CHAPTER 4 My Dear Deluded Alpha
"Now's not the time to joke," Raven said. She couldn't wrap her mind around what he was saying. She couldn't be pregnant.
"If you connect with your inner wolf, you'll know I'm telling the truth."
She didn't respond, just closed her eyes and tried to reach within herself. But the connection wasn't there. The Wolfsbane had drained her wolf, leaving only faint traces. She couldn't feel the strength she once had.
Damien reached for her hand, and she felt something. The stirring inside her wasn't just the remnants of her wolf; it was something else. Something deeper.
She shook her head in disbelief. "But I can't be... it doesn't make sense."
"You're further along than you should be. Your body's changing faster than it should. Most wolves don't feel this until two weeks after conception."
Raven blinked. Two weeks. She thought back to that night, but it couldn't have been that long.
She asked quietly, "How can you tell?"
Damien's eyes softened. "Your scent. I know it. It's changed. I can smell your pregnancy."
Raven's heart pounded. How could he know? He reached out and held her arms, his grip firm but gentle. "The way you're treated here... it's not right for you. It's not right for our baby."
Raven felt a wave of heat flood her chest. Our baby. The words hit her hard, sending a shock through her body.
"If I can smell it, others will too," Damien said. "And when they do, they'll come for you."
Raven's breath caught. "Boris will kill me."
Damien's face hardened. "That's why you need to come back with me. To my pack. I won't let him hurt you."
Just then, Raven heard footsteps in the hall. She froze. She knew they were coming to kill Damien.
One voice said, "Are you sure we can take him? He's the Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack."
Another voice replied, "He'll be asleep. Just do your damn job."
Damien growled, his lips curling into a snarl. "If they want a fight, I'll give them one."
Raven's stomach dropped. He was acting without thinking. "If we fight, we could get hurt. So could the baby."
Damien's eyes flicked to her stomach. He clenched his fists. "We'll sneak out. But I can't leave without my Beta, Ryan. He's been with me for years."
Raven nodded. "I know a way to get to him. There are hidden passageways that some guards don't know about. It's risky, but it's the best chance we have."
Damien stared at her, unsure. Then he took her hand. "Okay, Raven. Show me where to go."
Raven took a deep breath. She had no choice but to trust him. "I'm trusting you too, Damien. You better be as good as you say and get us out of here."
Damien moved first, stepping in front of her like a shield.
Raven moved carefully, making sure she didn't make any noise that could alert the guards. She led Damien through side corridors until they reached the guest bedroom where his Beta, Ryan, was staying.
She listened for any movement outside before whispering, "Move fast. They've probably noticed you're not in your room."
Damien nodded and slowly opened the door, slipping inside. Raven followed quickly and shut the door behind them. To her surprise, Ryan was already awake, dressed, and ready.
Damien frowned. "Couldn't sleep, Ryan?"
Ryan looked at him, confused. "Damien? What are you doing here? And who's that?"
Damien gestured toward Raven. "This is Raven. The wolf I told you about from the bar last night. She's from this pack."
Raven stepped forward. "We're here to help you escape."
Ryan's brows pulled together. "Escape? From what?"
Raven sighed. "From my pack."
Damien's expression hardened. "Boris betrayed us. He tried to kill me, and if he finds you, you'll be next."
Ryan let out a deep breath and shook his head. "I should have known this wouldn't work."
Damien narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Before Raven could react, Ryan tilted his head back and howled loudly.
Damien stiffened. "Ryan, what the hell are you doing?"
Ryan smirked. "Isn't it obvious, my dear deluded alpha?"
The door slammed open, and Boris stormed in with his guards.
Raven stumbled back as Boris' piercing gaze landed on her. His sneer was filled with malice. He pulled a silver blade from his belt and turned toward her. "What the hell are you doing here, Raven?"
She forced her expression to remain calm. "I was just here to clean Ryan's room."
Boris laughed coldly. "In the dark? Against direct orders?"
Raven swallowed hard. "Well..."
"Guards, seize them," Boris commanded. "The only question now is who I'll tear apart first."
Damien stepped forward, his entire body vibrating with fury and betrayal. "Neither of you will live long enough to regret this."
Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. "You were always so headstrong, weren't you?"
Before anyone could move, Damien shifted. A roar ripped through the air as his powerful black wolf took form, standing tall and ready to fight. Raven barely had time to take in the sight before Ryan shifted as well, launching himself at Damien mid-air.
The two wolves collided in a blur of fur and claws, their snarls echoing through the room. At first, Damien seemed to be winning, overpowering Ryan with brute force. But then Boris shifted, joining the fight.
Raven stood frozen for a moment, knowing she couldn't shift. But she could still fight. Thinking fast, she lifted her foot and kicked Ryan hard in the knee. He collapsed with a grunt of pain.
Damien took advantage of the moment, his deep roar turning guttural as he slammed Boris into Ryan, knocking them both into the hall.
Raven cheered. "Yes! Get them, Damien!"
But then, Damien suddenly let out a violent cough. Blood splattered onto the floor. His body trembled as he shifted back into human form, clutching his chest. He coughed again, more blood dripping from his lips.
His voice was hoarse. "What... what did you do to me?"
Boris and Ryan shifted back into their human forms, grinning. Their smiles were too wide, too satisfied. A chill ran down Raven's spine.
Boris smirked. "Ah, so it's finally kicking in."
Ryan chuckled. "The food we had you serve him, Raven, was laced with a deadly amount of wolfsbane."
Raven's stomach dropped.
Ryan turned to Boris. "I'll go get the silver shackles. You can handle the two weaklings."