Amber's POV

　　"Ugh!" I groaned as I felt the pounding sensation in my temples. My vision was a haze and my chest was tight with pain. It was followed by the sharp sting of saltwater and a cramp on my stomach. Everything felt fuzzy and distant, as if I were trapped in a nightmare I couldn't escape from. I was so exhausted as well and my legs felt so heavy. I was still trying to make sense of the chaos swirling around me when I heard hurried footsteps approaching.

　　"Doctor!" A feminine voice called out. "We need the doctor here, now!" I slowly turned to the direction of the voice and saw a nurse running out of the room. Moments later, the door swung open and a man in a white coat entered the room. The first thing I saw was the emblem of the Pack embroidered on his chest.

　　"Luna," he called out gently, as he began to check my vital signs. "How are you feeling?" He asked, looking so concerned.

　　I tried to speak but my throat felt so raw and scratchy. All I could manage was a weak nod before I started retching violently. The retching stopped soon enough but I knew with the way his brows were furrowed that he was very worried.

　　"Can you tell me what happened?" He asked, seemingly undeterred. I closed my eyes again, trying to block out the memories. And that was the moment it came crashing back.

　　RUBY!

　　The panic and fear that had seized me as she tried to drown me came back.

　　"I-I remember," I whispered hoarsely, already sobbing profusely. The doctor's expression softened, but it did nothing to dispel the shocking discovery that Ruby must be one of the numerous mistresses my mate had, and she must have felt so guilty that killing me was her only option to hide the truth from me. I was utterly broken. The doctor broke the silence.

　　"I'm so sorry about what happened. You were rescued by some guards. Luckily, they arrived just in time. B-but..." He paused, clenching his jaws and looking away.

　　"I'm afraid...I'm afraid you lost the baby in the process." It took a while before the words settled.

　　"No" I whispered, before my eyes trailed away to the nurses who were standing behind him. They quickly cowered once our eyes met but I caught what looked like pitiful looks from their faces.

　　"No, it can't be... true." But even as I spoke the words, the cramps I felt below my abdomen told me it was true. Hot tears began to stream down my cheeks as the reality of my situation settled in.

　　"Why?" I screamed, grabbing the doctor hysterically as the anguish tore through me. "Why did this happen? Why did you take my baby from me?" He gently but somewhat forcefully detached himself from my grasp, looking so troubled.

　　"I'm so sorry." He said, trying to comfort me, but I pushed him away. My heart felt like it had been shredded into pieces. Everything had been taken away from me, every reason to live. Ever since I became pregnant, I had dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, things would be different, and that Nash would finally see me more than just a vessel for his heirs. But now, all those dreams of a better life were shattered and crushed.

　　"The Alpha has been informed and he will be with you soon." The doctor informed me before he hurried towards the door and left.

　　Things didn't get any better from there. As soon as my mate heard about my miscarriage, he didn't waste any time before he returned to the Pack from his journey. I was summoned to the Packhouse from my room and as soon as I arrived, he attacked me.

　　Before I knew what was happening, I found myself on the cold, hard ground and there was a taste of blood on my lips. He didn't stop there, he kept raining down blows on me until I could barely move. I had thought he would be relieved to see me alive, that he would hold me close and reassure me that everything would be alright.

　　"You foolish girl," he sneered. "Do you really think I would mourn the loss of a worthless thing like you? Is this the best you can do? Is this your own way of getting back at me? After I'm done dealing with you, you'd think about it before you think of crossing me ever again!!"

　　Smack!

　　He hit on the ribs this time. I curled into a ball, filled with pain.

　　"Please stop!" I cried out, but he wouldn't hear any of my pleas. I was carried back to my room that night unconscious.

　　After that, I knew I had to leave the Pack immediately or he would kill me. Desperate to save myself, I quickly left the Pack and went back to my home Pack.

　　My family has always been my safe harbor, the only place where I'd always find a semblance of peace and shelter when the world went crazy. I believed so much that they would open their arms and hold me tight, tell me that everything would be okay. Even though life had been really tough recently, I always held onto this hope deep inside that they would be there when I needed them the most. I held onto that hope like a lifeline, hoping that it would never go away.

　　But this time, I was wrong, very wrong.

　　It didn't seem to sit well with them after I had laid out my problems. The room was silent for a while and it was my father who broke the silence.

　　"Amber, listen to me. I know it's hard, but you must endure," that was my father's reply right after I told her about my fucking miscarriage and how Nash had beaten me to a pulp without minding my condition.

　　The remaining fragment of hope I had left was shattered into a million pieces.

　　He didn't stop there.

　　"Think of your brother's future, think about the honor of our family."

　　"Y-you're joking right?" I tried to get out my words but I ended up stuttering, still trying to understand what the hell was going on here. "Tell me you're joking-"

　　"Amber!" My father rudely cut in. "This is not a joke. Wills like this required the strongest choices. It won't last."

　　"You prefer his future and the honor of this family over my life?!" I was appalled.

　　"No, of course not. But I believe that there is always a way out of everything. Just keep trying, I'm sure Alpha Nash will get over it and maybe stop treating you the way he does."

　　"So... you're turning me away? To go back and die?! Is that what you've always wanted?"

　　"Nobody's going to die! Can you please not say that." My mother's retort made something inside me snap.

　　I pleaded with them, begged for their help, but all I got in response was them shaking their heads in silent condemnation.

　　I knew that was the end of the road for me, considering their shocking behavior. If my parents couldn't take me in, then who would? If the world had turned against me and my parents also did, who then would I run to for help.

　　I realized I was on my own, and nobody was coming to save me.

　　I was doomed.

　　With nowhere left to turn, I returned to the Pack.

　　And I knew I had to end it.

　　I couldn't keep living like this, in misery, suffering, rejection and pain. I had lost my child, my only hope, I had lost my mate, and my parents proffered my brother's future and honor over my life. What was there to live for, absolutely nothing. After a lot of consideration, I decided the best way to end my life was jumping down from a cliff.

　　Not wanting to face another day of torture, I guessed it would be best to end it that night. I went to one cliff on the outskirts of the Pack, just away from the Pack boundary and the prying eyes of the border guards. Arriving at the cliff, I slowly made my way to the edge. It was a full moon night, and shifters were very active on nights like this.

　　Thankfully, a part of the cliff was covered by a fig tree which shielded much of the moonlight. The hairs stood as I said my last prayers. I muttered a short prayer to the goddess, asking her to pay back Nash and Ruby for everything they had done to me. I could forgive anyone else, but what they had done just showed how evil they were. I was interrupted when I felt something behind me, like I was being watched. I turned around to see a very large wolf approaching me slowly.

　　A scream left my throat, and that's when I slipped. As I fell into the darkness below, I knew with a quiet certainty that whatever awaited me on the other side couldn't be worse than the hell I had endured here on earth.

　　—

　　"She'll be fine but it might take a little while. The gashes are deep but-" The rest of the words were carried away by a jarring sensation in my head.

　　The familiar, deep voice filled my senses as they continued to talk.

　　Was I dead? Was this the afterlife? I asked rhetorically. It should feel so peaceful right? Yet all I felt was pain, and soreness. That was the moment I forced my eyes open. The ceiling appeared immediately and then I caught sight of a figure beside me.

　　The blood beat in my brain when I saw who it was.

　　"No way!!"