Mira’s POV
“Abortion? Did I hear that right?”
My entire body froze. For one terrifying second, my heart completely stopped.
The phone nearly slipped from my fingers.
I stared at Dylan standing in the doorway.
The call with my mother was still connected. I immediately lowered the phone and ended it before another word could escape.
Then I forced a smile. A weak one.
“What?”
Dylan stepped further inside. His brows furrowed.
“The word abortion.” His gaze landed on my phone.
“I thought I heard you say abortion.”
For a moment, panic clawed at my throat.
Then I remembered something.
Everyone in Windbloom knew Althea. Everyone knew she owned one of the largest private reproductive clinics in the region. Including abortion services.
I swallowed. Then forced myself to sound casual.
“I was talking about Althea.”
His expression eased slightly.
“Althea?”
I nodded. “She was complaining about how many patients she’s been getting lately.”
I shrugged. “Apparently she’s been handling a lot of abortion cases this month.”
Dylan stared at me for a few seconds. Then finally he relaxed. A small laugh escaped him.
“You scared me.”
Scared you? The irony almost made me laugh.
I was the one carrying babies that weren’t mine. I was the one being used. Yet somehow he was the frightened one.
“Sorry.” The word felt bitter.
Dylan shook his head. “It’s fine.”
He walked toward me holding a small bottle.
“Speaking of babies.”
My stomach twisted immediately. “Did you take your vitamins?”
I looked down. A bottle of prenatal supplements rested in his hand. The same ones he constantly reminded me to take.
“No.”
“Then take them.” His voice was gentle.
“I don’t want you getting sick.”
I almost asked if he cared about me or the children.
Instead, I remained silent. Dylan opened the bottle and handed me the pills himself.
“I know pregnancy has been difficult.”
His hand brushed against my hair.
“But you’re almost there.”
I swallowed the vitamins mechanically.
Like a puppet. Like the surrogate he believed me to be.
“Our due date is getting closer.”
Our. The word felt disgusting.
“I can’t wait to hold them.”
His eyes brightened. “I keep imagining it.”
I stared at him quietly.
“You know that?”
His hand moved to my cheek. “I think you’re the most beautiful pregnant woman I’ve ever seen.”
My stomach lurched. The compliment sounded perfect.
Suddenly I understood. This was how he’d fooled me for years. Because he was good at it.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
The smile on his face widened.
A few minutes later, he left. The moment the door closed behind him, I rushed to the bathroom.
I barely made it to the sink. The nausea hit instantly. Not because of the pregnancy. Because of him.
---
Later that evening, I couldn’t sleep. The packhouse felt suffocating.
So I went for a walk. The cool night air helped ease the pressure in my chest.
Eventually, my wandering brought me near the gardens. Voices drifted through the flowers. I immediately recognized them.
Alpha Dylan. And Bianca.
My footsteps slowed. Instinctively, I moved behind one of the large hedges. Their conversation became clearer.
Bianca laughed softly. “Thank you again.”
“What for?”
“My birthday.”
There was genuine happiness in her voice. “The yacht.”
“I know you didn’t have to let me use it.”
Alpha Dylan chuckled. “Of course I did.”
“You deserve it.”
Bianca laughed again. “I do?”
“You absolutely do.”
Dylan continued. “You’re hardworking.”
“Beautiful.”
Bianca giggled. “Alpha.”
“I’m serious.” His voice softened. “You’re naturally amazing.”
“I can’t wait to meet our baby.”
Silence. Then Dylan smiled.
I could hear it in his voice. “The most precious of all.”
A sharp pain spread through my chest.
Not because I still loved him. But because I finally understood.
The triplets were heirs. Necessary. Useful.
But Bianca’s child… That was the baby he genuinely desired.
Crunch.
A dry leaf cracked beneath my foot.
Both voices immediately stopped.
Panic surged through me.
“Alpha?”
Bianca sounded alert.
“Did you hear that?”
I didn’t wait. I turned and walked away as quickly as my pregnant body allowed.
My heart pounded wildly. Fortunately, neither of them followed. By the time I reached the packhouse, my emotions were a tangled mess.
And with every step, another memory surfaced.
Bianca. Alpha Dylan’s first love.
Everyone knew that story. Even before they discovered the mate bond. They had loved each other.
The problem wasn’t love. It was politics. Windbloom needed Moonclove. My pack.
Back then, everyone said Alph Dylan choosing me was romantic. That he had defied expectations. That he had chosen his heart.
I believed it.
Moon Goddess.
I actually believed it.
Now I understood the truth. He hadn’t chosen me. He had chosen Moonclove. The alliance.
A notification sound interrupted my thoughts.
I pulled out my phone.
Althea.
My stomach tightened. I opened the message. Attached was a medical certificate. Several test results. A risk assessment.
And one highlighted section. My eyes landed on the words.
Due to the patient’s condition and the complexity of the procedure, future fertility may be significantly reduced. Probability of successful pregnancy afterward remains low.
Beneath it was a message from Althea.
Mira, are you absolutely sure?
I stared at the screen.
A year ago, this would have terrified me. Maybe even a month ago.
The possibility of never becoming a mother. The possibility of never having children. The possibility of losing that dream forever.
But now? I felt strangely calm. Because the dream had already been destroyed… by everyone who had treated me like livestock.
My fingers moved across the screen.
They risked my health and well-being for this pregnancy.
I paused. A tear rolled down my cheek.
Then continued typing.
And he’d scrap me like garbage after this.
The message blurred briefly through my tears.
I wiped them away. And finished writing.
What more should I fear?
