Chapter Three:

The antiseptic air of the hospital clung to me, a sterile blanket against the chill that had settled deep in my bones. Sunlight, filtered through the blinds, painted stripes across the pale linoleum floor, mocking the vibrancy I felt was draining from my own life. It had been five days since Damon's fury had turned my throat into a bruised and aching mess, five days since his Alpha power had squeezed the air from my lungs, leaving me gasping and terrified. It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. That was the cold, hard truth of being Elara, the omega wife of alpha Damon.

I ran a hand over my still-tender neck, the faint ghost of his anger a constant reminder. It was always the same: a flicker of displeasure in his eyes, then the rush of his dominance, a power that felt like being crushed beneath tons of stone. And afterwards, the same sneer, the same disgusted pronouncements on the weakness and uselessness of omegas. These days, I felt like a broken vase, patched up haphazardly and put on display for no one’s enjoyment.

Yet, today, a strange flutter of hope stirred within me. Today, we would know – I would know – whether I was carrying an heir or simply more fodder for his contempt.

I fidgeted on the edge of the sterile examination table, anxiously awaiting the doctor’s return. My stomach felt like a butterfly cage, wings beating against my ribs. For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, I felt something other than dread. I felt something akin to excitement. Perhaps, a son, a baby alpha, would finally earn me a shred of worth in his eyes.

When Dr. Anya returned, her smile was soft, the kind that held both understanding and a hint of pity. “Elara, everything looks perfect. And you’re in for quite a surprise.”

My hands flew to my belly. “Is it a boy?” I asked, my voice trembling with hope.

The doctor’s smile grew wider. “Two, actually. Twin males. You’re carrying twin Alpha babies, Elara.”

The world tilted on its axis for a moment. Twin boys. Not just one, but two. A surge of warmth flooded me, chasing away the chill that had taken root in my soul. A soft gasp escaped my lips. This was… this was everything.

My heart thrummed in my chest. This was something to celebrate, something to share with Damon. Maybe, just maybe, the knowledge of his sons would soften the edges of his cruelty. Perhaps he would finally see past my omega status and see me.

I practically flew out of the hospital, a smile plastered on my face. I rushed home, the image of those two tiny blips on the ultrasound screen burned into my mind. I imagined their little hands, their tiny noses. I imagined their father, the man I had been bound to since childhood, holding them. A small, fragile hope bloomed within me.

I didn't even bother knocking as I burst through the front door, ready to share the good news, ready for a change. "Alpha!" I called, my voice filled with the giddy effervescence I had thought I'd lost forever.

The house was silent. Too silent.

I followed a trail of discarded clothing, left carelessly in the living room, to our bedroom. I pushed the door open, my smile still bright, my heart still singing with anticipation.

The sight that greeted me was like a plunge into icy water.

Damon lay tangled in our sheets, his alpha musk a heavy, cloying perfume that filled the air. And beside him, her pale, blonde hair fanned across our pillow, was Seraphina. My childhood tormentor, the one who had spent years making my life a living hell, was sprawled next to my husband, her mouth pressed against his neck.

“Oh, Damon, you do make me feel so powerful," she was purring, her words laced with a mockery that cut deeper than any blade. “Unlike that pathetic excuse of an omega you married.”

Damon laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Elara? She’s nothing but a weakling. All omegas are. I can’t believe my grandmother forced this on me,” he spat out, his eyes dark with disgust. “She only exists to breed, you know. Just like she’s doing now, little incubator.”

My world shattered. The joy that had bubbled in me moments before turned into a sharp, agonizing pain. It felt like my insides were being torn to shreds by a pack of wolves at war.

They hadn’t even noticed me yet. I stood, frozen, my hands clenching at my sides so hard my nails dug into my skin.

Seraphina finally looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened in feigned surprise, then twisted into a nasty smirk. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," she drawled, pushing herself up on her elbows, her eyes scanning me with a contempt so cold it could have frozen fire. "Did you come to get your breeding instructions from your Master?"

“Alpha, I —I came to tell…to share with you, our…” My voice broke, choked with sobs, I couldn't form a full sentence.

“How is this different from when we were kids, Elara?” Damon asked, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re still pathetic, still useless.” His eyes, the eyes I had once found so beautiful, were filled with nothing but hatred.

The insults, the contempt, the pure, unadulterated cruelty… it was too much. My breath hitched, and I stumbled backward, my vision blurring with tears. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn't think. I could only feel, and what I felt was the shattering of everything I thought I knew. Every fragile hope, every desperate prayer, all gone. They were like glass shards in my heart.

I turned and fled.

I ran out of the house, my feet carrying me blindly forward, tears streaming down my face, the sounds of their laughter echoing in my ears. I didn’t know where I was going, I didn’t care. All I knew was that I couldn’t stay there, not another second, not another breath.

I ran through the streets, the city lights a blurry backdrop to my pain. The cold night air stung my skin, but it didn't compare to the burning ache in my chest. My heart was a broken thing, and I was lost in a world that felt like it would never be home.

I kept running, the pain pushing me onward, away from them, away from the suffocating cruelty of my life, away from the weight of my own existence. I didn't know where I'd end up, but for the first time since I could remember, the unknown felt like a blessing.

And then, just as the city began to swim into a hazy fog, I stumbled, my vision blurring. The last thing I saw were the flickering lights of a passing car.