Alpha, Your Warrior Ex-wife Is Back: Read Chapters 1-5

Claire's POV

"Congratulations, Claire! The baby is healthy and strong. " The doctor exclaims. "He must be the Alpha heir from the prophecy!"

Relief floods through me as I hear my son's cries. This is the child that the whole pack has longed for. Not only because this is the firstborn of their Alpha Gideon, but because both my baby and I are slightly unusual.

We are both destined to be the strongest of our kind.

The labor went on for hours and was incredibly rough on my body. My memories of growing up as an outsider in this pack flood back.

Back then, everyone told me I was found in the forest alone. I grew up with no family, nobody to rely on. Only the Alpha family made sure I had my basic necessities to survive in the pack.

Everybody thought I must be an omega orphan. However, when I shifted for the first time, I was larger than any recorded she-wolves of the past century. Stronger, faster. My eyes glowed a bright gold instead of green. I was...invincible.

The elders declared that I am destined to be the strongest she-wolf of my generation. And I would become the mother of the chosen one, the Alpha of prophecy.

The KING that fated to unite all the packs under the Blood Moon.

Their excitement couldn’t be contained as my fated mate turned out to be their young Alpha, Gideon. Meaning the Alpha of prophecy would be born to them, the Silver Crescent Pack.

"Has Gideon arrived yet?" I asked, can't wait to see my fated mate.

The nurse who is holding my hand, Emily, purses her lips together. "No. We called Alpha several times, but there was no answer. We’ve just sent a nurse to bring him here."

Disappointment threatens to drown my happiness, but I hide it well as always. Even after all these years, I’m still not sure if Gideon has accepted me as his marked mate and wife.

Gideon had only been twenty-two when we had discovered we were fated mates.

Deep down, I was ecstatic. I've always felt drawn to Gideon. How could I not be? He was strong and attractive. Everything about him was...well, perfect.

However, at the time, he had been seeing the daughter of his father's Beta, Daphne. They were happy together and everyone thought they would be fated mates. I didn’t want to disrupt their relationship, so I took a step back to let Gideon make his own decision.

Gideon's family accepted me into their home, as was customary of being identified as the Alpha's mate. But that first night in his home, I could feel his presence through the walls. It weighed on me heavily, having me bite my fist in frustration.

The next morning, I found myself naked in Gideon's bed. We not only slept together but also completed the mating bond by marking each other.

I didn't understand how it came to us mating. I felt groggy and couldn't even remember the night before.

When Gideon woke up, he was furious. He locked me in his room and rushed out.

Soon I realized that he probably thought I had tricked him into his heat, for a mate cannot be rejected while in heat.

Later that night, Gideon returned. I tried to explain that I also had no idea why we were both in heat, but he cut me off. Gideon said that it was not important anymore. Gideon's parents convinced him to marry me since we were already marked, making us unable to reject each other for three years.

He promised that if I gave birth to the Alpha heir of prophecy, I would officially become his Luna.

I agreed.

Then for a while, everything between us was merely about sex.

I did my best to be a good wife to him, trying to win his affection, trying to earn something more than sex. Some days, he did seem to soften at my touch.

And yet... he's still not here at his son's birth.

The medical staff surrounds my son to the point that I can't even see his face. "Excuse me? Can I hold my son, please?"

Emily speaks up, "Of course! Everyone out. Let the mother bond with her pup."

Everyone funnels out except Emily and Dr. Ander. The elder passes my little boy to me. The baby's eyes are closed tightly as he cries, waving his small fists in the air.

"Shh, it's alright." I coo, shifting the baby higher in my arms.

"What will you name him?" Emily asks.

"Leo, after Gideon's father." The baby has calmed down and is sleeping against my chest.

The baby quietly fusses, and I wonder if my mother ever felt this pride while looking at me. I never knew my parents, but I like to think that my parents had passed tragically instead of choosing to abandon me.

"Your papa is busy working." I rub my nose against Leo's head. "He will be here soon. He definitely will.”

Then I hear footsteps outside the door, and my heart leaps. It has to be the nurse returning, with Gideon!

Suddenly, the door to my room bursts open, but instead of Gideon, a woman with long, dark hair and a pointed face steps in.

It is...Daphne.

"Oh, hello, Daphne. What are you doing here?" Panic courses through me. Did something happen to Gideon?

Daphne strides over to me and rips Leo from my arms.

