Chapter 4

"A miscarriage..." My voice was barely a whisper. Tears spilled over, falling uncontrollably like a broken string of pearls.

Lenora looked at me, her eyes full of heartache.

"You didn't even know you were pregnant, did you? You were over a month along. Elowen, you're still young and strong. You'll have another chance."

I choked on my sobs, crying until I couldn't catch my breath. It felt as if all the strength had been completely drained from my body.

Just as I managed to calm down a little, the clinic door slammed open with a deafening crash.

Gerald stood there, his face terrifyingly dark. A freezing, suffocating Alpha aura rolled off him in waves.

He marched straight to my bed, his voice dripping with venom. "Why did you kill Sylara's pup?!"

My lips were pale. I tried to defend myself through the crushing weakness.

"I didn't hurt her! She push me down the stairs! Her pregnancy was a lie! If you don't believe me, go ask the Concord Healer to check her!"

He lunged forward, his large hand clamping viciously around my throat. I trembled violently as I gasped for air.

"You make me absolutely sick, Elowen!" he spat.

Showing no mercy, Gerald dragged me off the bed and roughly pulled me toward the door.

"Cousin! What are you doing?! Let her go!" Lenora screamed, rushing forward to stop him, but Gerald shoved her aside.

"Cousin, Elowen would never hurt that woman! She lost her memories, she doesn't even remember who Sylara is! And do you even know that Elowen just—"

"Shut up!" Gerald roared, cutting Lenora off with a vicious glare. "You ungrateful traitor! Whose side are you on?!"

"That was your own flesh and blood, your nephew! If you dare side with her again, I'll have the Alpha King exile you to the Barrens!"

Refusing to listen to another word, Gerald dragged me into the adjacent clinic room and threw me hard onto the floor.

I crashed onto the freezing tiles in a pathetic heap.

On the bed, Sylara was lying there, looking frail and weak. Seeing us enter, she propped herself up slightly.

"Elowen, I know you're jealous that Gerald loves me. But this pup was his flesh and blood... how could you... how could you be so cruel!"

"The Healer said it was a little girl with a strong wolf aura..." She clutched her stomach, crying hysterically as if her heart was breaking.

Gerald immediately wrapped his arms around her. "We'll have another pup! Shh, be good, don't cry."

I was pinned to the floor by two massive Darkmoor guards, unable to move. All I could do was scream in absolute desperation.

"She was never pregnant! She was practicing shadow witchcraft! Go ask the Healer!"

Gerald shot me a freezing, disdainful look. "Do you really think I'd believe your crazy lies over Sylara?"

"You show absolutely no remorse!" he barked, his eyes turning ruthless.

"Elowen, if you still want me to make you my Luna, go hold a vigil of atonement at the Ancestral Stone Circle for a whole day. Repent for my pup. Otherwise, get out, and give the Luna position to Sylara!"

My heart completely plummeted into a bottomless abyss.

I clenched my jaw, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall again. I looked at Gerald with a calm, dead expression.

"Fine."

"Consider this the final closure for all the years I spent chasing after you."

Summoning every last ounce of strength I had, I pushed myself up from the floor. I turned around and walked out of the clinic without looking back.

Watching my decisive departure, a sudden, inexplicable ache twisted in Gerald's chest. He frowned deeply, trying to push down the strange surge of panic.

He stayed by Sylara's side, catering to her every need. It wasn't until midnight that he dragged his exhausted body out of the healing center.

When he returned to the Darkmoor Packhouse, a sudden wave of terror hit him out of nowhere.

"Elowen!" he yelled my name into the silence, but no one answered.

He tore through every corner of the estate, but there was no trace of me to be found. Even all my belongings had completely vanished.

Panicking, Gerald grabbed his communication rune-stone. His hands shook as he connected to Lenora.

"Lenora, is Elowen with you?" he demanded, a trace of frantic fear slipping into his voice.

"Elowen? Didn't you say you were breaking the engagement? She's already gone."

"Gone?! Gone where?"

Gerald choked on his words, suddenly remembering the harsh threats he had thrown around the clinic. He scrambled for an excuse. "I was just angry! Where could she possibly go?"

Lenora let out a mocking laugh.

"She went back to the North to accept a Blood-Bond Treaty. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. Right before you forced her to hold a vigil for that shadow witch..."

"...Elowen had just miscarried your actual pup."

Gerald's hand jerked violently.

The communication rune-stone slipped from his fingers, hitting the floor with a sharp crack before shattering into fine dust......