Mira's lungs stopped working.
She moved-or her body did. She didn't realize what she was doing. Her body simply led her closer, to hear more, to confirm if those gut-wrenching words really came from her mate.
Her wolf perked up, senses alert, listening.
"I haven't told Mira yet," Adrian continued. "I'll tell her soon."
Her vision blurred, a dull twisting pain settled deep in her gut.
She pressed her lips together, swallowing the sound that clawed its way up her throat.
"What're you going to do about the baby?" A deep voice asked-his therapist.
"Mira," Adrian announced.
Mira froze, thinking she'd been caught till he continued, further shattering her heart.
"Mira can raise the child. She's always wanted one, we can make her adopt it."
Make her adopt another woman's child? His mistress's child?
She clenched her jaw, feeling a mix of anger and pain.
"And what about the Luna?" His therapist asked. "Wouldn't she feel uncomfortable? Like you're forcing her."
"We're not." Adrian responded, his voice sharp. "We're not forcing anything and she won't feel that way. It's Mira," he chuckled lowly. "I can just convince her. She'll listen to me."
Mira's legs almost gave out.
Was that really how he saw her? A weakling he could manipulate. He'd taken her love for granted, taken her love as a sign of weakness.
She stood there, unable to move, listening to them plotting to have her raise the baby.
"I need to use the bathroom," Adrian excused, rising to his feet.
Mira's eyes widened. Her eyes scanned the hallway, looking for a place to hide.
She spotted a random door.
She didn't think. Her body reacted before her mind could, instinct dragging her into the nearest room as her heart slammed against her ribs. Just as he was stepping out, she was stepping into her escape room, shutting the door quietly behind her.
She pressed her back against the door, holding her breath as she heard his footsteps approaching.
Her heart thundered.
Had he spotted her?
He walked right past, his voice soft as he spoke to Ivy over the phone.
She finally let out a breath when she could no longer hear his footsteps.
That was close.
She stared at the ceiling, that familiar ache coming back to her chest.
It was all she seemed to feel lately.
Pain.
Caused by the one person supposed to love her.
She bit her lip. One thing remained unclear to her. How long had Ivy been pregnant? And who was responsible?
Her breathing quickened.
It couldn't be Adrian. Could it?
She exited the room, needing answers.
An idea popped up in her head, one she knew was risky but she didn't give herself time to ponder it.
She acted.
She knocked gently on the door Adrian had exited from.
The therapist who had been going through paperwork looked up, his brows creasing in confusion.
"Luna," he bowed. "What're you...?" He trailed off.
Mira plastered on a warm smile.
"Eleanor-Dr. Eleanor mentioned wanting to see you."
"Oh." He glanced at the file on his desk-Adrian's client file. "Thank you Luna. I'm busy with a client-he stepped out for a minute. I'll check what she wants later."
"No," Mira's smile tightened. "She said it was urgent. If you want, I can wait here and inform your client about the situation." She offered.
"That won't be necessary," he responded, his eyes darting between her and the door.
Mira held her breath.
"Alright," he responded finally. "I'll go see what she wants."
The both of them exited the office together, Mira going in the opposite direction as him. She slowed, made sure he disappeared down the hallway before she turned around and entered his office.
She had only one mission. Her heart raced, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
She opened the file on the desk, her fingers trembling.
There was a notepad inside, one filled with notes about Adrian. She was about to set it aside as useless when she spotted a particular line, marked with red.
It read
Emotional distress related to lover's pregnancy
Mira's eyes instantly watered. She shut it, digging deeper into the files. That was when she spotted it.
A pregnancy result. Positive.
She stared hard at it, till it became distorted, till her vision blurred with the tears she refused to let down.
Ivy really was pregnant. And Adrian was responsible.
She put everything back in place, leaving the office with a bigger hole in her heart and a growing anger.
She didn't shed a tear.
Not as she stepped out of the hospital and into her car.
Not as she drove home alone.
The last straw was returning to an empty house. But, instead of shedding tears, Mira raged.
Her wolf who had been silent growled lowly, matching the anger and resentment Mira felt.
She picked up her phone.
Adrian answered on the third ring.
"Mira, I'm busy-"
"She's pregnant." Mira interrupted.
The phone line went silent for a long time and Mira thought he'd ended the call till his voice surfaced again, tight.
"How did you find out?"
Mira barked a laugh, sharp and humorless.
"It really is true," she said. "Your mistress really is pregnant Adrian."
"I'm not having this conversation over the phone."
"Don't hang up on me, Adrian!" Mira warned, her voice rising. "Don't you dare."
A loud, angry growl reverberated from the other end, making the hairs on Mira's neck stand.
"Don't you dare disrespect me Mira. Watch your fucking tone."
The old Mira would've backed down, would've apologized but the new Mira, the one filled with so much rage and resentment only smiled, a cruel, slow curve.
"Why?" She questioned. "Why watch my fucking tone when I'm mated to a man who can't help but humiliate me. A man who's publicly fooling around with a damn airhead."
"You will not disrespect Ivy!"
Mira saw red.
"That's all that matters to you? Ivy?"
"She's pregnant Mira. She's going to have the child and nothing you say or do will change that."
Mira opened her mouth to respond when she heard the click of the call disconnecting.
She looked down at the phone, her entire body shaking.
He hadn't denied it.
She really was pregnant.
She brought her knees to her chest, hugging herself tightly. She still didn't cry.
She would never shed a tear for that man again.
No matter how much hurt he caused her.
Her phone lit up-a message.
'Dinner at my parents' house by 7:30 p.m. Don't be late.'
Mira stared at the message until the screen dimmed.
For the first time that day, her breathing steadied.
She straightened in the seat, wiping at her face even though there were no tears to wipe away.
Adrian thought tonight would be another performance. Another room where she would lower her head and swallow her pain.
He was wrong.
She wouldn't cry at his parents' table.
She wouldn't beg.
She wouldn't explain herself.
If he planned to parade her humiliation in front of his family-
she would make sure she wasn't the only one exposed.