"Stop! Nurse!" I claw at her arms, pushing myself from the bed.

Guards quickly funnel into the room, pulling me away from Daphne.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Leo cries in Daphne's arms. She shushes him coldly. "Your job is done, Claire. Gideon only needed you for your genes. Now that the baby is here, I can become his Luna just as planned."

She turns towards the door.

"You're lying. Gideon said that I would be his Luna. I am his mate. The mother of his child!" I snarl.

Daphne scoffs and looks over her shoulder. "Play the tape."

A guard pulls out his phone and presses play on a recording. Gideon's voice hums throughout the room. "After Claire has the baby, I will get rid of her. And you will be my Luna."

Daphne smiles. "See? He has longed to be rid of you, bitch. You were just OUR surrogate."

She turns on her heel and struts out of the room. I struggled desperately to break free from the guards' control, screaming at her to give my child back to me.

I snarl, scratching my nails against any exposed skin I can find.

“Do it.” One of the guards shouts.

I feel a sudden sharp pain in the back of my neck, making my body go limp.

I was thrown to the ground, and the last thing I see before I black out is the door of the hospital room slammed shut mercilessly in front of me.

Claire's POV

I wake up from a haze. My head feels heavy and full of water. Had I just been dreaming?

When my eyes focus, I realize I'm still in the hospital, but my son. Where is my son?

My neck aches, flooding my mind with memories.

The birth. Leo. Daphne pulling him from my arms. The recording. The sedative.

She must have. I would never let her get far with my son. I need to find them. Maybe if I call security, they'll get in contact with Gideon.

This all has to be fake. Daphne must have made that recording. He wouldn't have...

My thoughts stutter. Wouldn't he, though? He's always been cold to me. Why wouldn't he use me just to bear the wolf of prophecy?

I sit up, the pain from childbirth making me slow. I tear the IV out of my arm and push the nurse call button at least four times.

"Hello?! I need help in here!" I shout.

A nurse with short blonde hair and a hawk nose walks in. She brings a sour attitude with her.

"What?" The nurse says shortly.

"Where is my baby?" The words come out roughly from my chest.

"You mean the Alpha's baby?" A cruel smile curls on her lips. "Spending some quality time with his family."

My wolf is struggling against my patience. Kill her. Rip out her throat.

I breathe through the panic. "I would like to see Nurse Emily, please."

Emily will listen to me. She held my hand throughout my birth. She had a kindness in her eyes that this bitch extremely lacks.

The nurse rolls her eyes, "Can't. She went home for the day. Now, what do you need? I want to get back to the real patients."

I grit my teeth together and shift into a seated position. "I want to speak to Gideon.”

"I need you to stay calm, alright?" Nurse Hawk Face rubs at her temples. "Listen, the Alpha does not want you. We all heard the recording. Now, quit dreaming before I call Psych to come and pick you up."

My wolf growls in my ear once more. Find our pup.

She turns her back on me. "You will be discharged tomorrow afternoon if you stay reasonable."

I leap from my bed and swipe a pair of surgical scissors that were left on the counter. I'm so fast the nurse doesn't even register I've moved until I grab her limp blonde hair and press the scissors to her jugular.

"Oh, I'll be reasonable." I snarl in her ear. "Tell me where my son and the Alpha are, and we won't have any trouble."

"You won't do anything to me. The whole pack knows you're obedient."

I press the blade into her skin, letting some blood dribble down her neck. "Am I? I've just never had a reason to bare my teeth. After all, I was prophesied to be the strongest she-wolf of my generation." My voice is rough and dangerous. A sound that is unfamiliar to me.

"Now, tell me where my son is before I cut your neck. Or I can sink my claws into your back and rip you to tiny pieces. Your choice."

Hawk Face hesitates.

I push the blade against her. "Quickly, now."

She gasps in pain. "Okay! Okay! They are both in the newborn ward in the east wing of the hospital. The code to the door is 6062. Please, just let me go. I was just doing what I was told." She blubbers.

I shove the nurse toward the wall, letting her stumble into a chair as I drop the scissors into a nearby sharps bin. I’m not a murderer.

The moment she’s out of my way, I tear out of the room. I’m still dizzy and my legs are shaking beneath me, but I don’t stop. I can’t. I have to get to my child.

