Her crying became so loud that Corinne rushed into the room.
“Mora! My dear, are you alright?” she cried as she hurried to her side. Then she turned to glare at me. “Vika, have you lost your senses? How could you destroy this nursery?”
My chest rose and fell heavily.
“This was my pup’s room! You took everything from me. Even this…”
“Enough! Mora is carrying pups,” Corinne shouted, cutting me off. “You should feel ashamed of yourself!”
At that moment Gavran appeared at the doorway.
“What in the Moon Goddess’ name is happening here?”
Before I could even open my mouth, Morana threw herself into his arms, crying against his chest.
“She came in here screaming,” Morana sobbed. “She tore everything apart, Gavran. The nursery for our pups!”
“That’s because all of you killed my son!”
“Stop!” Gavran said coldly. “You need help, Vika. You’re acting insane.”
Something inside me shattered completely.
I pointed at the walls, the broken cribs, the ruined room.
“This was our pup’s room, Gavran. Ours. And you allowed her to take it. You allowed her to take everything!”
Gavran stormed forward, his face twisted with fury.
Before I could say another word, his hand struck my face. The slap echoed through the room. I stumbled backward as warm blood ran from my nose.
“Gavran…”
“What’S wrong with you?” he shouted. “Have you completely lost your mind?”
Corinne rushed to Morana and wrapped her arms around her like she was something fragile.
“My poor pup. Are you alright?” she cried.
Morana sobbed even louder.
“Ever since we were young you hated me, Sister. You had everything. Our parents’ love. A perfect life. I was always the one left behind.”
Her voice rose into a scream.
“And now you’re still jealous. Even after losing your pup, you cannot stand that I am carrying Gavran’s twins. At least my pups are the true heirs of the Stormridge Alpha bloodline!”
I froze as her words cut into me.
Through her tears, she smirked.
“You have no right to hate my pups just because your bastard pup died!”
The room fell silent.
My blood roared in my ears.
Gavran turned away from me as if he could not even stand looking at me.
“Guards,” he ordered sharply. “Take her away. Now.”
Two pack warriors entered and grabbed my arms.
I struggled but they dragged me across the floor like I meant nothing. My blood smeared across the tiles.
Behind me, Corinne’s voice rang out, cold and cruel, “I never want that woman stepping inside this packhouse again, Gavran. Do you hear me? Never again.”
The last thing I saw before they dragged me away was Morana holding Gavran’s shirt, pretending to cry while he held her like she was the only person worth protecting.
Then they threw me into a dark cellar beneath the mansion.
After a moment, I heard something.
A hiss.
My eyes snapped open. And I froze.
That’s snakes!
They were everywhere around me. Some were large, some small, their dark bodies coiling in the corners and sliding across the floor.
One brushed against my leg and I bit down on a scream. The dim light above flickered and the iron door was locked tight with a heavy chain.
My whole body began shaking.
“Gavran!” I screamed desperately. “Please! Let me out! You know I cannot… please!”
After a few moments the door slowly opened.
Gavran stood there with his hands inside his pockets, looking down at me with disgust.
“Perhaps this will teach you to control your madness,” he said coldly.
“Gavran, please,” I begged as tears burned in my eyes. “You know I am terrified of snakes. Please. I will do anything. Just let me out.”
He didn’t even blink.
“You should have remembered that before destroying Morana’s nursery.”
A hiss sounded behind me. I turned just as a thick black snake slithered closer.
I kicked backward in panic, screaming. The snake suddenly struck and its fangs sank into my ankle.
Pain exploded through my body. I screamed until my throat burned.
“Gavran! It bit me! Please! It bit me!”
But he did nothing. He left me there for ten long hours.
When the door finally opened again, I was shaking and crying. He ordered his men to drag me out by my wrist and throw me into a car.
I could barely breathe. My leg burned like fire and my whole body felt like it was melting. Everything faded into darkness.
I woke again to the sound of rain hitting the windshield. My body trembled uncontrollably.
Gavran was driving, his jaw tight and his eyes fixed on the road.
“G-Gavran,” I whispered weakly. “It hurts. Please… take me to the Healing Hall.”
He said nothing. He didn’t even glance at me.
Then his crystal communicator rang. Morana’s voice filled the car.
“Gavran! Please come home! The pups… something’s wrong. They’re not moving inside me.”
Gavran’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“Gavran,” I croaked, “please don’t…”
He suddenly slammed the brakes and pulled the car to the side of the road. Heavy rain poured from the sky.
Without looking at me, he spoke, “Get out.”
I stared at him in confusion. “What?”
“Get out, Vika,” he repeated flatly. “Mora needs me.”
“You’re leaving me here? I cannot even stand.”
He finally looked at me. There was nothing in his eyes. Nothing at all.
“You will live,” he said coldly. “Those snakes are only mildly venomous. They will not kill you.”
Then he opened the car door and pushed me out. I fell onto the wet road as rain soaked through my clothes.
The door slammed shut. Then he drove away.
I tried to stand but the pain in my leg was unbearable. The world tilted. My sight blurred.
Before I could move another step, a gunshot echoed through the rain. Pain tore through my body and I collapsed.
***
When I woke again, everything felt wrong.
A healer wearing pale robes stood beside me, looking so tired but still spoke carefully, “Luna,” he said gently. “You were brought here with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. You remained in a coma for five days. We performed emergency surgery.”
He paused before continuing.
“I am sorry. The damage was too severe. You will not be able to carry a pup again.”
His words struck like a heavy door slamming shut.
“What do you mean?” I whispered weakly.
He lowered his gaze. “The bleeding was too serious. We had to remove what was necessary to save your life.”
My hands tightened around the blanket.
Then the door opened. Morana walked inside as if she owned the entire room. She wore a soft pink dress and gently rested a hand over her stomach.
“Oh, my dear sister,” she said sweetly. “I heard the news. How tragic about your womb. Such a terrible fate. But look at the bright side. Now you can focus on helping me raise my pups.”
My fingers tightened until the cloth hurt my skin.
“Why are you here?” I asked weakly. “Why are you always here?”
She laughed softly.
“I simply came to admire my work,” she said while looking around the room proudly.
“I told them exactly what needed to be done. You survived the shooting, which is unfortunate for you. But at least now you can never replace what I have.”
A wave of anger burned through me. I lunged forward and grabbed her hair.
“You shot me!” I cried. “You had someone shoot me. How could you do this? My pup is dead because of you!”
Morana suddenly screamed loudly.
“Help! Help me! Gavran!”
She clutched her stomach and staggered backward as if I had hurt her.
And suddenyly, the door burst open.
