Chapter 187 PREGNANCY AND ESCAPE
Edeline
The thought of it made her furious, always nudging me, pushing me to make decisions before it was too late. If I waited much longer, I would not be able to stop her.
The overwhelming emotions would drive her to take matters into her own hands, and she would not hesitate to go after innocent blood. She would not stop. And then, what? I would be in big trouble. Percival would have to decide. It was his pup, after all. I doubted he would actually have me executed, but I was not about to test that theory.
I stopped pacing and bit my lip. Kneeling, I reached under my bed and pulled out the map of the packlands. I had spent time figuring out which pack might take me. I needed to find a way out.
I had to leave. It was getting too risky to stay. Not just because of my wolf's craving for blood, but because of the bond with Percival. It kept pulling me toward him, toward someone who had not even noticed my absence for three days. Three days, and he was off with Tatiana, not a single thought about me.
Tatiana and her emotions, though… That was another layer of mess. She was still pregnant with his pup, adding more weight to my already heavy shoulders. She wanted that baby so badly. She wanted Nixx too. But the Moon Goddess, in her way, always found a method to punish those who deserved it. Maybe it would be Nixx, maybe her pup, or maybe something else entirely. Whatever it was, Anita would be the first thing taken from her.
I let my hand rest against my stomach. Still no cramps, no bleeding. It had been almost a full day since my heat ended. By now, I should have started. The thought of having Percival’s pup crept into my mind, and I could not push it away.
"Oh, Moon Goddess," I whispered, closing my eyes as a tear slipped down my cheek, "I really hope I am not pregnant."
The tear trailed down my face, and a wave of loneliness washed over me. Even with people around, I still felt alone. I could not bring myself to talk to anyone about it. Everyone had their own problems, and I did not want to add to them. This was something I needed to handle on my own.
The mark on my neck was supposed to mean I had someone to care for me, but he had enough on his plate. He was too busy caring for the vessel of his soon-to-be pup. And yeah, I could not help but feel jealous of that.
As I glanced at the map, my eyes fell on the packs I had marked with stars—and the ones I had already crossed out. The thought of Conor’s offer to become his Luna lingered in the back of my mind, but I knew I could not accept it. It just did not feel right. My wolf would hate me for it, and even though Percival had caused me a lot of pain, I could not be the reason he felt that kind of hurt. Not to mention, if I really was pregnant, I could not make that choice. I was not that kind of wolf. I was still young, with my whole life ahead of me. I could change everything if I wanted to. I just needed to be true to myself, no matter what.
Suddenly, the alarm went off, jolting me from my thoughts. The trials were about to begin. My body froze, and I felt the panic rise in my chest. I could not deny that part of me would not mind if Anita was gone. She had been lurking in the shadows for far too long, and now the Moon Goddess was making sure she paid for her actions. But Darius? He had not done anything wrong. It was Tatiana and Anita who put him in this mess. He did not deserve what was coming.
The thought of seeing his face up there on that stage made my stomach churn.
...
I sprinted along the dusty path, feeling the crisp autumn air grow cooler with each passing second. The season was in full swing now, stripping the trees bare, leaving their branches exposed like old, gnarled arms reaching for the sky. Embers from the bonfire ahead floated into the darkening sky, and I pushed myself harder, racing toward the huge gathering of pack members. Everyone was here, except for the pups. This was not something they needed to see.
As I entered the crowd, still catching my breath, I could see more people arriving. They were all moving toward the makeshift stage near the bonfire, close to the lake. It almost looked like any other bonfire gathering, but there was no music tonight. No laughter. No dancing. Just a heavy, unsettling atmosphere.
I stood on my tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of Anita and Darius, but they had not made it to the stage yet. I let out a sigh of relief and scanned the crowd again, searching for my family and my one true friend.
As I wove my way through the rowdy wolves, I eventually spotted my parents near the front of the stage. Dad was holding Mom close, in a way that made me smile but also hit me with a wave of envy. I would never have that—not with my so-called “buddy.”
“Mom! Dad!” I called out, trying to be heard over the noise of wolves shouting and cheering. Everyone seemed excited for the show—the downfall of a betrayer.
“Edeline!” my dad called back, both he and Mom waving me over. I pushed through the crowd until I reached them, and without thinking, I threw myself into Dad’s waiting arms. His familiar scent immediately calmed me.
Mom wrapped me in a hug too, and for a moment, everything felt okay. We stood there, all hugging, and I could not help but grin. It was good to see them getting along again. They had patched things up, though I knew Dad was still upset about Nixx not being his. He was pretty chill most of the time, but forgiving William? That was something he had not managed yet.