BEYOND REDEMPTION

I know this marriage is nothing but a contract.

After I give him an heir, I'm supposed to leave this place behind.

Good. At least before a year passes, I will have found somewhere to hide, somewhere Alpha Aaron will never find me.

The only safe place I have now is here, in Alpha Edward's pack. For now, I am protected. I tell myself Aaron must believe I am already dead. The thought brings me no comfort. My throat feels tight, and I swallow hard, balling my fists in anger.

How dare he?

How dare he try to end me like that?

If Alpha Edward hadn't shown up when he did, I would be lying in a grave right now.

My chest aches, a dull throb I can't silence. What did I ever do to deserve such cruelty? I gave Aaron my love, my trust, everything I had, and yet he betrayed me. Not just with any woman, but with my own friend.

A sharp sting burns behind my eyes, tears threatening to spill. I wipe them away fiercely. I refuse to cry for him again. My hand drifts to my stomach, resting gently against the small life growing inside me.

One day...

I will make them pay.

I want revenge on him, on her, on everyone who laughed at my pain. I want to strip away everything they took from me. Everything he robbed from my heart, my soul, my future.

The door creaks open. I quickly straighten, my expression hardening. Two maids enter, their heads bowed, carrying a silver tray. They set it down in front of me, the aroma of warm food filling the room.

"Thank you," I murmur, already waiting for them to leave. But they don't. They just stand there, unmoving, their gazes glued to the floor.

I frown. "You can leave now."

One of them shifts nervously, her voice soft. "No, Luna Kora. We cannot. Alpha Edward instructed us to stay and care for you."

My brows knit together. "But I can take care of myself." I try to sound firm, even convincing, but they remain rooted in place as though they hadn't heard me at all.

I exhale in frustration. "Really?"

Turning back to the tray, I pick up the spoon. The meal is still warm, perfectly prepared. I stare at it for a moment, my heart tugging strangely. How did he know I was hungry?

The thought unsettles me, but I push it aside. I scoop up a bite and taste the food. It's good-far better than I expected. Slowly, spoon after spoon, I eat in silence, aware of the maids watching quietly, making sure I don't lack anything.

My thoughts drift back, unwillingly to the way Alpha Edward has been caring for me.

The food. The guards. The way he looks at me sometimes, as though I matter.

But I push the thought away almost instantly. Of course, he cares; it's not me he's protecting, it's the heir I carry inside of me. That is the only reason. Nothing more.

I will not let myself believe otherwise.

I know better than to fall into that trap again.

Love? That word tastes bitter on my tongue. I once believed in it, trusted in it, only to have it ripped away, leaving scars so deep they may never heal. If Aaron could betray me so cruelly, then any man can. Perhaps worse.

No. Love is not for me. Not anymore.

I dab my mouth with the napkin, setting it down with more force than I intended. "You can take this away," I tell the maids, my voice clipped. They bow quickly and remove the tray.

As the door closes behind them, silence settles in the room, heavy and suffocating. I press a hand against my stomach, feeling the faint swell beneath my palm. This child is all I have. The only thing worth protecting. But I only carried it in my tummy for a year, who will take care of him when I'm gone, I thought, not like I didn't think about this before I signed the contract, but I was too desperate to be saved.

With a long breath, I rise to my feet. I need air. Movement. Anything to stop the storm inside my chest. I decide to walk, to let the food digest, and perhaps to steady the chaos in my mind.

Step by step, I wander the halls of Alpha Edward's packhouse, the soft sound of my footsteps echoing against the polished floors. Every corner I turn feels foreign, every shadow reminds me that this is not my home, and never will be.

But at least here. I am safe. For now.

It feels strange though, living here, breathing under another man's roof. But I remind myself-it's only for a year. Just one year, and then I will be gone. Out of here. Away from all of this.

I continue walking, letting my eyes travel along the walls and tall ceilings. The mansion is breathtaking, every detail precise and elegant. It is nothing like Alpha Aaron's cold, empty house. No! This place feels alive, warm, cared for.

Almost against my will, I admire it.

My feet carry me toward the grand staircase, curiosity tugging at me. Perhaps I'll go downstairs, see more of this place, lose myself in its beauty for just a moment.

But as I step onto the stairs, my heel slips.

The world tilts.

A scream rips from my throat as my body pitches forward. My hands claw for the railing, but they catch only air. The next moment, I'm tumbling, hard, fast, the sharp edges of the steps biting into me with every roll.

Pain explodes through me. My vision blurs.

Somewhere above, I hear a deep, desperate shout. Alpha Edward's voice. He's calling my name.

But before I can answer, before I can even think, darkness swallows me whole.