Zanya’s Pregnancy

Vespera POV

The rotting pain in my belly grew worse with each passing day. It was a toxic, sickening ache that clawed at my insides—a physical manifestation of the dying mate bond between Garrick and me. With every sunrise, the rejection of our connection festered, slowly draining my physical health and leaving me weak. My personal maid, Anise, was the only one who noticed how quickly I was fading. Every afternoon, she practically forced nutrient-rich juices and exotic food down my throat to keep me alive. "You must eat, Luna," she would plead, her eyes wide with frantic worry as she held the glass to my lips. I forced the food down only to keep my body from collapsing, though my mind remained a chaotic storm of fear and anger.

Leaving Garrick voluntarily was a dangerous, terrifying gamble. I knew that if I packed my bags and ran, he would use his authority as Alpha to hunt me down, capture me, and throw me into the pack house dungeons for treason. Or, worse, he could formally expel me, stripping away my identity and leaving me as a defenseless rogue. In our world, a rogue wolf was a dead wolf, hunted by everyone and protected by no one. Yet, staying meant enduring a slow, agonizing death.

Seeking some semblance of control over my spiraling life, I decided to return to the only place where I had ever felt truly strong: the training grounds. I needed to hone my neglected warrior skills. As the daughter of an Alpha, combat was in my blood, but two years of playing the docile wife had left my body weak and my instincts dull. Exercising had always brought a sense of accomplishment and a rush of adrenaline, and I desperately needed to feel powerful again.

When I pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the pack’s training grounds, a sudden, tense silence swept over the room. The wolves mid-spar froze in their tracks, their eyes wide with shock at my presence. I ignored their whispering gazes and stepped onto the dirt mat.

Gamma Zorien, a loyal warrior who had originally belonged to my father’s pack, stepped forward. Had our packs not been forcibly merged, Zorien would have been my Beta. He bowed deeply, his eyes shining with genuine respect. "I will be your sparring partner, Luna Vespera," he offered, raising his fists in a defensive stance.

"Thank you, Zorien. Don't hold back," I replied, pulling my hair into a tight ponytail.

Despite my weakened, aching state, my warrior instincts took over. Zorien was a remarkably fast wolf. He lunged at me, unleashing a rapid flurry of punches. I raised my forearms, deftly blocking his heavy strikes with sharp, satisfying cracks of impact. Seeing an opening, I ducked, spun on my heel, and drove a powerful kick straight into his belly, sending him flying backward onto the dirt.

Around us, several watching warriors gasped, and then a few began to clap and cheer. "Go, Luna Vespera!"

Zorien grinned as he pushed himself up. With a low growl, his body shifted mid-air, bones snapping and reforming until a massive grey wolf landed on the mat. He narrowed his eyes and lunged at me again. I waited until the very last split second, then reached inward and let my wolf, Kora, surge forward. With a deafening, dominant snarl, Kora met Zorien in the air, her raw Alpha power slamming him hard onto the training mat. She pinned him instantly, her fangs hovering centimeters from his neck until he whimpered and submitted.

Kora stepped back, and I shifted back into my human form, catching my breath. Zorien smiled warmly as he stood up. "That was impressive, Luna Vespera."

I chuckled, feeling a rare flash of genuine happiness warming my chest. "I will be resuming my active training from now on," I declared to the room, my voice steady and commanding.

"Luna Vespera," a soft, timid voice suddenly called out from behind, shattering my momentary peace.

I gritted my teeth, the warmth in my chest instantly freezing over. I turned to see Zanya standing at the edge of the mat. Clasping her hands together in a display of false modesty, she stepped onto the field.

"I know your wolf is an Alpha, but it would be great if you also help me in my training," she pleaded, her eyes wide and watery.

"No, thank you," I said firmly, turning my back on her as I reached for a training robe. I had absolutely no desire to play her twisted games.

Zanya immediately sniffled. "Luna Vespera, please don't be mad at me. I only want to do what Alpha Garrick asked of me. He personally told me that you would be the best person to train with, so here I am."

I cocked an eyebrow, sensing the heavy, judgmental silence of the pack members surrounding us. "Garrick asked you?" I challenged, my voice flat.

"Yes," she nodded. "But since I am a Beta's daughter, I must be very well-trained. Unfortunately, I have lost my touch... Alpha Lucian used to beat me a lot and never allowed me to go for training."