The halls are dim and mostly quiet, besides the beeping of monitors. Probably close to the end of the night shift. I clutch the side rails for balance as I move, every step sending a dull ache radiating from between my legs and deep into my hips.

I almost can't believe that this is real. That my son was ripped from my arms right after giving birth to him.

My hospital gown is soaked through with sweat. The nurse's blood smeared at the neck of my gown. I must look feral, crazed.

Good. Let them see me as I am. A mother with nothing left to lose.

I pass a nurse at the far end of the hallway, and she gives me a startled look but doesn’t approach. Maybe she senses my wolf on the edge of madness. Maybe she sees the gleam in my eyes and knows I’m one more step away from bloodshed.

When I reach the east wing, I pause at the door to the newborn ward. The keypad glows faintly in the dark.

My fingers tremble as I type in the code. A soft beep and the door unlocks with a click.

The smell hits me first—powder, sterile linens, and that faint, warm scent of new life. I sense Leo's scent and follow it.

The hallway is dimmed so as not to disturb the babies at this hour. I round the corner and see a few doors with windows. I look into one and pause.

Gideon sits in a rocking chair, a bundle in his arms. My baby. My Leo. He’s swaddled in what looks like a scratchy blue blanket with a tiny cap covering his head.

Daphne sits beside Gideon, cooing and brushing the baby’s cheek as if she belongs there, like she didn’t steal my son out of my arms. Like, she didn’t stage the whole thing.

They look like a happy little family.

I stop breathing.

The pain that stabs through me is not just emotional—it’s physical. My heart clenches so hard I nearly crumple to the floor. My vision swims.

That's supposed to be my family. My adoring husband. My beautiful son.

How dare he? How dare they.

My wolf howls inside me, her fury rising like a wave. Take him back. Take what’s ours. Kill the impostor posing as his mother.

I shove open the door, hard enough to crash against the wall.

Claire's POV

Gideon stands immediately, startled.

“Claire?” His voice is low, uncertain. He looks from me to Daphne, then back again.

Daphne has the audacity to smirk. “You’re supposed to be resting, dear. Childbirth isn't easy work.”

“You dare to speak to me? After that shit you pulled?” I snap.

My voice doesn’t sound like mine. It’s rough, broken. Full of fury.

Gideon holds the baby tighter. Instinctively. Protectively. As if from me.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” he says, taking a step back. “You’re not well.”

He turns to Daphne and speaks in a hushed tone. "Call security now."

“I’m not well because she ripped my child from my arms!”

I point a trembling finger at Daphne.

Daphne stands now, placing a possessive hand on Gideon’s arm. “She’s clearly crazy. Look at her!"

Leo whimpers in his arms, probably from our shouting. The sound cuts through everything.

I take another step forward. My child's voice invoking my instinct to protect.

But Daphne steps up to Gideon instead, taking Leo from his arms.

She looks so smug holding him. I could feel the bile rising in my throat, my blood screaming with rage.

“Get away from him,” I warned.

"I have you, dear one." Daphne strokes Leo's face recklessly.

Her long, manicured, red nails scratch his skin, causing blood to drip down his cheek.

His cry pierces me through the heart.

I rush across the room, tearing Leo from Daphne, shoving her into the wall.

Daphne let out a dramatic gasp as she collided with the wall. My hand flew to Leo’s face, wiping the blood gently from his skin. A thin angry mark on his cheek glared back at me. He was crying so hard his whole body shook.

“My baby,” I whispered, rocking him slightly. “Oh, baby, Mama’s here. I’ve got you, I’ve got—”

“She's getting aggressive. Take her and protect the baby,” Gideon’s voice cut through everything.

Hands yanked at my shoulders. I hadn't notice the security guards had crept in behind me.

“No!” I screamed, clutching Leo tighter. “She scratched him! I didn't! She's not his mother. I am! Gideon, please!"

The guards pry me away. Leo was torn from my arms, his scream now echoed by mine.

“Give him back! Don’t you dare take him from me!”

One of the nurses handed Leo to Gideon, but before I could even breathe, he turned—and gave my son back to her.

To Daphne.

Like nothing had happened.

Like she hadn’t hurt Leo.

Like she was the mother.

“So it's true. You used me.” I spat, my voice shaking with fury. “You wanted to steal my child this whole time."

Gideon's green eyes didn't soften.

“This is about you, Claire. About your lies. About what you did to me.” Gideon said coldly. "Anyone willing to manipulate a mating bond is not fit to be a mother."

