Chapter 211
Chapter 205
Tori’s POV:
“Tori! Lucas’s voice seemed to come from very far away.
The world tilted
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My knees buckled, vision blurring as the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
Strong arms caught me before I could hit the ground-Lucas, his chest rumbling with a warning growl that made the air itself vibrate.
“Everyone back!” His voice carried Alpha command, sharp and absolute.
The crowd retreated like a receding tide, their shocked whispers filling the garden.
“Mrs. Shepherd.” Lucas’s voice had changed-cold, formal, stripped of the respect he’d shown her before. No longer “Susan.” Now she was simply “Shepherd,” a title that created distance, a barrier.
“Tori is as much a victim of this deception as you are p>
His arm tightened around my waist, steadying me as I struggled to remain upright. The anger in his tone was barely contained.
Susan’s face was a mask of anguish, tears streaming down her cheeks-but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were blood tears, the kind that came from a wolf’s deepest pain, when grief and rage mixed until they became indistinguishable.
“Victim?” Her voice cracked. “She knew! You both knew p>
Through the haze of pain, I heard Susan’s voice, each word carefully enundated:
“You are the blood of a betrayer. A fraud p>
The words cut deeper than any physical blow could have.
Wild breed. Bastard child. Omega trash.
The voices from my childhood rushed back-other wolves in the pack, whispering behind their hands when they thought I couldn’t hear. The same contempt, the same disgust, now reflected in Susan’s eyes.
My hand instinctively went to my stomach, to the small life growing there Tracy stirred anxiously, sensing my distress.
Protect the pup, she urged. Relax. Calm down.
“How could you?” Susan’s voice broke on the words. “How could you and William let me believe-let me hope- She couldn’t finish, her face contorting with fresh anguish.
“I tried to tell you,’ I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “At the hospital, I tried-
“Lies!” Susan’s hands gripped her wheelchair’s armrests so tightly her knuckles turned white. “More lies! Did you enjoy it? Watching me embrace you, care for you, while you knew what your mother had done to my family p>
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“Susan, please William stepped forward, his face ashen.
“Don’t. The single word from Susan stopped him cold. Dont you dare speak to me p>
“Good Susan’s laugh was bitter, broken. From this moment forward, you are both dead to me. Do you hear me? Both of you-stay away from
me Stay out of my sight. I never want to see either of your faces again!
She spun her wheelchair around with surprising force, Charlotte immediatly moving to her side.
The crowd parted for them like water around a stone. In their wake, the whispers intensified-speculation, judgment, pity. I felt each one like a needle prick against my skin.
“Tori.” Lucas’s hand cupped my face, his thumb gently tracing the red mark Susan had left. “Look at me p>
I forced my eyes up to meet his. In their depths, I saw fury-not at me, but for me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I ruined everything p>
“No.” His voice was fierce. “You didn’t ruin anything. This-” he gestured a the chaos around us, this was not your fault. None of it p>
But it felt like my fault. It felt like everything was my fault.
Grandma Eileen appeared at my other side, her weathered face creased with worry. “Child, we need to get you somewhere quiet. You’re pale as
moonlight p>
“The ceremony-” I started.
“Almost finished,” Lucas said firmly. “You always are my Luna p>
“I just wanted…” My voice broke. “I just wanted one day. One perfect day where I could pretend I belonged somewhere p>
“You do belong.” Lucas pulled me close, his warmth seeping into my cold skin. “You belong with me. With our family p>
I leaned into him, drawing strength from his solid presence. “I want to go home,” I whispered. “Please, Lucas. I just want to go home p>
“Of course.” His voice was gentle as he bent to lift me. ‘Let’s get you p>
He froze.
His hands, sliding beneath my legs, came away sticky. In the dim light of the fairy lights, I watched his expression shift from concern to horror as he stared at his palm.
Blood.
My blood.
“Tori. His voice had gone very quiet, very controlled-the kind of control that meant he was barely holding himself together. “Are you in pain?
I…” Now that he mentioned it, there had been a dull ache in my lower back for the past few minutes. I’d attributed it to stress, to standing too
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long. But now-
A warm trickle ran down my inner thigh.
No. No, no, no.
༢..,7 p>
“Matthew! Lucas’s roar cut through the night, pure Alpha command that had several remaining guests jumping.
Matthew appeared within seconds, his medical training evident in the way his eyes immediately assessed the situation. His gaze dropped to Lucas’s bloodstained hand, then to the growing dark stain on my pale blue dress.
His face went white.
“Shit.” He moved closer, his voice dropping to urgent professionalism. “Lucas, we need to get her horizontal immediately. Keep her lower body elevated-if the cord prolapses p>
“What?” I couldn’t process his words. “What’s happening p>
“Your water broke.” Matthew’s hands were already reaching for me, checking my pulse. “But there’s too much blood. We need to get you to
Moontouch Medical Center. Now p>
Lucas didn’t need to be told twice. He swept me into his arms, cradling me against his chest as he began moving toward the parking area. But
Matthew caught his arm.
“My car. The back seat is bigger-we can keep her lying down properly. It’s crucial we prevent cord prolapse p>
“Then move!” Lucas’s voice was harsh with barely controlled panic.
As they rushed me toward Matthew’s vehicle, I felt another gush of warmth between my legs. The dull ache in my back was intensifying,
spreading around to my abdomen in waves that made me gasp.
“It’s too early,” I whispered, my hand clutching at Lucas’s shirt. “Lucas, it’s too early. The baby p>
“Will be fine.” His voice was fierce, absolute. “You’re both going to be fine. Believe me p>
But even as he said it, I saw the fear in his eyes-raw and terrible and all-consuming.
The same fear that was currently tearing me apart from the inside.
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