4

ELENA

Standing by the mirror, I placed the neck of my green dress over my chest while staring at my body. I cupped my belly with both of my hands to be sure that my belly bump won't be visible under it.

Of course it would. There was no way I could hide a twenty -eighth weeks old pregnancy.

I had a small body that remained fit even during my pregnancy. My bulge only started showing on the second week of my sixth month.

I have been eager to see my baby since the very moment I learned that I had a living being inside me-- Emmet's child.

Over the months, I was still eager to get Emmet's approval but he still hadn't seemed to care bout me.

After dressing up, I met him in front of his room and he walked out with the usual cold face he kept for me.

After over a year, I hoped that he would love me and maybe feel a little passion for me the same way I did for him. Even if a little but it didn't seem that way.

I told myself that at least my being pregnant with his child would win me his affection. Seeing that I was carrying his heir, maybe that would make him like me but I was wrong. He didn't seem to change his contempt for me at all.

His brutality towards me stopped but he didn't act kind to me either.

As we walked down to the grand hall for the feast hosted by Alpha Otto, he wrapped his arm around mine as usual. The way he did whenever we were in public. But deep down I could tell he still had the same contempt for me. Perhaps I could live with it that way and hope that one day he would love me and accept me as his mate.

This made me to look forward to having our baby. Maybe by the time I birthed his child, he would love me then. Despite all these years, I was still willing to do anything to win his love.

As we descended the stairs, everyone who sat at the table turned their gaze on us probably wondering what perfect pair we were but it wasn't a secret any longer that my mate despised me so maybe they were thinking of something else.

As I neared my seat, I could not help but recognize Stephanie's face. She sat there all smiles and I knew I was going to have to deal with the discomfort of having to stare at her because she was sitting opposite me. I sat carefully at the table and tried to blend in with the discussion and jokes.

Through out the feast, I observed how Stephanie stole glances at Emmet. Sometimes, they shared gazes and I had to keep adjusting in my seat to feel comfortable in the presence of the lady who was doing everything within her power to turn my mate against me. But it seemed I were the only one aware of this. I was the only one who saw her for whom she truly was.

I suddenly noticed the alpha's gaze on me and I gave back a respectful smile. It seemed as if he had been saying something concerning me but my mind was too occupied to hear him.

"My daughter-in-law is looking ever beautiful isn't she?" Otto asked and there came a murmur of agreement. All I did was smile shyly in response. I saw that he had emptied his glass so I arose to pour him another drink. He always liked me pouring his wine for him. He then turned to others. "I am soon expecting a grandchild from her." He announced proudly.

"Well that's quite a good news?" Stephanie's father Dominic Excalire exclaimed with Joy and others showed surprise as well.

"She doesn't even look it." Another person said.

"Oh I knew she was pregnant the moment I saw her. " An older woman said with happiness written all over her face.

"No wonder she looked so tired while walking down." Another said empathetically and I smiled feeling drenched by their kind tones. I glanced towards Emmet. Strangely, I caught him staring at me and he looked away quickly leaving my cheeks flushing red.

"Congratulations, Elena." Stephanie spoke calmly. "I'm happy for you two and the royal family."

"Thank you." Emmet responded to her as if he didn't want me to. So I didn't say anything.

But somehow I continued to feel uncomfortable for the rest of the evening.

After hours of sitting with friends and elders and a wonderful meal which I didn't consume much of, Emmet decided it was time for him to go so I got up too.

After bowing to everyone, we were ready to leave when one of the elderly men called.

"Elena dear, here is a gift for your husband and you." He said and I bowed as I accepted the bottle of red wine with both hands.

"Thank you for the gift, sir Marcus." Emmet said quietly then with a hand on my back, he led us back to the packhouse.

Once we were alone, I threaded slowly behind him watching each of his steps as I followed.

With a silence that was thicker than the darkness of the room, I walked to his reading table and placed the heavy bottle beside the lamp and retreated.

"Is there anything more you'd need me to do?" Standing in front of him, I asked with my palms folded watching as he pulled his boots after the other while seated on his bed.

"No." He replied coldly and I turned around to leave. No sooner had I taken a step than I heard a deep sigh from him and then a "stop."

At once I halted and listened to his footsteps nearing me but I still faced the door, having my back to him.

"Turn around and face me." He commanded and I obeyed. It reminded me of the first time I was in his chambers. The night he had given me a taste of the kind of mate he was going to be. Brutal, unkind, resentful, lustful and hateful. But there was something different about the look in his eyes this moment. I didn't know what it was but... I was about to be helplessly hypnotized again, thanks for a distraction; He dropped his keys and it's jingling sound turned into a loud crash at his feet.

As soon as it caught my eyes, I crouched down to get it with my other hand reaching to support the under of my belly in reflex. But before I could get it, my eyes caught the bend of his knees and it seemed we were heading for the same destination.

"Heey...." He called smoothly, his hand reaching for me till I felt the warmth of his hand around my arm. "...I'll do it."

I arose with his hand still on my arm after he got the key and our eyes maintained a lock. I think he didn't realize on time that he was still holding me until I gazed down at his firm grip. That's when he noticed and lets go slowly.

