CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

I brought my hands to rub my stomach that was still quite flat. "My baby, my precious baby" I whispered, massaging the stomach.

I was nothing now and I had nothing.

I didn't even know the gender of the child. No one would accept a revolting woman like myself, let alone mate her. What could I do?

There was only one thing to do to save myself.

The test reports I had kept as a surprise for Edwin lay there on the floor. I only had to give it to him. Maybe he would take me back, he had loved me so much. He had said several times how his love for me could never die. There was no way his feelings for me would be gone so suddenly.

With a renewed hope, I crawled to where the results lay and I picked it up. My hands traced the part where it said pregnant. Yes, I was truly pregnant. I had a chance after all.

Deciding to leave the shawl and the mask on the floor since everyone had already seen me, I crawled to the door. My wheelchair had been taken from me and I couldn't walk anymore so there was no choice for me but to crawl.

I pushed the door carefully open, not sure if it was locked or not. The door swung open with a dull sound. It was open!

Relief ran through me. It meant Edwin didn't hate me! He couldn't possibly have let them keep the door open if he did.

With the new hope in me, I crawled outside the door and looked down, swallowing at the long way that laid before me. It was going to be hard but I had to. I used one hand to shield my stomach from the floor and then I crawled down the floor.

My head was spinning and my heart began beating fast anew as I neared the hall. This was my only chance. Our only chance; mine and my unborn baby's.

As I reached the door of the hall, I looked up to see that the door was a little still open wide. Deciding to peek inside first because of my beating heart.

I looked inside and I saw my best friend, Constance Avery on the elevated ground. I had been so caught up in my pain that I had forgotten she was in the hall all along. Now she stood there, her gorgeous face gleaming in the lights, her body draped in silk and her brown hair brushed and held up in a regal braid. I recognized that hairstyle; it was one only the Luna of Black Blood Pack gotta wear and for a normal person to wear it was treason. I had stopped wearing it since the fire accident since part of my hair to my skull was also burned and it looked ridiculous on me.

I hadn't even noticed her wearing it earlier when I was in the hall. Perhaps, I had been too caught up in my happiness to notice anything.

My heartbeat increased and my hands shook. Why did she wear it? Didn't she realize that was treason? I was worried for her and I didn't want anything to happen to her. Cupping my hands together, I said a little prayer for no one to notice and then my eyes caught the person I had sought to meet in the large hall, Edwin.

He was still standing there beside her as he had been earlier. He was standing there! Why didn't he tell her to remove the braid! Did he want her to be killed?!

I held the pregnancy results in my hand and pushed the door open but then I stopped, remembering the disgust I was beheld with when my face was revealed. I shivered.

But I had to show him the results before it was too late. Now that the priest was in the hall, it would be easier for him to just Join us together afresh. I was ugly but this was my only chance and I was sure Edwin would still accept me since he had claimed to love me.

Taking a deep breath, I raised my head high and I mustered as much dignity as a person crawling on the floor could and I pushed open the door.

As the door burst open, I expected everyone's attention to be turned to me and I held my breath, waiting for it to happen but no one turned to look at me.

Their eyes, like mine had been, were trained on Alpha Edwin and Constance Avery who stood in the "aisle".

Confused as to what made them so interested in them, I pushed myself closer and I heard the priest speaking.

"You may come down, my dear. Let the young ones all kiss your hands." The priest said and my heart shook. Those words... Those exact words. I recognized them, the exact way they were spoken. Those were the words the priest had used to crown me as the Luna after Grandpa passed.

What did he mean by kissing her hands? Did I hear wrong? Apparently, I didn't hear wrong for Constance replied then.

"Thank you, priest." She said, and then she turned to the available members of the pack. "You may kiss my hands." She completed, stretching forth her elegant long fingers.

My one eye widened in disbelief as I stared at all the pack members who went up to her and kissed her fingers one after the other. As I watched the scene, I remembered.. I remembered how the members of the pack had all kissed my hands this way when I was made Luna. Remembered how important and blissful I felt as they did so.

