Giving you wrongly

Giving you wrongly
Flora's POV

I buried my face against his chest. My body shook as I cried.

“He did it,” I whispered.

Alpha Malcolm's arms tightened around me.

“Who?”

“Maverick.”

I felt him stiffen.

“He took my baby from me.”

Then Alpha Malcolm's voice became dangerously low.

“What did Maverick do?”

I pulled away just enough to look into his eyes.

“He sent Lyra to poison me.”

His expression changed instantly. Behind us, I heard the door open. Maverick stepped outside.Our eyes met.And for the first time, I wasn't looking at the man I once loved.

“Is Flora correct?” Alpha Malcolm asked.

Without regrets Maverick answered, “Yes.”

The moment Alpha Malcolm stepped toward Maverick, I knew something terrible was about to happen.

There was something in his eyes that I had never seen before. His jaw was clenched, his fists were tight at his sides, and the anger rolling off him seemed to fill the entire room.

Maverick didn't move.

He simply stood there, staring at Alpha Malcolm as though he wasn't afraid of him.

I held my breath.

"Say that again," Alpha Malcolm demanded.

Maverick's eyes narrowed. "You heard me."

"I heard you say something that I don't believe you had the courage to say."

Maverick gave a bitter laugh. "You think I'm afraid of you?"

"No," Alpha Malcolm replied coldly. "I think you're afraid of the truth."

I didn't know what Alpha Malcolm was going to do, but before he could move any closer, Maverick suddenly spoke.

"Fine. You want the truth?" Maverick's voice was filled with anger. "I wanted Flora's unborn child dead too."

Everything inside me froze.

For a few seconds, I couldn't breathe.

I looked at Maverick, wondering if I had heard him correctly.

"What?" I whispered.

Maverick didn't look at me.

Alpha Malcolm's expression changed instantly.

"What did you just say?"

Maverick finally turned his eyes toward me.

"I said I wanted the child dead."

My hands trembled.

Maverick's face remained hard.

"Don't make it sound like I was the only one who wanted that."

Alpha Malcolm stepped between us.

"Don't you dare drag Flora into your madness."

Maverick laughed bitterly.

"Madness? You want to talk about madness?"

"Yes," Alpha Malcolm snapped. "Because you're standing here admitting that you wanted an innocent child dead."

"I had my reasons."

"What reasons could possibly justify that?"

Maverick stared at him.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then explain it."

Maverick's silence lasted only a few seconds.

Then he said, "Because that child wasn't mine."

The room became unbearably quiet. I looked at Alpha Malcolm. He appeared stunned.

Maverick continued, his voice dripping with accusation.

"And don't pretend you didn't know."

Alpha Malcolm frowned. "Know what?"

"That the child wasn't yours."

Alpha Malcolm's expression changed.

"I had no idea the child wasn't mine."

Maverick immediately scoffed.

"Liar."

Alpha Malcolm's eyes flashed.

"I'm not lying."

"You knew."

"I didn't!"

"You expect me to believe that?"

Alpha Malcolm stepped closer.

"I had no idea Flora's child wasn't yours."

Maverick shook his head.

"You're a liar."

Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.

Alpha Malcolm looked genuinely shocked.

Not angry at first.

Shocked.

Then his expression hardened.

"You know you're lying."

Maverick's eyes narrowed.

"I'm telling the truth."

"No," Alpha Malcolm said. "You're trying to create a story because you don't want to admit what you did."

"What did I do?" Maverick snapped. "You think you're innocent?"

"I never said that."

"But you're acting like it."

Alpha Malcolm clenched his jaw.

"I didn't know the child wasn't mine."

"You expect Flora to believe you?"

I looked between them.

I didn't know who to believe anymore.

My chest tightened.

"Maverick," I whispered.

He looked at me.

"Why?"

His expression softened for the briefest moment, but then the anger returned.

"Because I thought you betrayed me."

I felt tears burning my eyes.

"And that gave you the right to want my baby dead?"

"I didn't say…"

"You just did!"

My voice echoed through the room.

Both men turned toward me. I wiped my tears quickly.

"You both keep talking about me like I'm not standing here."

Neither of them answered.

I laughed bitterly.

"My child was innocent."

My voice trembled.

"Whatever happened between the two of you, whatever you thought about me, my baby didn't deserve any of it."

Maverick looked away.

Alpha Malcolm's expression softened.

But I was already overwhelmed.

I couldn't listen to them anymore.

I turned around and walked out.

"Flora!"

I ignored Maverick.

I kept walking.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, I felt as though I could finally breathe again.

But the relief didn't last.

My legs felt weak.

I pressed my back against the wall and closed my eyes.

Why had I come back?

Why had I thought returning would make anything better?

I had spent so much time trying to escape the memories of what happened, yet somehow I had walked right back into the middle of them.

I wiped my face.

"I shouldn't have come back."

"Flora?"

I opened my eyes.

Lucy stood a few feet away, staring at me with concern.

My best friend rushed toward me.

"What happened?"

I shook my head.

"I can't do this anymore, Lucy."

She grabbed my hands.

"Do what?"

"All of this."

My voice cracked.

"Maverick. The child. Alpha Malcolm. The lies. The accusations. Everything."

Lucy looked toward the room I had just left.

"Did something happen?"

I swallowed.

"Maverick admitted that he wanted my unborn child dead."

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

I nodded.

"He said it."

Lucy looked horrified.

"And Alpha Malcolm?"

"They started arguing."

"About what?"

I hesitated.

"About whether Alpha Malcolm knew the child wasn't his."

Lucy stared at me.

"And what did he say?"

"He said he didn't know."

"And do you believe him?"

I looked away.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

Lucy pulled me into her arms. I hugged her tightly. For the first time since leaving, I allowed myself t
o cry.

"I shouldn't have come back," I whispered against her shoulder.

Lucy rubbed my back.

"Maybe you shouldn't have."

I pulled away and looked at her.

She smiled sadly.

"But you're here now."

I lowered my gaze.

"I came back thinking I could finally put everything behind me."

"And maybe you can."