240

"Then what shall we do? Shall we simply stand by and witness their birthing the child? What of Samantha? What of the babe growing in Samantha's womb?" In the shadows of the night, their voices mingled with the howling wind.

"At this juncture, I haven't a single notion. This child does not arrive swiftly. We must ponder upon it with care. Surely, there must be a way," Itzel murmured, her fangs bared in frustration.

"That may be so, but there is a dire predicament on my side. Beta Craig demands that Samantha depart for foreign lands. I cannot afford it," Pamela fretted, her eyes darting nervously.

"What manner of trouble is this? Let Samantha feign illness to evade it," Itzel dismissed the notion with a nonchalant flick of her tail.

"Easy for you to say. Beta Craig is not one to be easily deceived. He shall not believe that she is unwell at this time. He shall surely send Samantha to the infirmary for examination. The examination shall uncover her secrets. And once he learns of Samantha's pregnancy, with Beta Craig's partiality, he shall force her to rid herself of the child. All our previous efforts shall be in vain," Pamela retorted, her voice laced with despair.

Itzel fell silent, mulling over the dire situation. "If that fails, then I shall make Beta Craig aware of Samantha's pregnancy," she finally spoke.

"No! Absolutely not!" Pamela vehemently refused.

"When the time comes, inform Beta Craig that if Samantha cannot bear a child in her lifetime, no matter how cold-hearted Beta Craig may be, he shall not allow his daughter to endure a solitary existence," Itzel suggested.

"He shall not believe such a falsehood!" Pamela scoffed.

"It is not a falsehood. It is the truth," Itzel spoke, her voice heavy with resignation.

A long sigh escaped Itzel's lips. "There is one thing I have not disclosed to you. Samantha's conception was no easy feat. Which is why I proposed artificial intervention, rather than natural conception. I held little hope for the procedure, but by some divine intervention, she became pregnant. And if she were to conceive now, it is likely she may never conceive again in her lifetime."

Pamela was stunned. "Why did you not tell me sooner?"

"What difference would it have made if I had? You are well aware that Samantha carries Alpha Xavier's child. If there is a chance to save that child, I shall strive to ensure its birth, rather than allowing Samantha to frame Bella," Itzel replied, her gaze fixed on the moonlit forest.

"Samantha's face turned crimson because she consumed something she should not have while trying to terminate the pregnancy, did she not?" Pamela desperately clung to any shred of hope for her daughter's well-being.

"That is but one factor. Remember when we schemed to goad Elinor into believing her child was slain by Bella? We orchestrated Samantha's confrontation with Bella, and she suffered harm when Bella pushed her to the ground," Itzel explained. "Though the surgeon who performed the operation was inexperienced, complications arose during the procedure, resulting in further damage to Samantha's fragile body."

Pamela's anger mixed with sorrow. Never could she have fathomed that her daughter's health would be compromised due to their plot against Bella. It was a harsh lesson learned the hard way. Yet, Pamela refused to place blame on her daughter.

She swore fiercely, her eyes blazing with determination. "Samantha is in this state because of Alpha Xavier. No matter what, this time, she must wed him. She must!"

Meanwhile, Beta Craig had dispatched a proxy to send Samantha away while also finding time to visit both Bella and Leo. On this particular day, he arrived at Alpha Carl's Castle bearing gifts in hand. Bella was strolling outside with Leo when they spotted his approach. "Mommy, grandpa's here again," Leo chimed innocently.

"Leo, look at the lovely presents Grandpa has brought for you!" Beta Craig greeted them, his face beaming with a wide smile as he gestured towards the bags in his hands.

Leo's eyes twinkled with delight as he beheld all the things Beta Craig had acquired, items he knew he would enjoy. "Grandpa, you're so nice!" he exclaimed, his little face filled with glee.

Setting his gifts on the ground, Beta Craig swept Leo into his arms and peppered his grandson's face with kisses, prompting little Leo to giggle in delight. "Grandpa's beard is prickly!" he exclaimed, playfully poking at the facial hair.

Bella's heart caught in her throat. This scene mirrored her own childhood. Back then, when Beta Craig returned from work, he would sweep her up into his arms, pressing kisses upon her cheeks. Much like Leo, she had found it uncomfortable. "Daddy's beard is prickly," she would often say, and her mother, Ashley, would be nearby, her smile gentle and serene.

"All those years ago, everything seemed so perfect," Bella whispered to herself, reminiscing. Reality struck her, and she reached down to collect Leo's newly acquired gifts from the ground before leading Beta Craig and Leo into the Castle. "Let us continue our conversation inside," she suggested.

Beta Craig was elated by Bella's invitation and eagerly followed her, cradling Leo in his arms. Inside, Bella prepared a cup of tea for Beta Craig and placed it before him, then directed Leo, "My sweet child, go play elsewhere."

Leo nodded, skipping off to amuse himself with his new toys. Beta Craig took a sip of the tea and let out a contented sigh. "The tea you have made is truly exquisite," he remarked.

