CHAPTER 3

MONIQUE

Hours. And the tears won't stop flowing. I didn't know what I did to deserve being thrown into the woods, but it felt like my life was over.

All my life, I'd lived in the pack house, never been out. I had nowhere to go. I knew no one or any other place. Most especially with me being dumped in the woods, I didn't know how to get out. I'd been circling the same area for hours and yet night had started falling.

Howls echoed through the distance. Not one, but many. My blood ran cold. Rogues.

I’d heard the stories—how they kidnapped weak omegas, sold them to deranged humans who treated wolves like exotic pets or entertainment. Some were even displayed in cages, forced to shift for the amusement of the crowd.

Even though we all lived in the same world, they didn't know about us until a few years back and since then wolves had gotten missing almost every month.

The cool breeze hit my skin and I hugged my bare shoulders tightly. I'd been left with nothing. After Kaid ordered my banishment, the guards had dragged me out of the gates ignoring all my pleas. I'd been forbidden from taking anything or even saying goodbye to anyone. Not like I really had people that cared about me, I didn't have any parents but Daphne had been like a sister to me and yet, I didn't get the chance to hug her, I'd only been able to take a glance at her while I was being forced out.

If Kaid decided to choose Greta over his mate, then I had no problems with it. It was my fault for believing his words, for thinking I could ever have something meaningful with the Alpha heir when we were worlds apart but getting banished over something like that was extreme, right? If he didn't want to see my face again then I should have been forbidden from ever appearing before him but he'd decided to ruin my life and feed me to the wicked.

I wasn't sure of what to feel. All I wanted was to get out of the woods and find a way to survive. I'll probably go to the city and live amongst the humans since I hadn't gotten my wolf yet or join the scavengers or something and start my life all over again.

As I walked the path, trying to hide as much as possible from the nearing howls, my eyes caught sight of a small hut. The tears stopped at that minute. Maybe I could stay there for the night and then find my way out of the woods the next day.

But as I approached, goosebumps crawled down my spine. The air around it felt… wrong. My head grew heavy, my vision swam. I told myself it was exhaustion and pushed the door open.

Drawing a long breath, I pushed the door open slowly and looked around for anyone, but there was nothing. Silence. Dust. Cobwebs. It looked abandoned. Perfect. The whole place was empty and it could serve as a hiding place from any rogues. It was tuck deep into the forest and only those with good sights could actually notice it.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I walked into the hut.

"Who are you?" A deep voice came from behind me and my skin jumped out of my skin. I'd only taken a step and it seemed like someone had been there all along yet I didn't see them.

Shutting my eyes, I turned back slowly while praying silently to the goddess. I really don't want to be a victim. I don't want my life to end that way. I hadn't achieved anything yet and that voice sounded like I'd entered the enemy's territory. What if the hut is the meeting point of the criminals or where they use to lure those who get lost in the woods?

When the voice didn't come again, I opened my eyes slowly only to see a woman. I could swear that voice was a man's. But there was an elderly woman with long white hair and silver eyes standing before me looking like she belonged in the heavens.

"How did you find me?" The woman asked and my brows creased. What did she mean by that?

"I...I...got lost and found the hut. I didn't know anyone was here," I replied, my voice trembling.

Her gaze sharpened. "You're not supposed to see it. It's not visible."

I fluttered my lashes. What the hell was she talking about?

"You can't see the hut with ordinary eyes. It's hidden," she continued.

" Hidden?" My voice croaked.

"Yes, it's hidden from the outside world. "

My eyes widened. It felt like air froze around me. My brain was growing hazy and it was already feeling like I was in some sort of dream or movie. What...

"I...I don't understand," I struggled to say as my head became heavier. My vision had started becoming blurry and my chest tightened. I grabbed my cloth tightly as the place closed up. I struggled to breathe and just then, she placed her hand on my shoulders and my legs gave way.

And everything became black.

*******

"Monique, Monique," I heard my name from a far distance and struggled to open my eyes.

Finally, my eyes fluttered open and the first thing I saw were ocean blue eyes.

"Are you awake?" He questioned and I tried to jump up but a groan escaped from my lips and his hand held me down.

"You still need to rest. You scared everyone. How are you feeling now?" he asked, and my eyes went around the area.

That was when I realised I was in the clinic. Everything that happened came flooding back and I ran my palm across my face. I'd passed out just like the day I met my saviour.

"Alpha..." I called slowly.

He smiled down at me. "I already told you to drop it. Just call me Archer."

But I couldn't do that. Alpha Archer was the best leader I could ever ask for and his pack members were just as nice as him. When I first opened my eyes three weeks ago and met myself on the same clinic bed, I'd thought the woman I met at the hut had caused me to pass out and had kidnapped me, but then I found out she was the healer of the Willowbane pack and had brought me to the pack after I fainted and refused to wake up.

I’d expected cruelty, rejection, even suspicion. But instead, everyone in Willowbane had welcomed me like one of their own. and contrary to what I'd heard about our neighbouring packs while I was in the bloodcrest pack, the Willowbane were entirely different. I'd become one of them in no time and had started living with the healer and gotten closer to everyone especially Alpha Archer who had been crowned just a few days ago after his father's death. It was nothing like Bloodcrest.

He still hadn't gotten used to anyone calling him Alpha.

"Are you feeling better now?" Another voice asked and I turned to see the doctor smiling at me.

I bobbed my head. "Just a little dizzy. Is there anything wrong with me?"

I'd noticed how my body had been feeling ever since I joined the pack but I couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. We were at the training ground earlier and I'd suddenly gotten tired and eventually passed out.

She shook her head. "Nothing is wrong."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"But..."

My heart spiked again. I shared a look with Alpha Archer and he gave me an assuring smile.

"There's something you need to know."

I lifted my brows. "What?"

She exchanged a look with Archer, and he seemed to understand. Without a word, he stood and quietly left the room.

Once he was gone, the doctor turned back to me.

"Monique," she began softly.

"Am I dying?"

She chuckled. "Of course not. There's nothing wrong with your body."

"Then, why?"

Her lips curled into a thin smile.

"You're pregnant."

The words shattered the air between us.

My body went rigid. “What?”

She placed a hand on my trembling shoulder. “You’re pregnant, Monique.”