"You don't have to always wanna do everything."

I could feel his eyes on me. He knew I was surprised. He turns around and heads towards the rack to return his footwear. "You don't wanna hurt yourself." He added and remained there for a while and I didn't move either. I had been with him for more than a year and he has been aware of my pregnancy since the very first moment I discovered yet he was showing concern for me for the first time. And he seemed... sincere.

It was clear form the discomfort in his face like he had showed me too much of a part of himself that he had been concealing. A sort of tension high in the air and both of us could feel it; it was deep.

"I don't need anything." He finally speaks from where he stood before turning around and walking back towards me. "You can leave if you want to."

"I don't.... want to..." The words escaped my mouth and I bit my lips the moment I said it, my eyes flickering as he reached me.

Slowly, he raised his hand to my chest and brushed my woven hair away till it went up the back of my shoulder before slopping to my back.

All I did was blink nervously as we locked gazes, his eyes hypnotizing me the more I stared into them. I had not dared to do this in a while but now all of a sudden, he seemed different.

All these last months of being a couple, he had never hidden from me what he really took me for. A slave meant to be tortured, a servant meant to be obedient to her master and a thing to satisfy his lust whenever he so pleased. And each time when he was satisfied, he would order me out like he had suddenly realized he had been sleeping with a dirty pig and not his mate.

But tonight was different ....

He wasn't rough or selfish but gentle and compassionate. The way he kissed and caressed me, and ensured my comfort was unlike him. Was he becoming soft or he was just trying to be careful because of the baby?

All I could say is- this was what I would call love making and it was the first time that I had it with him since we were together.

He didn't order me out like he used to.

Seeing him falling to sleep beside me was the strangest this for me to see. But somehow, I had a smile on my face as I drew the blanket over my body and blinked my eyes closed.

Maybe our nights would continue to be like this from now on?....... Turns out I was wrong.

I woke up to the loud bang of the door and I looked up instantly to see someone standing at the door, having turned into a silhouette in the middle of the light coming from the outside to contrast with the darkness of the room.

Frightened, I looked behind me to see that Emmet wasn't lying with me any more.

A closer look made me figure out that he was the one at the door.

When did he leave me and why was he suddenly standing there like that?

I saw his shoulder move up and down and his fists clenching so tight that I could hear the cracking of his knuckles sending jolting fright through me like never before.

"Emm... Sire?" I called slowly as I watched him marching closer to the bed.

Fear gripped me when I saw the furious scowl on his face.

"How dare you?" He grunted. "How could you?"

"What ... what's the matter?"

"Did you think we wouldn't find out?" He growled.

"What are you ... "

"Shut up!!" He grabbed my wrist pulling me off the bed forcefully till I felt my hip coming in contact with the floor. I held the blanket to my naked body as he continued to drag me out.

"Sire!" I cried as he led me down the stairs with such full rush that I had to hold my stomach in fear that I may loose my baby from his roughness.

As I kept crying, he paid no listening ear to me until we reached the grand hall where he threw me to the floor in front of the entire members of the alpha's court.

I couldn't even bother to hold the blanket to myself anymore as I grabbed my belly protectively and found myself kneeling on the fabric. Slowly I supported myself up till I was upright on my knees, panting with fear and staring up at the faces gazing down at me and among them I recognized the faces of the elders I had sat with just last night to have dinner. They were all looking at me with contempt and disgust- some, pity- and some, disappoinment.

I drew back on my knees and looked back to see more people and there was Emmet walking in circles. The way he would do when he was in great anger, contemplation, or disturbance.

What's going on? What happened? What have I done?

As if having heard my thoughts, Emmet walked forward. "You dare..." He grunted but swallowed the rest of his words till he appeared before me.

What did I do?

"Why did you do it?" His eyes wer getting more red and I felt a breaking within me. "Speak!" He roared and shreaked.

"I don't... know what you're taking ab..."

"I wanna know why you did it."

I started shaking my head and he threw a punch on the floor.

"Stop pretending and tell me why you dared to poison the alpha!!" He roared

At the hearing of those words, my heart sank deep. Poison the alpha? Otto Vinson?

"Poison?..." I whispered but even I didn't hear myself as my heart continued so sink deep into my body till the illusion of myself falling into an even bigger darker hole played in my head then Emmet's voice snapped me back out of the dizziness.

"My father is dead! Because you chose to repay his goodness with your evil and poisoned his drink."

"I don't know what you're taking about..."

"You thought we wouldn't find out?" Elder Marcus spoke with a cold hateful stare and I watched with heightening confusion. What was happening?

"I didn't do it, I swear." I said, already crying.

"Then how do you explain the poison we found in your room?"

"Poison?!" I asked, my eyes growing wider. Was this all a dream?

"Yes!" Emmet replied and pointed towards the crowd. I followed his stretched arm and it led me to Stephanie who was approaching with a small bottle in her hand.

"We found this under your bed while we were conducting the search!" Emmet roared in my face and I watched Stephanie with my eyes wide, threatening to break out of my sockets as she handed the bottle to Emmet and the hatred in every single person's eyes for me grew. I began to shake my head but unable to speak.

Another set up!