Eloide
I woke up in a hospital bed, the harsh glow of fluorescent lights stabbing into my eyes. My head throbbed, and my body felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Next to me, Mom sat slumped in a chair, looking exhausted. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying all night. But the second she saw I was awake, she grabbed my hand with quiet urgency.
“How’s the baby, Mom?” I asked, my voice raw and barely a whisper.
She paused, looking at me for a long moment before shaking her head slowly. “The Moon Goddess has taken him back.”
The world just… stopped. My heart didn’t break—it went numb. That tiny life growing inside me, the last thing tethering me to Gavin, was gone. I stared up at the sterile, white ceiling. Cold. Empty.
“Where’s Gavin?” I asked, even though deep down I already knew the answer.
Mom shook her head again, slowly, and the tears started streaming down my face. Of course he wasn’t here. He was probably with Catherine. I’d known from the beginning where his heart truly was.
“May the Moon Goddess give you strength, Eloide,” Mom whispered, her voice trembling. “I won’t let you suffer like this forever, sweetheart.”
“Does Dad know?”
She nodded. “He’s... disappointed. He needs time to accept this.”
But I knew better. My father didn’t process loss with sadness—he met it with anger. That baby had never stood a chance in his world of rules and betrayal. Maybe the Moon Goddess had spared them the same fate I was suffering.
“Eloide,” Mom said, pulling a small black velvet box from her bag. “Luna Livia called me. She said you agreed to the arranged bond with her son. I’m relieved, sweetheart. This is your way out of all this toxicity.”
She opened the box to reveal a glowing yellow amulet nestled inside. A folded note sat beside it.
[I want you to wear this. It will protect you.]
I picked up the pendant, my fingers trembling. The moment it touched my skin, I felt something shift in my chest. Lighter. Calmer. Like I could finally breathe.
“I’m going to arrange the engagement quietly,” Mom said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Your father doesn’t need to know until everything is in place. You’ll go to Winnipeg for a ‘recovery retreat.’ I’ll handle the details.”
I gave her a slow nod. This was the only way out of the pain. I was lucky to have Mom on my side.
My eyes drifted to a bouquet of soft pink carnations on the nightstand.
“They’re from Luna Livia,” Mom said. “She’s been so thoughtful.”
Meanwhile, the one who was supposed to be my mate didn’t even bother to check on me. The man who should’ve cared about me more than anyone didn’t even know he’d just lost a piece of me. And yet, someone I barely knew, from across the country, sent me flowers. The irony stung.
“Aren’t they pretty?” Mom smiled faintly. “She really knows how to make someone feel seen.”
Before I could say anything, the door swung open. Dad walked in. His face was unreadable. He looked straight at my stomach—not at me.
“You need to recover fast. Alpha Malcolm and Gavin are heading to Revelstoke Mountain. It’s your chance to fix your bond. Don’t disappoint me, Eloide.”
My throat tightened. “But... Mom said Luna Livia is waiting for me. For the ceremony with her son.”
Dad’s expression hardened. “You’ll do as I say. Or you’re out of Frost Mountain.”
“Holden, that’s enough!” Mom snapped. “She just woke up.”
He didn’t reply. He just walked out, leaving silence—and the crushing weight of his expectations—behind.
An hour later, I asked Mom to take me for a walk around the hospital. I needed to get out of that room, even for a few minutes. To see the sky, to hear something other than beeping machines and IV drips.
She gently pushed my wheelchair through the hallway. The air smelled like disinfectant, but it still felt fresher than the stale room we left behind.
As we passed the children’s ward, I overheard two nurses talking by the window.
“Did you see him yesterday?” one said. “Gavin was here, holding his sister after she had a panic attack.”
“Yeah, he was so sweet! You could tell she felt safe with him. Guys like that… they’re rare.”
My chest clenched. Something cracked inside me, but didn’t explode. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. It was just... silence.
I kept my eyes forward, pretending I hadn’t heard a thing. But I could feel their eyes on me—part surprised, part sorry.
“Isn’t that Gavin’s fiancée?” one of them whispered.
“Yeah… why is she alone?”
I didn’t want to hear any of it. It would’ve hurt less if I hadn’t heard a word. Let them gossip. Let them pity me.
I stared at the ceiling tiles above, their dull color blending into the emptiness I felt inside. I didn’t want to feel angry anymore. There was no room left for rage. No space for hate. Just numbness.
This was betrayal—but I wasn’t going to fight it. I didn’t have the strength. I just wanted to live without this constant ache.
Then, Mom’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and smiled softly as she looked down at me.
“Luna Livia just sent your plane ticket,” she said gently. “I’ll help you get everything ready, so your father won’t suspect a thing.”