My breath caught. “What I did?”

“You knew I was with Daphne,” he snapped. “You knew we were bonded, and still you drugged me. Slept with me. You used the Heat to manipulate me into mating. You wanted to be Luna so badly that you disrespected our most sacred of bonds."

The words hit harder than any slap.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

He meant it.

“Gideon” My voice cracked. “I've tried to tell you that it wasn’t like that.”

“It was exactly like that,” Gideon said. “If my family hadn’t insisted I keep you to carry the child, I would’ve rejected you the second I found out what you did.”

My heart shattered. So it hadn’t been an accident in his eyes after all. There was no confusion. No misunderstanding.

Just disgust.

From the man who once touched my belly in the dark, who now looked at me like I was a disease.

Daphne shifted Leo in her arms, patting his back as if I had been the one to scare him.

“I didn’t want it to come to this,” Daphne said to Gideon. “But someone has to speak up. Claire isn't... stable enough to be a part of Leo's life. That’s why I took him from the room. He wasn’t safe. And when I tried to explain that she was sick, she attacked me.”

She showed the tiny bruise blooming on her wrist.

“She lunged for me,” Daphne added. “I had no choice but to sedate her. For the baby’s safety.”

I gasped. “You took him from me in the delivery room. You--”

“She’s unstable,” Daphne interrupted, with a careful glance at the nurses still watching.

I turned to Gideon. “Please, don’t do this. She’s lying. I would never hurt him. Please, Gideon, you know I would never—"

But Gideon had already looked away. His jaw locked, eyes unreadable.

“You are to have no further contact with my child,” he said.

And then he said the words. The words that no wolf wants to ever hear.

“I, Alpha Gideon Hallow of the Silver Crescent Pack, formally reject you, Claire Eliza Hallow, as my mate and Luna.”

The bond snapped.

A searing pain tore through my chest, as though a wire had been pulled tight and suddenly cut. My knees gave out. My wolf howled in agony deep inside me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

I collapsed on the cold, sterile floor. My sight blurs, and I pass out.

***

I startle awake. Greeted by blank walls, a burning IV, and a monitor blinking in quiet rhythm beside me.

I blinked up at the ceiling, dry-eyed. I'm still in the hospital.

My child has been torn from me. My mate has deserted me. I have nothing left.

I sit for a few moments wallowing in my grief.

What am I supposed to do now?

Then I think of Leo. His dark tuft of hair and his large green eyes. My beautiful boy.

My wolf stirs. They haven't killed us. There is still time.

I pressed the call button, wincing as I sat up.

A nurse enters, followed closely by a security guard. No more threatening the staff now.

The nurse eyes me wearily. “You’re awake.”

“I need to speak with Alpha Gideon,”

She shakes her head. “He’s given strict orders. He won’t meet with you again.”

I tryy to stand. “Then I want to see my son.”

She flinches. “He’s not… he’s not in the building anymore. The Alpha has moved him.”

Tears sting my eyes, but I force them back. I can't cry anymore. I have to act.

“When can I leave?”

She checks the chart. “You’re being discharged this afternoon.”

When the afternoon comes, I don't go home. By the goddess, I don't even think I have a home to go back to.

Instead, I walk straight to the pack house. I sit outside waiting for someone, anyone, to let me in. I sit and wait for three hours until a servant runs up the front steps.

When he sees me, his eyes widen with discomfort. “Lu—Claire… he’s in a meeting. He’s not going to see you.”

I don't move.

He can't ignore me forever. I'm not going to let him get away with this.

The door opens, and I stand.

But it's not Gideon, it's Daphne.

She's wearing a tight cream blazer, her hair in an elegant knot, like she was already preparing for a Luna ceremony. She smiles at me, as if she were expecting me.

“Oh no,” she said brightly. “You’re still here?”

“I want to speak to him,” I say. My voice was low, but steady. “I deserve that much.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Do you?”

She steps closer, and I can see the satisfaction in her eyes. She’s won. She believes it. Maybe she had.

“I’m just the messenger, sweetheart,” she says sweetly. “But he’s done. He doesn’t want to see you. Doesn’t want to hear from you. He said to move forward with the order.”

My blood turns to ice. “What order?”

Daphne’s smile sharpened. “Why, to have you moved to a secluded cabin at the edge of our territory. No more public scenes. No more getting your way."

