about him was he didn’t harm my children. And I also believe that he will keep his promise.

After all, during the year we were together, he never broke his word not just to me, but to everyone in his pack as well.

The days after I met Damon, things changed in prison, too. The food got better and better.

The guards even brought me some baby care books.

I curiously read it and followed the methods and exercises mentioned in it. Time flew by quickly, and before I realized it, five months had passed.

The movements of the babies grew stronger.

My belly had gotten so big that I could hardly lie down to sleep anymore.

I was carrying triplets, so from the start, my belly was much larger than that of a normal pregnant woman.

The gynecologists in the prison also increased in number. I didn’t know if that was too arranged by Damon. I haven’t heard from him since that day.

Talia POV

One afternoon, I was reading a parenting book when a sharp pain suddenly spread throughout my body.

I gasped for air, tightly gripping the thin fabric of my jumpsuit. This wasn’t the usual discomfort —

I instinctively knew. It was time.

"Guard!" I shouted.

The metal door opened, and a guard rushed in, clumsily fumbling with the intercom.

"We need medical assistance — now!"

Another guard brought over a wheelchair, and they helped me sit in it. My body was squirming every few seconds with stronger and more frequent contractions.

I was quickly rushed to the hospital, where the doctor did various checks and decided to perform a C-section.

It was the best option to deliver a triplet that too of a half werewolf.

Sweat covered my face, and I felt like I was going to die. I never imagined childbirth could be so painful.

I was wheeled into the operating room and lay on the delivery table.

"Doctor, you must save my child." I said, extremely worried.

"Don’t worry. Your condition is stable now. You and the baby will be fine."

"My condition is stable?" I paused in confusion.

Why is this doctor saying something different from the one who had examined me earlier? Which one is right?

"Yes, it’s stable. You can relax." The doctor assured me.

I let out a long sigh of relief when an anesthesiologist entered the room. I looked up to find none but Abby.

"Abby, what are you doing here?

Did Damon send you? Does he know the child I’m carrying is his?"

Abby smirked. "You’re still delusional? How amusing! You sold yourself at an auction. Do you really think Damon will acknowledge your child?"

Her cruel words made my heart sink. I thought the guards were treating me with special care, possibly because Damon was helping arrange things. But now, I wasn’t so sure.

A more terrifying thought suddenly crossed my mind:

"Was he just waiting for this moment, letting me believe I could have the child, and only when I’m about to give birth, he can kill me and my babies?”

I clutched my belly, enduring the pain.

"Just give birth to your child,” Abby said, giving me a smug smile. ," She then turned to the doctor. "Start the procedure, local anesthesia."

"Local anesthesia? Why local anesthesia? Isn’t a C-section done with general anesthesia?" I asked.

Before anyone could respond, Abby’s phone ring diverted the topic.

"Alpha Damon." She respectfully answered the call with a smile, her voice honeyed. I had to admit, her smile was beautiful.

Afraid I might overhear them, she turned and walked out of the operating room.

Not long after, Abby returned to the operating table. The anesthesiologist had already administered the anesthesia. Since it was local anesthesia, my brain was still awake.

I glanced over Abby’s shoulder. Damon’s wasn’t there.

I knew he didn’t care about my life, yet for some reason, I felt a sense of loss. From the moment my children were born, they would never see their father.

A sharp pain struck my chest, and I felt the babies inside me thrashing violently.

Abby ignored me and turned to the lead surgeon instead. "Don’t worry about the depth of the incision, cut open immediately, and get the babies out within ten minutes." She said, her voice firm and clear.

"Understood." The doctor obliged.

I felt the scalpel scratching really down. My face went pale, and my heart sank.

"What… what are you planning to do with me? "

Local anesthesia, direct incision, and extracting the babies within ten minutes — Abby wanted me to die.

And what she said the next panicked me completely.

"Damon wants the babies, and he wants the healthiest ones. As for you, you don’t need to leave this operating table." She said sternly, and I tried to squirm, trying to stop them, but my numbed body didn’t support my will.

Why? Why Damon wants the babies?

Why does he still want them if he doesn’t acknowledge them as his children? Is it because of the promise he made to me?

My head was ringing. I wanted to say something, but the words didn’t roll out. I could only sense my babies being taken out one by one and then something rapidly leaving my body.

