Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Tristian
-Two Years Later-
“Congratulations! Our Luna appears to be two months pregnant.” I can still hear Jim’s excited announcement to us ringing in my ears and see Dahlia’s stunned silence.
“Because you’re carrying an Alpha’s pup, you’ll give birth in about five months time. I will get you some vitamins and a write out on what you should and shouldn’t eat.” Jim continued on at the time and it sunk in from there.
I was going to be a father. My heir could be born soon if it ended up being a boy. I took Dahlia’s hand at the time and we said nothing to each other. We only kissed one another and felt that close was once again.
Thinking back on it now, everything seemed to have fallen into place. We started to fix up a room for the pup and announced the news to the pack. Everyone was excited for us… well all except one person: Samuel. When I met his eyes that day, I could see the hatred behind his cold stare and knew he had zero respect for me after what happened with Daisy. Many of the Omegas became like that too but not in an obvious way.
That didn’t matter though. In that moment, the only thing I was thinking about was my pup. What I didn’t know was there was going to be no happy ending. All this preparation and what did it amount to? Complications.
Everything was going smoothly until the sixth month. Then Dahlia went into premature labor. I snapped awake to the scent of so much blood and chaos came soon after. I was kicked out of my house and forced to sit out with Dahlia’s father. I flinched every time I heard her scream out in agony and tried to pass the time.
I tried to be positive when though the look on Jim’s face was grim. I prayed to the Moon Goddess to watch over them. Then her screams stopped… and there was silence. My heart sank and I knew there would be no happy ending.
My pup was stillborn. Jim could do nothing to save her as she never even took her first breath. She was beautiful but very small. She had a dusting of blonde hair so I bet she would have taken after her mother more than me. Holding her tiny body that day was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
The only thing we could do was focus on saving Dahlia. Two long days later, she finally woke up and learned the hard truth. Her screams of sorrow echoed through the pack for months as she continued having nightmares from that day on. She has never the same.
We haven’t tried for another pup since then. The loss was too great and the trauma left behind stuck with Dahlia. Her heat cycles are irregular now anyway so it’s hard to even schedule such things.
That day the Omegas weren’t disrespectful. They were sorrowful for us and did everything they could to make our lives easier. Even Samuel had pity for us and for a long time, that hatred disappeared from his eyes. It did come back though as Dahlia started acting out more mostly taking out her anger on them.
Nowadays, I just focus on my pack. Taking on patrols, hunting, working on alliances… anything to keep my mind off things. Silas is stronger now but he’s still weak from Naomi’s rejection. It still ticks me off when I think of her. How could she be so heartless?
As I walk through the pack, I hear the Omegas speaking happily to one another. “Congratulations on your eighteenth birthday, Sammy!” I hear one of the older woman, Freda, say happily. This makes me pause. That kid is eighteen now?
“Thanks! Today’s a big day for me.” Samuel says and I’m shocked at his voice. When did it get so deep? I rarely pay attention to the Omegas so I don’t know what’s going on with them. “I need to go and find the Alpha.”
“Sammy… you’re really going through with this?” Freda asks warily. This peaks my interest so I shamelessly listen in on the conversation. “We all love you. Do you really have to go?”
I frown. Go? Go where? “I don’t belong here. And I have someone I want to find.” Samuel shakes his head and chuckles. “I’m a
(+28)
Chapter 20
thorn in their side anyway. Only you all will miss me and I apologize for this… but I need to follow my own path.”
It hits me right then. He’s going to leave the pack completely. Unless a wolf is exile beforehand, they can’t leave until they turn eighteen so they have a chance to meet their wolf. Samuel wants to reject the pack and leave on his own as a rouge. And I knew exactly why.
Daisy. He always had a crush on her so of course even now he’d be sniffing after her. I clench my fists and feel enraged. We rejected each other but that odd feeling in my chest still won’t go away. She’ll always be my first mate… my true mate.
“Oh. There you are, Alpha.” I snap my gaze over to Samuel. This little punk… when did he get so arrogant? “I’d like to speak with you in private. If not, I can talk out here as well.” He has no fear either. He’s no longer that awkward and weak teenager either. He’s grown up into a strong young man.
I grit my teeth but shrug. “Fine. Follow me.” I turn away and start to walk. Samuel follows behind me and says nothing which irks me even more. “You know that even if you go after her, she’ll never love you.” I say without a second thought.
Samuel stops walking so I turn to face him. His eyes are narrowed with hatred and flash a bright yellow color. “So what?” He asks. “What I do with my time after I leave doesn’t concern you in the slightest. If I want to follow her to the ends of the world, then I will. She does nothing to do with you anymore. Not after even her wolf rejected you.”
I grit my teeth and feel like I’m about to snap. Then I see his nose flare and his eyes go into a daze. What is he…? Then I recognize this sight. He senses his mate. This should be a happy moment so why are his fists shaking?
I hear leaves crunching behind and look back. I’m then shocked to see who it is looking just as dazed as Samuel. No… this can’t be. Why is she here?
“Mate!” Dahlia growls and stares at Samuel. She looks feral and ready to pounce on him. I look back to Samuel and see his eyes darken with rage. Has he been avoiding her all day?
“You…” Samuel’s voice sounds dangerous and cold making Dahlia flinch and snap out of her dazed state. Her eyes widen when she sees me and she steps back. This isn’t a happy moment at all. “Don’t ever call me that again. You’re nothing to me.”
He then looks me square in the eye. The pack is gathering around and I sense Dahlia’s panic. “Samuel, let’s take this somewhere else…” I say quickly but he cuts me off.
“I, Samuel, reject Moonlight pack as my home. I will live as a rouge from this day on.” Samuel snarls and his eyes flash yellow as he
snaps his head to Dahlia. “You…” I know then what he plans on doing. And I can do nothing to stop him.
