Chapter 5

~ELENA~

Standing before the mirror, I held the neckline of my dress to my chest, eyes trailing slowly down the reflection of my plump body. I cupped my big belly gently with both hands, silently measuring whether the fabric would reveal it or hide it.

It would. Of course it would.

There was no concealing it anymore. I was already twenty-eight weeks gone in my first pregnancy.

My bump had finally become visible by the third week of my sixth month. I’d once imagined this moment would be a joyous milestone. It was his child, after all -Emmet’s. From the instant I’d discovered the life growing inside me, I had loved it with a fervor that frightened me. And foolishly, I had hoped that Emmet might begin to love me too- for going to make him a father soon.

But nothing had changed.

He no longer struck me with the cruelty of before, yet neither did he show me warmth. His coldness remained, intact and precise. Even now, when I met him outside his chambers dressed for the feast in the same green fabric that my dress was made from, his expression remained stoic. He offered me his arm just as he always did; and I accepted it with a practiced grace.

Months passed and I still longed for him to want me. Even a flicker of affection. But he hadn’t softened -not with time, not with pregnancy, not with anything that I did. I just couldn't figure what he wanted in me.

Still, I hoped. Perhaps, when the child is born...

We descended the stairs to the grand hall of the packhouse where Alpha Otto’s feast awaited. As our feet touched the last step, I felt dozens of eyes sweep over us -perhaps envying the image we made, or pitying the reality behind it. My stomach coiled tighter when I spotted Stephanie seated across the table, smiling far too sweetly.

I settled quietly into my seat, pretending to follow the light conversation around me. But my eyes flicked to her often. I watched the way she glanced at Emmet -how their gazes met and lingered too long. Not again. My skin crawled at the thought of her plotting, whispering, seducing him away. But no one else seemed to notice. Perhaps I was the only one who ever truly saw her for who she was.

"Ah, my daughter-in-law glows more each day," Otto’s voice rang, cutting through my thoughts.

I startled slightly and turned to meet the alpha’s gaze, offering a shy smile. I guess he had been too busy munching and drinking to say this since. With him, the compliments were endless.

His empty glass signaled me to rise, and I moved gracefully to refill it.

He raised his voice to the room. "Soon, I’ll have a grandchild from her."

A hush, then murmurs of surprise and approval rippled through the guests.

"That’s wonderful news!" Stephanie's father Domininc Excalire said with a gleam in his eye.

"She doesn’t even look pregnant," a woman added.

"Oh, I knew the moment she walked in," a kind elder woman chimed in.

I basked in their gentle tones, grateful for the brief warmth, my smile an evidence. When I glanced towards Emmet, I found his eyes already on me. Quiet.

He looked away quickly, and my cheeks flushed.

"Congratulations, Elena," Stephanie offered in that measured voice of hers. "I'm happy for you both and for the royal family."

Before I could reply, Emmet's voice cuts through the air. "Thank you," he said curtly.

The unease returned, settling in my bones. I barely tasted the rest of the feast. When Emmet finally rose, I followed his lead, bowing in farewell as we turned to leave. Just before we left the table elder Marcus called.

"Elena, dear," he said, holding out a bottle wrapped in fine cloth. "A gift for you and your husband."

I accepted it with both hands and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Elder Marcus."

Emmet gave a quiet appreciative nod.

Once we returned to the pack house, a heavy silence cloaked us. I trailed behind him, watching his tall figure melt into the dimness of the hall. In his room, I placed the wine gently on the table near the lamp and stepped back.

I stood a lot of paces from him and watched his blurred figure where he sat in his sofa, tugging at his boots.

"Is there anything else you need me to do?" I asked quietly, hands folded in front of me.

"No."

I turned around.

But just as I reached the door, his voice broke the silence behind me. "Stop."

I froze.

And listened to his footsteps -soft against the rug. Too soft. I took a deep gulp, my eyes roaming from left to right unsure what to expect.

"Turn around and face me."

His tone stirred memories -of our first night in this room, when I’d learned what kind of mate he truly was. Brutal, resentful, lustful... But now, as I turned slowly to meet his gaze, something in his eyes seemed different. Unreadable, but softer. Those eyes... They could hypnotize...

The sound of his keys dropping to the floor broke the spell. I turned towards it and instinctively bent down to pick them up, one hand bracing my belly. But Emmet moved at the same time, our hands nearly colliding.

"Hey..." he breathed, catching my arm gently. "...I’ll get it."

He picked up the keys, but didn’t let go of me. Our eyes met. I glanced down at his hand still wrapped around my arm, and only then did he seem to realize he was holding me. He withdrew slowly.

"You don’t always have to do everything," he muttered, a new softness taking his voice. I could feel his eyes on me. He knew I was surprised. He turned his back on me and walked towards the rack to put away his boots. "You could hurt yourself."

I stood frozen. It was the first time in all these months that he had acknowledged my condition with anything resembling care. Something subtle shifted in the air between us. He sounded concerned. The silence became heavy.