005

ALINA.

I gripped the edge of the worktable so hard my knuckles turned white.

A sudden, violent wave of nausea rushed up my throat, hitting me out of nowhere. The smell of the dried lavender and crushed marigold on the tray in front of me scents I had breathed in every day for years suddenly smelled rotten, thick, and suffocating.

I leaned over the table, my chest heaving as I gagged, fighting to keep my stomach down.

Maeve was across the room, but the moment she heard me retch, the pestle clattered to the floor. She rushed to my side, her warm hands instantly reaching out to steady my shaking shoulders. She pulled the tray of herbs away from me, pushing open the high glass window to let the breeze fill the small healing ward.

I took deep ragged breaths of the cool air, resting my forehead against the edge of the window frame. My heart was pounding so hard.

Maeve didn't say anything at first. She just stood there behind me, eyes locked on my face. She watched the way my breathing rattled in my chest and the way my pale hand rested over my lower stomach.

She studied me for several long, silent seconds.

"How long has it been since your last moon-cycle?" Maeve asked.

The question hit me like a splash of icy water.

I froze. I didn't move or breathe. My mind raced backward, counting the days, counting the moons.

The three-year truce anniversary had been two nights ago. Before that, there had been the autumn prep, the long days in the dispensary, the nights in Declan's bed...

"Alina," Maeve pressed, her voice dropping into a hush as she stepped closer. "Answer me."

"Six weeks," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the wind outside. "Maybe... maybe seven."

Maeve let out a sharp breath. Without another word, she grabbed my arm and guided me to the small cot in the corner of the room. "Sit. Right now."

"Maeve, I'm just tired," I said, though my hands were shaking as I sat on the edge of the mattress. "I haven't slept in days. Declan... everything with the decree, and packing my things... my body is just stressed."

"Lie back," she ordered softly, her face tight with worry.

She picked up a small glass bottle of blue moon-flower oil from the shelf and rubbed a few drops between her palms. She knelt beside the cot and placed her hands gently over my lower belly. She closed her eyes, letting her faint healer's aura drift into my skin.

I held my breath. I knew what she was doing. She was checking the pulse of my inner wolf, looking for the tiny, faint double-beat of a newly forming life.

For two long minutes, the room was completely silent. Only the sound of the wind through the open window broke the quiet.

When Maeve opened her eyes, her freckled face was pale. Her hands remained resting over my stomach, trembling just a little.

"The blood flow is heavy," Maeve whispered, looking up into my eyes with awe and fear. "Your wolf's magic is shielding your womb. It is still very early, Alina. Too early to hear a clear heartbeat, but... initial signs are strong. Extremely strong."

I stared at her, my vision blurring. "No..."

"Alina," Maeve said, grabbing both of my hands and pressing them hard against her chest. "If your wolf is shielding your belly like this, it isn't just a child. It's an Alpha pup. Declan's blood."

The world seemed to spin out of control around me.

An Alpha heir.

For three years, the Elders had whispered behind my back about my empty womb. Victor had complained at every Council meeting that a Westmere bride was giving Rivenhall no bloodline to carry the pack into the next generation. It had been one of the main reasons the Council had pushed so hard for the Wycliff alliance. They wanted a strong line of succession. They wanted powerful wolf blood to guarantee their rule.

And now, right when the decree was signed, right when my bags were packed... it was here.

"You have to tell him," Maeve said, her voice rising with sudden, intense urgency. She stood up, pulling me off the cot. "You have to tell Declan right now! Go to his study. Show him this! He will tear up the divorce decree! He will throw Victor out of the hall! He will send Sabine back to the Wycliff pack before the sun sets!"

"No," I said instantly, pulling my hands out of her grip.

"Alina, are you mad?!" Maeve yelled, throwing her arms in the air. "This changes everything! This is his heir! The pack needs an heir, and you are carrying it!"

"No," I repeated, my voice steadying, growing cold. "It changes nothing."

"How can you say that?" Maeve looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"Because I just saw him," I said, walking over to the window.

I looked down into the main courtyard. Just ten minutes ago, I had watched Declan walking out of the great hall. Sabine Wycliff was standing right beside him, her blue coat fluttering in the wind, holding trade maps while Declan nodded along to her words. Elder Victor had been standing on the steps above them, smiling like a proud father at a prospective bride and groom.

Declan hadn't denied the rumors. He hadn't stopped the councilmen from making jokes about a new Luna. He had sat in silence, letting the whole pack believe that Sabine was his future.

"I saw him with her, Maeve," I said, turning back to my friend. Tears finally welled up in the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "He wants it. He wants a strong alliance with Wycliff. He made his choice to dissolve our marriage without ever asking me what I felt or what I wanted."

"He doesn't know about the child!" Maeve argued, stepping closer. "If he knows—"

"If I tell him now, what happens?" I cut her off, my voice sharp. "He stays with me because of the baby. He keeps me in his bed because of the baby. He turns away Sabine not because he loves me, but because I am carrying the next Alpha of Rivenhall!"

"Is that so terrible?" Maeve asked softly. "He would protect you. You would be safe and you would be Luna."

"I have pride, Maeve!" I shouted, the pain breaking through my chest at last. "I am Alina Westmere! I gave three years of my life, my heart, and my wolf to that man! I will not use a child to trap a man who was ready to let me walk out the front gate two days ago!"

Maeve opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She just looked at me, her eyes full of sorrow.

"I will not beg," I whispered, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "And I will not force him to choose me out of obligation. If Declan wants Sabine, if he wants the Wycliff alliance, he can have it. But he will not have me through pity or duty."

"What about the tests?" Maeve asked quietly. "It is still very early. We need to do a full blood check in three days to be completely sure. The herbs need time to react."

"Then we wait," I said, settling my chin high. "We keep this between us. Not a word to Miles or him And especially not a single word to Elder Victor."

Maeve looked at the floor, taking a deep breath. "And what about your departure? Your transfer to the Northern Outposts is scheduled for Friday morning."

"I am still going," I said. "If the test in three days comes back negative, I leave for the north to start my new life as a healer. If it comes back positive..." I paused, my hand sliding back down to cover my flat stomach, "...then I go to the north to protect my child."

Maeve stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug. I buried my face into her shoulder, clutching her dress as my chest heaved with sobs. She held me tight, stroking my hair just like my mother used to do.

"You are the strongest woman in this whole cursed pack," Maeve whispered into my hair. "And Declan is a bloody fool."

We stood there for a long time in the room, holding each other while the cold wind blew through the open window, carrying the faint noise of the feast preparations from the hall below.

Finally, Maeve pulled back. She held my shoulders, looking straight into my green eyes.

"What if you really are with child, Alina?" Maeve asked softly, her eyes full of fear for my future. "What if that little heart starts beating on Friday?"

I bowed my head and fell silent for a long moment, staring down at my dusty boots.

"Then I will keep this child from him. Forever." I said softly.