Isabella Pov.

But I suspected that something else entirely had frightened them away from their intended prey.

Alpha Kwan! His distinctive scent suddenly hit my sensitive nose like a physical blow! I had absolutely no idea why he was out here in the forest at this time of night!

I mumbled his name in recognition and surprise, "Alpha Kwan? What are you doing out here?"

He didn't bother to glance back at me or acknowledge my presence directly, and he just commanded me in his authoritative Alpha voice,

"Take my son and go back to safety immediately. Do it now, and don't ask questions."

I obediently did exactly what he had told me to do without argument, and then I waited anxiously for him to finish dealing with the threat, keeping my eyes fixed on him the entire time to make sure he would be safe.

The baby boy in my arms was shivering uncontrollably, and his small clothes were completely soaked through with sweat and fear.

He looked absolutely terrified and much too skinny for a child his age. I was pretty sure he had actually wet himself from the sheer terror of the situation.

He clung desperately to my neck as if I was his own mother, and he whispered in a shaky, broken tone that made my heart ache, "I'm so scared. Please don't let them hurt me."

And something completely unexpected happened to me in that moment, something I had never experienced before.

It was as if powerful motherhood feelings suddenly hit my heart like a tidal wave of emotion.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I whispered to him gently. "You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you."

I had always loved puppies and children, but what I felt in that moment was so much stronger and more intense than anything I had ever experienced before.

It was as if this little boy had no mother to protect him! I felt such deep pity and protective instincts for him, even though I knew absolutely nothing about his background or family situation.

I watched as those strange, dangerous animals finally fled away into the darkness, and then I saw Alpha Kwan walking toward us with his intimidating, monster-like facial expressions that would have terrified most people.

I trembled slightly, genuinely scared that he might somehow recognize who I really was and expose my true identity.

I carefully handed his son back to him, saying firmly, "Here, take him. And please take better care of him next time."

My tone was deliberately angry and annoyed that he had somehow allowed something so dangerous to happen to such a young, innocent child.

As I started to walk away from them, he suddenly reached out and gripped my arm firmly, freezing me in place while saying,

"Thank you for saving him. But you need to understand that I did nothing wrong here."

I pushed his strong hand away from my arm, still feeling irritated and judgmental, "You should be taking much better care of your son. He could have been killed out here."

He suddenly grabbed my body and forcefully twirled me around to face him directly, then shouted at me with obvious pain and frustration in his voice,

"I did absolutely nothing wrong! He keeps sneaking out to visit his mother's grave at night because he misses her so desperately! I can't watch him every single second!"

My eyes suddenly spotted the hidden tears that were threatening to spill from Alpha Kwan's eyes, and I could see that he immediately realized he was dangerously close to breaking down emotionally in front of a stranger.

He thanked me again, his voice softer now, "Thank you for protecting him, and anyway, you really shouldn't be walking around here alone at night. You don't seem like a typical she-wolf shifter to me, and those creatures were vampires! Please take care of yourself and stay safe."

He seemed so genuinely lovely and kind and actually caring when he let his guard down like this, so different from the intimidating Alpha I had encountered before.

I bowed my head respectfully to him, and without really thinking about the consequences, my mouth betrayed me and those words slipped out before I could stop them:

"Would it be possible for me to come back and visit your son sometime? He seems like he needs someone to care about him."

He immediately turned his head and asked me with a stunned and curious expression, "You can certainly visit if you want to, but tell me something first - have we met somewhere before? You seem familiar to me."

And that question was more than enough motivation for me to run faster than the speed of light, racing back toward the castle as quickly as my legs could carry me.

I locked myself securely in my room, only to immediately hear passionate moans and sounds of lovemaking coming from Nathan's bedroom above me.

The sounds made me feel completely and utterly destroyed, hearing how intensely they were making love to each other!

I went absolutely crazy with grief and rage, smashing everything in the room that I could get my hands on, not caring at all what terrible consequences might happen to me afterward.

I threw furniture, shattered mirrors, and screamed until my throat was raw.

That's when I suddenly noticed the blood that was dripping steadily from between my legs!

"No, no, no," I cried in horror. "This can't be happening!"

I had lost my baby! I was definitely pregnant, and now I had lost my precious child!

Had I lost the baby because I was having an emotional breakdown, or because I had been running through the forest to help that little boy, or simply because I was so terrified and stressed?

"NOOOOOOOOOOO! My baby!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing through the empty room. "Please, not my baby!"

And what made this nightmare even worse, if that was possible, was that I had also lost the beautiful necklace!

The precious one that Nathan had gifted to me with such love and care, the one that had his name engraved on it!

I had lost him forever too, both literally and symbolically! Now nothing remained of our relationship - even the soft, beautiful bed would be cold and empty without his presence and love.

It was as if my cruel fate had decided to give me a harsh slap across the face to tell me bluntly:

'Wake up, Isabella! You don't belong in that castle, you never did, and you certainly don't belong to Nathan. Stop living in this fantasy and face the reality of your situation.'