Now, as I stared, I couldn't dare bring my mind to even conjure that Constance was being crowned Luna.

the whole hall laughed with her.

My body kept trembling as I went out amidst the laughter. I refused to cry in their presence.

No, it wasn't possible. My only friend couldn't possibly betray me. Edwin had renounced me as Luna but he couldn't possibly be getting a new Luna this soon. And not constance too. She definitely wouldn't agree.

Yet, as I watched the whole thing unfold before me, it was becoming too hard to deny what I was seeing. My stomach churned as I saw Edwin's smile as he watched her. That smile had been reserved for only me.

I silently shook my head.

The priest moved forward and touched her forehead. And then, with a smile, announced the very words that broke me in a way that I never thought it would;

"Constance Avery, you are now Luna of the Black Blood Pack and the new wife to Alpha Edwin of the Black Blood Pack. Moon goddess be with you."

My wolf howled in pain as all the members of the pack tipped their head in respect to Constance, the new Luna of the pack.

I shivered. It was all over for me. Edwin had taken a new Luna. He had betrayed me! What would happen to my baby, my precious baby?

I looked down and clutched the pregnancy results in my hands, and made to run out of the door before anyone could see me. This was the greatest shame to be given to Luna, for her position to be given to another while she was still alive. Not to talk of watching it with her own eyes. Tears dropped from my eyes as I hurried out. Grandpa, oh grandpa had warned me. I crawled as fast as I could, my fingers gripping the floor to make sure I didn't fall.

"Stop right there." A voice called out which made me stop. It was Constance.

I had to stop. There was no way I could have done otherwise, she was Luna now and her voice carried power.

With burning shame, I complied, my body halting on its accord.

"Turn" she said simply and I did.

Everyone in the large hall was staring at me now. Familiar expressions of extreme disgust greeted me. Constance was smiling at me now and for the first time, her smile didn't bring me solace. It was sly and totally unlike the Constance I knew.

"Since the former Luna is here, how about she kisses my hands too. To give her blessings and show her respect. It's a good idea, don't you think, Edwin?" She said, her eyes on me all the while.

"It would have been a great idea, love. But.. have you forgotten she has no lips? Unfortunately such a person can only stain your hands." Edwin replied, to my dismay and everyone hummed in agreement. I couldn't believe it. Was this the Edwin I had saved? The one who could have been in my situation had it been for me?

"Oops! She has no lips! I almost forgot. You may leave, Annalise, I'm sure you've given me your blessings already." Constance laughed and the. I refused to let them see me cry. How could they betray me? Had they hated me all this while? How did this happen? Did they plan this all along? Had they been together for long or just today? Questions I wasn't sure I'd ever get answers to, ran through my head.

The door closed behind me and I heard Edwin dismiss everyone. It seemed the ceremony had ended. I needed to leave the hall before anyone could see me.

My hands gripped at the floor as I did my best to rush into my room before my tears fell.

As I entered the room, I trembled as my hands gave out and I sank into the floor. It is over for me now. My life was ruined and I still couldn't speak to defend myself.

I brought up my hands and I stared at the bloodied fingers that had been bruised from crawling and I let my tears run freely.

My sobs ran through me, silent, for I couldn't voice them. I stared at the pregnancy results that were all crumpled in my hands and I remembered that Edwin had not yet known about the pregnancy yet.

Maybe, just maybe, I still had hope. I had to show him the results. If nothing but at least, let him know about the pregnancy. There was nowhere for me to go now but here. I had no money in my name, no assets, nothing. I had put everything I owned in Edwin's name.

How foolish had I been?

If only I had listened when Grandpa advised me against putting all my properties in Edwin's name. If only I wasn't so foolish.

The door pushed open and I looked up. To see the new Alpha Edwin of Black Blood Pack and the new Luna, Constance Avery outside the door, their lips locked together passionately in a kiss, groping each other and Alpha Edwin's hand on her backside.