Third Person’s POV
The evening sun dipped low, casting a golden glow across the dusty training field near the packhouse. Alpha Chester stood tall beside a polished black vehicle, his arms folded across his chest as he quietly observed Princess Stella, who sat stiffly in the driver’s seat, visibly tense.
“Take it easy,” Chester instructed, his tone steady yet commanding. “You need to feel the car’s rhythm—it’s not working against you.”
Stella clutched the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale. “I swear, Alpha, this thing is a beast!” she exclaimed with a slight pout, glancing anxiously in his direction.
A faint smile curled Chester’s lips. “It’s just a machine, Princess. Treat it like you do everyone else—be confident and in control.”
Though visibly frustrated, Stella gave a small nod and hesitantly pressed the gas pedal. The car jerked forward, catching her off guard. She shrieked in alarm and yanked the wheel sharply, narrowly avoiding a large rock on the dirt path.
“Pay attention!” Chester barked, his hand hovering near the steering wheel, ready to take over if things got worse. “Keep your eyes forward!”
But fear overwhelmed Stella. When she spotted the towering tree straight ahead, her panic surged, and she froze. Her grip on the wheel tightened, and instead of hitting the brakes, she mistakenly slammed her foot down on the gas.
“Alpha!” she cried out, voice high with terror.
Chester cursed under his breath. Without hesitation, he lunged forward and grabbed the wheel. At the very last moment, rather than allowing the vehicle to crash head-on into the tree—which could’ve seriously harmed Stella—he turned the wheel abruptly.
Right toward Everett.
She had been standing just several feet away from the tree, unaware of the unfolding chaos. The screech of tires tearing across the dirt snapped her attention to the danger.
Her breath caught in her throat.
The vehicle hurtled toward her with frightening speed.
She didn’t even have time to scream before the impact struck, sending her body sailing through the air.
Blinding pain surged through her as she slammed into the earth. Her skull struck the ground with a sickening thud, but it was the violent, stabbing pain in her lower torso that left her gasping for air.
Blood.
She could feel it, warm and sticky, rapidly spreading beneath her. She instinctively moved trembling hands to her abdomen, dread building in her chest.
No.
This couldn’t be happening. Not again.
Even before the true depth of the pain settled in, she knew. She was losing her baby. Again.
A broken, muffled sob escaped her throat. Her breathing came in fast, uneven puffs. Inside her, her wolf whimpered faintly—powerless, crushed, unable to do anything.
Her vision began to dim, yet through the blur and spinning world, she could still see Chester’s form.
For a fleeting moment, relief sparked inside her.
But it vanished in an instant.
He wasn’t beside her. He hadn’t even glanced in her direction.
“Are you hurt, love?” Chester’s voice, soft and urgent, reached her ears—but it wasn’t meant for her.
He was crouched next to Stella, gently inspecting her arms for any cuts, his fingers brushing against her skin tenderly. Stella, who seemed barely scraped.
“Someone get the physician! She’s injured!” Chester shouted in panic.
Everett’s insides twisted. Injured? For minor cuts?
A bitter, broken sound left her lips—part sob, part laugh—as she stared in disbelief. Her entire body ached, her vision dimmed by pain, but she made herself watch him. Really see who he was.
This was the man she once gave everything to. The man she loved. The man she once trusted with her heart. And now he was comforting another, while she lay bleeding out alone.
Her wolf’s whine echoed again. But this time, it wasn’t merely from pain—it was from the sting of betrayal.
“Alpha!” another voice shouted—Beta Julian. He ran up, his face pale and stricken as he saw Everett lying in a pool of blood. “Alpha, Everett needs urgent help! She’s bleeding out—”
“Handle it,” Chester cut in coldly. His tone was sharp, dismissive. “I have more important things to deal with right now.”
He never even spared her a glance. In that moment, something inside Everett fractured—not just her body or her womb, but her very spirit. The part of her that had clung to the hope he might still care—died.
A sob clawed at her throat, but she forced it back down. She had shed enough tears over Chester. She had wasted enough of her soul on someone who never really saw her.
Her fingers quivered as she reached deep within herself, summoning what little strength she had left.
Her father.
As her mind began to slip and the world dimmed around her, she sent a desperate message through the pack bond, hoping—just hoping—he would hear it.
“Dad… I was wrong about you. I regret believing their lies. I should’ve known better… If only I had more time, I would spend it with you.”
In her final conscious thoughts, she felt a fleeting warmth, as if her father's presence answered from afar. But she knew it wouldn’t be enough.
“I’m sorry… I don’t think I’ll get the chance to see you again.”
