Bella's POVAs I stood at the entrance of the grand palace, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, my heart raced. The heavy wooden doors of the palace seemed to loom over me as if they held the answers to the questions swirling in my mind."I'm scared, Dessa. What if she has told them about it? What would I say? How would I explain myself?""Take a deep breath, Bella. Let's go in first, and see their reactions first. I'm with you."Taking a deep breath, I pushed the doors open and stepped inside. To my surprise, the bustling activity in the palace continued as if nothing had changed. The palace staff moved about with their usual grace, attending to their duties. The laughter and chatter of guests and family echoed through the corridors.As I made my way through the halls, no one cast me strange looks or avoided my gaze. Instead, familiar faces greeted me with warm smiles and kind words, as if the encounter with Jessica and Selena never happened.I didn't want to confront anyone,
Bella's POV"Alpha Max? Why do you want me to speak to him?" I couldn't help but ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.Selena leaned back, her fingers tracing patterns on her bedspread as she explained, "You see, Bella, I've had my eye on Alpha Max for a while now. I find him intriguing, and I believe he has potential, not just as a leader but in other aspects as well."I frowned, trying to make sense of what Selena was saying. "What do you mean by 'other aspects'?"Selena's smile turned sly. "Let's just say that my interest in Alpha Max goes beyond the realm of acquaintances. I want to get closer to him, and I believe you can help me with that since you've worked with him before.""You want him as your suitor?" I asked and she nodded. My mind whirled with the implications of Selena's request. She wanted me to act as an intermediary between her and Alpha Max, to facilitate a connection. But why me? What would Alpha Max even think of this? His mate coming to talk to him about ano
Bella's POV"Just a little kick and you're squirming on the floor?" One of the girls teased, while the others laughed at me.My desperate whisper barely reached Michael's ears, but I hoped it was enough to snap him out of his trance. Once again, I shut my eyes as another wave of pain shot through my entire body system."What happened?" I heard Michael ask urgently, his voice filled with worry and I opened my eyes to see him a few inches from me. He knelt beside me, his strong hands gently supporting me as I struggled to sit up."We were just sparring when I mistakenly hit her on her stomach. We thought she was pretending," the girl who kicked me lied."The baby," I whispered into his ears.Michael's eyes widened in shock and horror as he realized what just happened. Without another word, he carefully lifted me into his arms, cradling me gently.I managed a weak smile despite the pain coursing through me. "I'm sorry... for everything," I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes.Michael's
Alpha Max's POV "I'll inform the Alpha and let you…" I couldn't complete my statement to the person over the phone as the door opened, revealing Jessica, who waltzed in with a smirk plastered on her face. Her presence was like a storm cloud casting a shadow over my day. What does she want now? "I'll call you later," I said to the other person, trying to hide my annoyance, and hung up. My gaze narrowed as I stared at Jessica, anger rising inside me as I tried to wonder what could have happened to make her so happy. "I can't believe I couldn't see past her," I muttered to myself, my frustration building as she moved closer. "With that smirk on her face, I wonder what your fiancé is up to," my wolf mused in the back of my mind. I couldn't blame him for being suspicious. Anytime Jessica wore that self-satisfied expression, it meant she had something mischievous in store. "She better not do anything to my mate," my wolf growled, his protective instincts flaring as he observed Jessica's
Bella's POV "So it's true…" I heard him ask in a low tone. "H-how did you find out?" I managed to ask, with a deep breath. "It doesn't matter how I found out, Bella. How could you hide this from me?" Alpha Max asked, hurt laced in his voice. My gaze faltered, and I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, struggling to find the right words. "Wow, Bella. Just wow. You hid something this huge from me so that's why you have been avoiding me isn't it?" He asked but I was mute. "Just say something!" He growled, his tone becoming harsher and I felt something snap within me, causing tears to build. I wiped my eyes, blinking multiply to avoid the tears from falling. "Yes, Alpha Max. It's true. I'm pregnant, and I hid it from you for obvious reasons." I saw his hands clenched into a fist, the atmosphere becoming thicker. "Why didn't you tell me, Bella?" My shoulders slumped, and I wiped away the tears that escaped. "I didn't want to burden you. You h
Alpha Max's POVMy eyes locked with Michael's and all I wanted to do was beat him into a pulp. How on earth could he get my mate pregnant and still have the guts to face me?To avoid doing something I'll regret, I stormed out of the room, my anger and frustration boiling over. Bella dropped a bombshell on me, and I had no idea how to handle it. My steps echoed through the corridor as I left the palace, the Beta, Bella, and her boyfriend behind.The evening air was crisp, and the moon was starting to rise into the sky. My head was filled with anger, and one annoying thing from Jessica could lead to something ugly.Guilt gnawed at me, but so did anger at her for keeping such a crucial secret. I needed to clear my head, to make sense of everything that just happened, but couldn't shake her words from my mind. She accused me of abandoning her, of failing as her mate. And she was right. I was blind to what was happening, too caught up in my own responsibilities, and now even my wolf, wasn'
Bella's POVMy heart pounded in my chest as I stood there, the shock of seeing Jessica in Selena's room overwhelming my senses. She looked up at me with those ice-cold eyes, her smirk growing wider as if she was expecting me."Well, well, well, if it isn't Bella, my ex-maid," Jessica purred, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You seem surprised to see me here. Why is that?"I tried to regain my composure, my mind racing to make sense of the situation. "Where's Selena?" I demanded, my voice trembling slightly as I ignored her question."I'm not sure if your pregnancy has affected your sight, but as you can see, she's not here!" She snapped, walking towards me like a predator.Her presence in the room made it uncomfortable for me so I nodded and decided to leave first. She was Selena's friend after all so she could stay as long as she wanted. Just as I reached the doorknob and was about to step out the door, I heard her voice behind me. "By the way, Congratulations Bella!" She said and
Bella's POVShameless woman? Me?My heart pounded as Alpha Liam's words echoed through the room. The shock that coursed through the people gathered was intense, and the air grew thick with tension. I couldn't believe my ears. Could he possibly be talking about…Alpha Callum's expression turned stern as he regarded Alpha Liam. "Explain yourself, Alpha Liam. You cannot just back out of this arrangement without a valid reason. Why the accusation?""Accusation?" Alpha Liam scoffed and then took a deep breath, his gaze locking with mine briefly before he spoke. "I refuse to marry Isabella because she is already pregnant with a rogue's child."Gasps filled the room, and the shock on everyone's faces mirrored my own. My hand instinctively went to my belly, as if to protect the secret that was now revealed to everyone present. How did Alpha Liam know? Who could have told him? "Selena?” I thought and looked over at her but she was as shocked as everyone else, probably wondering how he found o