I back away, heart slamming in my chest. But it's too late.

The guards have already appeared.

Claire's POV

I yank against the guards. My nails dig into their skin as I kick at their knees. But it's no use.

My limbs are lead, my strength still not available to me so soon after giving birth. The two stone-faced wolves grip my arms like nothing I'm doing is affecting them.

“Let me go!” I scream, “You’re making a mistake!"

The guards don’t answer. They just keep dragging me deeper and deeper into the woods. Closer to the edge of our territory.

No, they can't be taking me there.

The outlands.

The land is run by Rougues. Starving outcasts who lost their minds and their packs. The kind of wolves who tear into flesh just to remember what it feels like to have a purpose

My heart pounds against my ribs. No. No, this can’t be real.

Gideon said a cabin. He said I was to be locked up. Watched. Not this—not exile.

We reach a clearing. The trees thin out, revealing the broken fence that marks the edge of Silver Crescent's land. Just beyond it, wild woods stretch on for miles. Untamed. Lawless.

Waiting.

Daphne stands at the center of the clearing.

Her smile is chilling. She walks toward me slowly, arms folded, like a cat circling a wounded bird.

“Change of plans,” she says sweetly. “We’re not stopping at the cabin after all.”

I stiffen. “But Gideon said-”

“I changed my mind,” she interrupts, “I could do whatever I want. After all, he doesn't care if you live," Her white teeth flash in the sun, "Or die."

The words strike me like lightning.

"You delivered a fake order." My voice comes out small and hoarse.

She shrugs. “Just not in those exact words, no. But he said to leave you there and not to interfere. Sounds like he’s fine with whatever happens next.”

I try to lunge at her, but my knees buckle. I stagger. The world tilts.

Something’s wrong. My senses are muffled. I can’t hear my wolf. She’s silent. Too silent.

My chest tightens.

“What did you do to me?”

Daphne chuckles, “Wondered when you’d figure it out.”

I look down at my shaking hands. I try to summon my wolf, to shift, even partially, but I stay in my human form. I can't feel the rush of her running within my heart. Not even a flicker of the wild within me.

“You feel it, don’t you? Or lack thereof, I should say.” Daphne laughs. “That hollow silence where your wolf should be?”

A chill runs down my spine.

“I had one of the nurses give you a little medicine to help you sleep.” she says casually. “Just a little bit of wolfsbane."

My heart drops into my stomach.

Wolfsbane. Wolf poison.

That’s why I can’t shift. That’s why I can’t feel her.

She reads the horrified look on my face and smirks. "Not enough to kill you, but enough for you to be weakened. Slows regeneration. Blocks the bond. You know, the things that keep you alive."

“You bitch,” I whisper.

Daphne’s smile slips. “You never deserved to be his Luna. You just wanted to steal attention away from him. From us. But I won't let you.” She spits.

Daphne then gestures to the guards. “Toss her out.”

They don’t hesitate.

I'm suddenly lifted off the ground. I try to struggle, but I'm sloppy and slow. A mortal. My body doesn’t respond the way it used to. No wolf strength or speed. Just pain and panic.

I scream as they drag me to the fence and throw me like garbage into the dirt on the other side.

I land hard on my side, my ribs aching in my chest. The sharp scent of blood and pine fills my nostrils. My vision swims.

Daphne stands at the edge of the border, arms folded, satisfied.

She tilts her head, eyes gleaming.

“Welcome to the rogues’ forest, Claire,” she says. “Let’s see how long your instincts keep you alive without your precious wolf.”

I push myself up on trembling arms. “Gideon will find out. He’ll see through you.”

She laughs. “Oh, honey. He saw what he needed to. You played right into my hands with your tantrum, your violence, and your obsession. He’s moved on. So has your son.”

Her words strike like claws to the throat.

Leo.

She turns away.

“You’ll be torn apart within the hour,” she says. “Not that anyone will hear you scream out here.”

She disappears into the woods, guards following.

I’m alone.

I lie still for a moment, breathing hard, trying to keep the panic from cracking me in half. And then I hear it.

A snarl. Deep and guttural. It’s coming from the trees.

They've already caught my scent.

Rogues.

***

Gideon's POV

I look outside my office window. The red and orange trees go for miles. Usually, the sight calms me, but after the hospital...

I run a hand over my face, trying to ward off the images of Claire crying and begging.

