The slap came hard and fast, the sharp sting exploding across my cheek. My head snapped to the side, my vision blurring for a moment. The metallic taste of blood spread over my tongue as I let out a slow, controlled breath.
Alpha Luther stood before me, chest heaving with rage. His dark eyes burned with fury, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might snap. "Apologize," he growled, his voice laced with authority.
I wiped the blood from my lip, refusing to bow. "I will never be sorry for something I didn’t do."
Catherine let out a dramatic sob, clutching her stomach like she had been the one struck. "She hates me, Luther," she cried, her voice shaking. "She said I should abort the baby—she doesn’t want me to have your child."
My stomach twisted at her lies, but I refused to let my pain show.
Luther’s face darkened. "You’re jealous, Cheryl. You’ve always been jealous of her."
I let out a humorless laugh. "Jealous? You betrayed me!"
"Enough!" he roared, making the walls tremble.
I lifted my chin, daring him to do worse. His gaze was wild with unchecked rage, and for a moment, I thought he might strike me again. Instead, he turned to his Beta, Mason, who stood silently by the door, watching the scene unfold.
"Lock her in the basement," Luther ordered. "She can rot there until she learns to respect her sister."
My heart stilled. "You wouldn’t."
Luther leaned in, his voice a whisper of ice. "Try me."
Mason hesitated for only a second before grabbing my arm, his grip firm. I didn’t fight as he dragged me away. It was no use. The moment Luther made up his mind, there was no changing it.
The Skyler pack basement was nothing more than a forgotten pit of darkness, damp and reeking of mildew. The heavy metal door creaked as Mason shoved me inside, the sound echoing through the stone walls before it slammed shut behind me.
The darkness swallowed me whole.
I slammed my fists against the door. "Luther! Get me out of here!"
Nothing. Just silence.
I slid down against the wall, wrapping my arms around my legs as the chill seeped into my bones. Hours passed, maybe more. The hunger gnawed at my stomach, my limbs trembling from the cold. I closed my eyes, exhaustion pulling at me, my mind drifting somewhere between sleep and despair.
This was how I would die. The lock clicked.
My head snapped up as the heavy door creaked open, golden light spilling into the basement. I blinked against the sudden brightness, my breath catching as a shadowed figure stepped inside.
For a brief, foolish moment, I thought it was Luther. But then he spoke.
"Cheryl," the deep voice was unfamiliar, yet strangely warm.
Vander Skyler. Luther’s stepbrother.
He knelt beside me, his face barely visible in the dim light. "You’re freezing.”
My body trembled, too weak to move. Vander didn’t wait for an answer. He slipped his arms around me, lifting me with ease. I wanted to protest, to demand why he was helping me, but the warmth of his body against mine lulled me into a hazy silence.
"Stay awake," he murmured as he carried me outside. "You’re not dying today."
The fresh air hit me like a slap, burning my skin. My head lolled against his shoulder as my vision blurred again.
"Why?" I managed to whisper. "Why are you helping me?"
Vander’s jaw tightened. "Because you don’t deserve this."
Everything else faded as unconsciousness claimed me.
I woke to the sterile scent of antiseptic and soft sheets beneath my body. My fingers curled into the fabric as I turned my head, squinting against the harsh white lights.
"You’re awake."
The voice was gentle, unfamiliar. I turned to see a healer standing beside me, her hands clasped in front of her. Vander stood behind her, his expression unreadable.
My throat burned, my voice barely a whisper. "Where am I?"
"Skyler Pack Hospital," the healer answered. "You were severely hypothermic when Vander brought you in. Had he waited any longer, you wouldn’t have survived."
A shiver ran down my spine. I had been that close to death?
"You need to rest," the healer continued, then hesitated before adding, "There’s something else."
Something about her tone sent ice through my veins.
"What?" My voice was barely above a whisper.
She exchanged a look with Vander before speaking. "You’re pregnant."
The words didn’t register. They couldn’t.
I stared at her, waiting for the punchline, for her to say she was joking. But she didn’t.
"That’s not possible," I breathed. "I—I can’t have children."
"The tests don’t lie," she said gently. "You’re about three weeks along."
I pressed a shaking hand against my stomach. I had spent years believing I was infertile. Years watching Luther look at me with disappointment, watching him seek solace in Catherine. And now…
A child. Luther’s child.
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. No. I couldn’t let him find out. He had already discarded me like trash. If he knew about the baby, he would use it against me.
I turned to Vander, my voice hoarse. "Luther can’t know."
Vander didn’t look surprised. He studied me for a long moment before nodding. "What do you want to do?"
My chest tightened. "I want a divorce."
His brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t argue. "And the baby?"
I clenched my fists. "I won’t let him take my child."
Silence stretched between us before I forced myself to meet his gaze. "Would you… would you be willing to claim the baby as yours?"
For the first time, I saw something flicker in Vander’s eyes. He didn’t answer right away, just stared at me, as if weighing the weight of my words.
Then, finally, he exhaled. "If that’s what you want, then yes."
