Chapter 2

Beads of cold sweat rolled down my forehead, my face drained of color. The next second, I dropped to the floor.

The loud noise made Brandon look over in my direction. His eyes narrowed, his tone icy.

"Go and bring that person here," he ordered.

I clutched my stomach, the pain so intense I couldn't even speak. In moments, blood stained my dress red.

My vision blurred, and before I lost consciousness, the last thing I heard was Jake's panicked cry.

He said, "Alpha, it's the Luna. She's fainted, and there's blood everywhere."

The sound of hurried footsteps seemed both close and distant, like a hallucination.

When I came to, I was lying in the large bed in my bedroom. Brandon was dozing beside the bed, dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept all night.

My eyes fell on him, and all those things I overheard last night while hiding in the corner came rushing back to me.

Brandon didn't love me, and he didn't care about my children either.

He had killed two of my babies in two years. He was so heartless. I bet he only married me in the first place to save the woman he really loved.

Sadness and hatred welled up inside me, and I instinctively touched my slightly rounded belly.

Thankfully, the baby was still there.

My small movement woke Brandon, who was sleeping lightly. When he saw I was awake, he visibly relaxed.

"Holly, you're finally awake. Are you feeling okay? Is there anywhere that hurts?" he asked.

At that moment, Brandon's tone was gentle, and he seemed very concerned about me.

For a moment, I thought the man who had ordered my medication with a blank face last night had been a terrible nightmare.

But deep down, I knew it wasn't a dream.

I stayed silent for a long time. Brandon frowned slightly and reached out to place his hand on mine.

"The doctor checked you out. The baby's fine, but your pregnancy is still a bit unstable," he said.

I pulled my hand away. My expression turned grim when I heard his words.

I said, "Does it even matter if the baby's stable? You're going to use him as a medicine anyway, aren't you?

"Don't bother pretending you care."

Two years had gone by, and I was no longer that timid girl who used to swallow her tears and suffer in silence whenever someone pushed me around.

If something bothered me, I'd speak up. If I felt wronged, I'd stand up for myself. Brandon was the one who taught me that.

"So you did hear everything," Brandon said.

He didn't deny it. He sat by the bed, his gaze conflicted as he looked at me.

"Holly, I'm sorry, but I have to do this," he said.

In other words, even though I knew the truth, he had no intention of changing his plan.

This meant that even though I had heard the truth, he had no intention of changing his plan.

Disappointment and anger surged through me. I couldn't take it anymore and slapped him across the face.

I shouted, "Brandon, you bastard!

"How could you let your own flesh and blood die over and over, for some outsider?"

I had trusted and cared for him more than anyone. For a moment, I had even thought that seeing how upset I was might make him regret his plan and give it up.

But my anger and pain didn't even move him in the slightest.

He didn't show a hint of hesitation. His eyes were resolute, and his tone was firm.

Brandon's face turned to the side from the slap. He was silent for a moment and then spoke in a hoarse voice.

He said, "Jessica saved my life. I have to save her no matter what.

"We're still young. We'll have more kids someday."

So, to repay his debt of gratitude, I had to suffer the pain of losing my babies over and over again?

It felt like a giant hand was squeezing my heart, making it hard to even breathe.

My face went deathly pale. I opened my mouth and tried to smile, yet the expression looked far more miserable than a frown.

"What if I say I want to keep this baby?" I said.

Brandon paused for a moment. His hazel eyes stared at me steadily, showing no sign of wavering.

"Holly, I'll agree to anything except this," he said.

My last shred of hope was crushed. My eyes filled with tears instantly.

I snapped, "This is my baby. How can you say no to me?

"Brandon, you've killed two of our babies to save Jessica. Those are two lives. Isn't that enough for you?"

Last night, the baby had almost died because of my extreme emotions.

It had taken a lot of effort to stabilize the pregnancy, and Brandon didn't want any more accidents.

He placed his hand on my shoulder, frowned deeply, and said in a low voice, "Holly, calm down. Don't upset the baby."

How could I stay calm when my own mate was going to kill my baby for another woman?

I shook off his arm like I was going crazy, my eyes blazing with anger and tears as I shouted, "How am I supposed to calm down?

"Am I supposed to agree without emotion to you using my baby's life to repay a favor?"

There was a fruit platter on the nightstand, which Brandon had cut early that morning.

I grabbed the fruit knife from the platter and pressed it to my throat, tears streaming down my face as I threatened him.