I pulled back so sharply my spine hit the doorframe.
"Don't touch me," I said, my voice dropping into a harsh rasp. "What did you just say?"
Celeste didn't flinch. Her hands rested lightly against her own waist, her head tilting with an innocent sort of curiosity.
"I said he needs to know his name," she repeated smoothly. "Cassian Quinn Cross. It has a beautiful ring to it, don't you think?"
"His name is none of your business," I said, my heart hammering against my ribs. "And you will never touch my stomach again."
Heavy footsteps sounded on the hardwood stairs behind me. Victor stepped into the doorway, followed by my mother. Neither of them looked surprised by the nursery, the crib, or the silver lettering mounted on the wall.
They looked like investors inspecting a finished project.
"Stop acting hysterical, Elara," my mother said, stepping past me into the room. She smoothed her hand over the tailored crib sheets with quiet satisfaction. "Celeste has been married for two years without producing an heir. The elders are growing restless, and the Silver Crest bloodline cannot falter."
I stared at her, unable to fathom the words coming out of her mouth. "What does that have to do with my baby?"
"Everything," Victor said, his voice flat and commanding. "You are carrying a healthy male pup with strong Alpha lineage. Silver Crest needs an heir, and you are going to provide it."
A cold, sickening knot twisted in the pit of my stomach. "Are you out of your minds? This is Lucian's child. My child."
"It's the most sensible solution for everyone," Mother said, turning to face me. Her tone was completely matter-of-fact, as if she were explaining a simple financial transaction. "You are young and fertile. You can easily give Lucian another pup next year. But Celeste needs this child right now. She has a pack standing to maintain, while you are out in the northern territory doing nothing of value."
"You want me to just give you my son?" The words came out in a strangled gasp. "You faked a medical emergency, dragged me four hours from my home, just to steal my baby?"
"Steal is an ugly word," Mother snapped. "We are keeping the child in the family, where he belongs."
"I am leaving," I said, turning toward the hallway. "Right now."
Victor blocked the doorway with his broad frame, not moving an inch.
"You aren't going anywhere until you talk some sense into yourself," he said.
"Get out of my way, Victor."
My mother let out a sharp, dismissive laugh from behind me. "Look at you. Still playing the defiant daughter. Tell me, Elara, what makes you think you have any right to raise an Alpha pup?"
I froze, looking back at her.
"You can't even shift," Mother said, her eyes narrowing in disdain. "You're a defective wolf who couldn't trigger her own form, and you ran off to mate with an outcast who lives on the fringes. How do you expect to protect an Alpha heir when you can't even defend yourself?"
Every word was calculated to cut deep, dragging up years of childhood shame I had fought so hard to bury.
"Celeste can give him a Pack," Victor stated, his voice booming in the quiet room. "A father. A future. Real status among the council. What can you offer him out in the wilderness? A mother who breaks under pressure?"
Celeste stepped up beside me. Before I could pull away, her fingers brushed against the curve of my belly again, soft and mocking.
"Don't look at us like that, Elara," Celeste murmured, her voice dripping with counterfeit sweetness. "I'm not going to erase you. Once he's born and settled, you can visit whenever pack duties allow. He will always know you."
She paused, smiling right into my eyes.
"He'll know you as his favorite Aunt Elara."
Rage surged through me, hot and violent. I shoved her hands off me with enough force to send her stumbling back against the dresser.
"Don't you dare," I hissed. "You will never lay a hand on my child."
Celeste didn't get angry. Instead, a smug, venomous grin spread across her lips. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and tapped the screen before turning it toward me.
"You're a little late to stop this, sister," she said.
I looked down at the bright screen.
It was the pack's private social forum. At the top was a photo of Celeste holding a sonogram, surrounded by dozens of congratulatory comments from council members, pack elders, and family friends.
The caption read: *Blessed beyond words. My selfless sister Elara has agreed to carry our miracle pup as a surrogate. Silver Crest will have its heir.*
Below it, hundreds of pack members showered her with praise:
*What an incredible sacrifice by Elara.*
*Lady Celeste will make the most wonderful mother.*
*A true blessing for our territory!*
My chest tightened until I could barely draw air. The dates on the comments went back nearly three weeks.
"You planned this," I whispered, the full scope of the trap falling into place. "You told the entire pack I volunteered to be your surrogate."
"Of course I did," Celeste said, tucking her phone away. "Everyone knows how desperate I've been for a child. They know how generous you were to offer your womb. So if you run crying to the council or try to back out now, who do you think they'll believe?"
"They'll see you as unstable," Mother added coldly. "A jealous sister trying to tear apart Celeste's family after giving your word. The entire territory will stand behind Celeste."
They had built an airtight cage around me before I had even set foot across their border. If I fought them publicly in this territory, I would be painted as the villain who reneged on a sacred family promise.
I didn't say another word.
Arguing with them was useless. They weren't trying to persuade me; they had already decided my child was theirs to take.
I turned around, brushed past Victor's shoulder with all the weight I could muster, and marched down the hallway.
"Elara!" Victor barked behind me. "Get back here!"
I ignored him, taking the stairs as fast as my pregnancy allowed. I reached the entryway, grabbed my coat from the rack, and shoved the heavy front door open.
The cool night air hit my face, but it brought no relief.
I stepped onto the driveway and stopped dead in my tracks.
The gravel space where I had parked my sedan was empty.
"Looking for your keys?" Victor's voice came from the front porch. He stood at the top of the steps, his arms crossed over his chest. "I had Marcus move your car to the underground garage. You're far too agitated to drive back down the mountain tonight."
"Give me my keys," I demanded, spinning around to face him. "Now!"
"You're staying right here until the baby is delivered," Victor said evenly. "We have our own healers. You'll be taken care of."
Panic spiked in my chest. I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out my phone. My fingers shook as I searched for Lucian’s contact, desperate to hear his voice, desperate to give him our location.
Before I could press call, a hand clamped down on my wrist.
Mother ripped the phone out of my grip with a sudden, vicious yank.
"You're emotional," she said smoothly, slipping my phone into her own pocket. "Think about the baby. The radiation from these devices isn't good for him anyway."
"Give it back!" I lunged forward, but two massive pack guards stepped out from the shadows beside the porch.
They took their positions directly in front of the gate, their broad shoulders blocking the only path leading down the driveway. Their eyes were cold, locked onto me with unwavering obedience to Victor.
I stood trapped on the driveway, the cold mountain wind biting through my clothes.
My car was gone. My phone was gone.
They had never brought me here to visit a dying father.
They had brought me here to harvest my son.
