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?”