I had to marvel at her sheer theatrical talent. Did Garrick ever bother to verify her sob stories about her alleged past abuse? I had never seen a single scar on her. But cornered by the watching crowd, I knew I had no choice. If I refused her, she would run to Garrick and claim I was defying his orders.

"Fine," I muttered, clenching my jaw. "Let's begin."

We stood opposite each other on the training mat. As we circled, the meek, fragile persona Zanya had worn just moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, deadly focus. Suddenly, she lunged at me, kicking directly and brutally at my vulnerable belly.

The sheer force of the blow caught me off guard, sending a sharp spike of pain through my abdomen. I stumbled backward, gasping for air. She didn't give me a single second to recover, swinging her legs with a ferocity that felt less like a practice session and more like a deliberate attempt to kill me.

I defended myself, blocking and dodging her heavy, targeted blows. When she lunged forward once more with malicious intent, my defensive counter-elbow landed squarely on her nose.

A sharp, sickening crack echoed through the training hall. Zanya screamed in agony, collapsing to the floor as bright red blood gushed from her face.

At that exact moment, the heavy wooden doors flew open, and Garrick rushed onto the grounds. "Zanya! Zanya!"

She immediately dissolved into frantic, hysterical tears, wailing as she clutched her stomach. "Garrick, she— she forced me to fight with her only to— to do this. Our baby—"

My mind went completely blank. A cold, paralyzing dread washed over me. *What baby?*

"How could you?" Garrick snarled, his face contorted in a mask of pure, demonic fury.

Before I could utter a single word of explanation, his large hand locked around my throat, choking the air from my lungs. With a brutal shove, he slammed me violently onto the hard ground. My head bounced off the floor, sending a dizzying wave of pain through my skull.

"Stay away from her, Vespera! This is my last warning!" Garrick roared down at me. "She is pregnant with my pup!"

He scooped Zanya gently into his arms and swept out of the training grounds, leaving me choking, gasping for air, and clutching my bruised throat on the dirt floor.

I watched them leave, completely numb. For two long, painful years, I had desperately wanted to carry his child, only for this girl to succeed in a matter of days. My reputation, my husband, my pack—everything was being violently and brutally ripped away.

Back in my room, I flopped onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, feeling the suffocating darkness of my life closing in. Just then, my phone began to buzz. I glanced at the screen, and my heart skipped a beat.

*Katarina.*

I swiped the screen, desperate for a lifeline. "Katarina?" I whispered, my voice cracked and hoarse.

"Vespera! Oh my god, girl, I am so sorry for calling so late!" Katarina’s voice chirped through the receiver, brimming with warmth. "I was hiking in the Andes and we just came back. How are you and where are you?"

"Katarina, I need a favor," I said, cutting straight to the point. I wanted to tell her everything, but that would make her come to me and create a huge show.

"I'm listening," she replied, her tone turning serious.

"I want to meet Alpha Varkas urgently. Is that possible? Can you arrange a meeting with him?" I waited with my breath lodged in my throat. It wasn’t like Alpha Varkas was going to meet me tomorrow if Katarina asked. I knew he was a very busy werewolf and it could be months before I got an appointment.

"Okay, I'll ask him. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"

"No," I replied in a hoarse voice.

"Take care, Vespera," she said, and disconnected the call.

Hoping to find some desperate solace and let Kora run, I slipped out of the pack house and into the dark forest late that night. The cool night air felt soothing against my bruised throat. I stopped in a quiet clearing beneath the pale moonlight.

*Kora, take over me,* I summoned her internally, reaching deep into my mind where her fierce spirit usually resided.

There was no reply.

*Kora!* I called her again, a cold spike of panic flaring in my chest. I began to run deeper into the woods, pushing my aching muscles to their limits. *Kora, please! Where are you?*

But there was only a hollow, terrifying silence. "No. No. No. No!" I cried aloud, collapsing onto the damp earth.

The horrific truth settled over me. Kora was gone, unable to bear the trauma of our mate's deep betrayal. Hearing about Zanya’s pregnancy had been the final, crushing blow. She had retreated deep into dormancy, leaving me completely alone.

I lay on the cold ground, curled in a fetal position, unable to cry, feeling like an empty, hollow husk. I wanted nothing more than to end my miserable life. Suddenly, my phone rang in the quiet night, and I answered it like a programmed robot.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Vespera!" Katarina's voice chirped happily through the receiver. "Alpha Varkas can meet you the day after. He’s coming to the Selenis Reach to meet Alpha Garrick."