Not This Card.

“I didn’t do anything!” I begged, my body hot from the bruises it’d garnered as the maid dragged me by my hair to Luna Camila’s house. I tried to ease her grip from my hair but it was just too tight—she had a delta wolf and while she didn’t qualify to be part of the pack’s defense and military, her wolf was extremely strong, which meant I had no chance against her. I could only cry out and struggle weakly, the sun beating down on me with evil intent. Dumping me roughly in front of the brown porch, she used my hair to wrest my face up and grinned evilly. “Kneel here and if you move an inch before I fetch the luna, I will kill you myself.”

I trembled but managed a nod. She yanked her hand away from my head, sending a headache splitting through my skull and I bit my lip to hold back a whimper. It would only feed her ego more. Sara had always hated me for reasons known to her and this was her chance to gloat.

Immediately, she ran up the porch into the Luna’s house and in less than twenty seconds, Luna Camila, in a stunning sheer black dress stepped out of her house, her face twisted into a scowl.

“Why did you bring this thing to me?” She said through her nose, like I was the most disgusting sight.

“I didn’t do anything.” I rushed out, hoping to convince the Luna that it was just a meaningless squabble but Sara glared at me and then bowed at the Luna.

“I saw her…” she pointed an accusing finger at me. “trying to hide pregnancy test strips in her bathroom.”

I deflated and sank into myself, feeling like a bucket of cold water had been drenched over me. This was it.

After a few seconds of utter silence, I risked a glance at the Luna and found her staring at me with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Pregnancy tests, eh.” She muttered, stepping down from the porch of her house to stand in front of me. “What did they say?”

Sara, her maid opened her mouth to speak but the Luna waved a perfectly manicured nails which were painted a dark blue that matched her lipstick. “Tell me, dear.” The word dripped with derision and my heart jolted in pain.

I contemplated lying but Sara would just brandish the strips because she’d grabbed them from me earlier so I swallowed hard and whispered, “Positive.”

“And you expect me to believe my son, your ALPHA, is the father of your bastard?” she sneered, slapping me hard across the face. “you are a whore and even if Asher fucked you that night you drugged him, you’ve spent days locked up with guards that had their way with you. Besides, it's been months since you returned, what's to say you haven't whored around?”

Her words were like poisoned needles sticking in my chest and I broke down in tears, my shoulder shaking from the force of it. She really did think I was a whore and even if I wasn’t to her, she’d tried to make sure the guards who held me captive would rape me, thereby confusing me of the paternity of my child, in case I’d gotten pregnant. No wonder, she was called the Ice queen. She’d thought two steps ahead but little did she know that no one else had slept with me since the Alpha had taken my virginity.

“Sara, go get me some abortion pills.” Luna Camila said, abruptly shaking me out of my tearful reverie. Abortion pills? What? no!

Shocked, I shook my head, struggling to get to my feet, only to be shoved back with a dominant glare from the Luna’s wolf.

“I don’t want to abort my baby.” I cried, only able to hold my still flat stomach protectively as the Luna stared at me with utmost hatred. I wanted to fight, to stand up, but I couldn’t, held submissive to her wolf.

Sara soon returned with a china bowl. “I melted the abortion pills in the water.”

Camila nodded at her maid and smirked. “Feed it to her. Punch her in the belly if she resists.”

I pressed my lips together as Sara began approaching me with an evil smile. My eyes burned with tears and I shook my head, begging her not to do this to me.

Soon her fingers were buried in my hair and she yanked my head back while pressing the edge of the bowl to my lips. “Don’t fight it bitch. Flush out the bastard in your stomach or I will cut into your womb and fetch it out.”

Furiously shaking my head from side to side, I finally managed to knock her off.

The porcelain bowl clattered against the stone floor, shattering into many pieces and the brownish liquid spilled onto the grounds like the tears running down my face.

Camila simply watched with amusement, her kohl-rimmed eyes glinting.

“No!” My voice sounded raw and choked. “I lied. It’s not Alpha Asher’s child. Please do not force this on me.”

This couldn’t be further from the truth, but it was a lie spun out of desperation. My heart hammered against my ribs like a bird trapped in a cage. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to tell the truth, but the future of my child, innocent and oblivious in my womb, demanded this sacrifice. Misunderstood? Let them. Let the whispers follow me like shadows. Nothing mattered except protecting my unborn baby.

The Luna’s laughter, tinkling and cruel, cut through the air. “Oh, we know.” She purred, her voice laced with honeyed venom. “The child may not be Asher’s, but you my dear, are a wild card. Lowborn, ostracized, with rumors of prostitution that clings to you like cobwebs.” Her smile widening, revealing her sharp teeth. “What if in the future you get a stupid idea and you entangle, Asher, the Alpha of this pack, in your sordid tale? You claiming him to be the father of your bastard would ruin his marriage.”

Panic clawed at my throat and constricted my breath. I wouldn’t tell a soul, I cried silently, sobbing. The thought of losing my baby felt like a bitter pill lodge in my gut.

But…I couldn’t just give up. Not when my child’s life hung in the balance.

“Luna Camila, I promise you that you wouldn’t want to be the killer of an innocent child.” I crawled across the stone floor to where she stood, weeping and holding her legs.

Something like shock ran across her face then she snickered and shook me off her. “Ah, you really want to play this card.” She scoffed in amusement. “But dear Anna, Asher himself refuses this ‘innocent child’. He doesn't want a reminder of the disgusting night he spent with you.”

Asher? But when did he know about the pregnancy? A tremor of disbelief ran through me but I knew in my heart that Luna Camila wouldn’t lie to me so I sucked in a breath and whispered. “To prove you to that I want nothing to do with your son, please banish me from the pack. Let me live with the shame…but not this.”

Her eyes hardened with rage. “Enough dramatics!” her voice rang out in the entire house. “I hereby banish you from this pack, Anna Kendra. You shall be killed if you return here. Guards! Send her to wander the wastelands. But make sure she drinks the abortion pills first.”

Rough hands gripped my arms, dragging me away before I could protest further. My pleas, choked back by tears were lost in the chaos. It felt as if the air was being squeezed out of my throat. I shook my head from side to side as fingers dug into my mouth, prying it open. No. no. no. I screamed, begged but they forced the pills down my throat.

“NO!” I screamed, clawing at the hands that held me, desperately trying to gag but they held me firmly. My stomach churned and the world tilted at a disturbing angle. But my struggles were futile. Darkness slowly crept in, swallowing me whole. And the last song on my lips was, “Asher why did you do this to me?’