The Unclaimed Luna

The cold truth

(Emma)

I woke up slowly, my head pounding and my body feeling like it had been hit by a truck. The first thing I noticed was the smell of antiseptic.

My eyelids felt heavy, but I forced them open, squinting against the harsh light. It took me a moment to realize where I was—the packed clinic.

I tried to sit up, but my body protested, a dull ache spreading through my lower abdomen. Panic surged through me as I remembered the sharp pain I’d felt on the field. My hands flew to my stomach, and I let out a shaky breath when I felt no obvious signs that something was wrong.

“You need to calm down,” a voice said softly, and I turned my head to see a nurse standing by my bedside. She had a kind face, but her expression was tight with worry. “Don’t move too much. The doctor will explain everything.”

I opened my mouth to ask what had happened, but before I could say anything, I heard voices coming from just outside the room. My ears perked up at the sound of Darius’s deep, angry tone.

“She’s pregnant, and you’re telling me you don’t know what caused this?” he growled, his voice low but filled with barely contained rage. “How could this happen? She’s supposed to be safe here.”

“We’re doing everything we can,” the doctor replied. “The stress she’s been under likely played a part. The pain she experienced was a warning sign. If she doesn’t rest and take care of herself, she could lose the baby.”

Lose the baby? My heart stopped, and a cold sweat broke out across my forehead. My hands trembled as I clutched the thin blanket covering me. I couldn’t lose my baby. I wouldn’t.

“What do you mean, stress?” Darius snapped. “She’s been avoiding everyone, keeping to herself. What stress could she possibly have?”

The doctor sighed. “You’d have to ask her that, but carrying a child takes a toll on the body. Emotional and physical strain can make things worse. She needs a calm, stable environment.”

There was a long pause, and I could almost feel Darius’s anger in the air. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter but no less intense. “I want her monitored closely. If anything happens to her or the baby—”

“It’s not just about monitoring her,” the doctor interrupted. “You need to talk to her, Alpha Darius. She’s carrying a lot on her shoulders.”

I wanted to scream. Talk to me? Darius couldn’t even look at me without reminding me how much he didn’t want me. How could he possibly help ease my stress?

“I’ll handle it,” Darius finally said, his tone cold. “Just make sure she’s okay.”

Their footsteps grew louder, and I panicked, closing my eyes and pretending to be asleep as the door opened. I heard the soft shuffle of shoes on the tiled floor and felt Darius’s presence before he even said a word.

“She’s stable,” the doctor said, his voice quieter now. “She should wake up soon.”

“I’ll stay with her,” Darius replied.

The door closed softly, and the room fell silent. My heart was racing, but I kept my breathing slow and even, hoping he wouldn’t notice I was awake. I didn’t want to face him—not yet. Not after hearing everything he’d said.

Minutes passed, or maybe it was longer; I couldn’t tell. But eventually, I felt him move closer. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor made me flinch inwardly, and then I felt his hand on mine.

“I know you’re awake,” he said quietly.

I opened my eyes, meeting his gaze. His green eyes were dark, filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. He looked tired, the lines of his face more noticeable than usual. For a moment, I thought he might care, but then I remembered everything he’d said and done.

“Why are you here?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“You scared the hell out of me,” he said, ignoring my question. “What the hell were you thinking, showing up at the field like that?”

His tone was harsh, and it made my blood boil. “I didn’t know I needed your permission to be there.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he snapped, running a hand through his hair. “You’re pregnant, Emma. You should be taking care of yourself.”

“Oh, now you care?” I shot back, my voice shaking with anger. “You’ve been avoiding me for months, Darius. You made it very clear that I don’t matter to you.”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn’t say anything. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and strained. “You matter more than you know.”

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “Right. That’s why you’re in love with Lauren.”

His face darkened, and I saw his hands clench into fists. “This isn’t about Lauren.”

“It’s always about Lauren,” I said, my voice breaking. “Even now, I’m sure you’re just here because you feel obligated. You don’t want me, Darius. You’ve made that clear.”

He stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then explain it to me,” I challenged, sitting up despite the pain. “Explain why you marked me if you didn’t want me. Explain why you’re here now, acting like you care, when all you’ve done is push me away.”

He turned his back to me, his shoulders tense. “I didn’t plan for any of this,” he admitted. “Marking you—it wasn’t supposed to happen.”

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. “So it was a mistake?”

He didn’t answer, and the silence was deafening. My chest ached, and I felt tears sting my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “You’re unbelievable,” I whispered. “You think you can just control me because of some stupid bond? Because I’m carrying your child?”

He turned to face me then, his expression hard. “This isn’t about control. It’s about responsibility.”

I shook my head, letting out a humorless laugh. “Responsibility. Right. That’s all I am to you—a responsibility.”

“You think this is easy for me?” he snapped, his voice rising. “You think I don’t feel anything?”

“Do you?” I shot back. “Because all I see is a man who’s too scared to admit how he feels. You can’t have it both ways, Darius. Either you want me, or you don’t.”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might say something, but then the door opened, and the nurse stepped in. She froze when she saw the tension in the room.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said hesitantly, “but the doctor needs to speak with you, Alpha.”

Darius nodded curtly, giving me one last look before he left the room. As the door closed behind him, I felt a tear slip down my cheek.

The ache in my chest grew, and I placed a hand on my stomach, whispering to my baby. “It’s just you and me, little one.”

But as I lay back against the pillows, a thought crept into my mind. Darius might not love me, but he wasn’t going to let me go. And that terrified me more than anything.