His convict Luna

04 Life In A Cold Place

Ivory

"What I don't understand is who you, your sister-in-law, and Beta offended that they would go to this length to do this to all three of you," Diane said, and I was so shocked that I thought she was trying to mock me indirectly.

"Why do you think I didn't do it?" I asked her, and she looked at me.

"It's in your eyes, Luna. You do not look as cold-hearted as they make you seem. If it weren't for the evidence, I doubt the allegations would have stuck. You cried for your husband a few times in your sleep. You love him; I just don't see your motive," she said and looked away.

" What if it is all pretence"? I said, not wanting to be vulnerable, and she touched my shoulder with her hand.

"You look like a woman in mourning, Ivory. You lost your husband, your best friend, and your reputation. That was why you let your wolf slip into unconsciousness. Your wolf isn't even fighting. More beatings, and I know you will give up. Guilty people do not act like that. It's just unfortunate that your foes were smarter than you," she said and looked at me.

"I still have eight years in here. I will protect you. I am sure you would have found your footing by the time I am out," She said, right around the time the cell opened, and we stepped out.

"Come on, we need to shower, eat, and head to our duty post," she said, and I stepped out unwillingly.

As we walked through the hallway, I noticed the scornful expressions on the prisoners' faces. It looked like they wanted to do damage, but they couldn't.

"That is right bitches, no one touches this one. She is mine," Diane said, sounding a warning to them. I knew then that I was under her protection.

Even the prison wardens dared not touch me. I wondered what gave Diane this much power in here. I dared not ask her because I knew it might be due to her family's affiliation with crime Lords, and I did not want to get on her nerves. I was grateful for what I could get.

One month passed, and I had fallen into the routine. I was surprised to find that there were daycare services in the prison. Some inmates had babies there, and they were allowed to keep their children until they were three years of age. It was a way to ensure the child was nurtured by their mother before they finally ripped the child away and gave them up for adoption.

I had met a few women that it had happened to, and the entire experience had turned them cold and uncaring. I never knew this was what happened in prison. I would have found a way to fix it.

Pregnant women shouldn't be in here. I guess I found out a bit too late.

Had our pack been a small settlement, then maybe Cole and I would have been able to manage it better, but an entire city meant some things would go unnoticed, and this was one of those things.

Diane made sure no one dared challenge me, and soon, the women minded their business.

I got into some altercations and got some beating, but nothing like the first time, and the wardens were always there to break it up for fear that I might get hurt and Diane would find out.

No one touched me when Diane was around, so the altercations happened when she wasn't near me. Due to this, Diane tried to make such occasions rare.

I was grateful for her.

I was also learning really quickly. I know I will never have the opportunity to apply this knowledge outside the prison since I was serving a life sentence, but the knowledge would help me survive in prison. I hoped that Anabel, Cole's mother, would eventually get over things and stop trying to hurt me in prison.

It was not like I planned to live long in prison. Honestly, the rest of my life was a long time, and I'd see it as wasted years, but I would keep pushing until I could no more.

Diane promised to use her resources to help me investigate and clear my name and Erin's. She promised to set her people on the case, but I doubted they would come up with anything. I also doubted her brother would genuinely help out.

My life in prison was lonely. No one ever visited me, so I never looked forward to visiting days.

I'd often wondered what Cole was doing and if he got his wolf back. I knew I should move on, but in prison, serving a life sentence, I felt stuck. There was nothing to move on to but to wallow in pain and misery.

One of the inmates was getting released on the last day of the month, and Diane had opted to throw a party for her. I was invited, but I knew I wasn't welcome; since Diane insisted, I knew I would have no choice but to attend. I didn't mingle, nor did I speak to anyone. I stayed in the corner, away from everyone.

The party was in full blast, and seeing all that was allowed, I knew Diane wielded significant power in prison. I couldn't get into the celebration. I was hurt, angry, jealous, tired, name it. All the negative emotions that existed were mine, and it made me nauseous.

I felt very dizzy. I had been dealing with severe fatigue since I came to prison, and one month later, it had only worsened.

Normally, I would try to breathe so I do not pass out, but this time around, breathing wasn't helping. I felt myself gradually slump to the ground, and everything went dark.

I awoke in my cell, undergoing treatment with fluids administered intravenously. I wondered what had happened and what they were pumping in me.

Diane sat on the single wooden chair in our small cell, her eyes on me.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Luna," she said, and I groaned, trying to sit up. I had asked her to call me by my name, just like everyone else, but she said I was Luna. Eventually, I decided that that was her term of endearment. Because I was anything but Luna. Even an omega slave was better than me right now.

"What happened?" I managed when I sat up, and she smiled at me.

"Well, I do not know how you would take this, but congratulations—you are two months pregnant!" she said, and I was so shocked that I gasped.

"Well, people believe it's Beta Erin's bastard, but we both know it's Alpha's, right?" she said, and I couldn't respond.