Chapter 0003

Kaia POV

She’s my double, identical to me. Her skin isn’t as olive toned as mine, she’s paler from having been away from the sunlight, from being stuck in this hospital bed...but there’s no doubt that she is my double.

My mind can’t seem to process what my eyes are seeing.

How was this even possible?

I walk to the end of the bed, picking up her medical record to see what the hell happened to her.

Than never speaks of her. Apparently never letting anyone get close enough to visit her.

Reading the report, it says she consumed wolfsbane.

Wolfsbane? What would have possessed her to do that? Wolfsbane isn’t something you drink accidentally. It’s a controlled substance, it’s incredibly hard to get hold of.

It’s meant to be excruciatingly painful to consume, an unbearable pain.

I didn’t dare to stay here any longer. I mechanically put the medical record back and walked out of her room, off the entire hospital ward.

I’m not even sure how I got back home. I must have gone into robot mode, my mind taking over as my body remained in a level of shock. I just feel like my legs are shaking all the time, only just keeping it together until I am alone in my own house.

Once I close the front door my mind and body finally reconnect, and I have to hold onto the wall for support.

My legs finally give way as I slowly fall against the wall onto the floor.

My legs tuck into my chest, calling out for my arms to embrace them, which I do.

I provide myself the only support I’ll ever get.

I just sit on the floor trying to work on calming my breathing down.

Why did Alora and I look so similar? She was skinny from being on life support, her face sunken but there was no mistaking our similarities.

More than similarities, our mirror image.

Wait...he approached me at college, made a point of introducing himself to me. Is that why? Because I look like her?

Did he even feel the humming of our bond, the gravitational pull... Or did he only come up to me because I resembled his comatose beloved?

I was an Alora substitute...

I haven’t moved all night, my back sore from having sat all night in the same position, against the hard wall.

What was I really doing here? This question has been plaguing me all night.

That’s when I heard him. It must be the break of dawn for him to be outside on his way to training.

Anger takes over me, my wolf using my bereaved state...because I was in bereavement, bereavement for a mate bond that will never be. For being tricked for too long.

“I saw her!” I call out to him as I open my front door. He turns to face me before ushering his beta, Zane, to continue without him.

“Saw who?” He walks closer to my house but doesn’t enter. I don’t think I want him in here now anyhow.

“Alora.”

His eyes that weren’t particularly interested in talking to me, now dart immediately to mine.

“You have?” He takes a step closer to me, his arm now raised and leaning against the top of my porch.

“Is that the only reason you spoke to me that day at college, because I look like her?”

“Yes!” He answers too quick, too cold hearted.

“Does the mate bond mean nothing to you?” I start to shake, my own words sounding higher than I anticipated.

“How could you...” I whisper out.

“Well now you know, there is nothing to hide.” He starts to back away, not even trying to fight for me once.

Not even an apology...resulting in my anger boiling over.

“You’re a fucking dickhead, I fucking hate you! Don’t come anywhere near me or my house again!” I scream out at him, slamming the door unable to look at him any longer.

........

2 months later

I haven’t seen Than once in the last 2 weeks.

Not once.

Rumour has it that he’s been by Alora’s bed side every day and night. Freya also informed me that the signs of her reawakening are becoming more and more evident.

I’ve increasingly been feeling more uncomfortable in my own skin and with Than being constantly at the hospital it has afforded me a chance to secretly buy a pregnancy test.

I’ve not had a chance to look at it yet, I’ve been standing here for 20 minutes unable to pick it up from the sink. What if I am?

What will that mean for this sick weird love triangle I’m finding myself in?

“Come on Kaia, we can figure it out together. Just look at it.” My wolf encourages me to find the strength to check the result.

With her companionship and support, I find the courage to look at the results.

“Two lines...” I gasp, my free hand clasping at my mouth.

“Two lines...that’s good right? Means a negative?” My wolf’s voice sounds in my head.

“No, two lines is...” I check the box again just to be certain.

“Positive. What am I going to do?”

The positive pregnancy test sat next to me all night on my bedside table. I couldn’t keep my eyes off it. I had to check it numerous of times in the night to make sure I read the results correctly.

Pulling myself out of bed I knew I had to tell him. As much as I hate him right now, this child is still the pack heir.

He’ll either be at the alpha home or the hospital, and I’d rather tell him without her being in the same room. Hence, I was already heading to the alpha house first to check.

As I reach the front garden, both he and Beta Zane head out of the front door together.

I’m not sure what possesses me to do so, but I hide behind one of the large trees as not to be seen.

“Why not wait until Alora wakes up to have a child?”

“We need an heir now, to strengthen the future of this pack.”

“What if Kaia gives you a child, and Alora wakes up?”

“Simple, the child is mine.”

“And Kaia?”

“If Alora wakes up, the wolfsbane has ravaged her kidneys to a stage of disrepair. Kaia will be the organ donor. She won’t have a choice! The doctors already know the score.”

I stop listening, blood bumping in my ears blocking out any other noise.

Organ donor? For her?