Chapter 3

I shot out of my seat.

Mom couldn't hold back her fury any longer. She pointed right at Vivian's face and unleashed a barrage of furious curses.

Alexander strode over immediately, pulling Vivian behind his back.

Mom pointed her shaking finger at him instead.

"Alexander Carter, mark my words—you will regret this for the rest of your miserable life!"

Alexander let out a mocking sneer.

"Regret? Regret what? Regret dumping a broken woman who can't even shift?"

He glared at me, his gaze laced with sheer disgust.

"I asked around. You didn't shift at eighteen, you didn't shift at nineteen, and now you're twenty and still an ordinary, useless human."

"Do you know what the pack calls you behind your back? The Crimson Pack's greatest shame."

"I honestly can't fathom how blind I must have been to ever look at you."

Every single word struck my heart like a dagger.

I clamped my teeth down so hard that blood filled my mouth.

I grabbed Mom's arm.

"Let's go."

"Ella."

Alexander's voice called out behind me.

He stepped forward, grabbing my wrist tight.

Yet the moment he caught sight of the tear tracks covering my face, he froze.

His grip instinctively softened, and a wave of raw panic washed over his features.

"You..."

I wiped the tears off my cheeks with the back of my sleeve, staring him down with stubborn defiance.

Alexander pressed his lips together, his jaw clenching before he spat out:

"You showed up uninvited to harass me, and I can let that slide. But who gave you the right to curse out Vivian? Apologize to her right now!"

I looked at him in total shock.

He wanted me to apologize to the woman who just humiliated me?

I clenched my jaw, refusing to utter a single word.

Mom’s rage erupted completely. She swung her hand and slapped Alexander across the face with a deafening crack.

Vivian shrieked, lunging forward and shoving me with all her might.

"Don't you dare touch my man!"

Caught completely off guard,

I was thrown backward, crashing hard against the sharp corner of the oak table.

The impact knocked the wind out of me, but I didn't even notice the pain in my head.

Because between my legs,

A warm, heavy rush of blood was pooling out.

Mom fell to her knees in front of me, utterly frantic.

"Ella! Baby, look at me! Don't be scared, Mommy is taking you to the clinic right now..."

Alexander’s breath hitched in his throat.

Pure instinct took over—he scooped me into his arms, bursting through the front door and racing toward his car.

Mom scrambled right behind him, crying out.

Leaving Vivian behind, grinding her teeth in murderous jealousy.

As my vision blurred and darkened,

I caught the frantic terror on Alexander's face.

My ice-cold fingers reached up, touching his cheek, tears slipping helplessly down my temples.

"Alex..."

"...I'm right here."

Alexander stared down at me with conflicted agony, his head throbbing like it was about to split open.

He slammed his hand on the steering wheel, barking into his phone:

"Clear the clinic entrance right now! If anything happens to her, I'll have all your heads!"

That was the last sentence I heard before I succumbed to the dark.

When I opened my eyes again,

The heavy scents of burning herbs and incense hung thick in the air.

Alexander was slumped against the side of my bed.

The moment I shifted, his sharp senses caught it. He jerked upright, his gaze locking with mine.

His eyes were rimmed with shame, guilt, and raw awkwardness.

The door clicked open.

Mom walked in holding a warm thermos.

Seeing me awake, her eyes instantly welled with fresh tears.

I parted my dry lips.

"What happened, Mom?"

Mom couldn't bring herself to speak. Instead, Alexander's voice cracked into the silence.

"I'm sorry... I caused you to miscarry."

Before the words could even settle, Mom slapped him across the face again, the echo ringing through the sterile room.

"Her baby is dead!" she screamed, hysteria tearing her voice apart. "Are you even human?! How dare you say that so casually?!"

I went completely numb.

A flicker of impatient frustration crossed Alexander’s brow.

He didn't know why his chest was pounding in terror, but he hated feeling out of control.

I stared blankly at him, my voice completely hollow.

"Mom... please give us a minute. I need to talk to him."

Mom hesitated, choking back a sob, before finally walking out of the room.

I looked at Alexander, opening my mouth to speak.

His phone suddenly buzzed with an urgent message.

He answered with a few clipped words, his expression darkening by the second.

Finally, he whipped his head around, glaring at me with bared teeth.

"Where is Vivian? What kind of trap did you set for her?!"