I didn't want to see her again. That was the truth. The second I rejected her, I thought it would bring some relief! A clean severing of the bond. But it didn’t.

There’s a sharp edge under my skin that I can't seem to dull.

I keep picturing her large brown eyes and crimson hair. I find my heart longing for the scent of her skin. I shake the image away.

The plan was supposed to be simple. Keep Claire at the edge of my territory, out of sight and out of mind, while I ran the pack with Daphne as my Luna. Let Claire stew in whatever guilt or delusion she needed.

A secluded cabin, quiet and contained. I’d even arranged for Claire to have supervised visitations with Leo, but then she attacked Daphne and threatened a nurse.

When my Beta, Xavier, came to see me, I was debating having her committed to the mental hospital.

“She’s still out there,” he said, eyes tired, arms crossed like he was holding something in. “Claire’s been sitting outside the pack house for hours, Gideon. Just… sitting.”

I didn’t answer.

He looked at me disapprovingly over his glasses. "You can't abandon her, but she just gave birth. Her instincts are telling her to stay with her child. You can't just get rid of her."

I glanced at him, jaw clenched. “I’m not killing her, Xavier.”

“Feels close enough,” he muttered.

The guilt began to eat at me. Claire had looked so wrecked in that hospital. Her face pale, her voice cracked as she begged me to believe her.

I didn’t believe her.

I don't.

But she wasn’t in her right mind, and I needed to ensure her safety.

I sighed. “Fine. Send a weekly supply drop to the cabin. Food, clothes, essentials. The works."

I thought for a moment. "And get a healer to check on her every two weeks.”

Xavier’s shoulders dropped with relief. He nodded once, then left.

Just before my next council meeting starts, Daphne appears in the doorway of my office.

She's dressed elegantly, as always; her presence is sharp and beautiful, like a rose with thorns. She comes to stand by my side and places a hand on my arm.

Immediately, some of my tension falls away.

“I heard what you said about Claire,” she says softly. “That you were planning to send her supplies?”

I nodded. “Just to help her survive quietly."

Daphne hesitates, biting her lip.

“I was thinking that I could handle her care. This must be so stressful for you. I'm happy to make all the arrangements for the supplies and the doctor. Whatever she needs.

I smile sadly, patting Daphne's hand. "I would really appreciate that, my heart. She deserves some amount of kindness."

Everything seems to be fine until the baby starts to cry.

And cry.

And fucking cry,

He won't stop. Hours, then days.

The maids try everything. Rocking him, warm baths, singing old lullabies. Hell, I even tried running a vacuum. But nothing works.

He screams himself hoarse and then sobs when the pain in his throat is too much. It claws at my heart.

The fourth time a maid knocks on my office door, her face is pale. “Alpha, the baby is now refusing to eat."

Blood rushes to my head. I rush to the nursery. Leo is in the bassinet, curled up, fists clenched, cheeks blotchy from crying.

When he sees me, his little body shudders, and then he lets out another pitiful cry.

Not hungry. Not in pain.

Just missing something.

Missing her.

Something inside me begins to crack. I send Xavier to retrieve Claire from the cabin. Leo needs his mother. His actual mother.

I pick up my son, "Hush, pup. Your mother will be here soon."

Soon, the door to the nursery bursts open. Xavier storms in, panting, face pale.

“She’s not there.”

My heart drops. “What the hell do you mean?”

“She’s not at the cabin. There’s no sign she even made it inside.”

Gideon's POV

“Search every inch of the forest. Find her." My voice shouts over Leo's harsh cries.

Xavier rushes out to find my men to organize a search party. Less than thirty minutes later, I watch them funnel out into the forest.

As they disappear into the tree line, I feel an aching guilt in my chest. Claire may be weak, but she is still the strongest she-wolf in the pack. And possibly ever.

I tell myself she will survive. She has to.

But the truth is more complicated.

As I stand alone in my office, staring out the window at the darkening forest, I can’t stop my mind from remembering soft moments between Claire and I.

Her laugh that sounded of crystal clear wind chimes. The way she'd fall asleep after reading for only ten minutes or so. The sounds she made when we made love.

No stop. We never made love.

She betrayed me, used me. She used the Heat to bind me against my will. Love doesn't require that.

But somewhere beneath the anger and the betrayal, beneath the pride and the weight of my duties as Alpha, there’s something else stirring. Something I can't name. Because if I do, what was all that pain in the hospital for?

