Chapter 2

Two days. It had only been two days since I was the Luna of Shadow Claw, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Now, I was just a stain on the floor that everyone tried to step around.

"Missed a spot, Omega."

The voice drifted down from above me. I didn't look up. I couldn't. My knees were raw against the cold hardwood of the foyer, and my back screamed in protest. Being six months pregnant meant my center of gravity was off, making the simple act of scrubbing the floors an agonizing test of endurance. I dipped the rag into the gray, soapy water, my hand trembling.

"I'm going as fast as I can," I whispered, wringing out the cloth.

"Not fast enough."

A polished boot slammed into the side of my metal bucket.

Dirty water sloshed out in a tidal wave, soaking the front of my oversized, ragged shirt and pooling around my knees. I gasped as the cold liquid seeped through to my skin, chilling the baby bump I had been trying so hard to keep warm.

"Oops," Kara giggled.

I looked up then. She was draped over the banister, wearing one of my old silk robes. It was unbuttoned low enough to show off the marking Luca had left on her neck just this morning. The sight of it made bile rise in my throat.

"You did that on purpose," I said, my voice cracking.

Kara’s smile vanished. She descended the stairs, her movement predatory. Before I could scramble back, her foot lashed out, the toe of her boot connecting hard with my ribs.

"Ah!" I cried out, curling instinctively around my stomach to shield the baby. The pain radiated through my side, stealing my breath.

"What is this noise?"

Luca.

My heart leaped, a foolish, broken reflex. He stood in the doorway of his office, looking at the scene. Me, soaked and curled on the floor. Kara, standing over me.

"Luca," I wheezed, looking for a flicker of the man who used to rub my feet after a long day. "She kicked me. She—"

"Look at this mess, Anastasia," Luca interrupted, his voice dripping with disdain. He didn't even look at my bruising side. He looked at the water on his hardwood floor. "You are clumsy and weak. No wonder the pack was stagnating under your care."

"But—"

"Clean it up," he commanded, walking over to wrap an arm around Kara. "Come, my love. Let's not let an Omega ruin our appetite."

He led her away. He left me shivering in the puddle, the pain in my ribs nothing compared to the hollow ache in my chest.

By evening, I was exhausted. My hands were pruned and cracked from the chemicals. I retreated to the kitchen, hoping to find a crust of bread before retreating to the basement.

"You look parched."

I spun around. Kara was leaning against the counter, holding a steaming mug. The kitchen was empty; the cooks had already left.

"I don't want anything from you," I said, backing away.

Kara sighed, her expression softening into a mask of pity. "Look, Luca is intense. I know this is hard for you. But for the sake of the pack, we should have peace. Here. It's herbal. Good for... the condition."

She slid the mug across the island. The scent was masked by heavy peppermint, but I was so thirsty. My throat felt like sandpaper. I hesitated, then took the mug. If I refused, she might tell Luca I was being insubordinate again.

I took a long swallow.

It was warm, but the aftertaste was wrong. Metallic. Bitter. Like licking a rusted coin.

I lowered the cup, frowning. "What is this?"

Kara leaned in close, her eyes flashing with a dark, triumphant light. She whispered, her voice like a snake sliding through dry leaves. "There is only room for one heir in this pack, Anastasia. And it won't be yours."

The mug shattered on the floor.

My hands flew to my throat as a burning sensation erupted in my stomach. It wasn't heartburn. It was fire. Molten lead pouring through my veins, seeking out the life growing inside me.

"No," I rasped, stumbling back. "What did you do?"

Kara just smiled and walked out, leaving me choking on the fumes of my own destruction.

I barely made it to the basement. I collapsed onto the thin, moldy mattress in the corner of the damp room, curling into a ball.

The pain was unlike anything I had ever known. It wasn't just physical; it was spiritual. I felt the wolfsbane tearing at the delicate threads of life, dissolving the bond between my body and my pup.

*Luca!* I screamed into the mind-link, the mental channel that still faintly connected us. *Luca, please! Help me! It hurts! Our baby!*

A cramp seized my entire body, forcing a guttural scream from my lips that echoed off the stone walls. I clawed at the sheets, sweat and tears mingling on my face.

*Luca! She poisoned me! Save him! Please, just save him!*

Silence.

Then, a wall slammed down in my mind. He had blocked me. He had heard my screams and shut the door.

Another wave of agony hit, and I felt something warm and wet soak the mattress between my legs. The burning intensified, a violent separation of soul and flesh.

"No, no, no," I sobbed into the darkness, my hands pressing frantically against my deflating stomach. "Stay with me. Please, little one, stay with me."

But the darkness was absolute.

I lay there for hours, shivering in a pool of my own blood. I waited for a kick. I waited for the familiar flutter of life that had been my only comfort for six months.

I waited.

But there was only silence. The second heartbeat, the strong, rapid rhythm I had fallen in love with, was gone.