Chapter 4 Dangerous Escape

Selene

The hospital door crashed open, splintering the lock. Adriana sauntered in, her hips swaying with practiced arrogance. Her enchanted perfume hit me like a wall, cloying and suffocating.

I clenched my fists under the sheets, nails digging into my palms. Had I really been hoping for Vortend?

"So the little martyr wakes up," she sneered, her eyes raking over me with disdain. "Playing unconscious to delay the inevitable? How pathetic."

I forced myself to meet her gaze. "He severed our bond. You won. Now leave."

Her laughter filled the room, cold and mocking. "Oh, I won so much more than that. Vortend and I are going to be parents. And you..." She leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper. "You're nothing but yesterday's news."

My world tilted. I stared at her stomach, a sickening knot forming in my gut. All those late nights, all those lies...

"Does it hurt?" she taunted. "To know he was in my bed while you waited at home like a good little wife? How does it feel to be replaced?"

Before I could respond, a cold voice cut through the tension. "I believe you're mistaken, Adriana. The only thing that's pathetic here is your attempt at intimidation."

My mother stepped into the light, her presence filling the room.

"Get out," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument. "You're not welcome here."

Adriana whirled around, her face contorted with rage. "You can't talk to me like that!"

"Watch me," my mother replied coolly. "You may have stolen my husband, but you'll never break my daughter. Now leave before I make you."

With a final glare, Adriana stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Exhaustion washed over me, but I knew I couldn't rest. I needed to gather my strength for what lay ahead.

After we returned to my mother's house in Black Pine territory, I managed a small smile at her worried expression. "Mom, don't worry, I won't be beaten by this."

"My child, I cannot imagine that we would share the same fate. Perhaps I was unfortunate, but I truly didn't wish for you to endure this suffering as well," my mother said, covering her face as she wept.

My parents had been destined mates, but my father had an affair with Patricia, resulting in Adriana's birth just two years after mine. My stepmother not only took my mother's mate but also my father. Although I grew up wealthy, received the best education, and earned my Harvard MBA, our relationship was merely a formality to my father, a responsibility he no longer wanted. When I refused to give up Vortend for Adriana, he severed ties with me as well.

That night, as I stood naked before the mirror, I discovered silver spider web - like patterns appearing on my legs. My abilities flickered uncontrollably, surging and receding like a wild tide.

Panic welled up inside me. Out of concern for my children, I called my friend Vivian, who arrived secretly under the cover of darkness.

She ran a series of tests, her expression growing graver with each passing moment. "Your blood is very abnormal, as if you've been poisoned. The twins also seem affected. From my experience, it looks like Silver Vine," Vivian's tone was extremely serious.

Shock coursed through me. "What? Who would poison me?" Vivian and I exchanged glances, both of us knowing the unspoken truth.

"Adriana, is that you? Why, why do you still push me to death's door when I've already stepped aside?" I murmured, tears welling in my eyes, my heart consumed by fear for my children's safety.

My mother, overhearing our conversation, paled. She immediately swung into action, her years as a Luna kicking in. "We cannot stay here anymore. If Adriana can poison you today, and if she discovers you're carrying twins, she could send assassins to kill you tomorrow! We must flee! We must flee!" she said resolutely, wiping the tears from her face.

Vivian nodded in agreement, her face etched with worry. "Yes, Selene, you must leave as soon as possible. Adriana has returned, and staying here is extremely dangerous."

I looked out the window at the heavy snowfall, my mind in turmoil. Did Vortend know about Adriana poisoning me? Did he want to harm me too?

The windowpanes frosted over. In that moment, I made my decision. I would not wait for daybreak.

My mother pulled out a large map and spread it on the dining table. "Here's the plan. Vivian will create a diversion at the main exit of the territory. She'll use a decoy that smells like you to lead the Black Pine guards on a chase southward." She pointed to a series of dotted lines on the map. "These are the old smuggler's tunnels. They're hidden and mostly forgotten. We'll use them to move westward."

She marked several locations on the map with small red pins. "These are safe houses. They belong to old allies who owe me favors. We'll stay at each one for a short time, just long enough to rest and resupply. The journey will be dangerous, and we'll have to avoid the main roads and well - traveled paths."

I studied the map intently, my fingers tracing the proposed route. "What if they discover the tunnels?"

My mother's eyes glinted with determination. "We'll set traps along the way. The snow will also work in our favor, covering our tracks. And we'll move at night, when the Black Pine guards are less vigilant."

As she stepped into the next room to make some final arrangements, Vivian approached me with a small medical kit. "Take these," she said, pressing several vials into my hand. "Antidotes and supplements. They won't eliminate the Silver Vine completely, but they'll help mitigate its effects."

"Thank you," I whispered, tucking them carefully into a small bag.

"Selene," Vivian said, her voice low and urgent. "Whatever happens, whatever you learn... don't lose yourself. Your children need you whole."

I nodded, understanding the deeper meaning behind her words. "I won't," I promised. "I'll become stronger than I've ever been."

Vortend, I thought you were my everything. But now I see—I am my own Alpha, and these children are my pack.

With a trembling touch, I cradled my belly, drawing solace and resolve from the two lives growing within me. I will keep you safe. I will give you a home. And someday, we will reclaim what is rightfully ours.