Chapter 3

Giving up warrior promotions that required long deployments, choosing to carry a pup right as my standing peaked—I had considered none of it a sacrifice.

Because I thought I was stepping boldly into the happy life I envisioned.

Now, I decided to sever the mating bond.

It was fine; whatever I took on, I could let go of just as easily.

The only hesitation I had was the pup.

With my financial standing, raising a child on my own was not a problem.

Yet, did I want this baby to be born without a father?

I hadn't even found my own place in this web of lies; why should an innocent child shoulder the fallout?

Only by severing everything could Ethan and this disgusting farce truly be cut out of my life.

Was that why Chloe chose this exact moment to confess?

Because she didn't want me to birth this pup?

She thought the moment the baby was born, the tie between Ethan and me would become unbreakable.

And then, she and Ethan could never be together without a shadow hanging over them.

In her eyes, I was merely an insignificant nobody in their grand romance, while this unborn little soul was her greatest threat.

How utterly pathetic and absurd.

Perhaps the emotional turbulence had been too overwhelming; while on duty at the training grounds that afternoon, a sharp, tearing pain struck my abdomen. Cold sweat drenched my skin, alarming my squadmate, who quickly helped me outside for fresh air.

He warned me, "I called Ethan to pick you up. Go see the Pack Healer right away. You're approaching your third trimester, you can't be reckless."

Ethan was always meticulous. Whenever I brought him to pack gatherings, he made sure to get everyone's contact info, claiming it was so he could reach me whenever I was stationed around pack grounds.

By the time Ethan arrived, I had already finished my checkup and walked out of the clinic.

"Come down, Emily, I'll drive you to the healer."

Before I could answer, my squadmate's voice came through the receiver:

"Ethan, why are you just getting here? I called you nearly two hours ago! Emily already clocked out and headed home."

"I was tied up handling urgent pack business. Thanks for looking out for her, Mike, I'm heading home right now."

They exchanged a few more brief words before Ethan asked me, "Are you at home?"

"What were you busy with just now?"

Caught off guard by my question, he paused before answering, "I was with Chloe."

"What happened to her?"

I rarely pried like this, leaving Ethan without even a prepared excuse to brush me off.

Instead, he deflected. "Did you and Chloe get into an argument recently?"

The deflection seemed to give him an outlet for his frustration.

"I knew something was off between you two lately. You're usually glued at the hip, so why haven't you mentioned each other at all?"

"Did you do something to upset Chloe?"

"She's childish like that, you just need to appease her."

"How about I pick up a small gift for you to give her? An apology so she has a way out of this."

I thought I was done being angry over the two of them. I had already convinced myself they weren't worth the heartache.

Yet the thought of them treating me like an utter fool for all these years made the humiliation and fury inside me bubble violently, like a shaken soda can waiting to burst.

"How about I gift you to her instead?"

I hung up right after saying it.

I changed my mind.

I had originally planned to quietly walk away.

But running wasn't my style. Fighting was.

I refused to leave them their dignity while keeping all the agony for myself.