"Are you sure about this, Lady Freya?" The healer had asked, her eyes soft with sympathy.
I bit my lip to keep from breaking. "I’ve thought it through. My decision is final."
She nodded and took my hand, her warmth only making my tears spill. I looked up at the full moon, its cold light illuminating my sorrow.
I’m sorry, my son, I thought, I can’t bring you into a world where your father won’t care. Where this pack will reject us both.
"If that’s your decision, I respect it," the healer whispered.
"Thank you," I barely managed to say, my voice was raw.
"Take a deep breath. I’ll call my apprentice. We’ll start when the clock strikes midnight."
I nodded, watching her retreat into the den. The moon stared down, indifferent, as I braced for what was to come.
There was no turning back.
Word spread quickly before I could stop it—I, Freya, the Alpha’s mate, had aborted the next heir of Wolfshade.
The pack reacted instantly.
I couldn’t blame them for their shock. They had just learned I was pregnant this morning, only to find out moments later that I had terminated it.
Whispers grew into low growls, judgment filling every corner of Wolfshade. The Omegas and a few Elders gave me looks of quiet sympathy, understanding what Thorne had done—how he had left me alone, trapped with a burden I never asked for.
But the warriors? The higher ranks? Their anger was unmistakable, radiating like heat.
"She killed the next Alpha," one muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.
I stopped, my fists clenching. My heart pounded, but I didn’t turn. They had no idea. They didn’t understand.
“She did what she had to,” an Omega whispered, her voice shaky, unsure if she should defend me.
"Had to?" a warrior scoffed, disgust dripping from his words. "She destroyed the future of this pack. That’s no 'had to.' That’s betrayal."
I gritted my teeth, anger swelling. They didn’t know what it was like—carrying a child in a world where the father no longer cared, where I was disappearing day by day to the man who was supposed to love me.
I spun around, facing them. “You think it was easy? You think I wanted this?”
The warrior’s sneer faltered, but he held firm. “You should’ve thought about the pack. We’re all paying for your choice.”
My voice turned cold. “I did think about the pack. I thought about bringing a child into a world where its own father wouldn’t look at him. Don’t talk to me about suffering.”