Third Person’s POV
The late sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the training grounds near the packhouse. Alpha Kael stood beside a sleek black car, his arms crossed as he observed Princess Rachelle sitting nervously in the driver’s seat.
"Relax," Kael instructed, his voice even but firm. "Ease into it. The car moves with you, not against you."
Rachelle gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. "I'm trying, Alpha, but this thing is terrifying!" she whined, pouting slightly as she flicked her eyes toward him.
A small smirk played on Kael’s lips. "It’s just a car, Princess. You can command it the same way you do people—with confidence."
Rachelle huffed but nodded, pressing her foot on the gas pedal tentatively. The car lurched forward, making her yelp in panic. She jerked the wheel to the side, narrowly missing a boulder on the dirt road.
"Focus!” Kael barked, his hand hovering near the wheel, ready to take control if necessary. "Watch where you’re going!"
But Rachelle’s fear got the better of her. She saw the massive tree ahead and panicked, her hands tightening around the wheel in a death grip. The car was going too fast. It was heading straight for the tree.
"Alpha!" she screamed, her foot slamming on the gas instead of the brakes.
Kael cursed under his breath. In one swift motion, he lunged forward, grabbing the wheel. But instead of steering them into the tree—which would undoubtedly cause injury to Rachelle—he twisted the wheel at the last second, redirecting the car.
Right toward Meredith.
She stood a few feet from the tree, unaware of what was happening until the sound of screeching tires filled the air.
Her heart stopped.
The car was coming straight for her.
She barely had time to react before the impact sent her body flying.
Pain exploded through her as she hit the ground hard. The sharp crack of her skull against the earth sent shockwaves through her entire being, but it was the searing agony in her abdomen that made her gasp.
Blood.
It was pooling beneath her, warm and thick, soaking into the ground. A sharp pain tore through her belly, and her trembling hands moved instinctively to her lower abdomen.
No.
No, no, no.
She knew what was happening even before she felt the dull, hollow ache inside her. She was losing her baby. Again.
A strangled sob escaped her lips, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Her wolf whimpered inside her, weak and broken, unable to do anything to stop it.
Her vision blurred, but through the haze of pain and dizziness, she could make out Kael’s towering form. Relief flickered through her for half a second.
But then she saw where he was kneeling. Not beside her. Not even looking at her.
"Are you okay, my love?" Kael’s voice was filled with concern—but not for her.
He was cradling Rachelle, running his hands over her arms, checking her for injuries. Rachelle, who had nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises.
"Call the doctor! She has scratches!" Kael roared.
Meredith’s stomach churned. Scratches.
She let out a weak, bitter laugh, though it sounded more like a ragged breath. Her vision swam, the pain intensifying, but she forced herself to look at him. To really see him.
This was the man she had once loved. The man she had sacrificed everything for. And yet, here he was, tending to another woman while she bled out on the cold, hard ground. Her wolf whimpered again, but this time, it wasn’t just from pain. It was from betrayal.
"Alpha," a voice called—Beta Lucas. He had rushed over, his face pale as he took in the sight of Meredith’s blood soaking the ground. "Alpha, Meredith is bleeding heavily. She—"
"Get her a doctor," Kael interrupted, his voice cold, impatient. "I don’t have time for this right now."
He didn’t even look at her. Meredith felt something inside her break. Not just her body. Not just the loss of her child.
Her spirit. Kael had already abandoned her.
A sob bubbled up in her throat, but she swallowed it down. She had cried enough over him. She had wasted too much of her heart on a man who never saw her, never truly cared.
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the last thread of strength she had left.
Her father.
Her mind was slipping, the darkness closing in, but she forced the mind-link open, her thoughts reaching out into the abyss.
"I’m sorry, Dad... I misunderstood you before. I’m sorry for believing them over you. I should’ve known… If only I had time left, I would spend it with you.”
She felt a flicker of warmth, as if his presence was reaching back to her, but she knew it was too late.
"I’m sorry... I don’t think I’ll get the chance to see you again."
