Chapter 1 Chapter 1. The Decision Not to Abort
"Zoria, the sight of you disgusts me. I loathe you."
The night was silent. An Alpha sat on the bed, reaching for a pack of cigarettes on the nightstand. With a sharp "click," the lighter flared, and smoke spread thickly through the air of the room.
On the other side of the bed, a frail, naked Omega buried her face into the blanket. Her body was covered with bruises and sticky traces that revealed she had just endured a dreadful sexual encounter.
A few days earlier, she had discovered she was pregnant, yet peace eluded her. Thinking of Zephyr’s violence, of how he insisted on having sex with her at such a time, Zoria curled deeper beneath the blanket, letting silent tears fall.
They had been mates for three years, yet Zephyr rarely came home. The number of times he returned each month could be counted on one hand, so few it was pitiful.
Just the thought of it made Zoria’s chest tighten with bitterness. This was the male she had once fought so desperately to claim, and also the male who had condemned her to three years of living in hell.
She gently placed a hand on her belly. The baby was her only source of comfort in this house.
Zoria had grown used to it. Used to Zephyr’s cold voice, used to the indifference in his eyes whenever he rose from the bed after sex, slamming the door behind him.
When Zoria awoke, Zephyr was already gone. Only she remained in the room. Weakly, she pushed herself upright, the blanket slipping from her body, revealing pale skin and terrifying wounds.
Once again, her hand found her lower belly, her eyes lowering with sorrow. "Baby, now I only have you."
Zoria turned, stepping down from the bed. She took a loose sweater from the wardrobe and wrapped herself in it, then slung a backpack over her shoulders and headed outside. The servants in the castle watched her pass, one asking with indifference, "Madam, would you like breakfast?"
"No need."
Zoria knew it well. From the day she had stubbornly chosen to bond with Zephyr, many had despised her, including the very servants of this castle.
This world always favored male wolves for their strength and their contributions to the empire’s safety, and it was even more so for Alphas. Thus, a weak and useless Omega despised by her Alpha would be looked down upon and scorned by the pack, even if she held the title of Luna.
But Zoria did not care much. If they already found her an eyesore, then she would leave. The servants watched her cold back fade away, mockery growing ever clearer in their eyes. One of them secretly spat on the ground and cursed, "Shameless thing."
Zoria drove to the hospital for a checkup. The body of an Omega was weaker during pregnancy, with a high risk of miscarriage. To ensure the baby developed safely, Zoria went to the hospital almost every week for an examination.
At her previous appointment, because her health had been poor, she underwent a color ultrasound. The results showed that inside her belly was a wolf pup that had already grown quite large.
The doctor directly examining Zoria was none other than her cousin – Evander. They had grown up together since childhood. When he learned Zoria was pregnant, Evander’s first reaction was to advise her to have an abortion.
Zoria’s father carried mixed blood between human and werewolf, while her mother was purely human. They had given birth to Zoria with an extremely weak and chaotic hybrid bloodline. If she had mated with a normal human, she might have been able to carry a pregnancy safely, but ironically, she was carrying the child of an overwhelmingly dominant Alpha. Because of that, the fetus inside her had turned her into a reservoir of energy, constantly draining her and making the pregnancy an unbearable burden on her health.
If during the pregnancy her Alpha could have transferred his energy to the fetus to ease the pressure on her, her health might not have suffered too much. But in reality, that vile male not only refused to help her, he even forced himself on her, leaving her further harmed.
Still, Zoria firmly refused to have an abortion, even saying she wanted to give birth to the baby. Outwardly she looked fragile, but in truth her nature was incredibly strong. Evander could not persuade her no matter how much he tried, so in the end he had to conceal the matter while demanding that Zoria come to the hospital for weekly checkups to ensure the safety of both her and the baby.
When Evander asked Zoria to remove her shirt for the examination, and he saw the terrifying wounds on her body, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Zephyr… does he know that you are pregnant?"
Zoria lowered her head, her hair falling to cover her sorrowful eyes. After half a minute, she gave a slight nod. "He knows."
"Then why does he still…" Evander choked on the words, his heart aching for Zoria. That wretched male clearly knew she was pregnant, yet he still forced himself on her.
Before he could finish, he saw Zoria’s eyes turn red. Evander could only reach out and gently stroke her head. "It is still not too late if you decide to end the pregnancy now. If you terminate it early, your life will not be in danger…"
"No!" Zoria cut him off. "I do not want an abortion. I want to give birth to him. He is my child."
Zoria gently caressed her belly. Inside was a small life growing day by day, the crystallization between her and the male she loved most. So she would never give him up.
She had once thought that when Zephyr learned she was pregnant, he might at least feel some pity for her. But unexpectedly, all she received from him were harsh words.
Pushing away the sorrow in her heart, Zoria tenderly looked down at her belly. "Baby, perhaps your daddy does not love you, does not need you. But it is alright… because I will always stay by your side."