The Forsaken Luna was Given A Second Chance

The cold bit into my skin like sharp teeth, sinking deep into my bones as I hung, trapped by stone and rope. The rough ropes cut into my wrists and ankles, making my limbs ache from being stretched apart.

My swollen belly felt heavy, twisting with discomfort. A sharp pain shot through me, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out. The wind howled through the trees, making the sweat on my skin feel even colder. My breath came in short, shaky gasps, misting in the freezing night air.

Seram stood below me, his eyes blazing with fury as he looked up at my bound form. His stance was rigid, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Behind him, the pack stood in grim silence, their expressions unreadable in the flickering torchlight.

"This is your punishment, Marian," Seram's voice roared like thunder, echoing in the empty night. "For pushing Deanne off the cliff."

"No!" My voice cracked, choked with desperation. My body trembled, not just from the unbearable cold but from the sheer terror of his words. "Seram, I swear, I didn't do it! I would never!"

"Lies!" he snarled, his growl reverberating through the air. "You always have an excuse, always playing the victim! You've always been a jealous, selfish woman, Marian!"

"No! That's not true! Please, just listen to me-"

"Shut up!" His voice was like a whip, lashing against me, making me flinch. His eyes burned with contempt as he took a step forward. "You can never stand to see me with Deanne! You'd rather kill her than accept my choice!"

Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision. "I never refused you, Seram! I was willing to accept her! It's Deanne. She's the one who-"

"Enough!" His roar cut through my words like a blade. "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses!"

I sucked in a shaky breath, my chest tightening. "Seram, please, I—I love you! I-"

"You don't know the meaning of love!" he spat, eyes flashing with fury. "If you did, you wouldn't have tried to get rid of Deanne! You wouldn't have tried to steal my happiness just because you can't bear the thought of me having another wife!"

"I never…" My voice cracked, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't listen. He never did.

Seram exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You've been nothing but a burden, Marian. Always clinging to me, always making trouble. I tolerated you, and it was fine as long as you gave me a child. And yet, you're not only useless but also unable to bear sons!"

The words stabbed through me, deeper than any physical wound. My lips trembled as silent sobs wracked my body. "But she's our child… she's yours…"

"I need an heir, Marian! A son! Not a pathetic girl!"

His fury surged, and he swung his arm violently, knocking over a torch on the ground. The flames flickered wildly before settling, mirroring the rage burning in his eyes. "Deanne is now carrying my son. She is carrying my heir."

My heart clenched so painfully I thought it might stop beating. No wonder…

Seram gave me one last look before he turned on his heel, his subordinates following without question.

My vision blurred as I watched him leave, his broad back disappearing into the shadows. I could still hear their voices, their laughter, as if my suffering was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

The only one left behind was a beta warrior, a man who did not even spare me a glance as he stood a distance away, arms folded, watching the night pass.

The wind howled louder, wrapping around me like a cruel lover, sinking its icy teeth into my flesh. Pain rippled through my abdomen, sharper than before. I gasped, twisting in my restraints. A warm, wet sensation trickled down my thighs, and realization struck me with horror.

No.

Not now.

"Help," I whimpered, my voice weak, barely above the wind. My bound hands clenched as a wave of pain crashed through me, tearing a strangled cry from my throat. "Please help me!"

The guard did not move. He did not react.

My body convulsed as another contraction hit, more vicious than the last. My breath came in shallow gasps, my vision tunneling with the intensity of my pain. My baby, our baby, was coming.

"Please!" I screamed, my voice raw with agony. "Anyone, help me!"

No response.

Tears streamed down my face as I writhed against my bindings, my body demanding release. The pain tore through me, unbearable, unstoppable. My stomach clenched violently, and I felt the unmistakable pressure of life forcing its way out of me.

A sob choked out of my throat as I realized that I was up here, a few feet above the ground. One drop could have killed me. Looking down, there was no one.

No one to catch my child.

Then, the worst happened.

A final contraction, stronger than before. I wanted to stop it by closing my legs, but the bindings did not allow me, keeping them spread apart. My body arched, my vision flashed white, and then-

Something passed through me, warm and full of life. Then…

A wet, sickening smack against the cold, hard ground.

For a moment, the world stood still. My breath hitched, my body frozen in horror.

My child...

My baby...

Had fallen.