Aurelia POV:
I needed one last thing before I vanished. Medical records.
If I was going to survive as a Rogue, I needed to know exactly what was happening inside my body. The pack hospital was out of the question, but there was a private clinic on the edge of the territory that handled "discreet" cases.
The doctor, a nervous human who knew too much about our world, ran the ultrasound.
He went pale.
"Mrs. Dickerson... this energy reading..." He pointed to the monitor. "The fetus is drawing an immense amount of calcium and magic from your marrow. His wolf spirit is already awake."
"Is he healthy?" I asked.
"He is too healthy," the doctor whispered. "He is powerful. If you try to carry him to term without Alpha-level supplements, he might kill you. He will consume your life force to build his own."
I looked at the screen. The tiny heartbeat was a drum of war.
"I'll survive," I said, pulling my shirt down. "We both will."
I paid him in cash and walked out the back exit. The alleyway was dark, smelling of wet garbage and ozone.
I made it three steps before a black SUV screeched to a halt, blocking the exit.
Two Warriors jumped out. They were huge, wearing the tactical gear of the Moonstone security forces.
And then Jacob stepped out.
He wasn't wearing a suit today. He was in jeans and a black t-shirt that strained against his chest. His eyes were glowing a dull, angry crimson.
"Did you really think you could hide?" Jacob's voice was low, vibrating with the growl of his wolf. "Crushing your crystal? That was childish, Aurelia."
"Get out of my way, Jacob."
"You are stealing pack property," he said, nodding at my stomach. "Get in the car."
"He is not property!" I shouted. My voice echoed off the brick walls. People on the main street slowed down, looking into the alley.
Wolves are secretive. We don't like public scenes. Jacob stiffened, glancing at the humans passing by.
"Lower your voice," he hissed. "You are embarrassing me."
"Is that what matters?" I stepped closer, letting my anger fuel me. "Your reputation? You want to take my son and give him to a woman who can't even shift! A woman who is empty!"
"She is your future Luna!" Jacob roared. He lost control for a second. The air pressure dropped. The humans on the street hurried away, sensing the danger instinctively.
He lunged for me.
He was fast. Alpha fast. There was no way I could dodge him. His hand reached for my arm, his fingers like iron claws.
*Don't touch him!*
The scream didn't come from my mouth. It came from my blood.
*I didn't have the strength to fight an Alpha, but I had desperation. As his hand closed around my wrist, I let my knees buckle, dropping my weight. He stumbled, surprised by the lack of resistance.*
*I slammed my elbow back into his solar plexus. It was a weak hit, but it bought me a millisecond. Then, I let it out. Not a physical blow, but a psychic shriek-a raw, unfiltered blast of maternal panic.*
*It wasn't a Queen's command. It was a flashbang grenade to the senses.*
Jacob flinched, his grip loosening just enough. His wolf whined, confused by the sheer volume of the emotion.
I didn't wait to explain.
I turned and sprinted. I scrambled up a fire escape, *my movements fueled by adrenaline rather than grace*. I vaulted over a fence and dropped into the subway entrance just as the train doors were closing.
I squeezed through the gap.
As the train pulled away, I saw Jacob standing at the top of the stairs, staring down into the darkness. He looked confused. *He rubbed his chest where the psychic blast had hit him, looking less afraid and more annoyed.*
I sat on the plastic seat, my chest heaving. I pulled out the burner phone I had bought at a bodega.
I dialed the number for the bank.
"Access denied," the automated voice said. "Account frozen by order of the primary holder."
I tried my credit cards. Declined.
I checked the news feed on the phone.
*MISSING PERSON: Aurelia Flynn. Mentally unstable. Pregnant. Dangerous. If seen, contact Moonstone Security immediately.*
He had branded me a fugitive.
I dropped the phone onto the subway floor and crushed it under my boot.
Fine. If he wanted me to be a ghost, I would be a ghost.
