Four weeks had passed since Amara's world turned upside down. Four weeks of missing her monthly cycle. Four weeks of throwing up every morning. Four weeks of knowing the truth she couldn't speak. She was carrying the Alpha's baby.
Amara splashed cold water on her face, trying to stop the room from spinning. Her reflection looked pale and hollow-eyed.
"You sick again?" Lina poked her head into the bathroom, frowning with worry.
"Just ate something bad," Amara lied, forcing a weak smile.
But lying was getting harder. The morning sickness hit her like a punch to the gut every day. She had to sneak away to be sick, hiding behind walls or in empty rooms. The worst part? Kade behaved like nothing had changed.
That night, she waited in their secret spot under the old gazebo. Rain beat on the wooden roof above them. When Kade finally showed up, he looked busy and cold.
"You're late," Amara said softly.
"Council meeting ran long." He didn't even look at her properly. "Rogue problems."
Amara's heart sank. Where was the gentle man who had muttered sweet promises? This Kade felt like a stranger.
"I need to tell you something important," she started.
But before she could continue, his second-in-command burst into the yard. "Alpha! Emergency meeting now. The Duskbane Pack has arrived."
Kade jumped up without pause. "I'll be right there."
He barely glanced at Amara. "We'll talk later."
Later never came. The next morning, the entire house buzzed with shocking news.
"Did you hear?" Lina whispered as they made breakfast. "Alpha Kade announced his engagement to Celina Duskbane!"
The bowl in Amara's hands crashed to the stone floor. Pieces spread everywhere.
"The wedding is in two weeks," another servant added happily.
"Celina's father brought fifty warriors to help fight the rogues."
Amara's legs turned to jelly. She grabbed the counter to keep from falling.
"Are you alright?" Lina reached for her arm.
"I need air," Amara gasped, running outside.
Behind the kitchen, she threw up fiercely. This time it wasn't just morning sickness. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces.
"First baby?" a gravelly voice asked.
Amara spun around. An old woman stood watching her - Maeve, the herb healer who lived at the edge of pack territory. Her orange curls were wild, and one eye was cloudy white.
"What?" Amara wiped her mouth with shaking hands. Maeve stepped closer, her good eye sharp and knowing.
"The sickness. How far along?" Amara's face went white.
"How did you-"
"I've delivered hundreds of wolf pups," Maeve said quietly. "I know the signs."
Tears burned Amara's eyes. "Please don't tell anyone."
Maeve gave her a small cloth packet. "Ginger drink. It helps with the sickness."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Be careful, child. That Alpha's heart is made of ice. He'll kill you without blinking."
All day, Amara couldn't escape the wedding talk. Servants giggled in every corner about the upcoming event.
"I always knew he'd marry Celina," a kitchen girl called Petra said smugly. "She's perfect for him - cold and calculating."
"But what about all those women he's been with?" another girl whispered. Petra laughed meanly.
"Everyone knows Alpha Kade's rule - one night only. Then he throws them away like trash."
Amara's stomach twisted. "That's not true," she said before she could stop herself.
All eyes turned to her. Petra raised an eyebrow. "How would you know, servant girl?"
Heat rushed to Amara's cheeks. "I just... it seems cruel."
"Cruel?" Petra smirked. "That's exactly what makes him a good Alpha. No weakness. No feelings. Just power."
Later that evening, Amara paced in the yard, her mind racing. Should she face Kade? Tell him about the baby? Maybe it would change everything.
"You look upset," Kade's voice came from behind her.
Amara spun around. He stood there looking completely calm, like her world hadn't just exploded.
"Is it true?" she asked.
"Is what true?"
"The wedding! You're marrying Celina in two weeks!"
Kade's face didn't change. "Yes."
That single word hit her like a slap. No reason. No apology. Just cold acceptance.
"What about us?" Amara's voice cracked. "What about everything you promised?"
"I never promised you anything," Kade said simply. "You knew what this was from the beginning." Amara stared at him in shock.
This wasn't the man who had held her lovingly. This was the cruel Alpha everyone feared. "You said we were fated mates," she whispered.
Kade shrugged. "The mate tie doesn't matter. I have tasks to my pack. Marriage is politics, nothing more."
"So I meant nothing to you?" His storm-gray eyes were cold as winter.
"You're a servant. A brief distraction. Did you really think I'd give up everything for an omega?"
Each word cut deeper than a knife. Amara felt like she was drowning.
"I need to tell you something," she said desperately.
"Save it." Kade turned to leave. "This thing between us is over. Don't make it harder than it needs to be."
"I'm pregnant!" Amara shouted.
Kade froze. Slowly, he turned back to face her. His face was unreadable. "What did you say?"
"I'm carrying your child," Amara said, her voice shaking. "Four weeks now."
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Surprise? Fear? But it disappeared quickly, replaced by his usual coldness.
"Are you sure it's mine?" he asked bitterly. Amara gasped like he'd punched her.
"How can you ask that?"
"You're a servant," Kade said with a careless shrug. "Servants talk to many men."
"I've never been with anyone but you!" Tears streamed down her face. "You know that!"
Kade studied her for a long moment. Then his face hardened completely. "Get rid of it," he said simply.
Amara's world stopped spinning. "What?"
"You heard me. Get rid of the baby. I won't have some servant's bastard pretending to be mine."
"This is your child!" Amara screamed. "Our child!"
"I don't have children with omegas," Kade said coldly. "Fix this problem, or I'll fix it for you."
The threat in his voice made Amara's blood run cold. This wasn't the man she'd fallen in love with. This was a monster.
"You can't mean that," she whispered.
"I'm Alpha," Kade said, moving closer until she could see the ice in his eyes. "I mean everything I say. You have three days."
He turned and walked away, leaving Amara broken in the moonlight. She fell to her knees, crying. How had she been so wrong about him? How had she confused cruelty for passion?
From the shadows of the nearby woods, someone watched her breakdown with great interest. Cold green eyes studied every tear, every broken cry. Celina Duskbane smiled slowly. This was great.
Better than she could have planned. The little omega servant had just given her the perfect tool to destroy any lingering feelings Kade might have. And if the servant tried to cause trouble... Well, accidents happened to pregnant girls all the time. Especially ones who threatened what belonged to her.
Amara had no idea that her worst nightmare was just starting. Or that someone far more dangerous than Kade was now watching her every move.