Madeline:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silent tears slipped down my face, my lips trembling.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no need to be so dramatic,\u201d Elgin said quickly when he saw me crying.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re only eighteen, we\u2019re all still young too. Do you really want us to raise a baby already?\u201d He then added with a confident look on his face.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s right. I know someone who can take care of it. No one will ever find out. You can go back to living your life.\u201d Baxter nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for the best, Madeline. If you do this, we can go back to being friends. But you have to get rid of the problem. If my father finds out, he\u2019ll lose it. He\u2019d never accept an omega like you as the mother of my child. Think about it\u2013this is in your best interest.\u201d Graham, his anger now controlled, spoke as if he were reasoning with me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Listening to them, I burned with anger at myself for ever letting it come to this.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, a message lit up my phone. I glanced down and froze. It was from the doctor,<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Willow: I\u2019ve sent your reports to the Alpha. He\u2019s about to call your family. I cannot allow acts like this in my pack. It\u2019s my responsibility to report any unlawful behavior and make sure girls like you face the consequences.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
My hands nearly dropped the phone, but I clutched it tightly and shut my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the problem, Madeline?\u201d Baxter cut in quickly. \u201cIf you want to keep the baby, you can. We\u2019re not forcing you. We\u2019ll even give you money. But we won\u2019t give this baby our name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
By then, I knew it was too late. The issue wasn\u2019t whether I could afford to raise the child. The real problem was that the pack\u2019s Alpha and the council would never let me keep it, unless someone powerful claimed the baby. And these three had made it clear they never would.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to use the bathroom,\u201d I said quietly. When I looked up, all three of them were frowning in confusion.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine, take her to the guest room,\u201d Baxter said. I turned from the backyard and started walking back inside, the three of them trailing behind me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
By then I knew they weren\u2019t going to let me go easily. Not until I promised to keep their secret, never telling anyone about this baby.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as I stepped into the guest room bathroom, I locked the door and broke down in tears. But even through my sobs, I heard their voices outside.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to be the father of some omega\u2019s baby,\u201d Baxter complained.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I want to?\u201d Elgin snapped. \u201cI have Alpha\u2019s daughters lining up for me, and look at this\u2014she shows up on my doorstep like a curse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their words cut deep, making me feel like nothing more than garbage.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe did this on purpose. I know it,\u201d Graham said, throwing all the blame on me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what do we do now? If my mother finds out, she\u2019ll kill her,\u201d Elgin muttered.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was the truth for all three of them. Their families were rich, powerful, and arrogant. They would never accept me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
And in that moment, I realized I had only one option left\u2014 to lie.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I stepped out of the bathroom, they were waiting for me, their eyes fixed on mine. Before they could say anything else and sink lower in my eyes, I made it easy for them.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy period started,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Relief washed over their faces. Baxter and Elgin looked at each other and laughed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d Graham asked, his smile wide. The brighter they grinned, the deeper it hurt.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you come to us with this news and cause so much stress? You should have confirmed it first. Just because you missed your period once did not mean you were pregnant. Damn it!\u201d Baxter grunted, relief washing over his face, but also frustration.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll just go home now. My flow is heavy, I\u2019ll need pads,\u201d I muttered. They exchanged glances and nodded.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, go on,\u201d Graham said with an eye roll.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I walked between them, one last question burned inside me. I turned to face them.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said if the baby wasn\u2019t there, we could be friends again. Is that true?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t ask because I wanted their friendship. I asked because I needed to see what kind of people I had trusted.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really think after dodging a mess this big, we\u2019d take you back as a friend?\u201d Graham sneered.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Baxter added, smirking. \u201cWe\u2019ve got better things to do than hang around with some omega.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
That left Elgin, who only smirked wider. \u201cAre you insane? It took us this long to finally get rid of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their words cut like knives, but I only gave them a broken smile.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew it. I just wanted to hear it from your mouths.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that, I turned away. I didn\u2019t wait for their reactions. I walked out of the guest room, through the mansion, and straight out the door.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the nightmare wasn\u2019t over.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I reached home, my stepmother was waiting at the door. I already knew the council and the doctor must have called her. No matter what lies I had told earlier, with her, I would be forced to confess the truth.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as I stepped inside, she slammed the door shut behind me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s home!\u201d she shouted, her voice echoing through the house, calling my half-sister and my father, who were already in the kitchen whispering about me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The second they heard I was back, they stormed out, fury written all over their faces. My father didn\u2019t even pause. The moment he reached me, his hand flew across my cheek, striking me so hard I couldn\u2019t even tell where I was standing for a few seconds.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of filthy things have you been doing, Mad Madeline? Are you trying to drag my name through the mud?\u201d my father shouted.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood there in nothing but a vest and trousers, a belt twisted tightly in his hands. The way he gripped it made it look like he was ready to whip me at any moment.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you not to give her so much freedom. What was the point of sending her to school anyway?\u201d my half-sister said. She was older than me, but she never tried to guide me or treat me like a sister. Instead, she whispered poison into my father\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s turning out just like her mother \u2013a whore,\u201d my stepmother snapped.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and swallow my tears first.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to go to my room and rest,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment the words left my mouth, my father stepped forward to strike me again. But this time, I raised a finger at him and shouted,<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you dare lay a hand on me. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their faces drained of color. For the first time, they realized I wasn\u2019t the voiceless girl they could beat down whenever they wanted.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe I still wouldn\u2019t have found the strength to raise my voice for myself, but I had to do it for my baby. Their abuse could hurt more than just me now.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that thought, I started climbing the stairs to my room on the second floor. But no sooner had I closed the door than I heard my father rushing after me, ready to pound on it.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then my stepmother\u2019s whisper stole my attention.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t say anything yet. Soon, all the omegas will be leaving to take gifts for Alpha\u2019s birthday. When the omega side of the pack is empty, we\u2019ll push her down the stairs. No one will hear her scream, and by the time the council arrives three days from now, the baby will be gone. We\u2019ll be spared the humiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
She thought she was speaking softly enough that I wouldn\u2019t hear, but I heard every word. My hands went cold, my legs felt weak. There was only one option left for me now\u2014I had to run away from the pack.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I waited a moment before hearing my family leave through the front door. I knew they wouldn\u2019t be gone long. They were only outside to be seen by the rogues, making sure people could later say they had been present so it would look like I had fallen down the stairs on my own.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as they left, I climbed out the window. My best friends had taught me how during their visits, but the memory now felt poisoned. I never imagined they would betray me.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I carried a small bag with the little money I had managed to save and carefully climbed down the back of the house. It was dark, and in the distance I could hear songs praising the Alpha. Pulling my hoodie over my face, I ran into the woods instead of taking the road.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was only one place left for me to go: the human world, where werewolves without wolves were cast out.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the docks, people were loading cargo. Among them were others like me\u2014banished, stripped of their wolves, abandoned by their families. They looked broken, told that werewolf land was too sacred for them.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slipped into the line, trembling. A drunken guard staggered past, not bothering to check. No one wanted to go to the human world, the stories of what happened there were too grim.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why no one watched the line closely. If someone was desperate enough to leave, they were considered pathetic and doomed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I boarded willingly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the ship pulled away, I looked back at my home, tears filling my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay. It doesn\u2019t matter who the father is. From now on, I\u2019ll be both father and mother to you,\u201d I whispered, playing a hand on my belly. I promised myself that I would survive in the human land and prove it could be done.<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
Madeline: \u00a0 Silent tears slipped down my face, my lips trembling. \u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no need to be so dramatic,\u201d Elgin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-no-daddy-novel-by-novelnozi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18999\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}