You should Let Go, My Mate

Brian's eyes flicked between me and Alyssa, a sly grin playing on his lips. "So, Derek's mate is.?"

"None of your business," Derek snapped, cutting him off, clearly not eager to spill who I was.

Brian nodded smoothly, unfazed. "My bad. Open bonds are so common these days, I figured you were. you know. Don't worry, I know how to stay in my lane." He flashed a charming smile before adding, "If you ever need to break a bond, Derek, hit me up. I'll give you a discount."

Derek's gaze shot to me, his voice icy. "My mate and I are solid."

Brian was already strolling away, probably not even catching the words. But Alyssa heard every one.

She leaned into Derek, her "drunken" act in full swing, eyes big and watery. "Derek. am I in the way? Messing up your time with your mate?"

Before he could answer, her eyes brimmed with tears, and she started to pull away. "You're not my brother anymore. you've got your own pack now. I shouldn't be here. I'll go back to the hotel."

Derek tugged her closer, his voice so soft it could melt stone. "I'm not your brother anymore, Alyssa. And you're always welcome to stir things up."

His eyes burned with a heat that nearly set her aglow, like he was one breath from saying he didn't want to be her brother at all.

I stood there, an outsider watching their little drama unfold.

Derek finally seemed to remember I existed, loosening his hold on Alyssa. "Babe," he said, guilt creeping into his tone, "you don't mind, right? Alyssa's like my sister."

He was already planning how to smooth over my jealousy later.

I forced a tight smile. "Not at all."

Those words floated out, light as air, but they cut into my heart like a blade.

The next morning, I woke up and reached for Derek's side of the bed. Cold, as expected. I slipped on my robe and padded barefoot to the third-floor hallway, looking down at Alyssa's room on the second floor.

Through the half-open door, I saw Derek feeding her soup, careful and gentle. She pouted, whining about the heat, and he blew on the spoon to cool it. She fussed about her messy hair, and he grabbed a comb, tying it into a neat ponytail with practiced ease.

My nails dug into my palms.

I thought of the time I drank myself sick at a business dinner, stomach bleeding, and Derek just had the housekeeper make me soup. Or when I asked him to tie my hair into a simple low ponytail, and he shrugged, saying, "I don't know how."

I stood frozen, watching until they left together. My legs were numb, but I refused to go downstairs. I didn't want to face them-didn't want to feel like some pathetic clown, the villain in a cheesy romance novel, standing in the way of their "true love."

Lost in my head, I missed a step on my way down. My body lurched, and I hit the floor hard.

A scream tore from my throat as sharp pain stabbed through my abdomen. I curled up, feeling warm liquid seeping between my legs.

My face went pale. My trembling hand reached for my stomach, a horrible thought crashing into me.

"Madam!" The housekeeper rushed over, panicking at the blood pooling beneath me. "I-I'm calling 911!"

The wail of the ambulance shattered the morning quiet.

In the hospital, a nurse's urgent voice cut through the haze. "Where's the patient's guardian? We need a signature!"

The housekeeper was frantic. "I've called the master a dozen times-no answer! Tried the madam's phone too, seventeen calls, nothing."

I opened my eyes, weak, grabbing the nurse's sleeve. "I'll. sign it myself. The pup. I don't want it."

My voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of a thousand stones.

I thought back to the last two months. Derek wanted to try for a pup, so I'd stopped tracking my cycle. This unexpected life, now slipping away just as suddenly.

This pup wasn't born from love. It didn't belong in this world, not now.

The healer's face was grim. "It's dangerous. We might be able to save the pup, but-"

"No," I said, eyes shutting as tears slid down my cheeks.

On the cold operating table, the harsh white lights blinded me. The scrape of the instruments echoed, each sound carving out a piece of my heart. I bit my lip until I tasted blood, refusing to let a single sob escape.