My Mate Claimed Her Bastard and Sacrificed Our Son

Cruel? I never thought Caleb would use that word for me.

I hastily wiped away a tear that escaped down my cheek and took a sharp breath.

“Then just have the baby in my belly aborted.”

“No.” He slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road. He turned to face me, his amber eyes blazing.

“Are you insane? How could you even think that? I won’t lose your child or Sloane’s. Period.”

The next day, Stonecrest warriors appeared around the Alpha’s Estate, and Caleb locked me in my room.

He took my phone, severing my connection to the world.

One morning, I awoke to noise from downstairs.

When I went down, I found Sloane and her mother, Bethany, at the door, directing workers moving luggage into the house.

As soon as Bethany saw me, she sneered, “Some people have no shame, pregnant with a bastard and still daring to live with Caleb.”

She then hugged Sloane’s shoulders. “You poor fool, you’ve suffered so much for him! And Caleb still hasn’t rejected that cheap Omega!”

“Mom, stop. This was my choice!” Sloane lowered her head, feigning misery.

As Bethany took the luggage upstairs, Sloane shot a mocking smile at me.

“So what if you’re Caleb’s mate? So what if my child isn’t his? My place in his heart is far higher than yours.”

I glared at her for a long moment, then slapped her hard across the face.

Sloane clutched her reddening cheek, squeezing out a few tears as she looked into the distance.

“Lyra, why are you doing this to me? I’m not trying to steal Caleb from you,” she cried, her performance sickening.

“Lyra!” Caleb’s voice thundered from behind me. “What did you do to Sloane?!”

I turned to see Caleb’s furious expression. She had staged this for him.

Sloane cried louder, which brought her mother rushing back down. Bethany glared at me.

“This woman cheated on you! She’s pregnant with another man’s child. Why haven’t you rejected her yet?” she questioned Caleb.

“Caleb, as long as she is here, my Sloane isn’t safe! If you don’t kick her out, I’m taking Sloane home!”

Sloane threw herself into Caleb’s arms, weeping, and gave me a subtle, triumphant smile.

Caleb was silent for a long time. Just as Sloane thought her plan had worked, he gently pushed her away and walked to my side.

“If you wish, you can take Sloane home, but I will not ask my mate to leave.”

Sloane looked at us in utter shock and stormed off.

“You have hurt my daughter, Caleb,” Bethany snapped. “This is not over. She is carrying your child. She needs to feel loved. I demand you at least make it up to her by giving her the best room.”

Caleb looked at me, and I understood he was asking me to sacrifice again.

I was immediately moved to the old servant's quarters in the chilly, damp North Wing.

Caleb said it was for Sloane’s child, and it was only for a few months.

“Don’t worry, I’m just appeasing Sloane and her mother for now. I’ll get you a proper room back soon,” he had said as I was moved.

I didn’t argue. Honestly, I no longer cared where I stayed. I already had another plan.

Every day, I thought about how to escape this place.

I even planned to ask Sloane to help me. To my surprise, the one person who most wanted me gone refused.

“Lyra, since Caleb doesn’t want you to leave, how could I help? You truly don’t understand our bond. We grew up together; we have an unbreakable trust.”

In that moment, I saw a flicker of genuine seriousness in her emerald eyes.

Maybe I was wrong.

Caleb and Sloane shared a trust that no outsider could ever break.

Every night after Caleb came home, he would tell bedtime stories to the child in Sloane’s belly.

By the time he came to my room, it was nearly eleven. So, I always pretended to be asleep.

The room I was in felt like a prison cell.

Sloane had taken over the house—one room for her child, one for her music, and others for her belongings.

Eventually, Caleb started sleeping in her room to care for her, but one night, he stood by my bed and shook my shoulder.

“Are you asleep?” he asked softly.

When I didn’t answer, he continued, “I know you’re not.”

I turned away from him. “What do you want?”

“Lyra, do you really hate me this much? Do you not trust my love for you at all?” His voice was laced with pain.

I felt a pang of pity, but I crushed the emotion. He deserved none of it.

After everything he had done, how could he expect me to believe him?

I silently shed a few tears but kept my face hidden.

“Don’t worry, I will still carry our child to term. But you should know, locking me here isn’t good for our baby. Let me breathe fresh air. Give me my phone back and let me talk to my mother. I need my mother to pour my heart out to.”

Caleb slipped in behind me, pulling me into his arms.

“Alright. As long as you’re calm and resting, I’ll let you do whatever you want,” he said, his tone tinged with relief.