Chapter 5
Watching my mate, Andre, trying to suppress his joy in front of me, I couldn’t help but think of the pup I had lost. The pain of that memory was still raw, a wound that refused to heal. Needing to escape the suffocating atmosphere, I walked out to the shore, staring at the horizon where the full moon would rise in two days, my mind adrift in a sea of regret and sorrow.
Behind me, a voice, sickly sweet and dripping with false concern, broke the silence. “Cora, you still love the moonlit nights, don’t you?”
It was Yasmin, cradling her belly with a smug expression as she approached. “Oh, this pup came at just the right time. I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl. But no matter what, Andre will be thrilled. You saw him yesterday, didn’t you? He was so excited he nearly tripped over the doorstep laughing!”
I snorted, my voice cold. “Yes, I wonder if he’d still be so happy if this news reached the pack. Imagine the scandal.”
Yasmin’s smile faltered, her eyes narrowing. She knew what I meant. The pack’s hierarchy was strict, and rumors of an Alpha fathering a pup with his brother’s widow could destroy his reputation.
She recovered quickly, her lips curling into a sneer. “There’s always a solution. Andre could just reject you and make me his Luna. He’s already tired of your plain, lifeless scent. Did you know he’s told me more than once that your scent is like dead leaves? That the smell of you makes him want to vomit?”
My hands trembled with rage. “Shut up!”
Yasmin’s smile widened, relishing my anger. She stepped closer, her voice a venomous whisper. “Cora, did you know you lost a pup recently?”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat. How did she know?
She chuckled, low and cruel. “You haven’t bought any supplies in months. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? But don’t be sad. It’s better this way. Andre despises you now. He’d never love a pup of yours. And with a mother as weak and foolish as you, the pup would’ve been an Omega anyway.”
I grabbed her shoulders, my claws digging into her skin. “You vicious woman! Don’t you dare speak about my pup like that!”
Yasmin didn’t struggle. Instead, she glanced over my shoulder, a calculating glint in her eyes. Then, with a deliberate movement, she threw herself backward, tumbling into the rocky shore.
“Yasmin!”
Andre and our son, Quinton, appeared out of nowhere, their faces filled with panic. Without hesitation, Andre shifted into his wolf form, his powerful frame cutting through the rocks. He was an excellent hunter, and within moments, he had Yasmin in his jaws, carrying her back to safety.
“Are you okay, Yasmin?” Quinton’s voice was frantic, his young face twisted with worry.
Yasmin clung to Andre, her body trembling as she sobbed. “Andre, it was Cora. She pushed me into the rocks. She said I was shameless for trying to steal you from her. She said she wanted me and my pup dead. Please, Andre, you have to protect us!”
Andre’s eyes burned with fury as he turned to me. “Cora, how could you be so cruel? You know how fragile Yasmin is right now! How could you do something like this? You’re disgusting!”
Quinton glared at me, his small hands clenched into fists. “Yasmin’s always been kind to me, and you tried to kill her! You’re the worst mother in the pack! You should be the one in the rogue lands!”
Andre carried Yasmin away without a backward glance, his back stiff with anger. Quinton lingered for a moment, picking up a sharp stone from the ground and hurling it at me. It struck my cheek, leaving a thin line of blood.
But I barely felt it. I stood there, tears streaming down my face, the weight of their accusations crushing me. The wind howled in my ears, its gusts a harsh reminder of the loneliness that now consumed me.
At least, I thought bitterly, tomorrow I would leave this place—this pack, this life, this pain. But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew the scars would never fully heal.
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