Bella remained silent, contemplating the complexities of the world. They say that one must respect their parents, yet Bella's treatment of Beta Craig seemed excessive. While lost in her thoughts, Beta Craig's voice cut through the silence. "Bella, I've asked Aunt Maleah to arrange a children's room for Leo. It's right next to your room. You can move it back with Leo! In this way, everyone can have a passport."

Bella shook her head, her wolf instincts on high alert. It was normal for Beta Craig to favor Leo, but Pamela and Samantha were different. The bond between them was strained, and Bella knew that trusting them blindly could lead to unimaginable consequences. "Forget it, I appreciate your kindness. If you want to visit Leo at any time, you don't have to move back."

"Are you worried about Samantha? I've already decided to send her abroad to study. I'm handling the procedures. She'll be gone soon..." Beta Craig revealed his plans to send Samantha away. "Once she's gone, there won't be any problems between you and Alpha Xavier."

Bella hadn't anticipated Beta Craig's actions. She shook her head, her wolf eyes filled with determination. "One reason I won't move back is because of Samantha and her daughter. But there's another reason, I won't stay in our pack for long. I will take Leo abroad in the future."

"You're not going to marry Alpha Xavier?" Beta Craig's surprise was evident.

"I don't have any plans for now."

"Bella, Alpha Xavier is a good man. It's my fault. Please forgive him." Beta Craig pleaded on Alpha Xavier's behalf.

"This has nothing to do with what happened in the past..." Bella struggled to explain the complicated relationship between her and Alpha Xavier.

"Is it because of Samantha? Bella, it's not Alpha Xavier's intention to be with Samantha. He was set up by that hateful Kelsey."

Beta Craig had just divulged Itzel's information to Bella. "Bella, Alpha Xavier isn't an unforgivable villain. He's also a victim. You should give him a chance, even for the sake of his child."

Bella looked at Beta Craig, surprise etched on her face. She hadn't known about Samantha and Alpha Xavier's drunken encounter. Now that Beta Craig had revealed it, she was simply too shocked to comprehend.

Regardless of whether Alpha Xavier had been tricked or not, the fact remained that he had slept with Samantha. Bella's bitter smile spoke volumes. Prior to this revelation, she may have considered giving him a chance, but how could she forgive such a betrayal?

Beta Craig was unaware of Bella's inner turmoil. He hung his head and spoke earnestly, "Bella, I'm an experienced man. I can understand his helplessness."

Bella cut him off abruptly. "Is it because you're all cheating men that you feel sorry for each other?"

"No! Dad didn't cheat back then." Beta Craig tried to defend himself.

"When I was drunk, something should not have happened between my father and Pamela. Your father loved your mother deeply. I have always blamed myself for what happened. I didn't dare face your mother for a long time, fearing that she would find out. That remorse has haunted me ever since."

"But didn't you allow the mistress to become your wife?" Bella sneered. If Beta Craig had married her after her mother's death, she would have supported his decision. But instead, he chose to marry the mistress, causing Bella immeasurable pain.

"Back then, I was possessed by a ghost," Beta Craig forced a smile. "Bella, this is the most unforgivable thing I've done. I know I'm a bastard, and I've regretted it for half of my life. Because of this lesson, I'm here to advise you that you and Alpha Xavier have true feelings for each other. Don't let scheming tear you apart. Kelsey deliberately planned to separate you and Alpha Xavier to achieve her own goals. If you truly break up with Alpha Xavier, won't you be satisfying her? I hope you won't do something that will make people hate you."

Bella remained silent, her mind in turmoil. Beta Craig continued to persuade her earnestly, "Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. What you're facing now is just a scratch in the grand scheme of your existence. I hope you won't run away from it. Instead, face it bravely and face it together with Alpha Xavier. Think about it. If you hadn't run away back then, you would have heard Alpha Xavier's explanation. You and Alpha Xavier wouldn't be in this situation. So, Bella, you must give Alpha Xavier a chance."

Bella's thoughts were a jumbled mess. There was logic behind Beta Craig's words, but the revelation that Alpha Xavier and Samantha were framed by Kelsey was too astonishing. She couldn't process it all in such a short time. "Let me think about it!"

Beta Craig left, leaving Bella sitting by the bed in a daze after tucking Leo in. Was it Kelsey who plotted against Samantha and Alpha Xavier? And it happened the night before he left.

That night, Alpha Xavier didn't return. She had called him once, only to have Elinor answer the phone and claim that he was sleeping at home.

The next morning, she went to the hospital to confirm if she was pregnant. After leaving the hospital, she received a call from Kelsey, who arrogantly revealed that she and Alpha Xavier had been together the previous night.

At the time, her heart had been filled with joy and excitement over her pregnancy. She hadn't paid much attention to Kelsey's provocation. Now, in hindsight, it seemed incredibly suspicious. If Kelsey had plotted against Samantha and Alpha Xavier, why would she lie to Bella?

"Wait!" She suddenly remembered something. In the hospital garden, she had overheard Samantha and Pamela discussing a medical examination. Samantha had mentioned being on her period. If she was menstruating, how could she have had sex with Alpha Xavier?

Bella's mind raced with possibilities, her werewolf instincts heightened. She had a feeling that there was more to this complicated web of deception than met the eye.