"Not good, not good! The patient is hemorrhaging!" The doctor cried in panic.

The lead surgeon had cut a major blood vessel.

Damon POV

My first meeting with Talia wasn’t pleasant.

Two years ago, during a trip, I sensed the presence of my mate. What disturbed me was the strong scent of blood in the air.

When I followed the scent and found my mate, I saw several rogues tearing Talia’s clothes as she struggled to save herself. I defeated one of the rogues and killed another.

I stood there, breathing heavily, blood dripping onto the ground. When I turned around, I saw Talia curled up on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, hugging her knees. Her face smeared with tears.

She was my mate, but I was surprised to find she was just an ordinary human.

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” I said, trying to approach her, my tone soft.

But she shook her head violently, her eyes filled with despair and anger. She raised her head, sobbing, and shouted, "You monsters! Get away!"

My legs froze as if nailed to the ground. I looked down at my bloodstained hands and realized that the fear in her eyes wasn’t just for the rogues but for me as well.

Then I noticed two bloody bodies lying nearby —one male and one female–It was her parents. I could smell their scent; they were already dead.

"I'm sorry..." I mumbled though I wasn’t sure if these words would bring her any comfort.

The days after that became an unhealable rift between us.

I took her back to the Nightstar pack, cared for her as best as I could, and tried to woo her.

Initially, I thought she had accepted me because her smiles and touches seemed so genuine. But a year passed, and she still rejected me.

I can’t forget that day.

She was standing under the moonlight, her voice was cold and resolute. "Every time

I see you, I think of that night’s bloodshed."

My heart shattered into a million pieces and my blood froze.

I didn’t hate her for rejecting me. I would have let her go if she had fallen in love with someone else.

I could even forgive the child she carried.

When I saw her picture in the world’s most luxurious underground auction house, I personally took her to the hospital.

But when Abby told me that she had discovered Talia had conspired with Carson to poison the Nightstar pack, I couldn’t take it more. At that moment, I made up my mind. I would show no mercy to Talia anymore.

Whatever punishment she faced, she deserved it.

Werewolves killed her parents, but that was no reason for her to take revenge on all werewolves indiscriminately.

What hurt more was that maybe her past kindness and love toward me had all been fake.

I was just a pawn in her revenge!

But after she wrote me a letter five months ago, I still couldn’t help but visit her in prison.

Though she was pregnant and wearing simple clothes, she was as beautiful as I saw her for the first time.

I thought she would confess to me, express her longing for me. But there was nothing.

She had degraded herself for Carson’s child. She pleased me like a prostitute.

I should have felt disgusted, but instead, I longed for her touch, her kiss, everything she did for me. My wolf also felt a long-lost sense of satisfaction.

I left the prison with self-loathing. Before leaving, I made a donation to the warden, asking him to take extra care of Talia. I told myself that I no longer loved her. I was just fulfilling my promise. She pleased me with her body, and I promised to ensure she delivered her baby safely.

Yes, it was just a transaction!

Since that time, when we had guilt-ridden sex in prison, I hadn’t gone to see her again.

I buried the wounds in my heart by drowning myself in the work.

But today, when I received a call from the warden, I couldn’t sit still.

For werewolves, childbirth is simple. Our wounds heal quickly. But I’ve heard that many human women die from complications during labor.

"Alpha Damon, are you thinking about Talia?" Abby poured me a cup of coffee and gently massaged my shoulders. "If you’re worried about her, I can go check on her."

"I don’t care about that bitch. I just promised her I would make sure she gives birth safely."

"I understand. I’ll make sure she gives birth to the child. Don’t worry!" I nodded at Abby, and she left immediately.

She was one of the few female werewolf warriors, more reliable and capable than many men.

After Abby arrived at the hospital, I called her to inquire about Talia’s condition.

She told me Talia was healthy and would be fine. The child would born soon.

My worried heart finally settled.

I sat at my desk, starting my work for the day. As the end of the workday approached, I hesitated about whether I should visit Talia and her child. But just as I was driving home, my wolf reminded me.

"Talia was once our mate. You should visit her. The child is innocent!"

I agreed to it and turned around, driving directly to the secluded hospital.