The Unclaimed Luna

Unwanted bonds

(Darius)

I stood outside Emma’s room, her words ringing in my ears. “We’re better off somewhere else.”

Kael growled, his voice loud in my head. 'She’s right, you know. You’ve given her every reason to believe it.'

I clenched my fists, trying to silence him. But he was right, wasn’t he? Every decision I’d made, every harsh word I’d thrown her way, had brought her to this point. And now she was thinking of leaving—taking the pup with her.

I couldn’t let that happen.

But how the hell was I supposed to fix this?

I turned away from the door, my feet carrying me down the hall to find the doctor. He was standing by the nurse’s station, flipping through a chart. When he saw me, his expression hardened.

“Alpha,” he greeted, his voice a bit harsh. “I wanted to talk to you about Emma.”

“I need to know what’s going on with her,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “What do I need to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?”

The doctor’s brows furrowed. “Emma needs rest and a supportive environment. I can’t stress this enough—she’s under immense pressure, emotionally and physically. If you don’t address that, Alpha, it won’t matter how closely we monitor her. She’ll continue to struggle, and the pregnancy could be at risk.”

I swallowed hard. “You think she’s under too much stress?”

He gave me an incredulous look. “I don’t think, Alpha—I know. She’s carrying your child, but she’s doing it alone. And from what I’ve observed, she doesn’t feel safe or cared for. That kind of stress isn’t just harmful to her—it’s harmful to the pup.”

Kael started talking once more. 'Do you hear him? This is on you, Darius. You need to fix this before it’s too late.'

I ignored him, focusing on the doctor. “What do you suggest?”

“Talk to her,” he said firmly. “Not as her Alpha, but as her partner. She needs to know she’s not alone in this. And if you can’t give her that, then at least give her the space to find it somewhere else.”

My chest tightened. The idea of her leaving—of her walking out of my life with the pup—was a thought I couldn’t stomach.

“I’ll handle it,” I said, though the words made me feel depressed.

The doctor sighed, his expression seems a bit skeptical. “I hope you mean that, Alpha. Because if you don’t, you’ll lose her. And the pup.”

I didn’t respond, turning on my heel and heading for the training grounds. I needed to clear my head and figure out how to handle this without letting my emotions get the better of me.

Lauren was waiting for me near the sparring ring, her arms crossed as she looked at me. She looked up as I approached, her expression softening slightly.

“Did you check on her?” she asked, her tone calm.

“She’s fine,” I said shortly, though the tension in my voice was impossible to miss.

Lauren frowned. “Darius, you’ve been distant. I get that this is a complicated situation, but you need to decide where your priorities are.”

“My priorities are exactly where they need to be,” I said, meeting her gaze. “Emma’s carrying my child. I have to make sure she and the pup are safe.”

“And what about us?” she asked, stepping closer. “Where do we fit into all of this? You can’t keep running back and forth between her and me.”

“I’m not running back and forth,” I said, though the words felt like a lie. “This is about responsibility. That’s all.”

She tilted her head, studying me. “Is it? Because it feels like more than that. You’re different when you talk about her. When you’re around her.”

Kael’s growl rumbled in my mind. 'She sees it too. You’re fooling no one but yourself.'

I pushed him back, focusing on Lauren. “You’re reading into things that aren’t there. Emma doesn’t mean anything to me beyond the pup. You’re the one I want, Lauren. I’ve made that clear.”

Her eyes searched mine, doubt noticeable in them. “Then prove it. Set boundaries with her. Make it clear that she’s just the mother of your child, nothing more.”

I hesitated, Kael’s voice roaring in my mind. 'Don’t do it. Don’t push Emma further away.'

But I couldn’t back down now. “I’ll talk to her,” I said finally. “I’ll make it clear where things stand.”

Lauren nodded, though her expression remained guarded. “Good. Because I can’t keep doing this if you don’t.”

She leaned up, pressing a kiss to my cheek before walking away. I stood there, watching her go, the burden of her demand left me feeling like s**t.

Kael was silent for a moment, then let out a low, angry growl. 'You’re going to lose them both, Darius. And when you do, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.'

I turned away, heading back toward the hospital. I needed to talk to Emma. To fix this. But as her words came back in my mind—“We’re better off somewhere else”—I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I was already too late.

I don't know why I was so adamant about being with Lauren when I felt this way about Emma.

There was something that was drawing me close to Lauren, a feeling that I couldn't explain. Regardless of my feelings for Emma, I couldn't stop myself from thinking or wanting to be with Lauren.

It's like I couldn't do anything about it even if I wanted to and that's the f****d up part of all of this.