Janine's POV
I didn’t lift my eyes from the page when I answered him. “Nothing is wrong.”
“Is this about seeing Avery and me at the healer’s wing today?” he pressed. “I’ve already explained more than once that—”
I cut him off before he could pour out another rehearsed lie. “I told you I’m fine. You and my sister are close—best friends, soulmates, whatever you want to call it. It doesn’t concern me anymore. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish this chapter. It’s finally getting good.”
His jaw tightened, irritation flaring in his amber eyes. Without another word, he rose and stalked into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind him.
I slid off the bed and headed for the kitchen, my wolf pacing restlessly inside my chest. Once there, I leaned against the counter, drawing in slow breaths to keep myself from breaking apart.
Heavy footsteps approached behind me.
“You’ve been off all day, Janine,” Lester said sharply. “If you’ve got something to say, say it.”
I turned around with deliberate calm. “I already did. I’m fine. You don’t need to babysit me. Why don’t you go worry about Avery and her pup instead?”
The air shifted instantly. His eyes darkened. “What is that supposed to imply?”
I shrugged lightly, pushing away from the counter. “Only that you seem far more invested in her well-being than mine.”
His temper snapped like a frayed leash. “You’re doing it again! She’s your sister, for the Moon’s sake. Stop acting like a jealous little cub—”
“I’m not jealous,” I said with a hollow laugh. “You two are perfect for each other.”
“Enough!” he snarled.
His hand lashed out. I was thrown backward, my spine slamming into the edge of the counter so hard I saw sparks. The breath was ripped from my lungs, and I crumpled to the floor, my belly striking the tiles with a sickening thud.
“I’ve got pack business tonight,” he muttered coldly. “Don’t wait up.”
The front door crashed shut, leaving the manor echoing with silence.
Pain radiated through my abdomen as I lay there, shock slowly giving way to terror. My hands slid to my stomach, and when I felt the warmth soaking through my clothes, I knew.
Blood.
“No… please, no…” I sobbed, struggling to sit up as the room swam. My fingers fumbled for my phone, dialing his number through tears.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
Finally, he answered.
“R-Lester—”
“Call me again when you’re done acting like a brat,” he snapped, then cut the line.
I stared at the dark screen in disbelief. I tried again. His phone was already off.
The pain sharpened, ripping through me. I screamed and dialed emergency services with trembling hands. I couldn’t lose another child. I wouldn’t.
As darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, a single thought burned through me:
If this baby dies, Lester will suffer twice as much.
Then everything went black.
—
When I opened my eyes, harsh white lights glared down at me. The scent of antiseptic filled the air. A healer stood beside the bed, her expression gentle but heavy.
“Ms. Blackward, you’re awake.”
Fragments rushed back—the shove, the fall, the blood.
“My baby…” I whispered, panic clawing at my chest.
Her face softened, and she took my hand. “I’m very sorry. You miscarried.”
The scream that tore from me was animal, raw, echoing down the sterile hallways. My heart splintered into nothing. Tommy was gone. Now this child too. Both stolen from me by the same man.
I cried until my throat burned and my eyes were swollen shut, until even my wolf lay curled in silent agony. I stared blankly at the ceiling afterward, wishing the Moon Goddess had taken me instead.
The door creaked open.
“Janine.”
The voice was deep, cool, unfamiliar in this room of grief.
I forced my eyes open and found Killian Romano standing there—Avery’s mate—his steel-gray gaze unreadable.
I said nothing. I had no strength left for words.
He moved closer and took the chair beside my bed. “I heard what happened. I’m sorry.”
His presence only reminded me of her—of everything I’d lost. I turned my face away.
“Avery isn’t here,” I said hoarsely.
His eyes hardened. “I didn’t come for that cheating bitch.”
I stared at him in shock. “You know?”
He nodded once. “Since last week.”
“And me?” I asked.
“Just a few days,” I answered quietly.
“That’s why I’m here,” he said, his gaze drilling into mine.
“For what?” I asked, a spark of curiosity piercing the fog of grief.
He leaned forward slightly. “To make you an offer.”
“What kind?”
His lips curved into a cold, dangerous smile. “Tell me, Luna… how would you feel about revenge?”