I shake my head, trying to dismiss it.

I'm only worried because of Leo. That’s all. A child needs his mother.

I tell myself this over and over, as if chanting it will make it true.

The hours drag on and on before the search party returns.

“Any sign of her?” My voice sounds frantic, almost fragile.

“No, Alpha.” Xavier rubs the back of his neck. “All parties returned empty-handed.”

“Continue the search.” I say roughly.

Daphne puts a hand on my shoulder. “Gideon, you need to stop this. She obviously doesn’t want to be found. We don’t need her. You and I can surely find a way to calm Leo down.”

I inhale deeply.

Daphne continues. “You should be happy that she’s gone. You’ve always hated her.”

I grit my teeth in frustration at her words.

I guess I had to confront the truth that I care about Claire more than I’m willing to admit.

“I said, continue the search. This is an Alpha’s order.”

Xavier nods, “Yes, sir.” He turns back to the men. “You heard the Alpha. We’ll go out in shifts this time.”

He leads everyone out of the main hall before the door shuts, leaving me alone with Daphne.

Daphne’s heels click against the marble floors as she approaches me. “Gideon, I am just as concerned—”

“If you were just as concerned, you would have ensured that Claire made it to the cabin safely! Now get out of my sight.” My voice pings in the hall, loud and angry.

Daphne takes a step back from me, her hands shaking, before rushing to her quarters.

I turn back to the window, the moon rising higher in the sky.

Be alive, Claire. Be alive so Leo will live. So I can hate you properly.

So I can tell you I was wrong.

***

Claire's POV

I am going to fucking die.

The thought buzzes in my head like an annoying fly as my feet beat against the dirt. Trees rip at my hair and face.

The sound of snarling echoes behind me. Paws rustling the forgotten leaves on the forest floor. The rogues are after me. They caught my scent on the air, like I'm nice bbq dinner.

The night sky is shrouded in clouds, making it impossible for me to get my bearings.

The worst thing is that I know I can't keep this up any longer. My wolf is no longer present. I'm too slow.

But I cannot give up.

I have to live.

I have to be strong for Leo.

A howl, followed by snarls, comes closer. I hear branches snap behind me. A low, excited sound.

I used my last bit of strength to push my legs harder. My lungs burn with every ragged breath. The world blurs together in green and black. My feet skid over mud and leaves. Darkness begins edging at the corner of my eyes.

And then I see something off in the distance.

A building. No… not a building. A manor. Large stone walls. Black iron fencing. I can barely make it out through the haze, but it’s there—safety. Or something close to it.

The rogues begin to slow.

I sense the moment of hesitation. Like they’re scared to step past the border of this land. I glance back and see them lingering at the edge of the clearing.

Then they lunge. Whatever fear held them back disappears. Hunger wins.

I scream and bolt for the gate. It’s too far. I know it’s too far. My body is giving out below me. The wolfsbane is still dulling my instincts. My legs buckle, and I fall hard. My knees scraping stone, hands hitting dirt.

I crawl like a wounded animal to the gates.

I just need to survive one more minute. One more minute and I'll be safe.

But my body quits.

I collapse in the mud. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears, almost drowning out the sound of the rogues. I feel the rhythm of their paws beating against the ground.

Then, silence.

And a roar— but not from them. A pulse of power rolls through the ground, rattling the air.

I open my eyes to see what beast has finally come for me, and I see a man instead.

He steps into the clearing without a fraction of fear. Dark hair swept back, a long coat trailing behind him. He’s older than me, with an air of maturity and self-assuredness. Had the roar come from him?

Within ten seconds, all of the rogues retreat into the woods and disappear.

Then a woman with cropped hair walks out from the manor. She is wearing what looks to be a maid's uniform.

She rushes to me immediately after spotting me. "Miss? Can you hear me?"

I try to speak, but nothing comes out but a rasp.

The man with dark eyes slowly walks over to us and stares at me. There's something unreadable on his face—curiosity, and somehow recognition.

“She crossed the border,” his voice is smooth and low like cool silk.

“She’s injured,” the woman says.

The man with dark hair sniffs the air. "She smells pregnant."

That’s impossible. I think.

I just gave birth to Leo.

I try to lift my head again and tell them that, but the world tips. My body gives out.

The last thing I hear is: “Take her inside. She’s about to give birth to that child.”