The Unclaimed Luna

The cold truth

(Emma)

I woke up slowly, my body aching and my head pounding. My hand immediately went to my stomach, fear coursing through me as I tried to remember what had happened. I didn’t feel anything unusual, but the fear wouldn’t go away.

Opening my eyes, I saw the bright lights and let out a shaky breath. The smell of antiseptic told me I was in the pack hospital. I tried to sit up, but pain shot through me, forcing me to stop. A nurse walked in before I could try again. She looked kind, but there was worry in her eyes.

“Don’t try to move,” she said quickly. “The doctor will explain everything soon.”

I wanted to ask her what had happened, but the sound of Darius’s voice outside the door stopped me. His voice was loud and angry.

“She’s pregnant, and you don’t know what caused this?” he barked. “She’s supposed to be safe here!”

Dr. Harris voice followed. “It’s likely stress. Pregnancy can be hard on the body. If she’s pushing herself too much or dealing with too much emotionally, complications can happen. If she doesn’t rest and reduce her stress, she could lose the baby.”

Lose the baby? The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My hand pressed harder against my stomach, and my breathing quickened.

“Stress?” Darius snapped. “What stress could she possibly have? She doesn’t do anything besides avoid everyone.”

“You’d have to ask her,” Dr. Harris replied. “But she needs a calm, stable environment. Without it, this could happen again—or worse.”

“I want her monitored,” Darius demanded. “Anything happens to her or the baby, and it’s on you.”

“It’s not just about monitoring her,” Dr. Harris said firmly. “This is about more than the baby. You need to talk to her, Alpha. She’s carrying more than just the child—she’s carrying a lot of weight emotionally. She needs support.”

I felt anger bubble inside me. Support? From Darius? He didn’t care about me. He’d made that clear a long time ago. The idea of him being the one to help me now was almost laughable.

The door opened, and I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep. Footsteps approached, and the tension in the room thickened when he came closer. He stood there for a moment, and then his voice broke the silence.

“I know you’re awake,” Darius said, his voice softer than before.

I opened my eyes and stared at him. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept, but I didn’t care. “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice loud.

“You scared me,” he said, ignoring my question. “What were you thinking, being out on the field?”

My temper flared. “I didn’t know I needed your permission to go anywhere.”

“You’re pregnant, Emma!” he snapped. “You need to take care of yourself.”

“Oh, now you care?” I shot back. “You’ve been ignoring me for months, acting like I don’t exist. And now you want to act like you care?”

His jaw tightened, but I didn’t stop. “Where was all this concern when you were with Lauren? You didn’t care about me then, so don’t pretend you care now.”

His eyes darkened, and his voice became harsh. “What I do with Lauren isn’t your business.”

“It is my business!” I yelled. “You marked me, Darius! You made me yours. But instead of treating me like I matter, you’re always with her.”

“She has nothing to do with this,” he said flatly.

“She has everything to do with this!” I shot back. “You can’t expect me to carry your child while you spend your time with someone else. It’s not fair, Darius.”

He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “Fair?” he repeated mockingly. “None of this is fair. I didn’t plan for this, Emma. Marking you wasn’t supposed to happen.”

His words hit like a slap. “So I’m a mistake?” I asked, my voice trembling with anger.

He didn’t answer, and his silence told me everything. I swallowed hard, refusing to let my emotions show. “You’ve made that clear,” I said. “I’m just another one of your mistakes. And now, this pup is just another burden you never wanted.”

His fists clenched. “This isn’t about what I wanted. It’s about what needs to be done. You’re carrying my child, Emma. That’s all that matters now.”

“That’s all I am to you? Just someone to carry your child? Do I matter at all?”

He didn’t answer at first, but finally did afterwards. “You matter more than you think.”

I laughed bitterly. “Don’t say things you don’t mean. If I mattered, you wouldn’t still be with Lauren.”

“She’s—” He stopped himself, his jaw tightening. “She’s part of my life. That doesn’t change anything between us.”

“It changes everything,” I said firmly. “You can’t have both of us, Darius. You have to choose.”

“I don’t have to choose,” he said, his tone hard. “That’s not how this works.”

I shook my head, anger rising. “You’re unbelievable. You expect me to sit here and accept this? To carry your child while you keep her in your life?”

His expression hardened. “You don’t understand,” he said.

“No, you don’t understand,” I shot back. “I deserve better. This pup deserves better. You can’t keep playing games, Darius.”

Before he could answer, the door opened, and the nurse stepped in. “Dr. Harris needs to speak with you, Alpha,” she said cautiously.

He hesitated, looking at me one last time before leaving the room. As the door closed behind him, I let out a long breath. My hand rested on my stomach, and I whispered, “It’s just you and me now, little one.”